Ophionea Klug, 1821

Sudhakar Anagha, V. S. & Sabu, Thomas K., 2024, Additions to the taxonomy of the genus Ophionea Klug, 1821 (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Lebiinae) and a new species from India, Zootaxa 5437 (4), pp. 523-536 : 524-525

Genus Ophionea Klug, 1821

Ophionea Klug, 1821: 298 ; Schmidt-Göbel, 1846: 20; Chaudoir, 1848: 31, 43; Lacordaire, 1854: 73; Bedel, 1910: 72; Maindron, 1910: 34; Sloane, 1917: 415; id. 1923: 30; Andrewes, 1919: 475; id. 1926: 353; id. 1930: 240; Csiki, 1932: 1534; Liebke, 1938: 79; Blackwelder, 1944: 65; Habu, 1967: 30; Saha et al., 1992: 48; Lorenz, 1998: 417; Baehr, 2005: 180; Lorenz, 2005: 441; Baehr, 2006: 71; Park et al., 2006: 98; Terada & Wu, 2014: 16; Löbl & Löbl, 2017: 634; Raj & Thomas, 2019: 5.

=Ophionaea Eschscholtz, 1829: 5.

= Casnoidea Laporte, 1834: 40 ; Csiki, 1932: 1534; Jedlička, 1963: 498; Darlington, 1968: 207; Baehr, 1996: 1044; Lorenz, 1998: 417.

Revised key to species of the genus Ophionea Klug, 1821 (Modified from Baehr, 1996).

1. Entire surface blackish-blue color; elytra intervals 1, 3, 5 and 7 with a row of setiferous punctures........................................................................................ Ophionea foersteri Bouchard, 1903

- Entire surface not completely blackish-blue color; at most elytral intervals 3 and 5 with a row of setiferous punctures.. 2

2(1). Prothorax blackish; distinct white elytral spots absent or very indistinct white spots present....................... 3

- Prothorax reddish; whitish elytral spots distinct.......................................................... 4

3(2). Prothorax shorter, ratio l/w <1.75, middle of the apex distinctly and coarsely punctate; elytral apex distinctly and broadly reddish color with white spots behind the posterior margin of dark fascia............. Ophionea brandti ( Baehr, 1996)

- Prothorax longer, ratio l/w>1.80, middle of the apex indistinctly or not coarsely punctate; elytral apex not reddish or narrowly and indistinctly reddish, without any traces of white spots................ Ophionea gestroi Maindron, 1910

4(2). Base of elytra with a dark fascia..................................................................... 5

- Base of elytra reddish without dark fascia............................................................. 14

5(4). Prothorax without lateral setae; elytra with 2 pairs of whitish spots in anterior third and near apex, dark basal fascia interrupted in middle............................................ Ophionea indica ( Thunberg, 1784) ( Fig. 3E )

- Prothorax with one pair of lateral setae; elytra with a pair of large whitish spots only near apex, dark basal fascia not interrupted in middle............................................................................... 6

6(5). Orbit markedly convex.................................................... Ophionea thouzeti Laporte, 1867

- Orbit less convex or almost regularly oblique............................................................ 7

7(6). Surface of elytra not microreticulate, glossy, setiferous punctures present on intervals 3 and 5........................................................................................... Ophionea australica ( Baehr, 1996)

- Surface of elytra distinctly microreticulate, setiferous punctures variable...................................... 8

8(7). Surface of elytra barely pilose....................................................................... 9

- Surface of elytra distinctly pilose.................................................................... 10

9(8). Whitish spots on elytral apex long, more than half the length of the posterior elytral fascia. Ophionea hoashii Habu, 1962

- Whitish spot on elytral apex small............................................. Ophionea ishiii (Habu, 1961)

10(8). Elytra with setiferous punctures on interval 3 only....................................................... 11

- Elytra with setiferous punctures on intervals 3 and 5..................................................... 12

11(10). Orbits almost regularly oblique; elytra less coarsely punctate and very fine behind middle.............................................................................. Ophionea interstitialis Schmidt-Göbel, 1846 ( Fig. 3B )

- Orbits faintly although distinctly convex; elytra coarsely punctate even near apex.... Ophionea celebensis ( Baehr, 1996)

12(10). Head with distinct microreticulation; elytra with depression in anterior third, whitish elytral spots large and very elongate........................................................................ Ophionea storeyi ( Baehr, 1996)

- Head without distinct microreticulation; elytra without depression in anterior third, whitish elytral spots small and short. ............................................................................................... 13

