Pterostichus (Aphaonus) mariamae, 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 : 113-116

Pterostichus (Aphaonus) mariamae sp. nov.

( Figs. 3–5 , 10, 11 , 15–18 , 23 )

Type material. Holotype: male, labelled: Abkhazia, Gulripsh Distr., Tsebelda Plateau near village Ablukhvara, left bank of River Kelasur, slopes of Mt. Bashlug, 650 m, 15.05.- 19.07.2012, pitfall traps (D. Fominykh) ( ZISP). Paratypes: 2 females, same locality, 500–650 m, 15.05.– 19.07.2012, pitfall traps (D. Fominykh) ( CBIA, CZAM); 1 female, same locality, 500–600 m, 09.04.– 04.06.2014, pitfall traps (D. Fominykh) ( CFDD).

Description. Habitus ( Figs. 3, 4 ). Large and robust species, body length 23.6–25.1 mm, males 23.6 mm, females 24.6–25.1 mm long, width 5.7–6.2 mm, males 5.7 mm, females 6.1–6.2 mm wide. Dorsum dark brown to black, polished, underside dark brown to black, legs, antennae, and palpi dark brown.

Head broad, inflated, 0.99 times as long as wide and 0.94–1.01 times as wide as pronotum, nearly square (viewed dorsally), index 2 = 1.00: 0.94: 1.16, genae prominent, compound eyes small, rudimentary, occupying generally lateral position, placed much closer to anterior angle of genae than to temples; temples long, tumid, more or less evenly rounded, post temporal tubercles completely missing, neck broad; frontal furrows prominent, faintly divergent posteriorly and nearly reaching eye level, extending forwards up to clypeal setae, frons with coarsely rugose transversal impression, arcuately connecting frontal furrows; surface smooth, 2 setiferous pores present on each side, anterior one situated in supraorbital groove at eye level, and posterior—at hind extremity of supraorbital groove at mid-temple level, index 1 = 0.75: 1.00: 0.98; tooth of mentum ( Figs. 10, 11 ) rather short, bifid, with rather shallow apical hollow; mandibles rather long with fairly bent apices; antennomere 2 rather long, index 3 = 1.57 (2.26): 1.00 (1.84): 1.66 (2.88): 1.66 (3.15): 1.28 (2.68).

Pronotum somewhat back-trapeziform, usually longitudinal, 0.99–1.10 times as long as wide, faintly convex, somewhat constricted posteriorly, widest at apex; apex fairly emarginate in the middle, lateral sides narrowly reflexed, inconspicuously rounded up to hind angles, basal margin deeply emarginate in the middle, hind angles prominent, somewhat obtuse, pointed; disk coarsely rugose, anterior transverse impression rather shallow, although prominent, median line deep, reaching both extremities, basal foveae longitudinal, shallow, transversally rugose; lateral margins with 7–10 marginal setae in anterior two-thirds and 1 seta in hind angles at both sides.

Elytra elongate, rather narrow, 1.85–2.08 times as long as wide and 1.13–1.19 times as wide as pronotum, sides subparallel, shoulders rounded but prominent, forming obtuse angles; striae prominent, scutellary striole distinct, intervals subconvex; interval 3 with 4–6 pores usually adjoining stria 3, umbilicate series subinterrupted or rarefied in the middle, forming vague humeral (6–7 pores), median (2 pores), and apical (7–8 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 almost reaching apices of metafemora and somewhat curved apically in males ( Fig. 5 ) and about as long as two-thirds of metafemora in females, their apices faintly bent posteriorly. Ventral side of tarsal segment 5 pubescent both dorsally and ventrally.

Aedeagus ( Figs. 15, 16 ) more or less distinctly bent at base, normal for the bulk of known species, without ventral swelling; endophallus with rather faintly sclerotized, folded structures. Left paramere wide, right one fairly slender, curving ( Figs. 17, 18 ), both normal in shape and size in the subgenus.

Differential diagnosis. The habitus of the new species resembles that of P. arcanoides but differs in the following main features ( Figs. 3, 4 , 7, 9 ): plumper species, body more robust, females generally larger and more robust; genae less developed, rudimentary eyes occupy somewhat lateral position ( P. arcanoides possesses stronger tumid and broader genae, eyes occupying dorso-lateral position), temples shorter, more or less gradually rounded (in P. arcanoides temples longer and somewhat angulate, s. Fig. 23 ), tooth of mentum ( Figs. 10, 11, 12, 13 ) usually with more shallow apical hollow; lateral margin of pronotum stronger rounded, disk more smooth, coarse rugosity less prominent; metatrochantera ( Figs. 5 , 9 ) somewhat shorter in both sexes; elytra stronger elongate, lateral sides more parallel, striae somewhat deeper, well developed along their full length (in P. arcanoides striae obliterated apically). Aedeagus ( Figs. 15, 16 , 19, 20 ) more distinctly bent basally, apical lamella somewhat longer and broader (viewed laterally); sclerotized elements of endophallus of different structure; parameres ( Figs. 17, 18 , 21, 22 ) of different shape.

P. mariamae sp. nov. differs from P. svetlanae sp. nov. in the following main features ( Figs. 3, 4 , 6 ): body smaller and more slender, head somewhat trapeziform, with more developed and much shorter genae, rudimentary eyes occupying somewhat lateral position (in P. svetlanae sp. nov. eyes occupy a dorso-lateral position), antennomere 2 much longer, body and antennomere proportions are different (see below), microreticulation of head and elytra different (see below).

Distribution. Transcaucasia (= South Caucasus), Abkhazia, Tsebelda Plateau at the left bank of River Kelasur. Bionomics. Type specimens were collected in a wet valley forest site on highly pronounced karstic landforms, composed of boxwood bushes and multispecies beech stand at altitudes of 500–650 m ( Fig. 24 ).

Specific epithet. We are pleased to name this unexpected species after the wife of the third author, Mariam, as a token of gratitude for her patience and continuous support during his collecting trips in the Caucasus.

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 24. Habitat of Pterostichus mariamae sp. nov., Mt. Bashlug, 600 m, boxwood bushes.

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 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 15 – 18. Pterostichus mariamae sp. nov., holotype, male genitalia: 15 – 16 — aedeagus: 15 – left lateral view; 16 — right lateral view; 17 – 18 — parameres: 17 — dorsal view; 18 — ventral view. Scale bar 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.

FIGURES 19 – 22. Pterostichus arcanoides Lorenz, Chedym Mt. Range, male genitalia: 19 – 20 — aedeagus: 19 — left lateral view; 20 — right lateral view; 21 – 22 — parameres: 21 — dorsal view; 22 — ventral view. Scale bar 1.0 mm.