Pterostichus (Circinatus) cavazzutianus mianningensis, Shi, Hongliang & Liang, Hongbin, 2015

Shi, Hongliang & Liang, Hongbin, 2015, The genus Pterostichus in China II: the subgenus Circinatus Sciaky, a species revision and phylogeny (Carabidae, Pterostichini), ZooKeys 536, pp. 1-92 : 15-19

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Carabidae

Pterostichus (Circinatus) cavazzutianus mianningensis subsp. n. Figures 6, 36, 58, 73, 92, 115

Type locality.

Sichuan: Mianning County, Yele (N28.96508°, E102.16137°), altitude 2988 m.

Type material.

Holotype (IZAS): male, body length = 11.4 mm, pin mounted, genitalia dissected and glued on plastic film pinned under specimen, "CHINA, Sichuan, Mianning / county, Yele reserve, / 2988 m, mixed forest; / N28.96508 E102.16137 "; "2012.VI.24, pit fall trap; SHI / Hongliang, YANG Ganyan & / LIU Ye lgt., Inst. Zool., CAS / 冕宁县冶勒自然保护区”; "HOLOTYPE ♂/ Pterostichus (Circinatus) / cavazzutianus / mianningensis new subspecies / des. SHI H.L. 2015" [red label]. Paratypes, a total of 18 males and 21 females: 14 males, 20 females (IZAS): the same data as holotype. 4 males, 1 female (IZAS): "China, Sichuan, Mianning county, Yele conservation, mixed forest, 2988 m, N28.96508 E102.16137, 2012.VI.22 day, under dead log; SHI Hongliang, YANG Ganyan & LIU Ye lgt."

Diagnosis.

Pronotum usually with three mid-lateral setae; hind angle completely rounded; basal fovea slightly punctate; lateral margin of elytron narrow and deep; male terminal sternum slightly depressed in middle, faintly rugose in depression; apical lamella of aedeagus located on right side of aedeagal apex, basal width a little greater than length.

Pterostichus cavazzutianus mianningensis ssp. n. is sympatric with Pterostichus camelus sp. n. The latter can be readily distinguished by its larger body size and fifth tarsomeres setose beneath.

Compared to the nominotypical subspecies, in addition to their allopatric distributions, these two subspecies differ in the following four aspects. (1) Male terminal sternum: both subspecies have terminal sternum slightly depressed in males, but in Pterostichus cavazzutianus s. str., apex of terminal sternum slightly bending downwards, and almost even in Pterostichus cavazzutianus mianningensis ssp. n.; inside the depression, Pterostichus cavazzutianus mianningensis ssp. n. has faint wrinkles, such wrinkles lacking in Pterostichus cavazzutianus s. str. (2) Median lobe of aedeagus: Pterostichus cavazzutianus mianningensis ssp. n. has the apical lamella wider, length / basal width approx 0.8; this ratio in Pterostichus cavazzutianus s. str. is approx 1.0. (3) Endophallus with four major lobes slightly different: vb-I with its apex pointed in Pterostichus cavazzutianus s. str., and completely rounded in Pterostichus cavazzutianus mianningensis ssp. n.; vb-II more chitinized and less capitate in Pterostichus cavazzutianus mianningensis ssp. n.; va with its piece much wider and shorter in Pterostichus cavazzutianus mianningensis ssp. n.; rl less distinct in Pterostichus cavazzutianus s. str.; dorsal surface of endophallus slightly angulate in Pterostichus cavazzutianus s. str., but evenly curved in Pterostichus cavazzutianus mianningensis ssp. n. (4) female sternum VIII: the transparent region small, approx semicircular in Pterostichus cavazzutianus s. str., but V-shaped with vague extensions in Pterostichus cavazzutianus mianningensis subsp. n.

Description.

