Singilis timidus, Anichtchenko, Alexander, 2011

Anichtchenko, Alexander, 2011, Review of subtribe Singilina Jeannel, 1949, of the Middle East and Central Asia (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Lebiini), ZooKeys 155, pp. 1-50 : 31-32

Singilis timidus sp. n.

Material examined.

Holotype: ♂, small green rectangle; white label in Russian: "coll. Khristofa" ['Christoph Collection']; white label in Russian: "na osnovanii tetradi etiketka: Schahrud, Persia 1870-1873" ['Location per log: Schahrud, Persia 1870-1873'] (ZIN); Paratype: ♀, Iran, Lorestan, 1-2.V.2007, 20 km N Pol-e-Dokhtar, Baba Zeyd, near Muruni, Anichtchenko A. leg. (AAC).

Diagnosis.

This new species can be confused with specimens of sympatric Singilis mesopotamicus with reduced elytral pattern. The two species can be diagnosed by aedeagal structure.

Description.

Length 6.1-6.2 mm. Yellowish red-brown, with legs slightly paler and a dark postmedian elytral spot reaching interval 4 (Fig. 7).

Head coarsely and deeply irregularly punctate, dull, very distinctly microsculptured. Punctures in the frons sometimes separated by over twice the diameter. Clypeus with some small irregular punctures. Eyes very large and bulging, with no small setae at posterior margin. Second supraocular seta located just anterad the posterior margin of eye. Temples short, smooth. Scape with several rather long setae besides the very long subapical one; pedicel with the usual band of apical setae; antennomere III with two bands of apical setae. Antennae pubescent from the basal third of antennomere IV.

Pronotum brownish yellow, 1.24 times as wide as head, 1.4 times as wide as long, widest just behind marginal setae. Anterior margin straight, anterior angles slightly marked, sides broadly and evenly rounded, more or less sinuate towards posterior angles, which are rectangular and protrude as minute denticle. Punctation coarse, irregular and deep, as dense as on head, somewhat sparser on disc and sometimes confluent, especially at the sides of disc. Lateral explanate margin rather wide at apex, rapidly widened basally, broad and flat towards base. Posterior pore right in front of angle. Basal grooves shallow. Pronotal base extended in a rounded median lobe. Furrow variable. Microsculpture less distinct than on head.

Elytra shinier than head and pronotum, 1.4 times as long as wide. Intervals 1, 3, 5 and 7 each with a row of setiferous pores. Pores of intervals 5 and 7 deep, with rather long setae. Intervals 2 and 4 with several minute setae at base. Microsculpture rather isodiametric but irregular, more delicate than on head and pronotum. Apices weakly obliquely sinuate, rounded at suture. Striae deep and crenulate. Interval 7 narrow and convex in basal half, then gradually flattened; other intervals convex at base, almost flat at apex.

Legs pale brownish yellow. Tarsomere V with 4 pairs of ventral setae. Claws with 4 teeth. Venter uniformly testaceous. All abdominal sterna with long pubescence. All episterna smooth.

Aedeagus - Fig. 48. Median lobe apex elongate, slightly downturned at narrowly rounded apex. Internal sac with well-developed spicular fields.

Variation.

Posterior pronotal angles almost rectangular in the holotype, more prominent and acute in the paratype.

Name derivation.

The name (Latin, adjective: timid) refers to the cryptic lifestyle.

Distribution.

Iran.