Trechus (Abyssinotus) kniphofia Schmidt, 2024

Schmidt, Joachim & Merene, Yeshitla, 2024, Trechus species from Mt. Choke of northern Ethiopia related to T. niloticus (Quéinnec & Ollivier) with notable male genital morphology (Carabidae: Trechini), Zootaxa 5492 (3), pp. 343-355 : 349-350

Trechus (Abyssinotus) kniphofia Schmidt , sp. n.

Fig. 2C , 3B, E, J

Type material. Holotype: ♂, with label data: Ethiopia, Amhara, E-slope Mt. Choke, Wondasha Guskuam , alt. 3650 m, 10°41‘05“N 37°59‘21“E, 2.V.2022, leg. J. Schmidt, Yeshitla, M. ( CSCHM) . Paratypes: 4 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀, with same data as holotype ( CSCHM) . 1 ♂, 3 ♀♀, Mt. Choke , eastern crater valley, alt. 3700–3800 m, 10°42‘59“N 37°54‘13“E, 06. V .2022, leg. J. Schmidt, Yeshitla M. ( CSCHM); 3 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, NE-slope Mt. Choke , above Felege Birhan, alt. 3750–3850 m, 10°42‘13“N 37°56‘32“E, 30.IV.2022, leg. J. Schmidt, Yeshitla M. ( CSCHM) .

Etymology. The new species is named after the beautiful red-hot poker Kniphofia foliosa which is a common Asphodelaceae at sites where T. kniphofia sp. n. occurs.

Description. Body length: 2.3–2.8 mm.

Proportions (n = 10): PW/HW = 1.36–1.44 (Ø = 1.40); PW/PL = 1.32–1.44 (Ø = 1.39); PW/PBW = 1.18–1.22 (Ø = 1.20); PBW/PAW = 1.16–1.29 (Ø = 1.22); EW/PW = 1.41–1.51 (Ø = 1.46); EL/EW = 1.31–1.38 (Ø = 1.35).

Colour: Head, pronotum and elytra blackish brown; mandibles, palps and legs yellowish brown; antennae usually monochrome, in some specimens, antennae slightly darkened beginning from second or third antennomere; in most specimens 2 nd maxillary palpomere darkened.

Microsculpture: Sculpticells on frons and supraorbital area large, moderately impressed, almost isodiametric, on clypeus more finely impressed. Sculpticells on pronotal disc moderately impressed, slightly transverse. Elytra with large and deeply impressed, almost isodiametric or somewhat irregularly formed sculpticells.

Head: As described in T. yitbareki sp. n.

Prothorax: As described in T. yitbareki sp. n.

Pterothorax: Striae 1–3 very slightly impressed or indistinct, smooth, first stria finer impressed than second or absent. In all other characters as described in T. yitbareki sp. n.

Legs: Two basal protarsomeres of males moderately dilated and dentoid at the inner apical border ( Fig. 3B ). In all other characters as described in T. yitbareki sp. n.

Male genitalia: EL/AL = 2.02–2.38 (Ø = 2.23; n = 8). Aedeagal median lobe robust, in lateral view almost evenly bent throughout, straight near apex, with short apical lamella which is hook-like bent dorsally ( Fig. 3E ); in dorsal view with side margins almost parallel, very slightly widened in apical quarter and shortly narrowed towards slender apical lamella ( Fig. 3J ). Dorsal opening extends basally near to the apical margin of basal bulb. Sagittal aileron absent. Endophallus symmetrical in dorsal view, without distinct copulatory pieces, densely covered by tiny scales, in the inactive position with a sac-like folding structure near its base and an area covered by large sclerotized scales on its dorsal side ( Fig. 3F ). Parameres similar in size and shape, rather slender, each with four apical setae.

Differential diagnosis. In habitus and male genital characters very similar to T. reebae and T. yitbareki sp. n., but differs in the shape of the basal two protarsomeres of males which are moderately dilated ( Fig. 3B ; markedly dilated in the latter species, see Fig. 3A, C ). The median lobe of the aedeagus is shorter and more evenly bent than in T. yitbareki sp. n., and is characterized by a shorter apical lamella. T. kniphofia sp. n. differs from the likewise similar T. igori sp. n. in the more robust and, on an average, larger body, and in the larger aedeagus with longer, hook-like bent apical lamella.

Distribution. Endemic to Mt. Choke in northern Ethiopia. The new species is probably the eastern vicariant of T. reebae sp. n., and was found along slopes on eastern margins of the crater rim ( Fig. 4 ).

Habitat preferences. As described in T. reebae .

Figures

FIGURE 2. Habitus photographs of Trechus (Abyssinotus) species; the white circles point to the insertions of the supraorbital setae, pronotal lateral setae, parascutellar seta, elytral discal setae, and setae of the umbilicate series. A, T. reebae (Quéinnec & Ollivier, 2021), specimen from western crater valley. B, T. yitbareki Schmidt, sp. n., paratype. C, T. kniphofia Schmidt, sp. n., paratype. D, T. igori Schmidt, sp. n., paratype.

FIGURE 3. Left protarsomeres (A–C), aedeagus in left lateral view (D–G) and dorsal view (H–K) of Trechus (Abyssinotus) species. A, D, I, T. reebae (Quéinnec & Ollivier, 2021), specimen from western crater valley. B, E, J, T. kniphofia Schmidt, sp. n., paratype. C, F, H, T. yitbareki Schmidt, sp. n., paratype. G, K, T. igori Schmidt, sp. n., paratype.

FIGURE 4. Topographic map of Mt. Choke (highest point marked by a white triangle), showing sampling localities of six Trechus (Abyssinotus) species of the niloticus group (white circles; the numbers refer to the different species). 1, T. apertus Schmidt, sp. n. 2, T. reebae (Quéinnec & Ollivier). 3, T. yitbareki Schmidt, sp. n. 4, T. kniphofia Schmidt, sp. n. 5, T. igori Schmidt, sp. n. 6, T. niloticus (Quéinnec & Ollivier). Sampling data of T. reebae and T. niloticus published by Quéinnec et al. (2021) are considered. Base map was downloaded from Topographic-map.com.