Body length 10.4-11.6 mm; dorsal side almost black, moderately shining; elytron with faint iridescent shine; mouthparts, antenna, tarsus, and apex of tibia yellowish brown; ventral side brownish. Both sexes with faint linear elytral microsculpture. Head. Frons without punctures; antenna reaching elytron basal sixth; gena approx same length as eye, briefly tumid behind eye. Pronotum round, widest before middle, PW/PL = 1.10-1.17; usually three (occasional four) mid-lateral setae present, first one close to anterior angle, last one near middle of lateral margin, a little distant from rest ones; posterior seta distant from hind angle, distance between seta and hind angle approx same as distance between hind angle and inner basal foveal groove; hind angle completely rounded; basal fovea shallow, faintly defined; inner groove subparallel to median line, slightly curved outwards; outer groove completely vanished, outer area of inner groove flat; basal foveal area usually sparsely punctate on inner side of inner groove. Elytron oviform, basal ridge not oblique; elytral shoulder moderately narrowed, basal ridge and lateral margin forming obtuse angle, humeral tooth very small; intervals feebly convex; striae moderately deep, with fine punctures in basal half; scutellar stria short, complete or not; third interval with two setigerous pores adjacent to second stria; umbilical pore series on ninth interval sparse in middle, composed of 15-16 pores (6, 1-2, 8-9). Ventral side. Proepisternum impunctate or slightly punctate near anterior margin; mesepisternum densely punctate; metepisternum sparsely punctate; male terminal sternum slightly depressed, faintly rugose in depression, depression occupying posterior two thirds length of terminal sternum, apex of terminal sternum nearly flat (Fig. 115). Legs. Fifth tarsomeres glabrous beneath; males with apical half of mesotibia not widened, inner margin slightly crenulate; first metatarsomere with distinct carina on outer surface, such carina on second metatarsomere superficial. Male genitalia. Median lobe of male genitalia bent approx 90 degrees, apex not bent ventrally (Fig. 36A); ventral margin straight before apex, dorsal margin completely curved; apical orifice large, slightly turned to left side, not opened on ventral side; apical lamella short, approx one fourth length of apical orifice, laminate, apex not thickened; in dorsal view, apical lamella distinctly inclined right, nearly triangular with rounded apex, its length approx 0.8 times basal width (Fig. 36B). Right paramere straight and stout, inner margin slightly expanded near middle, length approx 3.5 times greatest width, apex rounded (Fig. 36C). Endophallus (Fig. 36D, E, F) short, bent to ventral side across apical lamella, and then turned to aedeagal base; gonopore (gp) located at approx same level as apical lamella, pointing to aedeagal base; gonopore lobe (gpl) bent to right side of aedeagus. Four distinct lobes recognized: ventral-basal lobe I (vb-I) small, close to base of apical lamella, compressed, its upper surface heavily scaled; ventral-basal lobe II (vb-II) large and long, close to apical lamella, pointing to ventral face of median lobe, apex a little capitate, upper surface strongly chitinized, lower surface membranous, apex scaled; ventral-apical lobe (va) at right side of vb-II, upper surface strongly chitinized, forming a transverse sinuate piece, lower surface membranous; right lobe (rl) small and membranous, on right surface of endophallus, weakly pointed. Female genitalia. Spermatheca with seminal canal approx three times as long as receptaculum; receptaculum capitate (Fig. 58), club approx half length of receptaculum; seminal canal inserted at base of common oviduct, base of seminal canal sclerotized. Stylomere II with one or two ensiform setae at outer margin, and one at basal third of inner margin; two very short nematiform setae located in a furrow near apex. Female sternum VIII (Fig. 73B) nearly evenly chitinized; posterior margin nearly straight, with fine setae, notched in middle; middle transparent region V-shaped, its anterior margin vaguely defined, adjacent to anterior and posterior notches in middle. Female tergum VIII (Fig. 73A) semi-chitinized, posterior region without denser pigmentation, anterior margin weakly notched in middle, posterior margin evenly arcuate.

Distribution.

This species is known only from a single locality in Yele Reserve in Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan province (Map 2).

Etymology.

The scientific name comes from the type locality, Mianning County.

Affinities.

This new subspecies is proposed for the small but stable differences from the nominotypical subspecies in the male terminal sternum, the median lobe of the aedeagus and the endophallus (see diagnosis above). They were not treated as two distinct species because of their allopatric distributions, identical external appearances, and only very small differences in genital characters. The type localities of these two subspecies are approximately 100 km apart and are at almost the same altitude.

Habitat.

Pterostichus cavazzutianus mianningensis subsp. n. was collected in mixed forest with dominant giant pines, and rich in dead logs. Most specimens were collected by pitfall trap, and others were found under or in dead logs. In Yele Reserve, Pterostichus cavazzutianus mianningensis subsp. n. was found together with two larger-sized Circinatus species, Pterostichus camelus sp. n. and Pterostichus zhygealu sp. n. But Pterostichus cavazzutianus mianningensis subsp. n. is much more common than the other two.