Pterostichus (Tschitscherinea) jiuzhaiicus, Yin & Chen & Shi, 2024

Yin, Wen-Qi, Chen, Jia-Heng & Shi, Hong-Liang, 2024, Revision of the Chinese endemic subgenus Tschitscherinea Berg, with descriptions of three new species (Coleoptera, Carabidae), Zootaxa 5481 (1), pp. 43-65 : 49-50

Pterostichus (Tschitscherinea) jiuzhaiicus sp. nov.

Figures 5 , 19 , 26 , 48

Chinese vernacular name: 九Ṟdzā±Ƥ

Pterostichus filum (Tschitschérine) : Sciaky, 1997: 166 (misidentification).

Type locality. China, Sichuan province: Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Jiuzhaigou (3100 m) .

Type material. Holotype, male ( IZAS): “ CHINA, N of Sichuan, Jiuzhaigou , 3100m, 13–15, Jun.1992, M. Bok lgt.”, “Ex. Coll., A. Casale, 2011”, “HOLOTYPE of Pterostichus (Tschitscherinea) jiuzhaiicus sp. nov. det. Yin & Shi, 2024” [red label] . Paratypes (a total of 1 male and 4 females), 3 females ( IZAS): “ Sichuan, Jiuzhaigou , 2002- VIII-10, Bai M., Wang J.F. lgt.”, “PARATYPE of Pterostichus (Tschitscherinea) jiuzhaiicus sp. nov. det. Yin & Shi, 2024” [red label] ; 1 male ( IZAS): “ CHINA: Sichuan, Jiuzhaigou County, Jiuzhaigou scenic spot, colorful poor, N33.0479, E103.9313, 3003m.”, “ 2021.VII.12, D2, dead wood, Zhu Pingzhou lgt., Institute of Zoology , IZAS.”, “ PARATYPE of Pterostichus (Tschitscherinea) jiuzhaiicus sp. nov. det. Yin & Shi, 2024” [red label] ; 1 female ( IZAS): “ Gansu province, Bailongjiang nat. res., 2011.7.24, 0–7–2, Renmingchigou, 2620m, Fu & Tang leg.”; “ PARATYPE of Pterostichus (Tschitscherinea) jiuzhaiicus sp. nov. det. Yin & Shi, 2024” [red label] .

Diagnosis. Maxim width of head at outer margin of eyes; pronotum subquadrate; basal foveae punctate; elytra with transverse microsculpture; parascutellar pore absent; interval 3 with three setigerous pores; male sternite VII with three longitudinal ridges at middle ( Fig. 48 ); metatarsus slender, similar in both sexes; metatarsomeres without outer-lateral ridge; right paramere straight, apex relatively sharp ( Fig. 19 ); endophallus with left and right apical lobes both hooked at apex ( Fig. 26 ).

The new species is most similar to P. farkaci . Both species are different from all the others of the subgenus as the elytral interval 3 has three pores and parascutellar pore is absent. Compared with P. farkaci , the new species can be readily distinguished by elytra with transverse microsculpture, pronotal basal foveal grooves with well-defined boundary, male sternite VII with sexual modification, and right paramere of male genitalia straight. The new species is also similar to P. sterbai for both having modified male sternite VII and a straight right paramere of male genitalia. But P. jiuzhaiicus sp. nov. is quite different from P. sterbai in several aspects, including the typical parallel-sided body form (pronotum circular in P. sterbai ), metatarsus not thickened in both sexes (thickened in males of P. sterbai ), tempora shorter than eyes, different male modification on sternite VII ( Figs 48–49 ), right paramere shorter and apical lamella of aedeagus a little longer. The new species is also similar to P. filum in general appearance, similar elytra microsculpture and closer distribution. The comparison of these two species see discussion below.

Description. BL = 9.0– 9.3 mm, BW = 3.0– 3.2 mm, dorsal surface and appendages dark reddish brown, elytra without metallic luster. Head narrow, slightly thickened, frons without puncture; antennae short, reaching elytra base; eyes large and hemisphere, tempora slightly swollen behind eyes, shorter than eyes, eyL/tpL = 1.2–1.6, maxim width of head at outer margin of eyes, HW/PW = 0.62–0.66. Pronotum subquadrate, PW/PL = 1.02–1.05, PBW/PW = 0.87–0.90, widest near anterior fourth; anterior margin slightly narrower than posterior margin, PAW/PBW =0.85– 0.88; anterior angles not projected; lateral margins subparallel, nearly straight before posterior angles; posterior angles rectangular, with a faint denticle. Basal foveae shallow, distinctly punctate, inner and outer grooves with well-defined boundary, area between them depressed; outer groove about half length of inner groove; area between lateral margin and outer groove shallowly ridged. Pronotum disc punctate aside median line; median line shallow. Elytra oblong and parallel-sided, BW/EL = 0.61–0.63, with transverse microsculpture in both sexes; parascutellar stria joined to stria 1, angular base of stria 1 short, apex free; parascutellar pore absent; elytra humeral tooth small, apex sharp, projected poster-laterally. Striae deeply incised, indistinctly punctate. Interval 3 with three setigerous pores, the first one adjacent to stria 3, the other two adjacent to stria 2; the first one at elytra basal sixth, the second one near middle, the last one near posterior fourth. Male sternite VII with three shallow longitudinal ridges at middle ( Fig. 48 ); metatarsus slender, similar in both sexes (mt1 length/width = 3.2 in both sexes); metatarsomeres without outer-lateral ridge. Median lobe of aedeagus small (length about 1.54 mm), apex straight in lateral view; apical lamella short and wide, apex rounded, not twisted to right; right paramere short and straight, gradually attenuate to apex, apical portion about four times as its width, not carinate on dorsal surface, cross-section ovate at middle, apex relatively sharp ( Fig. 19 ). Endophallus extended to ventral side of aedeagus, gonopore opened to base of aedeagus; right apical lobe (ra) and left apical lobe (la) both hooked at apex, almost in similar size and shape, apex of ra slightly sclerotized; with distinct scales near gonopore. ( Fig. 26 ).

