Miquasus Kishii, 1959

Parekar, Harshad & Patwardhan, Amol, 2025, Annotated catalogue of the click-beetle subfamilies Hemiopinae, Hypnoidinae, Lissominae, Negastriinae, Tetralobinae, and Thylacosterninae (Coleoptera: Elateridae) of India, Zootaxa 5679 (2), pp. 151-203 : 179-181

Genus Miquasus Kishii, 1959

Miquasus besucheti (Dolin, 2001) SDI

Quasimus (Miquasus) besucheti Dolin, 2001: 137 (original description; published type locality: Tiger Hill, India); Korneev & Cate, 2005: 12 (type catalogue); Cate, 2007: 190 (catalogue; “SD” as India: Sikkim, Darjeeling District).

Miquasus besucheti (Dolin, 2001) : Schimmel & Tarnawski, 2009: 108 (transferred to Miquasus ; “ India: Darjeeling”); Gupta et al., 2018: 502 (missed enclosing authors in parenthesis; catalogue; “2C” as India: Sikkim, Darjeeling District).

Type Locality. India: Tiger Hill, Darjeeling District , West Bengal .

Type Depository. Holotype, M (??); 17 Paratypes, SU ( SIZK).

Distribution in India. West Bengal (Darjeeling District).

General Distribution. India, Nepal ( Schimmel & Tarnawski 2009).

Remark. Schimmel & Tarnawski (2009: 108) erroneously missed to enclose the species’ author in parentheses and did not explicitly indicate the name as a new combination. Nevertheless, we consider them the proposers of this species transfer. Although Dolin (2001: 137) listed the holotype as deposited in MHNG and paratypes in MHNG and NHMB, the specimens could not be located in these collections (pers. comm. G. Cuccodoro, MHNG; I. Zürcher, NHMB). As the presence of this species in Sikkim requires confirmation, this locality is not included here.

Miquasus convexicollis (Dolin, 2001) SDI

Quasimus (Miquasus) convexicollis Dolin, 2001: 139 (original description; published type locality: Nilgiri Hills, India); Korneev & Cate, 2005: 14 (type catalogue).

Miquasus convexicollis (Dolin, 2001) : Schimmel & Tarnawski, 2009: 109, 123 (transferred to Miquasus ; “ India: Tamil Nadu ”).

Type Locality. India: Nilgiri Hills ** .

Type Depository. Holotype, F ( MNHN).

Distribution in India. Nilgiri Hills**. Tamil Nadu.

General Distribution. India, Nepal ( Schimmel & Tarnawski 2009).

Remark. The exact locality within the Nilgiri Hills cannot be ascertained. The locality tentatively assigned to Tamil Nadu based on the information provided by Dolin (2001: 139). The Nilgiri Hills form part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, which spans across southern Karnataka, eastern Kerala, and northwestern Tamil Nadu.

Miquasus dubius (Dolin, 2001) SDI

Quasimus (Miquasus) dubius Dolin, 2001: 138 (original description; published type locality: Daitari, India); Korneev & Cate, 2005: 14 (type catalogue).

Miquasus dubius (Dolin, 2001) : Schimmel & Tarnawski, 2009: 110, 124 (transferred to Miquasus ; “ India: Orissa ”).

Type Locality. India: Daitari, Kendujhar District , Odisha [Daitari, Jajpur-Keonjahr Distr. , Orissa] .

Type Depository. Holotype, F (??).

Distribution in India. Odisha (Kendujhar District).

General Distribution. India, Nepal ( Schimmel & Tarnawski 2009).

Remark. Although Dolin (2001: 138) mentioned the holotype as being deposited in HNHM, the specimen could not be located in the collection (pers. comm. S. Győző, HNHM).

Miquasus improvisus (Dolin, 2001) SDI

Quasimus (Miquasus) improvisus Dolin, 2001: 138 (original description; published type locality: Valara Falls , India; other localities- India: Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu); Korneev & Cate, 2005: 16 (type catalogue).

Miquasus improvisus (Dolin, 2001) : Schimmel & Tarnawski, 2009: 110, 124 (transferred to Miquasus ; “ India: Kerala; Madras; Maharashtra ”) .

Type Locality. India: Valara Waterfalls, Idukki District , Kerala [Cardamom H., Valara Fall] .

Type Depository. Holotype, M ( MHNG); 3 Paratypes, 3 F ( MHNG, SIZK).

Material examined. Two specimens ( Fig. 4 ) were examined from Chikkaballapura District , Karnataka ( GKVK) .

Distribution in India. Karnataka (Chikkaballapura District), Kerala (Idukki District), Maharashtra (Pune District), Tamil Nadu (Tiruppur District).

General Distribution. India, Nepal ( Schimmel & Tarnawski 2009).

Remark. Although Dolin (2001: 138) mentioned a paratype as deposited in HNHM, the specimen could not be located in the collection (pers. comm. S. Győző, HNHM). This represents the first published record of this species from Karnataka.

Miquasus ohirai (Dolin, 2001) SDI

Quasimus(Miquasus) ohirai Dolin, 2001:136 (original description;published type locality:Matheran, India); Korneev & Cate, 2005: 21 (type catalogue); Schimmel, 2007a: 230 (treated as Q. ohirai ; India: Maharashtra).

Miquasus ohirai (Dolin, 2001) : Schimmel & Tarnawski, 2009: 124 (transferred to Miquasus ; recorded from India: Maharashtra).

Type Locality. India: Matheran, Raigad District , Maharashtra .

Type Depository. Holotype, M ( HNHM); 6 Paratypes, 2 M, 4 F ( HNHM, SIZK).

Distribution in India. Maharashtra (Pune District, Raigad District).

General Distribution. India.

Remark. As noted by Dolin (1997: 154), Ȏhira (1971: 207) misidentified this species as Quasimus pauxillus ( Schwarz, 1901) based on material from Matheran, Maharashtra, India. The species is considered endemic to India.

Miquasus pacholatkoi (Dolin, 2001) SDI

Quasimus (Miquasus) pacholatkoi Dolin, 2001: 136 (original description; published type locality: Elk falls , India; another locality- India: Karnataka); Korneev & Cate, 2005: 21 (type catalogue).

Miquasus pacholatkoi (Dolin, 2001) : Schimmel & Tarnawski, 2009: 125 (transferred to Miquasus ; “ India: Tamil Nadu, Karnataka ”) .

Type Locality. India: Elk falls, 6 km south of Kotagiri [Kotagin], Nilgiris District , Tamil Nadu .

Type Depository. Holotype, M ( CCW); 55 Paratypes, 2 M, 5 F, 50 SU ( CCW, SIZK).

Distribution in India. Karnataka (Hassan District), Tamil Nadu (Nilgiris District).

General Distribution. India.

Remark. The species is considered endemic to India.

Figures

FIGURES 1–6. Elateridae from India, dorsal view. 1, Hypnoidus beckeri Stibick, 1980; 2, Lissomus mastrucatus Gerstaecker, 1860; 3, Arhaphes luteipes Candèze, 1897; 4, Miquasus improvisus (Dolin, 2001); 5, Zorochros mussardi Dolin & Cate, 1998; 6, Cussolenis wallacei Muona, 2020.