Singilis (Singilis) soror Rambur, 1837

Anichtchenko, Alexander, 2017, Review of the genus Singilis Rambur, 1837 of North Africa and Iberian Peninsula (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Lebiini), Zootaxa 4231 (2), pp. 264-272 : 266-267

Singilis (Singilis) soror Rambur, 1837

167 specimens of this complicated and variable species have been studied. At this stage of knowledge, I decided to leave a number of taxa as subspecies of one polymorphic species. The decisive argument was the shape of aedeagus. The species S. bicolor and S. alternans , although similar, still have slight differences in its structure, while the aedeagus of members of the S. soror -group of taxa is almost identical. With regard to the external morphology:

The length of pubescence on the elytra is quite stable in small populations, but are known transitional forms from the intermediate areas of distribution. Moreover, I observed that the length of pubescence may differ slightly between specimens collected in one year, from those collected in the same place years later. This suggests that their length may vary depending on abiotic factors. It is interesting that the species with the longest hairs are known in the wet coastal zone. The same is observed among species of Trymosternus ( T. refleximargo Chaudoir, 1873 , T. truncatus Rambur, 1837 ) as well as in Eocarterus (Baeticocarterus) amicorum Wrase, 1993 where there exist populations with length of hairs that seem to show a transition to E. (B.) baeticus ( Rambur, 1837) .

The typical coloration of the head is blackish, with a red occiput and neck, but specimens with almost entirely black head often occur. The coloration of pronotum and legs varies from red to black. The typical elytral pattern shows an anterior third of elytra with a red transverse band, but some specimens have small reddish spots at the apex of the elytra. The colour form with completely red apical third of the elytra is described as subspecies S. soror riffensis syn. n., despite the fact that it lives together with the typical form.

The convexity of elytral intervals is a relatively stable character within each population, but there are many transitions among populations. The intervals appear to be flatter in populations from west to east.

The body size is slightly variable, 3.7–4.7 mm. Usually it is largest in form S. soror riffensis syn. n. and smallest in S. soror oranensis ssp. n.

Differences in the structure of the lower part of the body have not been observed.