Pterostichus (Aphaonus) svetlanae, Zamotajlov, Alexandr S., Solodovnikov, Igor A. & Fominykh, Dmitriy D., 2015

Zamotajlov, Alexandr S., Solodovnikov, Igor A. & Fominykh, Dmitriy D., 2015, Description of two new species related to Pterostichus (Aphaonus) arcanoides Lorenz, 1998 from the West Transcaucasia (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Pterostichini), Zootaxa 3999 (1), pp. 111-124 : 116-119

Pterostichus (Aphaonus) svetlanae sp. nov.

( Figs. 6 , 14 , 23 )

Description. Habitus ( Fig. 6 ). Large and robust species, body length 23.4 mm, width 5.0 mm. Dorsum dark brown to black, shiny, underside dark brown to black, legs, antennae, and palpi dark brown.

Head broad, inflated, 1.03 times as long as wide and 0.97 times as wide as pronotum, nearly square (viewed dorsally), index 2 = 1.00: 0.90: 1.09, genae prominent, long, much stronger extended anteriorly than both in previous species and P. arcanoides ( Fig. 23 ), compound eyes small, rudimentary, completely depressed, hardly developed, occupying somewhat dorso-lateral position, placed nearly equidistant between anterior angle of geanae and temples; temples long, tumid, more or less evenly rounded, resembling P. mariamae sp. nov., posttemporal tubercles completely missing, neck broad; frontal furrows prominent, faintly divergent posteriorly and nearly reaching eye level, extending forwards up to clypeal setae, resembling in shape P. arcanoides , frons with coarsely rugose transversal impression, arcuately connecting frontal furrows; surface smooth, 2 setiferous pores present on each side, anterior pore situated in supraorbital groove at eye level, and posterior—at hind extremity of supraorbital groove, strongly removed posteriorly, index 1 = 0.40: 1.00: 1.07; tooth of mentum ( Figs. 14 ) rather short, bifid, with rather shallow apical hollow, resembling previous species; mandibles rather short with moderately bent apices; antennomere 2 rather short, index 3 = 1.89 (2.21): 1.00 (1.54): 1.72 (2,63): 1.73 (2.90): 1.46 (2.69).

Pronotum somewhat back-trapeziform, 0.97 times as long as wide, faintly convex, widest at apical quarter; apex fairly emarginate in the middle, lateral sides narrowly reflexed, inconspicuously rounded anteriorly, prominently sinuated before hind angles, basal margin emarginate in the middle, hind angles prominent, nearly rectangular, pointed; disk rather finely rugose, anterior transverse impression rather shallow, median line deep, reaching both extremities, basal foveae longitudinal, shallow; lateral margins with 5–7 marginal setae in anterior half and 1 seta in hind angles at both sides.

Elytra elongate, rather narrow, 1.76 times as long as wide and 1.17 times as wide as pronotum, sides faintly rounded, shoulders rounded, completely not angulated; striae fine but prominent, scutellary striole distinct, intervals nearly flat; interval 3 with 4 pores adjoining stria 3, umbilicate series distinctly subinterrupted in the middle, forming vague humeral (6–7 pores), median (1–2 pores), and apical (8–9 pores) groups; microsculpture composed of fine transverse wrinkles and nearly isodiametric meshes. Hind wings reduced.

Mesosternum coarsely punctate, proepisterna rather sparsely and smoothly punctate, mesepisterna, metepisterna, and lateral sides of metasternum smooth, lateral areas of sternites rather coarsely rugose. Metatrochantera nearly of the same shape as in P. mariamae sp. nov. female. Ventral side of tarsal segment 5 pubescent both dorsally and ventrally.

Male unknown.

