Pterostichus (Circinatus) zoiai Sciaky, 1996

Shi, Hongliang & Liang, Hongbin, 2015, The genus Pterostichus in China II: the subgenus Circinatus Sciaky, a species revision and phylogeny (Carabidae, Pterostichini), ZooKeys 536, pp. 1-92 : 42-44

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Carabidae

Pterostichus (Circinatus) zoiai Sciaky, 1996 Figures 25, 49, 69, 88, 110

Pterostichus (Circinatus) zoiai Sciaky 1996: 222 (Original: Pterostichus ( Circinatus ); holotype deposited in NHMB); Bousquet 2003: 488; Lorenz 2005: 280; Allegro and Sciaky 2010: 4.

Type locality.

Sichuan: Emei Mt. (~ N29.55°, E103.34°), 600-1050 m.

Type material examined.

Holotype of Pterostichus zoiai Sciaky (NHMB), male, body length = 10.7 mm, board mounted, genitalia dissected and glued on same board with specimen, "CHINA: Sichuan / Mt. EMEI, 600-1050 m / 5.-19.5.1989 / Lad. Bocák, lgt."; "HOLOTYPUS / Pterostichus / ( Circinatus )/ zoiai sp. n. / Det. Sciaky ‘94” [red label]. Paratype, 1 male, "CHINA, Sichuan, / Mt. Emei, 2640 m, 6.5.1989, Lad. Bocak, lgt."; "ex. coll. R. Sciaky, 2011".

Non-type material examined

(total 44 specimens). 9 males, 6 females (IZAS), "China, Sichuan, mount. Emei, Leidongping, broadleaf forest with dead log under forest, N29.54669, E103.33552; 2420 m, 2012.VII.02 N, on ground or tree trunk, SHI Hongliang, LIU Ye, leg."; 2 males, 2 females (IZAS), same data, but collecting date 2012.VII.03; 2 males, 7 females (IZAS), same data, but collecting date 2012.VII.05; 7 males, 8 females (IZAS), "China, Sichuan, mount. Emei, Leidongping, broadleaf forest with dead log under forest, N29.54669, E103.33552; 2420 m, 2012.VII.06, by pitfall trap, SHI Hongliang, LIU Ye, leg."; 1 female (IZAS), "Mt. Emei, Sichuan Prov. 17-VII-2003, Hu & Tang leg.".

Diagnosis.

Pronotum with single mid-lateral seta; posterior seta distant from hind angle, hind angle completely rounded; basal foveal outer groove absent, outer region of inner groove completely flat; basal fovea area finely punctate between two inner grooves; elytron with humeral tooth almost invisible; elytral microsculpture faint, linear; fifth tarsomeres glabrous beneath; terminal sternum of male not modified. This species is very similar to Pterostichus beneshi . Their comparison has been provided in the diagnosis under Pterostichus beneshi .

Supplemental description.

Male sternum. Penultimate and terminal sterna without special structures. Endophallus (Fig. 49D, E, G) extended in dorsal-basal direction of aedeagus, major portion of endophallus located on dorsal side of aedeagus; gonopore (gp, gonopore lobe folded in Fig. 49) located at level near middle of aedeagus, pointing to right. Five distinct lobes recognized: left lobe (ll) largest, located on left face near gp, its apex branched, forming two rounded sub-lobes, upper half of ll decorated with scales, scales near apex of ll very coarse; ventral lobe I (vl-I) tubiform, pointing to dorsal side of aedeagus, apex a little enlarged; ventral lobe II (vl-II) much smaller than vl-I; right lobe (rl) longer and thicker than vl-II, tubiform, straight; pre-apical lobe (pa) located on right face, close to gp, apex enlarged and branched, with very fine scales; basal-dorsal region on endophallus heavily pigmented; endophallus without chitinized piece. Female genitalia. Spermatheca with seminal canal approx three times as long as receptaculum; receptaculum capitate (Fig. 69), club approx half length of receptaculum; seminal canal inserted at base of common oviduct, base of seminal canal with sclerotized region short and thick. Stylomere II with two ensiform setae at basal half of outer margin, and a small one near middle of inner margin; two short nematiform setae located in a furrow near apex. Female sternum VIII (Fig. 88B) with fine setae on posterior margin, setae on middle region a little thicker; posterior margin almost straight, notched in middle; posterior region well chitinized; anterior region semi-chitinized, deeply notched in middle; middle transparent region small, roughly diamond-shaped, with two short oblique extensions; middle transparent region adjacent to anterior and posterior notches in middle. Female tergum VIII (Fig. 88A) short, posterior region semi-chitinized, without denser pigmentation; anterior region evenly chitinized; anterior margin notched in middle, posterior margin evenly arcuate.

Distribution.

Known only from Emei mountain in central Sichuan province (Map 2). The label of the holotype indicates that this species is from low altitude (600-1050 m) on Emei Mt. As a result of our expedition to Emei Mt. in 2012, we found that this species is very common at relatively high altitudes (more than 2000 m) of Emei Mountain.

Affinities.

This species is close to Pterostichus beneshi in similarities of external appearance and male genitalia. Their endophalli are also similar, all lobes being recognizable as homologous.