Pterostichus (Pseudomaseus) fuscicornis (REICHE & SAULCY 1855)

Guéorguiev, B., 2011, New and interesting records of Carabid Beetles from South-East Europe, South-West and Central Asia, with taxonomic notes on Pterostichini and Zabrini (Coleoptera, Carabidae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 43 (1), pp. 501-547 : 507

Pterostichus (Pseudomaseus) fuscicornis (REICHE & SAULCY 1855)

Feronia (Pseudomaseus) confusa CHAUDOIR 1846: 140

Feronia (Omaseus) fuscicornis REICHE & SAULCY 1855: 620

Feronia (Omaseus) similata GAUTIER DES COTTES 1870: 261 , syn. nov.

Feronia similata GAUTIER DES COTTES 1870

T y p e m a t e r i a l. Syntype (lectotype by present designation), well preserved, labelled: "Trebizond-" [handwritten label] / " Feronia (Omaseus) similatus. G. Cottes. n.sp Trebizonde. … 1869" [handwritten yellow label] / "………" [illegible handwritten French text] / "Ex. musaeo Gaut. des Cottes. " [typeset label] / " LECTOTYPE Feronia similata Gautier des Cottes, 1870 des. B.Gueorguiev " [typeset red label] ( MNHN, "Collection Chaudoir", box no 205 " Omaseus Lyperus Orites Rhytisterm.") ; 1 syntype (paralectotype by present designation), with abdominal part and genitalia destroyed, labelled: " similata Gautier d. C." [handwritten white label] / " Trebizonde Th. Deyr " [handwritten yellow label] ( MNHN, "Collection Chaudoir", box no 205 " Omaseus Lyperus Orites Rhytisterm.") .

T y p e l o c a l i t y."HabitatinTrapezoNatoliae.A.D.Th.Dey-rollelecta.".

Recently this species was placed among the incertae sedis species of Pterostichus and treated as nomen dubium (CATPAL 1: BOUSQUET 2003d: 516). However, its systematic place was well-defined in the original description. GAUTIER DES COTTES (1870: 261-262) write: "Trés voisine de la Feronia (omaseus) fuscicornis ) (Reiche Nº 60) ou F. confusa (Chaud. En car. Du Caucase p. 136) - du Jourdan et du Caucase; elle en differe:…". The study of the two syntypes confirmed that this taxon has pronotum with convex sides backwards and posterior angles with small, protruding denticles. I consider that the differences noted by GAUTIER DES COTTES (1870: 262) do not merit specific rank so that this form is treated as conspecific with Pterostichus fuscicornis . The female syntype is selected for lectotype of F. similata because of the lacking last abdominal sterna and genitalia of the male syntype.

P. fuscicornis is a distinct species with a wider distribution than expected. At present, it is known from Northeast Anatolia, Transcaucasus, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Iran, and from eastern Tian Shan, Northwest China ( ANGUS et al. 2009). David Wrase wrote me "I have meanwhile received material also from Turkey (2 females: Rize, Kackar dagi and Mardin), though only females, they differ from P. nigrita by not distinctly blackened appendages (dark rufopiceous), a somewhat flatter pronotum with a very fine lateral border/channel. I don't know if both species are exactly sympatric but I have a male of P. nigrita also from the Kackar dagi, from a different locality, so at least they can occur both in the same region" (D. Wrase personal communication). For additional notes on the nomenclature of P. fuscicornis see WRASE (1992) and ANGUS et al. (2009).