Skip to main content

Seven new species of blackclock beetle (Pterostichus Bonelli 1810) in subgenus Orientostichus Sciaky & Allegro 2013

Seven new species of blackclock beetle (Pterostichus Bonelli 1810) in subgenus Orientostichus Sciaky & Allegro 2013

NEWS - Researchers report 7 new species in the subgenus Orientostichus Sciaky & Allegro 2013 from Southeast China, all of which belong to the Pterostichus prattii species group Bates 1890: Pterostichus (Orientostichus) sinuosus, P. (O.) shan, P. (O.) luoxiaoensis, P. (O.) separatus, P. (O.) skanda, P. (O.) fujianensis, P. (O.) deliquus and P. (O.) matalini Fedorenko 2023 were first recorded in China.

Orientostichus contains a number of large Pterostichus species Bonelli 1810 that are common not only in evergreen broadleaf forests and high mountain cloud forests. A total of 25 species have been described in this subgenus, which are distributed throughout southern China and Southeast Asia.

These species are classified into 4 species groups: P. pulcher Sciaky & Allegro 2013, P. curtatus Fairmaire 1886, P. lesticoides (Straneo, 1939) and P. prattii Bates 1890. The first two groups are known only from the high mountains of southwestern China, while the other two are distributed in temperate, subtropical and warm-climate areas of Southeast Asia.

Now researchers find that specimens previously assigned to P. prattii actually belong to several different and more new species with a special focus on the male sexual modification characters on sternite VII and the male genitalia endophalus.

Sinuate blackclock (Pterostichus sinuosus), Chinese common name: 曲缘通缘步甲. A3 without or with very few accessory setae; elytra with isodiametric microsculpture in males, with granular microsculpture in females; pronotum lateral margin distinctly sinuate before posterior angles; msctuberculate.

This species can be distinguished from all other species of the subgenus from southeastern China by the distinctly sinuous lateral margin of the pronotum before the posterior angle, whereas in all other known species the pronotal lateral margin is straight, barely sinuous or slightly curved before the posterior angle.

Three parallel carinas blackclock (Pterostichus shan), Chinese common name: 彡通缘步甲. A3 without accessory setae; pronotum nearly circular; elytra with isodiametric or very weakly transversal microsculpture in males, granular in females; msc tuberculate, with three parallel transversal carinas.

This species can be distinguished from all other species of the subgenus from southeastern China by the distinctive sternite VII of the males. For dorsal view, it can be recognized by the circular pronotum, A3 without accessory setae, and females with granular microscapulae on the elytra.

Luoxiao Mountains blackclock (Pterostichus luoxiaoensis), Chinese common name: 罗霄通缘步甲. A3 without accessory setae; pronotum subcordate, anterior margin wider than posterior margin; elytra with isodiametric microsculpture similar in both sexes; msc ridged, apical carina extended into median table.

This new species can be distinguished from most other species of the subgenus from Southeast China by its pronotum strongly tapering towards the base, so that PAW/PBW is more than 1.0.

Separated blackclock (Pterostichus separatus), Chinese common name: 离沟通缘步甲. A3 with accessory setae; pronotal basal foveae with the basal sulcus apex more or less exceeding the base of the inner sulcus, the inner sulcus not connected with the basal sulcus; elytra with isodiametric microsculpture in both sexes, sometimes slightly transversal in males; msc with short paramedian projections, without paramedian carina.

The new species can be distinguished from most similar species of the subgenus by A3 having numerous accessory setae.

Skanda Bodhisattva blackclock (Pterostichus skanda), Chinese common name: 韦陀通缘步甲. A3 with accessory setae; basal foveae distinctly punctate, inner sulcus connected to basal sulcus; elytra with isodiametric microsculpture in males, with granular microsculpture in females; msc trident, with very long paramedian projections.

The new species can be distinguished from most similar species of the subgenus by A3 having numerous accessory setae.

Fujian blackclock (Pterostichus fujianensis), Chinese common name: 福建通缘步甲. A3 without accessory setae; elytra with transversal microsculpture in males, with granular microsculpture in females; elytra reflexed lateral margin with a flattened smooth carina in apical third; mscridged, with median fovea at center of median table.

