Dyschiriodes (Paradyschirius) ruthmuellerae, Bulirsch, 2009

Bulirsch, Petr, 2009, Contribution to the Asian and Afrotropical species of the genus Dyschiriodes (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Scaritinae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae (suppl.) 49 (2), pp. 559-576 : 565-568

Dyschiriodes (Paradyschirius) ruthmuellerae sp. nov.

( Figs. 3 , 9 , 15 )

Type locality. Namibia, Caprivi, 20 km SE of Divundu, 1000 m a.s.l.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: ♁, ‘ NAMIBIA; CAPRIVI 1000m / 20 km SE Divundu / 18.06 S – 21.40 E // 17.iii.2006; E-Y: 3726 / light trap / leg. R. Müller’ ( TMSA).

Description. Habitus as in Fig. 3 ; length 3.70 mm. Colouration dark rusty-brown, surface without metallic lustre, elytra in basal two thirds slightly darker; legs rusty red, antennomeres and mouth-parts rusty yellow.

Head. Anterior margin of clypeus with sharp, distinctly protruding lateral lobes, between them slightly emarginate; clypeofrontal area with two distinct and parallel transverse ridges, connected at their midlength by equally distinct longitudinal ridge (forming together a letter H turned sideways); facial furrows deep, moderately long, parallel anteriorly and slightly divergent in posterior third, distance between them slightly larger than eye length. Surface vaulted, even, smooth, with very fine and sparse micropunctures. Eyes moderately large, convex. Antennae submoniliform.

Pronotum. Strongly convex, outline moderately rounded in posterior half and almost straight in anterior half; moderately attenuated anteriorly; 1.00 times as wide as long, 1.41 times as wide as head; widest just before posterior setiferous punctures. Anterior angles obtuse, posterior ones moderately rounded. Anterior transverse impression deep, impunctate, with very sparse and fine cross striae; median line moderately deep, slightly deeper posteriorly; lateral channel distinct, reflexed lateral margin extended markedly beyond posterior setiferous puncture. Surface mirror-like, shiny, with very fine micropunctures.

Elytra. Strongly convex, long-ovate, 1.77 times as long as wide, 1.16 times as wide as pronotum; humeri moderately protruded, each elytron with indistinct humeral tooth; base slightly sloping; outline slightly broadened on sides, broadest at about midlength; suture not depressed at base. Base without basal border and tubercles; BSP large, distinctly connected with stria 1. Striae 1–7 equally deep, striae 2–6 slightly finer just before apex, striae 2–3 finer basally, striae 4–5 deeper basally; striae moderately deeply punctate in anterior half (striae 1–4) to two fifths (striae 5–7); stria 8 superficial, finely punctate in second third and barely recognisable apically; intervals moderately vaulted on disc. Three PHSP, three DSP (anterior one near interval 3, middle and posterior ones in interval 3) and two ASP (in deep apical stria).

Protibia.Apical spine distinctly curved downwards but not inwards, longer than apical spur; the latter uncinate before apex; distal marginal tooth large, sharp, proximal one indistinct, very blunt.

Aedeagus. Shape as in Figs. 9 , 15 ; 0.69 mm long in HT (base of median lobe cracked, full length probably about 0.74 mm), lower margin of median lobe in apical half straight. Apical lamella as in Fig. 15 ; moderately long, asymmetric, narrowly rounded. Paramere not setose.

Differential diagnosis. Dyschiriodes ruthmuellerae sp. nov. belongs to the D. verticalis subgroup of the D. substriatus group (sensu FEDORENKO 1996, 1997a). It can be distinguished from the West African D. (Paradyschirius) devroeyanus (Burgeon, 1935) , the only known Afrotropical species of this (sub)group, by its much larger size (3.70 mm in D. ruthmullerae sp. nov., 2.70–2.90 mm in D. devroeyanus ), H-shaped carina on the head (T-shaped in D. devroeyanus ), slightly narrower pronotum (ratio width/length equal to 1.00 in D. ruthmullerae sp. nov. and 1.03–1.07 in D. devroeyanus ), with almost no cross striae on the transverse impression of the frons, slightly longer elytra (ratio length/width equal to 1.77 in D. ruthmullerae sp. nov. and 1.69–1.74 in D. devroeyanus ) and much finer and in basal half finely punctate elytral striae. Dyschirioides (P.) dispar (Péringuey, 1896) , the second Afrotropical representative of the subgenus Paradyschirius Fedorenko, 1996 known to date, belongs to the monospecific and very different D. dispar group (sensu FEDORENKO 1996) characterized by transverse furrows but no keel on the head, a longer and subparallel pronotum and elytra, slightly bordered elytral base and reduced number of elytral setiferous punctures (one PHSP, one DSP and one ASP).

Etymology. Dedicated to the discoverer of the new species, Ruth Müller (TMSA, Pretoria, South Africa).

Distribution. Namibia (Caprivi).

Figures

Figs. 1–5. Habitus of holotypes. 1 – Dyschiriodes sabahensis sp. nov. (3.15 mm); 2 – D. hajeki sp. nov. (3.75 mm); 3 – D. ruthmuellerae sp. nov. (3.70 mm); 4 – D. kadleci sp. nov. (3.45 mm); 5 – D. facchinii sp. nov. (3.70 mm).

Figs. 8–13. Aedeagus, right lateral view. 8 – Dyschiriodes sabahensis sp. nov.; 9 – D. ruthmuellerae sp. nov.; 10 – D. kadleci sp. nov.; 11 – D. facchinii sp. nov.; 12 – D. jelineki sp. nov.; 13 – D. genieri sp. nov. (all holotypes).

Figs. 14–18.Apex of aedeagus, ventral view.14 – Dyschiriodes sabahensis sp. nov.; 15 – D. ruthmuellerae sp. nov.; 16 – D. kadleci sp. nov.; 17 – D. facchinii sp. nov.; 18 – D. genieri sp. nov. (all holotypes).