Reicheiodes (Reichonippodes) ursinus, Bulirsch & Magrini & Ho & Fikáček, 2025

Bulirsch, Petr, Magrini, Paolo, Ho, Bin-Hong & Fikáček, Martin, 2025, Species of the genus Reicheiodes from Taiwan (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Scaritinae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 65 (1), pp. 61-70 : 64

Reicheiodes (Reichonippodes) ursinus sp. nov.

( Figs 1K–O )

Type locality. Taiwan, Taitung, Haiduan, Jinping Logging Trail km 15, 23.163342°N 121.144153°E.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: J (NMNS): ʻTAIWAN, Taitung, Haiduan / Jinping Logging Trail , km 15 / 23.163342°N 121.144153°E, 1520 m / 3.iii.2024, BH Ho [leg.], TW2024-004ʼ . PARATYPES: TAIWAN: TAI- TUNG: 23 JJ 17 ♀♀ (BMNH, BHHC, NMNS, NMPC, PMFI, PBPC): same label data as holotype.

Description. Habitus as in Fig. 1K . Body length 2.20– 2.60 mm (HT 2.40 mm, mean 2.40 mm; n = 30).

Colour of dorsal surface ferruginous to dark ferruginous without bronze luster; ventral surface and legs ferruginous, mouthparts and antennae dark yellowish.

Head. Clypeus bordered, with very slightly and broadly to moderately protruded median part; lateral teeth bordered, moderately acute, distinctly projecting anteriorly, pointed at tip, divided from supraantennal plates by obtuse notch; clypeal field sub-quadrate, smooth, separated from frons by deep and broad transverse furrow; frons convex, smooth; supraantennal plates strongly convex, with blunt carina at top of convexity. Frontal furrows deep, moderately broad, parallel to eyes mid-length then abruptly and strongly diverging posteriorly around eyes. Eyes rather small, strongly convex, facets distinct; genae small, gently enclosing eyes posteriorly. Antennae relatively short, antennomeres 5–10 moniliform. Neck without isodiametric reticulation, with a few punctures below eyes, constriction absent.

Pronotum subglobose, in lateral view moderately flattened posteriorly; outline between lateral SP slightly convex; indistinctly attenuated anteriorly 1.09–1.16 (HT 1.11, mean 1.13) times as wide as long, 1.45–1.54 (HT 1.52, mean 1.48) times as wide as head, broadest in about posterior third, with rounded anterior angles. Anterior transverse impression deep, broadened in middle, impunctate, very sparsely and shortly cross-striate, especially in middle third; median line rather fine on disc, deeper basally, lateral channel deep and moderately broad, not broadened anteriorly up to anterior SP, reflexed lateral margin just surpassing posterior SP. Surface shiny, with very few, almost indistinct transverse wrinkles and sparse micropunctures, lateral channel shiny, without reticulation.

Elytra shortly ovate; disc moderately, apex more strongly convex in lateral view; 1.47–1.53 (HT 1.48, mean 1.50) times as long as wide, 1.21–1.28 (HT 1.26, mean 1.24) times as wide as pronotum. Elytra widest after anterior third; base sloping to moderately rounded humeri without tooth; lateral channel moderately broad from pedunculus to humeri, broadened apically; reflexed lateral margin distinct. Basal border distinct, basal tubercles and scutellar strioles absent; BSP mostly missing, in nine PT present on one elytron. Three PHSP, three PASP, two large ASP and two DSP (in anterior part of interval 3, posterior DSP missing). Striae 1–(2) irregular, moderately deep, stria 1 joining lateral channel at apex; striae (2)3–5 irregularly, finely impressed, latero-apically mostly diminish; striae 1–4 punctures rough in basal half, latero-apically punctuation finer, stria 5–7 punctures fine latero-apically, diminish on apex, stria 8 indistinct; inner intervals barely convex medio-basally, flattened latero-apically.

Metathoracic wings absent.

Protibiae. Apical spine moderately curved ventrolaterally; apical movable spur shorter than spine, feebly curved; distal tooth moderately large, sharp, proximal one much finer, almost indistinct.

Male genitalia. Aedeagus as in Figs 1L, M, O . Medi- an lobe in lateral view moderately broad, rather narrow at mid-length, ventral margin almost evenly regularly concave, apex short, broadly rounded, indistinctly bent ventrad, apex in ventral view broadly rounded at tip, distinctly turned right. Parameres as in Fig. 1N , unisetose. Differential diagnosis. Reicheiodes ursinus sp. nov. is similar to Reicheiodes (Reichonippodes) kuankong sp. nov. The new species can be distinguished by shorter antennae with the antennomeres 5–10 about as long as broad, by the elytra with only two DSP and none or unilaterally one BSP, and by having finer striae punctuation latero-apically.

Etymology. Ursinus is a Latin adjective derived from Ursus (bear). We name the new species in this way as its type locality is also famous for the population of the Taiwanese bear ( Ursus thibetanus formosanus Swinhoe, 1864 ).

Collection circumstances. All specimens were collected by sifting moist leaf litter in the primary montane forest.

Distribution. Endemic to Taiwan. Only known from the type locality on the eastern slope of the central mountain range above the Taitung Valley.

Figures

Fig. 1. Habitus and male genitalia of Taiwanese Reicheiodes Ganglbauer, 1891. A–E – R. kuankong sp. nov., holotype. F–J – R. taiwanensis Bulirsch, 2018, non-type. K–O – R. ursinus sp. nov., holotype.A, F, K – dorsal habitus; B, G, L – aedeagus in left lateral view; C, H, M – aedeagus in ventral view; D, I, N – parameres; E, J, O – detail of apex of the aedeagus in left lateral view. All figures (except E, J, O) to scale. Abbreviations: dt – distal tooth of protibia; pt – proximal tooth of protibia; spi – apical spine of protibia; spu – apical movable spur of protibia.