Therates pseudovitalisi Matalin et Wiesner 2023, sp. n.
Creators: name: Matalin, Andrey V.
name: Wiesner, Jürgen
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Cicindelidae
Therates
Therates pseudovitalisi

description: Therates pseudovitalisi Matalin et Wiesner, sp. n.
Figs 9, 10, 36, 37, 58, 59, 90–93, 132–134.
Therates fruhstorferi vitalisi W. Horn, 1913 — Sawada & Wiesner 2000: 63–64, 2004: 263–264; Wiesner & Geiser 2016: 88.
Type material. HOLOTYPE, 1♂ — Laos, Luang Prabang Prov., Ban Song Cha (5 km W), 20 o 33–4’N 102 o 14’E, ± 1200 m, 24.4– 16.5.1999, leg. Vit Kubaň & C. Holzschuh (JW); PARATYPES: 1♀ —same labeled as the holotype (JW); 3♂♂ 6♀♀ — Laos, Oudom Xai (17 km NEE), 20 o 45’N 102 o 09’E, ~ 1100 m, 18.4– 1.5.1998, leg. Vit Kubaň (2♂♂ 5♀♀ — JW, 1♂ 2♀♀ — MSPU); 1♂ — Laos, Houaphanh Prov., Phou Pane Mt, VII.2011 (MSPU); 1♀ — Laos NE, Sam [= Xam] Neua, 17.V.2002 (JW); 1♂ —Laos-N, Phongsaly prov., Ban Bun Neua [= Boun Neua] (4 km E), 20.VI.2003, ~ 1100 m, 21 o 38’N 101 o 57’E, P. Pacholátko leg. (JW).
References. LAOS, Houaphanh Prov.: 1♂ 2♀♀ — Xam Nua Distr, Ban Saleui, 1350 m, 15.VII.2002; 1♂ — Xam Nua Distr, Phu Pan, 1800 m, 17–21.VI.2003 (both Sawada & Wiesner 2004); 1♀ — Phou Pane Mt., 1480–1550 m, 20 o 13’09–19’’N 103º59’54’’E, 1–16.VI.2009, leg. Z. Kraus (Wiesner & Geiser 2016).
Diagnosis. This new species is readily distinguished from T. vitalisi, T. biserratus, T. hunanensis sp. n., T. sauteri and T. motoensis by lacking lateral carinae on the apex of aedeagus (Figs 132–134 vs. Figs 152–174). From T. fruhstorferi and T. ziyardamensis sp. n. a new species is easily distinguished by the shape of aedeagus (Figs 132– 134 vs. Figs 115–131), from T. fruhstorferi additionally by wider apices of elytra (Figs 9–11, 90–95 vs. Figs 1, 3–8, 81–89) and by shorter hind tarsus (Figs 175–178). From T. pseudovitalisi tibetana ssp. n. a nominotypical subspecies is clearly differentiated by the shape of antennomeres 9–11 (Figs 36, 37 vs. Figs 38, 39), by the proportions of hind tibiae and tarsi—mean HTbL/HTaL = 1.32 vs. HTbL/HTaL = 1.25, by narrow, elongate, clearly oblique central dot (Figs 9, 10, 90–93 vs. Figs 11, 94, 95), and by the longer elytra—mean EL/AL = 2.6 vs. mean EL/AL = 2.48.
Description. TL = 10.53–11.1 mm in males (mean = 10.74 mm, n = 5), 10.5–12.1 mm (mean = 11.17 mm, n = 7) in females.
Head shining black-blue with purple-violet reflection; orbital plates finely striated in posterior third; frons convex, semi-circular (see above), slightly downward anteriorly (see at the side), smooth or slightly rugose, frontal sulci deep and slightly convergent in anterior 2/3, shallow and distinctly divergent in posterior third. Mandibles in males brown underside, yellow-brown topside with brown teeth and apical molar; in females dark-brown except pale basal quarter topside. Labial palpi yellow-brown or brown except dark-brown apical palpomeres; maxillary palpi dark brown with narrow light-brown apices in all palpomeres. Antennae barely extend shoulders, black, scape dark brown on anterior margin and black on posterior margin, in some females brown-black, antennomeres 2–5 with light violet tinge and narrow dark-brown apices, antennomeres 9–11 in males distinctly dilated, antennomeres 9 and 10 with wide protruding downward anterior lower margins (Fig. 37), in female only slightly delated and protruding (Fig. 36). Labrum indistinctly transverse, LW/LL = 1.0–1.08 (mean = 1.04, n = 12), in males black-brown with medium-sized yellow-brown apical spot indistinctly separated from central apical teeth (Fig. 58), in females entirely black (Fig. 59).
Pronotum shining blue with violet reflection; indistinctly transverse, PW/PL = 1.0–1.11 (mean = 1.06, n = 12), apical lobe practically equal wide throughout; thorax shining black-blue with light golden-violet reflection.
Femora bicolored, fore femora pale-yellow with brown violet-tinged anterior side, black with violet tinge on posterior side, middle femora brown-black with light violet tinge except pale-yellow posterior basal third, hind femora pale-yellow in basal third or quarter and black with violet tinge in apical 2/3 or 3/4; tibiae brown-black with blue-violet lustre; tarsi black with blue-violet tinge; HTbL/HTaL = 1.25–1.42 (mean = 1.32, n = 12) (Figs 175–178).
Elytra shining black-blue with purple-violet or blue-violet reflection; indistinctly divergent toward apex, EL/ EW = 1.92–2.06 (mean = 1.98, n = 12); punctuation deep and regular between basal humps and central dot, in apical third shallow and sparse; scutellum black with blue or violet tinge; apical margin shortly cut. Elytral pattern presented by well visible pale-yellow small basal portion of humeral lunule (see in front) and elongate slightly or clearly oblique narrow wide-uniformed or slightly dilated in lateral portion central dot; basal dot very small, in some specimens indistinct or entirely absent (Figs 9, 10, 90–93).
Aedeagus gradually sinuate with elongate rounded apex, lacking lateral carinae (Figs 132–134); AL = 2.5–2.7 mm (mean = 2.62, n = 5), EL/AL = 2.56–2.72 (mean = 2.6, n = 5), in one aberrant male EL/AL = 2.45.
Etymology. The new species is named “ pseudovitalisi ” due to it very similar outward appearance with T. vitalisi Horn, 1913.
Distribution. LAOS: Oudomxay, Luang Prabang, Houaphanh, Phongsaly Provinces (Fig. 184).
description: Published as part of Matalin, Andrey V. & Wiesner, Jürgen, 2023, Revision of the Therates fruhstorferi complex (Coleoptera, Cicindelidae), pp. 401-433 in Zootaxa 5256 (5) on pages 407-408, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5256.5.1, http://zenodo.org/record/7758872