Harpalus clarkei Kataev et Schmidt, 2020

Kataev, B. M., Yeshitla, M. A. & Schmidt, J., 2020, Systematic position of Omostropus rotundatus and notes on some other species of Harpalina (Coleoptera: Carabidae) from Ethiopia, Zoosystematica Rossica (China) 29 (2), pp. 195-204 : 196-200

Harpalus clarkei Kataev et Schmidt , nom. nov.

( Figs 1–7)

Substitute name for Harpalus rotundatus ( Clarke,

1973), comb. nov. (non Dejean, 1829; non Chaudoir, 1844).

Omostropus rotundatus Clarke, 1973: 12 .

Material examined. Ethiopia, Oromia: 7 males, 5 females, Mt. Kaka, E-slope above Meraro , 3300– 3420 m, 07°24 ʹ N 39°12 ʹ E (env. Camp 1), 23–28. XI.2017, D. Hauth, J. Schmidt and M. Yeshitla leg. (cJS, ZIN) ; 4 males, 2 females, Mt. Kaka , SE of crater, 3700–4100 m, 07°21 ʹ 54 ″ N 39°09 ʹ 48 ″ E to 07°21 ʹ 09 ″ N 39°10 ʹ 18 ″ E, 1.XII.2017, D. Hauth, J. Schmidt and M. Yeshitla leg. (cJS) . 29 males, 17 females, Bale Mts. W-slope Web Valley , W of Dinsho, 3650 m, 07°04 ʹ 02 ″ N 39°39 ʹ 26 ″ E [very close to the type locality of the species], 7.II.2019, R. Emmerich, J. Schmidt and M. Yeshitla leg. (cJS, ZIN, ZMAA) . Uncertain locality : 1 male, Prov. Shoa [Shewa], Sodore , 3–4. VII.1990, Hiermeier leg. ( ZIN) (see the Distribution section below).

Diagnosis. Easily differing from all other described Afrotropical congeners in having the metepisternum wider than long, only slightly narrowed posteriorly, the pronotal basal angles widely rounded, and the metacoxa without posteromedial setigerous pore. Harpalus procognatus Lorenz, 1998 (= H. cognatus Chaudoir, 1876 ) from northern Ethiopia also has a wide metepisternum, but its metacoxa is with a posteromedial setigerous pore and the pronotal sides are slightly converging posteriorly, almost parallel-sided. In general appearance with rounded pronotal sides, H. clarkei nom. nov. is very similar to the sympatric H. rougemonti Clarke, 1973 , but the latter species is distinguished by having the metepisternum narrower (its inner margin about as long as anterior margin) and more strongly narrowed posteriorly, the pronotum with basal edge ciliate and with basal angles more distinct, and the median lobe of the aedeagus with developed apical capitulum and with differing armature in the inner sac which includes two large spines in addition to the spiny patches. Moreover, H. clarkei nom. nov. is, on average, smaller than H. rougemonti , however, the latter species was found to be very variable in body length: 9.0– 11.5 mm in the most examined specimens (8.4 mm in one of the two examined paratypes), and 8.1–13.6 mm, according to the original description ( Clarke, 1973).

Re-description. Body length 6.5–8.7 mm. Habitus as in Fig. 1. Black, dorsum shiny; base of mandibles, outer margins of labrum, very narrow lateral margins of pronotum and occasionally elytral epipleura paler, reddish brown; appendages brownish yellow, in most specimens antennomeres 3–11, femora and tibiae apically as well tarsi slightly infuscate.

Head impunctate, with moderately large and convex eyes. Frontal foveae small, punctiform; fronto-clypeal furrows absent. Genae wide, slightly wider than antennomere 1. Mentum separated from submentum by complete suture, with prominent median tooth. Submentum with one pair of lateral setae. Epilobes moderately widened apically. Ligular sclerite narrow, not widened apically, with two ventroapical setae and without apical ventral plate. Paraglossae wide, rounded apically, setose at margins, projecting ahead beyond ligular sclerite. Basal labial palpomere not carinate ventrally. Ultimate labial palpomere about as long as penultimate palpomere, sparsely setose. Dorsal microsculpture fine, consisting of isodiametric meshes, highly obliterate on clypeus, frons and vertex.

Pronotum transverse, widest slightly before middle, rounded at sides and with widely rounded basal angles. Apical margin very shallowly emarginate, bordered only laterally. Apical angles narrowly rounded, almost not prominent. One pair of lateral setae in widest point of pronotum. Pronotal basal edge glabrous, more or less straight in middle portion, completely bordered, almost as wide as elytral base. Surface evenly convex, with small oval basal foveae; punctation absent or very fine, restricted mostly to area in and around basal foveae. Microsculpture fine, consisting of isodiametric meshes, more distinct along base and sides, obliterate at anterior margin and in central portion.

Elytra relatively short, oval, widest just behind middle, with angularly rounded humeri and very shallow preapical sinuation. Sutural angle not projecting posteriad, slightly less than 90°, somewhat sharp, at most only slightly blunted at tip. Striae fine, superficial, occasionally slightly crenulate. Parascutellar setigerous pore present. Parascutellar striole either short (occasionally absent) or moderately long, in many specimens connected by its apex with stria 1. Intervals entirely flat, impunctate and glabrous. Interval 3 with one discal setigerous pore in apical third; intervals 5 and 7 without discal pores. Stria 8 not arched in its middle portion and interval 9 not widened there. Marginal umbilicate series more or less continuous, without distinct gap at middle. Basal border glabrous, forming an obtuse angle with lateral elytral margin. Microsculpture very distinct in female, more or less highly obliterate in male on disc, consisting of isodiametric meshes.

Hind wings reduced to tiny scales.

