Parena tripunctata
Creators: name: Shi, Hongliang
name: Liang, Hongbin
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Carabidae
Parena
Parena tripunctata

description: 8. Parena tripunctata species group
This species group contains eight species distributed mainly in East Asia. They are characterized by: body smallsized, length 6.4–9.1 mm; retinacular ridge of right mandible about one-third length of terebral ridge (Fig. 2E); mentum with a pair of long setae, longer than terminal labial palpomere; elytra with distinct pattern in most species; antennae extended slightly beyond elytra base; tempora short, abruptly narrowed behind eyes, length of tempora plus neck-constriction approximately one-third of diameter of eye; elytral intervals slightly convex, very sparsely punctate; interval 3 with three setigerous pores; elytral apices evenly rounded, sutural angles indistinct; males without adhesive setae on mesotarsomere 1; abdominal sternite VII with two pairs of setae in both sexes; median lobe of aedeagus very stout (AL/AW 3.3–4.0); gonocoxite II of ovipositor nearly rectangular or rounded-rectangular, apex with five to seven ensiform setae, nearly evenly arranged.
The endophallus in this group is very similar among different species: primary sclerite with very wide flared basal expansion, its right-basal angle strongly pointed; flagellum short, ending before the middle of median lobe; apical sclerite widely V-shaped, well-defined, basal core distinct, large, ovate, heavily chitinized and scaled; basal sheath reduced to a triangular scaled structure left-ventral to flagellum; apical sheath large and coarsely scaled; squamate sac divided or undivided, near the middle of median lobe, right to squamate sheath.
The species of this group are easily differentiated by their elytra pattern (see the key above), but it is difficult to find other differences on the external features besides the color. Their stout male genitalial shaft and endophallus are also similar in all the species. Although the shape of the apical lamella varies slightly individually in some species, differences in the apex and ventral margin of aedeagus can well define each species (except for P. emarginata sp. n. with male unknown). To interpret these differences better, we provide an alternate key for the male genitalia of this group.
Key to species of P. tripunctata group by male genitalia
1. In dorsal view, apex of aedeagus very weakly bent to right side................................................. 2
- In dorsal view, apex of aedeagus distinctly bent to right side................................................... 3
2. In lateral view, ventral margin more expanded; apical lamella rounded-truncate, sides nearly paralleled (Fig. 44)........................................................................................ [19] P. malaisei (Andrewes)
- In lateral view, ventral margin less expanded; apical lamella rounded-triangular, slightly narrowed to apex (Fig. 42)...................................................................................... [18] P. monostigma (Bates)
3. Apical lamella narrower, in ventral/dorsal view length subequal to its basal width.................................. 4
- Apical lamella wider, in ventral/dorsal view length much less than its basal width.................................. 5
4. Aedeagus relatively stouter; apical lamella rounded-triangular; in lateral view, ventral margin strongly expanded (Fig. 45)................................................................................ [20] P. quadrisignata Mateu
- Aedeagus relatively slender; apical lamella digitate; in lateral view, ventral margin slightly expanded (Fig. 48)............................................................................................. [22] P. gonggaica sp. n.
5. In lateral view, ventral margin more or less expanded before middle, apical lamella very weakly bent dorsally (Fig. 39).................................................................................... [16] P. tripunctata (Bates)
- In lateral view, ventral margin nearly straight before middle, apical lamella not bent dorsally......................... 6
6. Apical lamella more truncate in ventral/dorsal view, thicker in lateral view (Fig. 41)......... [17] P. shapingensis Xie & Yu
- Apical lamella more rounded in ventral/dorsal view, thinner in lateral view (Fig. 49)............... [23] P. triguttata sp. n.
description: Published as part of Shi, Hongliang & Liang, Hongbin, 2023, Taxonomic revision of the genus Parena Motschulsky, 1860 (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Lebiini, Metallicina), pp. 1-144 in Zootaxa 5286 (1) on pages 66-67, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5286.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/7958937