13(12). Head short, markedly rhomboidal, without traces of microreticulation, eyes large and less protruded laterally, orbit almost regularly oblique; whitish elytral spots smaller, apex of elytra obliquely truncated, outer apical angle distinctly angulate.............................................................. Ophionea ceylonica ( Baehr, 1996) ( Fig. 3D )

- Head long, more egg-shaped, with traces of microreticulation, eyes small and more protruded laterally, orbit distinctly convex; whitish elytral spots large, apex of elytra almost completely rounded, outer apical angle not angulate................................................................................ Ophionea leytensis ( Baehr, 1996)

14(4). Prothorax coarsely punctate, a row of lateral setae present; only 1 large whitish spot in posterior half of elytra............................................................................. Ophionea puncticollis Sloane, 1923

- Prothorax not coarsely punctate, without lateral setae or with only 1 seta; 2 whitish spots in anterior third near apex of elytra.......................................................................................... 15

15(14). Dark parts of upper surface with bluish reflection....................................................... 16

- Dark parts of upper surface black.................................................................... 19

16(15). Elytral fascia large, whitish spots on elytra small, striation on elytra fine......... Ophionea micronota Andrewes, 1937

- Elytral fascia small, whitish spots on elytra large, striation on elytra distinct.................................. 17

17(16). Head longer, posteriorly slightly convex; elytra with anterior whitish spots outside the dark fascia, posterior spots completely included in fascia................................................................................. 18

- Head shorter, posteriorly rather straight; elytra with both anterior and posterior whitish spots at least partly included in dark fascia.................................................................. Ophionea bakeri ( Dupuis, 1913)

18(17). Bluish reflection on elytral dark fascia conspicuous, interval 3 with 5–6 setiferous punctures........................................................................... Ophionea bhamoensis bhamoensis Bates, 1892 ( Fig. 3F )

- Bluish reflection on elytral dark fascia slightly fainter, interval 3 with 4 setiferous punctures............................................................................ Ophionea bhamoensis taiwanensis Terada & Wu, 2014

19(15). Posterior part of head relatively short; prothorax without distinct transverse strioles; elytra with indistinct microreticulation, surface highly glossy; both whitish elytral spots large and elongate, anterior spot completely outside of dark fascia, posterior spot clearly surpassing posterior margin of the fascia............................ Ophionea insignis ( Baehr, 1997)

- Posterior part of head longer; prothorax with distinct transverse strioles; elytra with distinct microreticulation, surface dull; either both white elytral spots small and circular, or only posterior spot large, in latter case both spots completely included within dark elytral fascia........................................................................... 20

20(19). Prothorax with a pair of lateral setae................................................................. 21

- Prothorax without lateral setae...................................................................... 22

21(20). Prothorax short and broad; whitish spots on elytra larger and broader, anterior edge of the transverse fascia entire and posterior edge extended beyond posterior spot towards the suture, interval 3 with c.5 setiferous punctures........................................................................... Ophionea malickyi ( Baehr, 1996) ( Fig. 2H )

- Prothorax long and narrow; whitish spots on elytra smaller and narrower, transverse fascia on elytra forming ‘V-shape’ at anterior edge towards the suture, posterior edge of the fascia entire, remains at the level of posterior spot, interval 3 with 4 setiferous punctures................................................... Ophionea vvrei sp. nov. ( Figs 2A–C )

22(20). Posterior part of head slightly longer; prothorax longer, about 2 ¼ x as long as wide; elytral striae coarsely punctate only in basal half............................... Ophionea nigrofasciata nigrofasciata Schmidt-Göbel, 1846 ( Fig. 3A )

- Posterior part of head slightly shorter; prothorax shorter, only twice as long as wide; elytral striae coarsely punctate even in apical half............................................... Ophionea nigrofasciata fortestriata Baehr, 2003

Figures

FIGURE 2. A–G Ophionea vvrei sp. nov. holotype: (A) dorsal habitus; (B) ventral habitus; (C) elytra dorsal view; (D) aedeagus in dorsal view; (E) aedeagus in ventral view; (F) aedeagus in lateral view; (G)- genital ring. (H) O. malickyi (Baehr, 1996), holotype, dorsal habitus.

FIGURE 3. Dorsal habitus of Ophionea. (A) O. nigrofasciata Schmidt-Göbel, 1846, holotype; (B) O. interstitialis Schmidt- Göbel, 1846, holotype; (C) Ophionea ceylonica (Baehr,1996), first report from India; (D) O. ceylonica (Baehr,1996), holotype; (E) Lectotype of Ophionea indica [Odacantha cyanocephala (Thunberg, 1784)]; (F) O. bhamoensis bhamoensis (Bates, 1892), cotype.