Itamus castaneus Schmidt-Goebel, 1846

Song, Xiao-Bin, Tang, Liang & Peng, Zhong, 2018, Flanged Bombardier beetles from Shanghai, China, with description of a new species in the genus Eustra Schmidt-Goebel (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Paussinae), ZooKeys 740, pp. 45-57 : 51

Itamus castaneus Schmidt-Goebel, 1846 Figs 4, 6C 栗伊塔粗角步甲

Itamus castaneus Schmidt-Goebel, 1846: 67 (original description, type locality: Myanmar); Zhao and Tian 2003: 57 (new record from Guangdong, China).

Material examined.

1♂, (cSXB), labeled 'CHINA: Shanghai, Changning District, nr. Zhongshan Park (中山公园), 31°12'59"N, 121°25'17"E, alt. 11m, 28.vii.2017, Xiao-Bin Song leg.'; 3♀♀, (cSXB), ditto, but 22.viii.2017; 4 exs, (cSXB), ditto, but 25.viii.2017; 1 ex, (cSXB), ditto, but 7.ix.2017; 2 exs, (cSXB), ditto, but 27.ix.2017; 1 ex, (cWYX), labeled 'CHINA: Shanghai, Jing’an District, nr. Jiang’an Temple (静安寺), 10.viii.2017, Yong-Xiang Wu leg.'; 1 ex, (cWYX), ditto, but vii.2017.

Other material examined.

Yunnan: 1ex, (cSXB), labeled 'CHINA: Yunnan, Xishuangbanna, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (西双版纳植物园), iv-2009, Xiao-Yu Zhu leg.'; Fujian: 1 ex, (cSXB), labeled 'CHINA: Fujian, Nanping City, Wuyishan (武夷山), Yunvfeng (玉女峰), Zu-Qi Mai leg., under rotten wood.'; Zhejiang: 1 ex, (cLW), labeled 'CHINA: Zhejiang, Hangzhou, Hangzhou Botanical Gardern, Taoyuanling (桃源岭), viii-2017, Wei Liu leg.'; 3 exs, (cLW), ditto, but Pujiaxincun (濮家新村), vi-2015, on Broussonetia papyrifera trees.

Comments.

Zhao and Tian (2003) first recorded the ozaenine genus Itamus Loew, 1849 in China, with two known Asian species, i.e., I. castaneus from Guangdong and I. dentatus Andrews, 1919 from Guangxi. Itamus castaneus can be readily separated from its Chinese congener I. dentatus by the larger body size, shoulders of elytra almost without denticle and the fore-femur with an obvious projection. All specimens from Shanghai were founded walking on the ground or at light in July to October (Fig. 6C), individuals are observed to feed on amber snails ( Suecinea sp. Draparnaud) and dead cave cricket ( Rhaphidophoridae ). One specimen from Fujian was collected under decaying wood (Mai per. comm.). Three individuals from Zhejiang are collected at night on the trunks of Broussonetia papyrifera (L.) L’Hér. ex Vent. trees (Liu per. comm.).

Measurements.

BL, 15.62; HW, 3.61; PL, 3.22; PW, 4.28; EL, 8.90.

Distribution.

China: Shanghai (new provincial record), Zhejiang (new provincial record), Fujian (new provincial record), Guangdong, Yunnan (new provincial record); Myanmar; Laos; Sri Lanka; Thailand.

Symbiotic host.

Free living, not associated with ant.