Lapitachlaenius speculiferus ( Fairmaire, 1879 )

Guéorguiev, Borislav & Will, Kipling, 2025, A new genus and tribal placement for Ceneus speculiferus Fairmaire, 1879, comments on Grundmannius Basilewsky, 1965, Mirachlaenius Facchini, 2011 and Stenoodes Basilewsky, 1953, and a key to the Oriental and Australasian genera of Chlaeniina Brullé, 1834 (Coleoptera, Carabidae), Zoosystema 47 (15), pp. 231-259 : 239-243

Lapitachlaenius speculiferus ( Fairmaire, 1879) n. comb.

( Figs 1 A-D; 2A-C; 3A, B; 4; 5A-D; 6; 7; Tables 1-3 )

Ceneus speculiferus Fairmaire, 1879: 70 (type locality: “I. Viti.” [= Iles Viti, cf. Fairmaire, 1881]). — Fairmaire 1881: 247. — Evenhuis 2007: 6.

Prosopogmus speculifer – Csiki 1930: 566. — Lorenz 1998: 277; 2005: 264.

Prosopogmus speculiferus – Lorenz 2025: https://www.catalogueoflife. org/data/taxon/6VZCH.

TYPE MATERIAL. — Not examined. Should be present in MNHN, according to original description. Indications about number or sex of specimens in the type series was not included in Fairmaire’s (1879, 1881) publications .

OTHER MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Fiji • 1 ♂; Viti Levu Isl. , Lami [River]; 0-200 m a.s.l.; XII.1978; N. L. H. Krauss leg.; BPBMENT 2008013406 • 1 ♀; Viti Levu Isl. , Belt Road, 6 mi. W. of Suva; 29.VII.1938; E. C. Zimmerman leg.; beating shrubs; Prosopogmus speculiferus Fairm. det. B. P. Moore’ 78; BPBMENT 2008013408 • 1 ♂; Viti Levu Isl. , Sigatoka [River], Sand Dunes National Park; 3. VI.1903; Frank Parker leg.; hand netted; FBA 028093; BPBMENT 2008013409; EMEC1411137 • 1 ♀; Viti Levu Isl. , Korovisilou; 17.XI.1974; B. P. Moore leg.; ANIC • 1 ♂; Viti Levu Isl. , Korovisilou; 19.IV.1979; B. P. Moore leg.; ANIC • 1 ♂, 3 ♀; Viti Levu Isl. , Nausori H [igh]l[a]nds; B. P. Moore leg.; ANIC • 3 ♂, 1 ♀; Ovalau Island , Wainiloka; 28-30.IX.1937; J. M. Valentine leg.; ANIC • 1 ♂; Viti Levu , Naridivatu, side of Mt. Lomalagi; 5.II.1968; G. F. Gross leg.; SAMA 25-51014 • 1 ♀; Ovalau Island , Draiba Trail; 600- 800 ft.; 9.VII.1938; Y. Fondo leg.; BPBMENT 2008013407 • 1 ♂; Vanua Levu , Seanganga - Ndreketi [River]; 25.X.1977; G. Kuschel leg.; Entomology Division D. S. I. R. New Zealand; Prosopogmus speculifer Fairm. det. B. P. Moore’ 80; NZAC .

DIAGNOSIS. — Lapitachlaenius speculiferus n. comb. differs clearly from its congener in the Vanuatu archipelago, by the pronotum basal edge without setal fringe, the elytral stria 7 parallel or subparallel to adjacent striae ( Fig. 1A, B ), the ventral side of male profemur with tooth-like tubercle near base ( Fig. 1D ), and the median lobe of aedeagus with longer shaft and nearly straight apical lamella ( Fig. 5 A-D).

ETYMOLOGY. — The name “ speculiferus ” is not a properly formed Latin word [ICZN Art. 26] though it appears to be based on the Latin word speculifer (-a, -um). Both speculifer and speculifera can be nouns for “mirror-bearer”. Also, these and speculiferum can be adjectival for “mirror-bearing”. However, since “ speculiferus ” is not a Latin word and Fairmaire did not specify how it was being used, it must be treated as a noun in apposition [ICZN Art. 31.2.3] that is indeclinable and retains its original spelling even if moved to a feminine genus. Csiki’s (1930) use of “ Prosopogmus speculifer ” is considered an unjustified emendation and so we use Fairmaire’s original spelling.