This species can be distinguished from all other similar species by the elytra with transverse microsculpture (each web length about 2.0 times its width, in males), and the lateral margins of the elytra reflected with a smooth, flattened carina in the apical third.

Lacking sternite (Pterostichus deliquus), Chinese common name: 乌有通缘步甲. A3 without accessory setae; pronotum very large in comparison to elytra, posterior angles sharply obtuse-angled, posterior margin declined near posterior angles; elytra with slightly transversal microsculpture (mesh length/width about 1.5) on elytra; male sternite VII without distinct sexual character.

The new species is unique among all species of the subgenus from southeastern China because of the special shape of the pronotum and sternite VII of males.

Original research

Wen-Qi Yin, Jia-Heng Chen & Hong-Liang Shi (2024). Revision of the subgenus Orientostichus Sciaky & Allegro in Southeast China, with descriptions of seven new species of the Pterostichus prattii Bates species group (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Pterostichini). Zootaxa 5528 (1): 038–076, DOI:10.11646/zootaxa.5528.1.6

Dlium theDlium
Labels:

Popular Posts

Sandbox tree (Hura crepitans)

Sandbox tree ( Hura crepitans ) is species in Euphorbiaceae, a tropical tree, growing up to 60 meters tall and with a trunk circumference of up to 13.2 meters, the trunk is covered with long and sharp thorns and exudes a poisonous sap. H. crepitans has large, oval leaves, 15 cm wide and 20 cm long. The petioles are 22 cm long. The flowers are red and lack petals. Male flowers grow on long stalks, while female flowers grow singly in leaf axils. The fruit is a large, flask-shaped capsule, up to 10 cm in diameter, with 12-16 radially arranged carpels. The seeds are flat and about 2 cm in diameter. The capsule bursts when ripe, dividing into segments and ejecting the seeds at a speed of 70 m/s, a distance of 30-100 meters. This tree prefers moist soil and partial shade or partial to full sun, a warm, humid environment. It is often cultivated for shade. The wood is light and used to make canoes. The sap is used to poison fish. Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Tracheophyta Subphylum: Angiosperma...
Read more

Telotaun (Manihot carthagenensis)

Telotaun ( Manihot carthagenensis ) is a plant species in Euphorbiaceae, trees or shrubs 2-10 m tall, erect and fibrous, white latex, leaves varying with the subspecies noted are Manihot carthagenensis ssp. carthagenensis , Manihot carthagenensis ssp. glaziovii and Manihot carthagenensis ssp. hahnii . M. carthagenensis has an erect stem, a tubular shape, a young stem which is bright green and covered in white wax, an old stem that has a thin layer of brown skin. Long leaf stems and white waxy, arranged alternately, growing in all directions, green on the bottom and redish on the top. Leaves have 3-7 fingers each up to 25 cm long and up to 15 cm wide, ellipses become obovoid, sometimes pandurate and apex acute. Each leaf finger has a bone in the middle that moves linearly with some pinnate bones. The upper surface is green and slightly shiny, the lower surface is whitish green. The base of the leaf is centered at the end of the stalk, the pointed end which ends at the head of the sp...
Read more

Giant green leech (Raksasa hijau)

Lintah raksasa or giant green leech ( Raksasa hijau ) is a species of animal in Salifidae, large green leeches, carnivores, not hematophagic, can grow to lengths of more than 50 cm, the front is perfectly tubular, but it is getting bigger, wider and flat backward. R. hijau has a front end that ends with a white mouth and has a width equal to the diameter of the front end of the body. The rear end ends with the anus and has a width equal to the diameter of the rear end of the body. The upper surface is whole dark green or leafy green, looks shiny and has no other additional color features. The bottom surface is lighter or brownish green. The skin is wrinkled like tight, elastic joints that make it possible to lengthen the body. Giant green leech moves forward by extending the tip of the front of the body to keep the new location farther away and this movement is then followed by the middle body and gradually the rear where the body moves completely. R. hijau does not suck blo...
Read more