Pterostichus (Tschitscherinea) krali Sciaky 1997
Creators: name: Yin, Wen-Qi
name: Chen, Jia-Heng
name: Shi, Hong-Liang
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Carabidae
Pterostichus
Pterostichus krali

description: Pterostichus (Tschitscherinea) krali Sciaky, 1997
Figures 9, 21, 42, 47
Chinese vernacular name: 克ĸdzā±Ƥ
Sciaky 1997: 170 (holotype in CRS; type locality: Yunnan: Zhongdian, Haba Snow Mountain, 27°20’N, 100°11’E).
Material examined. Holotype of P. krali Sciaky, male (CRS, Fig. 9): “ CHINA, Yunnan, 3.8–4.5km, 27.20N; 100.11E HABASHAN mts. SE slope, 4.–5.6. lgt. S. Becvar, 1995”; “HOLOTYPUS Pterostichus (Tschitscherinea) krali n.sp. Det. Sciaky, 1995” [red label]. Non-type material: 1 teneral male (IZAS):“ Yunnan, Haba Snow Mountain, 2014.X.10, Shi Y. leg.”
Diagnosis. This species is most similar to P. mulensis. Both of them are distinguishable among the subgenus by the combination of following characters: elytra with transverse microsculpture, (Fig. 47); maxim width of head at outer margin of eyes; parascutellar pore present; interval 3 with three setigerous pores; metatarsus slender, similar in both sexes (Fig. 42). Comparisons between these two species see discussion under P. mulensis.
This species was mixed up with P. farkaci, especially with those specimens of P. farkaci with very large humeral teeth. Although in similar appearance, these two species can be distinguished by: (1) in P. krali, elytral parascutellar pore present, whereas usually absent in P. farkaci (occasionally present on one or both sides); (2) in P. krali, elytra with transverse microsculpture (Fig. 47), whereas isodiametric in P. farkaci (Fig. 46); (3) in P. krali, elytra humeral tooth is very large and thick, whereas in P. farkaci, if the humeral tooth strongly project out, the apex of humeral tooth is somewhat narrower than that in P. krali; (4) right paramere of male genitalia shorter and less curved in P. krali.
Supplementary description. BL = 12.3–12.5 mm, BW = 4.4–4.5 mm; eyes large, tempora slightly swollen behind eyes, shorter than eyes, eyL/tpL = 1.45–1.50, maxim width of head at outer margin of eyes, HW/PW = 0.53–0.55. Pronotum subquadrate, PW/PL = 1.18–1.20, PBW/PW = 0.86–0.90; anterior margin slightly narrower than posterior margin, PAW/PBW =0.74–0.78; lateral margins weakly curved near middle, faintly sinuate before posterior angles; posterior angles nearly rectangular, with faint denticle. Basal foveae almost impunctate, inner and outer grooves both deep, partly fused at base. Elytra with transverse microsculpture, length of each mesh usually more than 4 times as width (Fig. 47); parascutellar pore present; humerus with large and thick tooth, sharply projected out; interval 3 with three setigerous pores, the first one placed near basal eighth, adjacent to stria 3, the other two adjacent to stria 2. Male sternite VII without secondary sexual modification; metatarsus slender, similar in both sexes (mt1 length/width = 2.7, Fig. 42), segments 1–2 with outer-lateral ridge. Median lobe of aedeagus stout, apex strongly curved ventrally in lateral view; apical lamella short and wide, apex rounded, slightly twisted to right; right paramere falcate, distinctly curved with the maximum curvature near middle of apical portion, apex sharp (Fig. 21). Endophallus not studied because of the teneral specimen.
Remarks. Sciaky (1997) described P. krali stating that it is mainly distinguished from P. farkaci by the larger and very strongly projected elytral humeral tooth. Thus, several specimens with large humeral tooth from mountains western to Zhongdian were included in the paratypes of P. krali. However, in the present study, we found that some specimens with large humeral tooth collected from mountains western to Zhongdian township are different from the holotype of P. krali in many important aspects (see diagnosis above). In fact they are identical to the typical P. farkaci (except the larger humeral tooth), including in the male genitalia. Thus, P. farkaci is redefined in the present study. P. krali is most likely only distributed in its type locality, Haba Snow Mountain, and these two species are strictly allopatric.
Distribution. This species is only known from Haba Snow Mountain, eastern to Zhongdian township. (Fig. 54, Yellow)
description: Published as part of Yin, Wen-Qi, Chen, Jia-Heng & Shi, Hong-Liang, 2024, Revision of the Chinese endemic subgenus Tschitscherinea Berg, with descriptions of three new species (Coleoptera, Carabidae), pp. 43-65 in Zootaxa 5481 (1) on pages 53-54, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5481.1.3, http://zenodo.org/record/12742724