Differential diagnosis. The new species resembles in habitus P. arcanoides and P. mariamae sp.nov., combining their individual characters, but also possesses some unique ones. In general it differs in the following main features ( Figs. 3, 4 , 6 , 7, 8 ): body larger and less slender; head of more parallel-side form ( Fig. 23 ), index 2 being 1.00: 0.90: 1.09 ( P. arcanoides and P. mariamae sp. nov. possess more trapeziform head, their index 2 being 1.00: 0.92–0.94: 1.15–1.16); genae less developed, compound eyes occupy somewhat lateral position and seem to be removed posteriorly from the anterior margin of genae to posterior margin of temples, index 1 being 0.40: 1.00: 1.07 (in P. arcanoides and P. mariamae sp.nov. it is 0.58–0.75: 1.00: 0.90–1.00); antennomere 2 is the shortest of all the three species, mandibles moderately bent apically to compare with P. arcanoides and P. mariamae sp. nov. From P. arcanoides differs also in the shape of the tooth of mentum ( Figs. 10–14 ); proportions of pronotum are nearly intermediate between P. arcanoides and P. mariamae sp. nov., in general form and character of microreticulation it is closer however to P. mari amae sp. nov., but differs in a very shallow, faint basal foveae; disk of pronotum without prominent and locally coarse microsculpture, characteristic for P. arcanoides . Elytra elongate, narrow (see description), shoulders widely rounded, without prominent angles, being 1.76 times as long as wide and 1.17 times as wide as pronotum (in P. arcanoides elytra are 1.78–1.82 times as long as wide, with prominent humeral angle, in P. mariamae sp. nov. elytra are 1.85–2.08 times as long as wide, with well-developed humeral angle); elytral striae fine, less prominent than in P. mariamae sp. nov.

Distribution. Transcaucasia (=South Caucasus), Abkhazia, valley of the river Mzara, Zashirbara Mt. Range.

Bionomics. Type specimen was collected in a maple-beech forest on highly pronounced karstic landforms at altitudes of 680–705 m ( Fig. 25 ).

Specific epithet. We are pleased to dedicate this new species to the wife of the second author, Svetlana, as a sign of gratitude for her infinite patience and support for his research travels in the Caucasus.

Several characters utilized earlier by Kurnakov for discrimination of his subgenus Scaritomorphus and Aphaonus (inflated head, microphthalmia, absence of the posttemporal tubercles) already appeared unreliable. Comparison of P. arcanoides , P. mariamae sp. nov., and P. svetlanae sp. nov. confirms, however, the stability in the pronotal and elytral chaetotaxy of this species-group (plurisetose pronotal lateral margin, umbilicate series hardly interrupted at middle, etc.) and in the presence of the frontal arcuate impression, easily distinguishing it from the other known Aphaonus lineages.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Pterostichus svetlanae sp. nov., dorsal habitus, holotype, female. Scale bar 1.0 mm.

FIGURE 23. Female head comparative proportions of Pterostichus- species: left— Pt. svetlanae sp. nov.; middle— Pt. mariamae sp. nov.; right— Pt. arcanoides Lorenz.

FIGURE 25. Habitat of Pterostichus svetlanae sp. nov., Zashirbara Mt. Range, 700 m, maple-beech forest.

FIGURES 10 – 14. Pterostichus spp., mentum, dorsal view: 10 — Pterostichus mariamae sp. nov., holotype, male; 11 — Pterostichus mariamae sp. nov., paratype, female; 12 — Pterostichus arcanoides Lorenz, male, Chedym Mt. Range; 13 — Pterostichus arcanoides Lorenz, female, Chedym Mt. Range; 14 — Pterostichus svetlanae sp. nov., holotype, female. Scale bar 1.0 mm.

FIGURES 3 – 5. Pterostichus mariamae sp. nov.: 3 – 4 — dorsal habitus: 3 — holotype, male; 4 — paratype, female; 5 — right metafemur and metatrochanter apices, holotype, male. Scale bars 1.0 mm.

FIGURES 7 – 9. Pterostichus arcanoides Lorenz: 7 – 8 — dorsal habitus: 7 — male, Chedym Mt. Range; 8 — female, Chedym Mt. Range; 9 – right metafemur and metatrochanter apices, male, Chedym Mt. Range. Scale bars 1.0 mm.