Remarks. Based on the description only, this species was identified as P. filum by Sciaky (1997). However, P. filum sensu Sciaky (1997) is inconsistent with the original description of P. filum at least in the number of the setigerous pores on interval 3: the type of P. filum has only one pore, whereas this species has three pores. In the present study, we examined one female specimen ( Fig. 6 ) collected from Wolong, Sichuan, which matches with the original description of P. filum and very close to its type locality. Based on the examination of a specimen of P. filum , it is confirmed that P. filum sensu Sciaky (1997) represents a distinct undescribed species and we herein describe it as P. jiuzhaiicus sp. nov. The new species is different from P. filum in the following aspects: (1) elytra interval 3 with three setigerous pores, whereas with only one pore in P. filum ; (2) lateral margin of pronotum slightly curved before middle, whereas almost straight in P. filum ; (3) pronotal basal foveae with inner and outer grooves well-defined, whereas the inner groove very faintly defined and outer groove absent in P. filum ; (4) tempora shorter than eyes, whereas distinctly swollen and slightly longer than eyes in P. filum ; (5) metatarsomeres without outer-lateral ridge, whereas with shallow ridge on segment 1 in P. filum .

Distribution. This species is known from three localities on the border of Sichuan and Gansu provinces ( China): Jiuzhaigou and Abaco in Sichuan province, and Bailongjiang in Gansu province. ( Fig. 54 , black)

Etymology. The scientific name of the new species is derived from its type locality, Jiuzhaigou which is commonly abbreviated as “Jiuzhai”.

Figures

FIGURES 1–6. Habitus of Pterostichus (Tschitscherinea) spp. (1) P. spissipedes sp. nov., holotype. (2) P. spissipedes sp. nov., a male paratype from Jianchuan. (3) P. spissipedes sp. nov., a male paratype from Deqin. (4) P. spectabilis sp. nov., holotype. (5) P. jiuzhaiicus sp. nov., holotype. (6) P. filum (Tschitschérine), a female from Wolong. Scale bars: 2 mm.

FIGURES 19–24. Male genitalia of Pterostichus (Tschitscherinea) spp., left lateral view, dorsal view of median lobe of aedeagus, and right paramere. (19) P. jiuzhaiicus sp. nov., holotype. (20) P. mulensis Sciaky, holotype. (21) P. krali Sciaky, Haba Snow Mountain. (22) P. farkaci Sciaky, west of Zhongdian, paratype. (23) P. farkaci Sciaky, Tianchi, Zhongdian. (24) P. farkaci Sciaky, Hongshan, Zhongdian. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 25–30. Endophallus of Pterostichus (Tschitscherinea) spp., left lateral view and right lateral view. (25) P.spissipedes sp. nov., Jianchuan, paratype. (26) P. jiuzhaiicus sp. nov., holotype. (27) P. mulensis Sciaky, Muli. (28) P. farkaci Sciaky, Hongshan, Zhongdian. (29) P. farkaci Sciaky, Tianchi, Zhongdian. (30) P. sterbai Jedlička, Pe-Yen-Tsin. Abbreviations: gp gonopore, la left apical lobe, ra right apical lobe, va ventral apical lobe. Scale bar: 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 48–53. 48–49. Male sternite VII of Pterostichus (Tschitscherinea) spp., (48) P. jiuzhaiicus sp. nov., Jiuzhaigou, paratype. (49) P. sterbai Jedlička, Pe-Yen-Tsin. Scale bars: 0.5 mm. 50–53. Female genitalia of Pterostichus (Tschitscherinea) mulensis Sciaky, Muli. (50) tergite VIII. (51) sternite VIII. (52) female internal reproductive tracts. (53) ventral view of gonocoxites. Abbreviations: g1 gonocoxite 1, g2 gonocoxite 2, es ensiform setae, ns nematiform setae, bc bursa copulatrix, co common oviduct, sc seminal canal, rc receptaculum, sg spermathecal gland, spc spermathecal canal. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 54–57. 54. Confirmed distribution of the Pterostichus (Tschitscherinea) spp. in China: Red P. spissipedes sp. nov. Blue P. spectabilis sp. nov. Black P. jiuzhaiicus sp. nov. Pink P. filum (Tschitschérine). Purple P. mulensis Sciaky. Green P. fakarci Sciaky. Yellow P. krali Sciaky. Cyan P. sterbai Jedlička. 55–57. Endophallus of Pterostichus spp., right lateral view and left lateral view: (55) Pterostichus (Cryobius) jaechi Krischenhofer, Changbaishan, Jilin. (56) Pterostichus (Morphohaptoderus) janatai Sciaky & Wrase, Pingheliang, Shaanxi. (57) Pterostichus (Morphohaptoderus) dundai Sciaky, Houzhenzi, Shaanxi. Scale bars = 0.5 mm, a (55), b (56–57).