REDESCRIPTION

Habitus

Medium sized, oblong (BL: 9.70-10.60 mm, BW: 3.50- 4.00 mm), dorsally with flat pronotum and slightly convex elytra, ventrally body more convex than dorsally ( Fig. 1B ).

Color and luster

Dorsal surface slightly aeneus or cupreous colored with a moderate to dark tone, clypeus and mandibles reddish brown, palpi, antennae, apex of femur, tibiae and tarsomeres rufous, ventral surface and remaining part of legs reddish black ( Fig. 1A ). Integument moderately glossy, ventrally glossier than dorsally; median part of each elytron (intervals 2 to 5) with microsculpture absent or scarcely visible, forming a transverse “mirror” region.

Microsculpture and punctation

Dorsal surface with very distinct, well-impressed isodiametric meshes, sculpticells on elytra larger than those on head and pronotum; ventral surface with isodiametric to slightly transverse mesh microsculpture. Head dorsal surface (excl. mandibles and labrum) strigose and more or less densely micropunctate, punctures coarser and denser on frons and near eyes ( Fig. 1C ); genae only ventrally strigose. Pronotum smooth, without punctation. Prosternum and mesosternum smooth; proepisternum largely impunctate, superficially punctate only medially ( Fig. 1B ); mesoepisternum punctate anteriorly, nearly smooth posteriorly. Metasternum most surface smooth, macropunctate only laterally; metepisternum macropunctate ( Figs 3A, B ). Abdominal ventrites 1-4 macropunctate and longitudinally wrinkled on sides.

Head

About two-thirds width of pronotum ( Table 2 ). Labrum rectangular, slightly concave medially, with rounded angles, as long as clypeus. Clypeus concave anteriorly, round at angles; clypeal suture reduced, thinner and shallower laterally than medially. Antenna relatively long, two last antennomeres exceeding base of pronotum, with pubescence starting from segment 4.

Thorax

Pronotum subcordate, about a third wider than long (PW/ PL: 1.34-1.38); width at apex about two thirds width at broadest point and fifth-sixth or slightly more than width along basal margin ( Table 2 ); pronotum disc depressed on most surface, just barely convex at sides anteriorly, midline distinct, impressed, about a half of pronotum length, not reaching anterior and posterior margins.

Elytra

A little more than one and a half times as long as wide (EL/ EW: 1.55-1.63), about a third wider than pronotum and more than two and a half times longer than pronotum (see Table 2 ). Humerus not denticulate, subangulate. Marginal furrow very narrow anteriorly, appreciably broad posteriorly, with maximum width near penultimate umbilicate puncture. Apical sinuation distinct, deep.

Legs

Protibia appreciably dilated at apex, mesotibia slightly dilated at apex, metatibia with nearly parallel sides. Male protarsomeres 1-3 expanded ( Figs 1A, D ), 1 subtriangular, as long as wide, 2 and 3 wider than long; ventral adhesive setae present only at apical 3/4 of protarsomere 1 and entire surfaces of 2 and 3; 3 and 4 eccentrically attached to the preceding tarsomere (with basal axis of the former affixed laterally of the latter). Pro- and meso-tarsomeres 4 in both sexes from above incised on two fifths.

Female genitalia

Laterotergite with 13-15 small distal setae on posterior margin ( Fig. 6 ). Gonocoxite 1 subconical, slightly longer than wide, apex without setae. Gonocoxite 2 scarcely curved, pointed distally, as long as wide at base, with one large dorsolateral seta, one large dorsomedial seta and two fine nematiform setae equidistant from apex and middle of gonocoxite. Spermathecal complex ( Fig. 7 ) with a compact bursa copulatrix, with bursal sclerite on dorsal wall, and with a long, straight, undifferentiated spermatheca (receptaculum and seminal canal undistinguishable), proximally joined to bursa copulatrix; spermathecal gland small, rounded, with long spermathecal canal connected near very end of seminal canal (spermathecal canal differentiated to a narrower, short part and a broadened, longer part); common oviduct connected anteriorly to a pair of lateral oviducts and posteriorly to bursa copulatrix, its posterior and medial wall with a very long, densely coiled villous canal that distal end presents a long, free appendix and proximal end joined to distal bursa copulatrix.

