Chlaenius (Pseudochlaeniellus) germanus Chaudoir, 1876

Anichtchenko, Alexander & Kirschenhofer, Erich, 2017, To the knowledge of Oriental species of subgenus Pseudochlaeniellus Jeannel, 1949 (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Chlaenius), Zootaxa 4231 (2), pp. 187-202 : 188-190

Chlaenius (Pseudochlaeniellus) germanus Chaudoir, 1876

( Figs. 1–6 , 32–33 )

Chlaenius germanus Chaudoir, 1876: 199

Chlaenius laevipennis Chaudoir, 1876: 196 syn. n.

C. (Pseudochlaeniellus) buriensis Kirschenhofer 1998: 321 syn. n.

Material. LAOS: Type, ♀ — Ex Musaeo Chaudoir ( MNHN). 1 ♀ — Laos, Luangphabang prov., Mt. Phou Phakhao, Namtap vill. 7– 11.06.2010, lg. Sasa Khamphilavong (cAD) . THAILAND: 1 ♀ — “ Paratypus Chlaenius (Pseudochlaeniellus) buriensis mihi des. Kirschenhofer 1996”, " Thailand, Han-Kha, 60 km n. Suphon-Buri, 1.1990, leg. Thielen " ( NMW); 1 ♀ — “ Thailand, Phitsanulok, 1986.12.28, leg. H. Schmid ” ( NMW) . INDIA: 3 ♂ — “ India, Karnataka, KerwaDi N 14°52’49.5‘‘ E74°15’52.7‘‘ lake, 18.–19. IV. 2013 Anichtchenko A. leg.“ (cAA) . BANGLADESH: 1m—“ Sylhet ”, “ Bowring 63–47”, “ Chlaenius laevipennis Chaud. H. E. Andrewes det. “ ( BMNH).

Diagnosis. Smallest species of the subgenus. By its size can be confused only with small males of sympatric C. sobrinus , and by elytral pattern with C. caesitius . From C. sobrinus it is differentiated, by the metallic lateral margin of pronotum, i.e. in C. sobrinus is yellowish translucent. From C. caesitius it is differentiated by its size. The aedeagus also differs absolutely from both species.

Description. Body length 7.4–7.8 mm. Dorsal surface with dense yellow pubescence. Coloration of head and pronotum metallic green with bluish overtones on the disc. Mouthparts, antennomeres and legs yellow. Antennomeres IV–XI slightly darker. Elytra metallic green or blue, with narrow yellow lateral band on 2–2.5 external intervals. Apical part of pattern vary in width. Sometimes elytra with large reddish spot on the disc ( Figs. 1–6 ). Ventral surface black, except wide lateral band on all abdominal segments.

Head dull, microreticulated throughout, punctate behind eyes and on vertex. Pronotum microreticulate, punctation on disc dense and regular, less or no more than one diameter distance from each other. Lateral margins narrow. Elytra with striae deep and narrow, finely uniformly punctate. Intervals almost flat.

Aedeagus ( Figs. 32–33 ). Specimens from India and Bangladesh show slight differences in shape of apice, but it should be explained by the intraspecific variability.

Comments. Species was described in base of single female from Laos. Study of Type revealed is conspecific with species C. buriensis , also described by females. Last one in differential diagnosis was compared with C. puncticollis , and as principal differential characters where indicated completely black elytra with slightly wider lateral band. The study of the Type specimen revealed that the elytra looked black because they were greasy ( Fig. 2 ). New synonymy is proposed here. We did not have the opportunity to study males genitalia from Laos and Thailand, but by its external morphology this specimens conspecific with material from Bangladesh and India. Another enigmatic species, C. laevipennis was described from Dakkan (India). According to personal comments of Kirschenhofer and Taghavian, the Type of C. laevipennis is unavailable. In original description it was compared with C. puncticollis , but differing by densely punctured pronotum, more elongate elytra and bluish head, pronotum and elytra. Under this description fit only two species, C. caesitius and C. germanus . We saw one specimen from Bangladesh (BMNH), determined by Andrewes as C. laevipennis , and is conspecific with C. germanus . Given that the C. caesitius is known from Vietnam only, while C. germanus is widespreaded, we tentatively propose here new synonymy C. laevipennis Chaudoir, 1876 syn. n. = C. germanus . To make a final decision about the taxonomic status of this taxon it is necessary to study the type and additional material.

Distribution. Bangladesh, India, Laos (Loc. typ.), Thailand.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Habitus of C. (Pseudochlaeniellus) germanus: 1 — Type of C. germanus. Female (MNHN); 2 — C. (P.) buriensis syn. n., Paratype, female (Thailand); 3 — Phitsanulok, Thailand. Female (NMW); 4 — Sylhet, Bangladesh. Male (BMNH); 5 – 6 — Variability of apical pattern. Karnataka, India. Males (cAA).

FIGURES 28 – 36. Aedeagus: 28 — Holotype of C. chloodes = C. neochloodes (BMNH); 29 — C. caesitius, Loc. Typ. (NMW); 30 — C. puncticollis. India (cAA); 31 — Paratype of C. mesopotamicus = lucasi (NMW); 32 — C. germanus, Karnataka, India (cAA); 33 — C. germanus, Sylhet, Bangladesh. (BMNH); 34 - 35 variability of aedeagus of C. sobrinus, Rajaji, India (cAA); 36 — C. sobrinus, Tonkin, Vietnam (NMW).