Microzargus pakistanus, Guéorguiev, Borislav, 2013

Guéorguiev, Borislav, 2013, Taxonomic, nomenclatural, and faunistic records for species in tribes Melaenini, Moriomorphini, Pterostichini, Licinini, and Sphodrini (Coleoptera: Carabidae), Zootaxa 3709 (1) : -

Microzargus pakistanus sp. n.

Habitus: Fig. 21 ; mouth parts: Fig. 22 ; male genitalia: Figs. 23–24 .

Type material. Holotype ♂, damaged (segments 3–11 of left antennae, segments 9–11 of right antennae, onychium of left fore leg, tarsus of right fore leg, right middle leg and right hind leg missing), mounted on white card with a circular opening making possible view on ventral surface of head and prothorax, genitalia dissected and deposited in euparal on same card, “Kagan Valley PAK Shogran m. 2500 23.7.83. Falletti.” [black handwritten on white label] / “H O L O T Y P E Microzargus pakistanicus sp. nov. Guéorguiev des. 2012” [black print on red label] [ Fig. 21 ] ( NMW).

Diagnosis. This species is readily distinct from all other congeners in larger body size (7.5 mm, vs. 5.7–6.9 mm in the other congeners), the pronotum is considerably transverse (PW/PL = 1.42, vs. PW/PL = 1.29–1.39 in the other congeners), widest at the middle, and with apical margin deeply concave, fore angles more prominent and hind angles completely round. The elytra are shorter (EL/EW = 1.34, vs. EL/EW = 1.43–1.61 in the other congeners), with sides much rounder.

Description. Habitus. Body rather oval and flat. Measurements. BL: 7.5 mm; BW: 3.3 mm. Ratios. PW/HW: 2.04; PW/PL: 1.42; PbW/PaW: 1.18; EW/PW: 1.43; EL/EW: 1.34. Color. Head black, with base of clypeus, mandibles, palpi (terminal segments of maxillary and labial palpi darker than proximal ones) and antennae (segments 1–3 of antennae darker than remaining segments) testaceous, apex of clypeus and labrum yellowish; pronotum black, only narrow border at sides and basis testaceous; elytra entirely black; ventral side blackish, only mouthparts, elytral epipleura and legs testaceous. Microsculpture. Distinct on entire dorsal surface of head, isodiametric; indistinct (reduced to almost disappeared) on pronotum; elytra with slight transverse microsculpture. Lustre. Dorsal and ventral surfaces shiny. Head. Smaller with respect to pronotum, with two supraorbital setae on each side, frons smooth, frontal furrows indistinct; eyes fairly large, slightly prominent, tempora long, slanting; clypeus incompletely fused with labrum, with anterior margin almost straight and a seta on each side, nearly fused with frons (but still evident clypeal suture perceptible); labrum rather bilobed, with V-shaped incision in middle, incision with two short setae medially, lobes inflated, each with a large seta at apex; mandibles long, slightly curved downwards at apex, incisor tooth of left mandible sharply-pointed, terebral tooth blunt at tip (angle> 90º), both teeth of right mandible sharp-pointed ( Fig. 22 ); apical segments of both maxillary and labial palpi fusiform and sparsely pubescent; antennae long, basal antennomere slightly longer than two succeeding segments. Pronotum. Rather wide, widest at middle; sides evenly rounded, more so apically than basally, with two pairs of setae, lateral setae situated inwards in pronotal apical second fifth, removed from border at a distance greater than diameter of pore, posterolateral setae situated at border, in pronotal basal sixth before hind angles; lateral margins slightly but broadly reflexed behind middle; anterior margin emarginated, somewhat shorter than basal margin, fore angles round, fairly prominent; posterior margin convex, hind angles completely round, without perceptible tips; basal impressions faint, sub-linear, almost parallel; disc smooth, midline very faintly impressed, short, not reaching both anterior and posterior margins. Elytra. Sub-oval, widest before middle, coalesced along suture; humeri obtusely angulate; striae impunctate, moderately impressed (only stria 8 deeper than other ones), parascutellar stria distinct, but disappeared posteriorly, striae 1–4 reaching basal border, remaining striae disappearing close to base; intervals flat, smooth; basal margin complete, almost reaching scutellum; parascutellar setiferous punctures present; interval 3 with a small discal setiferous puncture adjoining stria 2 at basal second fifth of elytra; hind wings vestigial. Ventral surface (thorax and abdomen). Sternal part of thorax and abdomen smooth and shiny; metepisterna as long as wide, weakly narrowed behind, anterior and exterior margins of equal length, both only slightly shorter than internal margin. Legs. Relatively long and slender; basal segments 1–3 of male protarsi dilated and asymmetrical, first one longer than wide, 1.5 times longer than second one and 1.7 times longer than third segment, segments 2–3 nearly as long as wide. Male genitalia. Median lobe of aedeagus long, slender, slightly curved in lateral aspect, with basal and medial parts uniformly wide, basal orifice concave, and apical part becoming thinner towards the pointed, slightly curved dorsally tip ( Fig. 23 ); right paramere missing; left paramere conchoid ( Fig. 24 ).

Affinities. All basic features of the new species correspond with the generic characterization ( Sciaky & Facchini 1997; Facchini & Sciaky 2002). Due to the more specific structure of the pronotum and much rounder sides of the elytra (see Diagnosis), M. pakistanicus sp. n. is somewhat isolated from the other species of the genus.

Distribution. Pakistan, Khyber Pakhtunkwa Province, the vicinity of Shogran Village, around 2500 meters above sea level.

Etymology. The specific epithet is a noun in the nominative singular in preposition. It honors Pakistan, the country where the new species was collected.

The Asian species of Lestignathina can be identified using an addition to the most recent key to Microzargus ( Facchini & Sciaky 2002) .

1 Parascutellar stria absent. Last segments of maxillary palpi attenuate (feebly dilated at middle than at basis)................................................................................................... Atrotus indicus sp. n.

- Parascutellar stria present. Last segments of maxillary palpi fusiform (clearly dilated at middle than at basis)............. 2

2 Both terebral teeth of mandibles sharply-pointed....................................... Atrotus bicolor Britton, 1948

- One mandible with terebral tooth blunt (angle at tip> 90º), another one with terebral tooth sharply-pointed (angle at tip <90º)..................................................................................................... 3

3 Left mandible with terebral tooth sharply-pointed, right mandible tooth blunt........... Dilonchus bidens Andrewes, 1936

- Left mandible with terebral tooth blunt, tooth of right mandible sharply-pointed.................................... 4

4 Size of body> 7 mm. Pronotum more transverse, widest at middle, with more prominent fore angles. Elytra with sides notably round......................................................................... Microzargus pakistanus sp. n.

- Size of body <7 mm. Pronotum less transverse, widest slightly before middle, with less prominent fore angles. Elytra with sides moderately round.................................... other Microzargus spp. (see Facchini & Sciaky 2000: 24)

Figures

FIGURES 21 – 24. Holotype of Microzargus pakistanus sp. n.: Fig. 21, habitus (photo by Assen Ignatov); Fig. 22, mouthparts, dorsal aspect; Fig. 23, median lobe of aedeagus, lateral aspect; Fig. 24, left paramere, internal face. Scale bars: 0.5 mm (Fig. 22); 0.2 mm (Figs. 23 – 24).