Cyclosomus pallidus Kavanaugh & Cueva-Dabkoski 2023, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Kavanaugh, David H.
name: Cueva-Dabkoski, Mollie
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Carabidae
Cyclosomus
Cyclosomus pallidus

description: Cyclosomus pallidus Kavanaugh & Cueva-Dabkoski, sp. nov.
Figures 9, 14E, 21
Type material. HOLOTYPE, a female, deposited in NHMUK, labeled: “ T. R. Bell, Karachi.”/ “ H. E. Andrewes Coll. B. M. 1945-97.”/ “ Cyclosomus suturalis Wied.? var. H.E. Andrewes det.”/ “ HOLOTYPE Cyclosomus pallidus sp. n. D.H. Kavanaugh & M. Cueva-Dabkoski 2023” [red label]. Paratypes: 1 female, also in NHMUK, labeled: “ T. R. Bell, Karachi.”/ “In loose sand where it hid itself by burrowing …[illegible]…28 6 04” [handwritten label]/ “ T.R. Bell collection B. M. 1934-394”/ “ Cyclosomus suturalis Wied. new var.? H.E. Andrewes det.”/ “ PARATYPE Cyclosomus pallidus sp. n. D.H. Kavanaugh & M. Cueva-Dabkoski 2023” [yellow label].
Type locality. Pakistan, Sindh Province, Karachi.
Etymology. The specific epithet is a Latin adjective, pallidus, in the masculine form, meaning pale, in reference to the pale color of the entire body.
Diagnosis. Adults of C. pallidus can be distinguished from those of other Cyclosomus species in Asia by the following combination of character states: Body size slightly small for genus, BL females = 6.8 to 6.9 mm (male unknown); body form (Fig. 9A) shorter (ratio BL/EW = 1.38 to 1.39), roundly ovoid, with elytra widest at mid-length; dorsal surface (Fig. 9A) mainly pale tan-orange, with only pronotal disc, elytral basal dark band and longitudinal dark band on elytral interval 1 slightly darker brown, middle dark band and preapical dark spot absent; pronotum (Fig. 14E) short and very broad (ratio PWM/PL = 2.71 to 2.79), more broadened basally (ratio PWM/PWA = 1.70 to 1.73), very broadly flattened laterally (especially anteriorly), lateral pale bands very broad and only slightly contrasting with color on disc, anterior angles broader, lateral margin not sinuate near anterior angles; free apex of prosternal intercoxal process short (as in Fig. 15D); elytra with striae moderately impressed and intervals flat or nearly so; elytral epipleura with long setae only in humeral and subhumeral areas, setae in apical two-thirds distinctly shorter; males unknown; specimen from southeastern Pakistan (Fig. 21).
Members of C. pallidus are most similar to those of C. inustu s, C. marginatus, and C. vespertilio. Refer to the key and Diagnosis sections for each of those species for distinguishing features.
Description. Size slightly small for genus, BL of females = 6.8 to 6.9 mm; body form (Fig. 9A) shorter (ratio BL/EW = 1.38 to 1.39), roundly ovoid, with elytra widest at mid-length.
Color. Head with dorsum, venter, and all mouthparts and other appendages light brown. Pronotum with disc light brown and lateral pale bands very wide and pale tan-orange. Elytra mainly yellow-tan, with elytral base, scutellum, and longitudinal dark band on elytral interval 1 darker brown, basal dark band diffusely and very slightly darker than pale disc, middle dark band and preapical dark spot absent. Venter light brown, proepipleura tan-orange, elytral epipleura yellow-tan, and apical portion of last abdominal sternite pale yellow-tan. Legs pale, light brown.
Reflection, luster, and microsculpture. Dorsum and venter without metallic reflection. Head and pronotum dull, with microsculpture moderately impressed and comprised of isodiametric meshes; elytra slightly shiny with isodiametric meshes slightly less deeply impressed; venter with isodiametric to slightly transverse meshes shallowly impressed.
Head. Eyes large, hemispheric; antennae slightly short, extended only to basal one-fifth of elytra; clypeus bisetose; labrum with apical margin deeply emarginate, three pairs of setae present; mentum asetose, with a broad, apically emarginate medial tooth; submentum anteriorly with a single pair of setae.
Prothorax. Pronotum (Fig. 14E) trapezoidal, almost as wide as elytra at humeral angles, short and very broad (ratio PWM/PL = 2.71 to 2.79), more broadened basally (ratio PWM/PWA = 1.70 to 1.73), very broadly flattened laterally (especially anteriorly); anterior angles broad, narrowly rounded apically; anterior margin between anterior angles nearly straight at middle; lateral margins gently arcuate, not sinuate near anterior angles; basal margin moderately bisinuate, faintly lobate medially; anterior and basal margination distinct laterally, obsolete medially; lateral margination very slender and finely impressed; midlateral setae present, inserted just medial to lateral margination and at about one-third the distance between the anterior and basal angles along the lateral margin; basolateral setae present, inserted on lateral edge of pronotum and just anterior to posterior angles. Prosternal intercoxal process moderately long and slender, lanceolate, with complete margination, free apex of process short (as in Fig. 15D).
Elytra. Broadly ovate (Fig. 9A), slightly shorter than wide (ratio EL/EW = 0.90), broadly rounded apically, humeri slightly obtuse, angulate; elytral striae moderately impressed throughout; elytral intervals flat or nearly so, smooth; parascutellar setiferous pore present at base of interval 1 near junction of striae 1 and 2; two discal setiferous pores present on interval 3 adjacent to stria 2, one inserted just posterior to elytral mid-length and the other inserted near apical one-third; apical seta present, inserted near apex of interval 3; umbilicate series comprised of 12 to 13 setae.
Legs. Middle and hind tibiae with medial tibial spurs long and serrulate (as in Fig. 2A). Females with front tarsomeres 1 to 3 markedly expanded laterally (as in Figs. 2C), but without adhesive setae ventrally, and middle tarsomeres slender and without adhesive setae ventrally; tarsal claws smooth.
Habitat distribution. A partially-legible, handwritten label associated with the paratype of C. pallidus states that it was collected from “loose sand” and that it “hid by burrowing…,” presumably into that sand. There are several large rivers with sandy shores in the Karachi region, as well as extensive sandy sea beaches and associated dune systems, so the species may occur in either or both of these habitat types.
Geographical distribution. Fig. 21. Known only from the type locality.
Geographical relationships with other Cyclosomus species. No other congeneric species is known to occur in Pakistan; and the nearest Cyclosomus record we have found to the type locality of C. pallidus is one for C. flexuosus, from Kinara, Gujarat State, India (in NHMUK), just over 500 km distant toward the southeast.
description: Published as part of Kavanaugh, David H. & Cueva-Dabkoski, Mollie, 2023, A Review of Genus Cyclosomus Latreille (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Lebiinae: Cyclosomini) in Asia., pp. 493-537 in Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 67 (21) on pages 513-515, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.11512952