Prosternum with fine and very short setae medially. Metepisternum ( Fig. 2) wider than long.

Metacoxa with two obligatory setigerous pores, without additional posteromedial pore. Metafemur ventrally with three setigerous pores along posterior margin and without pores along anteri- or margin. Protibia widened apically, with three preapical spines on outer margin (isolated from spines on ventral side) and with one ventroapical spine; in male without distinct ventroapical tubercle. Tarsi glabrous dorsally, moderately short; metatarsomere 1 shorter than metatarsomeres 2 and 3 combined. In male, pro- and mesotarsomeres 1–4 dilated and with biseriate adhesive vestiture ventrally; protarsomere 1 with normal (not reduced) adhesive scales in apical half, mesotarsomere 1 moderately dilated, with adhesive scales at its apex.

Abdominal sternites without additional long setae; two penultimate sternites with several very short, indistinct setae. Last visible ( VII) abdominal sternite without pronounced sexual dimorphism, rounded at apex, with two pairs of marginal setae in both sexes.

Female genitalia: gonocoxite moderately curved, with several long setae at outer margin.

Median lobe of aedeagus ( Figs 3–7) with comparatively large basal bulb, in lateral view arcuate, in dorsal view in apical third narrowed to apex and slightly curved to right. Apical orifice shifted to left. Terminal lamella in dorsal view ( Figs 4, 7) triangular, longer than wide, with small and sharp apical flange protruding ventrally. Inner sac with one moderately large spine and three elongate spiny patches: one dorso-lateral patch at middle and two patches baso-laterally.

Etymology. The substitute name refers to R.O.S. Clarke, the author of the original description of this species.

Distribution. Described from the Bale Mountains: type locality 25 km W of Dinshu (about 07°02 ʹ N 39°34 ʹ E). This species seems to be endemic to the Arsi and Bale Mountains in the central part of southern Ethiopia. In the Bale Mountains, the collecting localities are restricted to the drier northern face. According to our (J.S. and Y.M.A.) field data, it occurs at altitudes of 3300– 3800 m and is probably represented by several geographically separated populations. Occurrence of the species near Sodore in the Rift Valley (see section Material examined) needs confirmation because we believe it is unlikely that H. clarkei nom. nov. occurs at altitudes of 1500–1750 m and thus in subtropical environments. Another doubtful record based on a “very battered female ex.” from “near Chencha in the Gughe Highlands” was mentioned by Clarke (1973: 3). Because the Gughe Highlands are located far southwest of the Bale Mountains and geomorphologically distinctly separated by the Rift Valley we strongly believe that this report refers to another, probably undescribed species of Harpalus .

Remarks. This species was originally described within the genus Omostropus Péringuey, 1896 , although Clarke (1973: 14) noted that the species “does not exemplify all the generic characters as given by Basilewsky (1951) ”. The most significant difference mentioned by Clarke is the male first protarsomere of O. rotundatus with a small “plate” of adhesive hairs at its apex ventrally, as in O. mandibularis ( Roth, 1851) [ Clarke (1973: 14) apparently erroneously wrote “mesotarsomere” instead “protarsomere” since in the original description (p. 13) this information refers just to the first protarsomere and there is no information there concerning the first mesotarsomere]. According to Basilewsky (1951), the genus Omostropus is characterised by the first pro- and mesotarsomeres of male without adhesive vestiture ventrally. By these features it is distinguished from Harpalus and some other related genera. In males of Harpalus , the first protarsomere has normal adhesive scales at least apically, however the first mesotarsomere in this respect is more variable and there are species both with and without adhesive vestiture although in most species the adhesive scales are also present at least apically. In some cases, this character is variable within one species, for example, in H. (Cryptophonus) melancholicus Dejean, 1829 , H. (Pseudoophonus) indicus Bates 1891 and H. (s. str.) angulatus Putzeys, 1878 ; in these species, the absence or presence of the adhesive scales on the first mesotarsomere of male is a characteristic of the subspecies ( Kataev, 2012, 2014). In some species, for example, H. (Zangoharpalus) praticola Bates, 1891 , this character is variable and has no taxonomic significance ( Kataev, 1997). In males of O. mandibularis , like in other members of Omostropus , the first mesotarsomere is without distinct adhesive vestiture, but the first protarsomere bears two very small scales apically. By the latter character, O. mandibularis is distinguished from other congeners, however it has a full set of other diagnostic characters of Omostropus , including the following: body elongate, elytral marginal umbilicate series with a wide gap medially, consisting of six to eight setigerous pores in anterior group and of eight to ten such pores in posterior group, the elytral stria 8 arched between anterior and posterior rows of umbilicate series and the interval 9 widened there (somewhat similar to that of Acinopus Dejean, 1821 ). As opposed to this, in Harpalus clarkei nom. nov., as in many other members of Harpalus , the marginal umbilicate series is without distinct gap at middle, the stria 8 is not arched in its middle portion and the interval 9 is not widened there. All other characters of this species listed in the description above, including general habitus and the presence of the normally developed paired adhesive scales on the male first pro- and mesotarsomeres ventrally, also fully agree with the morphological characteristics of Harpalus , particularly the species distributed in the tropical mainland Africa.

According to the original description ( Facchini, 2012), Omostropus bulirschi Facchini, 2012 from Madagascar is most similar in appearance to O. rotundatus (= Harpalus clarkei nom. nov.), but has normally developed wings (apparently also elongate metepisternum) and the first mesotarsomere of male without a ventral adhesive vestiture. The first protarsomere of O. bulirschi is dilated and with ventral adhesive vestiture as in Harpalus . The elytral marginal umbilicate series is interrupted, but without wide gap. It is therefore very likely that O. bulirschi should also be included in the genus Harpalus .