Male genitalia

Median lobe of aedeagus tubular, rather long, in lateral view ( Figs 5C, D ) shaft bent ventrally at right angle towards a rather short and narrow basal bulb, basal bulb with an elongate and narrow apical aileron, apex long convex dorsally and concave ventrally; median lobe in dorsal view ( Figs 5A, B ), with broad shaft slightly curved to left, triangular apical lamella widely rounded at tip, and long ostium not reaching basal bulb; sclerotized portion of internal sac (endophallus) with complex architecture, including a large round basal sclerite (dorsal view) located near proximal end of ostium and a thick apical saddlelike sclerite concave dorsally, convex ventrally, both sclerites connecting by a long coiled filament which apical part ends with three spikes as medial spike bifurcate at tip (ventral view). Left paramere larger than right one, elongate rather than typical “conchoid”, with apical part widely rounded; right paramere elongate, shorter and narrowed than left paramere.

BIONOMIC

Labels data for four of the five specimens indicate that they were collected near rivers and perhaps in riparian habitats, in particular these rivers are Sigatoka River, Lami River, and Rewa River on Viti Levu and Ndreketi River on Vanua Levu. Locality data for the specimen from Ovalau Island indicates that it was collected between 180 m and 240 m a.s.l. Likely this is a location in the tropical moist forests west of Draiba Village.

Figures

FIG. 1. — Lapitachlaenius speculiferus (Fairmaire, 1879) n. comb., male specimen: A, dorsal view; B, left lateral view; C, head and pronotum; D, head and fore right leg, ventral view. The white arrow points to the profemur ventral tooth-like tubercle. Scale bars: A, B, 2 mm; C, D, 1 mm.

FIG. 5. — Lapitachlaenius speculiferus (Fairmaire,1879) n. comb., male aedeagus: A, dorsal view; B, ventral view; C, left lateral view; D, right lateral view. Abbreviations: aa, apical aileron of median lobe; al apical lamella of median lobe; ap, apex of median lobe; asc, apical sclerite of internal sac of median lobe; bb, basal bulb of median lobe; bo, basal orifice of median lobe; bp, basal process of median lobe; bsc, basal sclerite of internal sac of median lobe; fil, filament of internal sac of medin lobe; is, internal sac of median lobe; lp, left paramere; osp, proximal end of ostium of median lobe; rp, right paramere; shp, proximal end of shaft of median lobe. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

FIG. 3. — Lapitachlaenius speculiferus (Fairmaire, 1879) n. comb., male specimen: A, left metepisternum. Arrows mark a depression on medial margin of elytral epipleuron that usually is covered by a lateral protrusion of metepisternum – edge of the protrusion is marked by a continuous red line; B, right metepisternum. Arrow points to the sublateral longitudinal sulcus of metepisternum. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

FIG. 6. — Lapitachlaenius speculiferus (Fairmaire, 1879) n. comb., female, left gonocoxite, ventral view. Abbreviations: asl, apical setae of laterotergite; dles, dorsolateral ensiform seta(e) of gc2; dmes, dorsomedial ensiform seta of gc2; gc1, gonocoxite 1; gc2, gonocoxite 2; lt, laterotergite of abdominal segment IX; ns, nematiform setae. Scale bar: 0.2 mm.

FIG. 7. — Lapitachlaenius speculiferus (Fairmaire,1879) n. comb.,female reproductive tract,ventral view.Abbreviations:bc, bursa copulatrix;co, common oviduct; esmc, end of seminal canal; gc1, gonocoxite 1; gc2, gonocoxite 2; hg, hindgut; lo, lateral oviduct(s); sg, spermatheca gland; smc, seminal canal; spc, spermathecal canal; vc, villous canal of common oviduct. Scale bar: 0.5 mm.