Tricondyla (Indotricondyla) gounellei Horn, 1900

Abeywardhana, Lakmini, Mallawarachchi, Yashas & Dangalle, Chandima Deepani, 2021, The arboreal tiger beetles (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae) of Sri Lanka recorded from recent investigations, Zootaxa 5068 (3), pp. 378-398 : 383-385

Tricondyla (Indotricondyla) gounellei Horn, 1900

Material examined: ♂ (n = 2) ( DOZE / UOCSL / LA015 , DOZE / UOCSL / LA017 ), 6.2404°N, 81.3369°E, Kirinda , Hambantota District, Southern Province, Sri Lanka, 4.5 m, 17 March 2018, D.L. Abeywardhana, on branches and trunks of Masan ( Ziziphus mauritiana ) trees near a reservoir .

♂ (n = 1) ( DOZE / UOCSL / LA024 ), 9.1865°N, 80.1501°E, Vellankulam , Mannar District, Northern Province, Sri Lanka, 23.4 m, 5 August 2018, D.L. Abeywardhana, on trunk and branches of mango and cashew trees of a fruit farm .

♂ (n = 1) ( DOZE / UOCSL / LA035 ), 6.3787°N, 81.3827°E, Yala Sanctuary , Hambantota District, Southern Province, Sri Lanka, 30.2 m, 1 March 2020, D.L. Abeywardhana, on a tree trunk near a camping site .

Measurements: BW 190.8 – 246.7, BL 21.36 – 22.58, HL 2.82 – 3.25, HW 4.36 – 4.83, ML 2.70 – 3.00, PL 5.57 – 6.20, PW 2.75 – 3.03, PI 1.85 – 2.13, EL 12.27 – 13.40, EW 4.32 – 4.81.

Diagnosis and description: Diagnosed at generic level by the very large and stout body, large head that is narrower or more or less equal in width to the elytra, parallel sided neck, deep frontal excavation that results in the occiput being more or less at the same level as the neck, less prominent eyes, large and broad labrum, small short and blunt mandibles, antennae short and black with the 3 rd and 4 th segments ringed in red, pronotum robust with a pronotal index of 1.5 to 2.5, elytra welded and inseparable, elytral apex rounded, aedeagus rounded to squared at the base and tapered towards the apex. Included in the subgenus Indotricondyla as the body length is greater than 19 mm, pronotum is long and subrectangular in shape, elytra long and subparallel with a weak gibbosity. The species is defined by the smooth head, smooth pronotum that is barely striated, elytral sculpture formed by small and shallow cavities like the tiles of the roof. It differs from the most closely related taxa, Tricondyla (Indotricondyla) granulifera , by having shorter elytra that are less narrow in the middle, less rugose elytral sculpture and by having a smaller body size ( Fig. 2 ).

Distribution: Anaimalai Hills, Ramnad, Madras, India ( Fowler 1912); Kumili, Tamil Nadu State ( Kirk-Spriggs & Wiesner 1992); South India: Periyar, Kumili, Tekkady, Kodaikanal, Anaimalai Hills ( Naviaux 2002).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Locations investigated for arboreal tiger beetles. 1—Kilinochchi, 2—Vellankulam, 3—Padavi Sri Pura, 4—Padaviya Wewa, 5—Trincomali, 6—Kantalai, 7—Mahakanadarawa Wewa, 8—Tambuttegama, 9—Tabbowa Wewa, 10—Karuwalagaswewa, 11—Mahakumbukkadawala, 12—Ritigala, 13—Aukana, 14—Habarana, 15—Giritale Wewa, 16—Pidurangala, 17—Andiyagala, 18—Devahuwa Wewa, 19—Gonawela, 20—Elahara, 21—Aralaganwila, 22—Thoppigala, 23—Kalkudah Beach, 24—Kalkudah, 25—Pitawala Pathana, 26—Riveston, 27—Punchi Rattota, 28—Rattota, 29—Nalanda Watta, 30— Moragollagama, 31—Mahawa, 32—Magalla Wewa, 33—Melsiripura, 34—Dambadeniya, 35—Giriulla, 36—Kurulu Kele, 37—Naranbedda, 38—Naranbedda Forest East, 39—Rambukkana, 40—Udawaththa Forest, 41—Dunumadalawa Rainforest, 42—Rambukwella, 43—Peradeniya,44—Hanthana hikingarea,45—Thaladuwa, 46—Wadumulla, 47—Veyangoda,48—Muthurajawela Beach, 49—Muthurajawela, 50—Amithirigala, 51—Makandawa Forest, Kitulgala, 52—Malwana,, 53—Kaduwela, 54—Seethawaka, 55—Labugama, 56—Kuruwita, 57—Bodhinagala, 58—Opanayaka, 59—Pokunuthanna, 60—Waulpane, 61—Rakwana, 62—Morning Side, Suriyakanda, 63—Sinharaja Rain Forest, 64—Sinharaja Aranya Senasanaya, 65—Weddagala, 66—Pelawatta, 67—Mathugama, 68—Horawala, 69—Yagirala Rain Forest, 70—Kanneliya Rain Forest, 71—Kottawa Rain Forest, 72—Rumassala, 73—Weligama Beach, 74—Akuressa, 75—Kamburupitiya, 76—Matara, 77—Beliatta, 78—Kirinda, 79—Kochchipathana Wewa, 80—Sithulpawwa, 81—Yala Sanctuary, 82—Pottuvil, 83—Gal Oya National Park, 84—Bibile, 85—Kalmunai

FIGURE 2. Tricondyla (Indotricondyla) gounellei Male