Heptodonta tempesta, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Görn, Sebastian
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2020
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Carabidae
Heptodonta
Heptodonta tempesta

description: Heptodonta tempesta sp. nov.
Figs. 5, 117–123
Type locality. India: Meghalaya, South Garo Hills, Balpakram National Park.
Type material. Holotype: ♂ in JWCW, labelled: “NE India, Meghalaya state / W. Garo Hills, BALPHAKRAM Nat. Park / 22–27.V.1996, alt. 400± 150 m / GPS N25°11’, E90°51’ (WGS 84) / E. Jendek & O. Šauša leg.” [yellow margin, printed] // “ Heptodonta / pulchella / (Hope 1831) / det. J. Wiesner 96” [printed]. Paratypes (13): 3 ♂♂ 5 ♀♀ in JWCW, 1 ♂ in SGCH, 1 ♀ in SMNS with same labels as holotype. 1 ♂ 2 ♀♀ in JWCW: “NE India, Meghala- ya state / W. Garo Hills, BALPHAKRAM Nat. Park / 24–26.V.1996, alt. 100± 50 m / GPS N25°11’, E90°52’ (WGS 84) / E. Jendek & O. Šauša leg.” [yellow margin, printed] // “ Heptodonta / pulchella / (Hope 1831) / det. J. Wiesner 96” [printed]. All type specimens labelled: “ HOLOTYPE (or PARATYPE respectively) / Heptodonta / tempesta sp. nov. / ded. Sebastian Görn 2020” [red, printed].
Diagnosis. Large green species resembling H. pulchella, H. schuelei sp. nov., and H. posticalis, but clearly distinguishable by the inner sac in the right lateral aspect: apical and anteromedian spine rows forming a continuous dark-testaceous comb-shaped structure, in middle of this structure short upright spine of the straight anteromedian sclerite (Fig. 123). Aedeagus thicker. Irregular grooves in transition of vertex and occiput expanded anterior, forming a typical coarse zigzag pattern (Fig. 5). Male labrum compared to H. pulchella and H. schuelei sp. nov. shorter, and in contrast to H. posticalis the three inner apical teeth less separated. Elytral apex slightly less elongated compared to H. pulchella and conspicuously less elongated compared to H. schuelei sp. nov. In contrast to H. posticalis and most of eastern H. pulchella specimens, scape with iridescent metallic green lustre.
Etymology. Derived from Latin tempestas (thunderstorm), referring to the shape of multiple lightning-shaped grooves on the center of the head.
Description. Body size: Length 13.7–15.3 mm (without labrum), width 4.2–4.8 mm (Figs. 117–118).
Dorsal surface of head metallic bronze-green. Frons irregularly grooved, with some irregular transverse grooves in transition to vertex. Anterior vertex with short longitudinal striae, median vertex with large area of coarse crumpled wrinkles, in transition to orbital plates deep converging longitudinal striation (Fig. 5). Orbital plates with fine and deep striae, which are wrinkled anterior, and with two setae on each side. Occiput with deeply wrinkled transverse grooves. Genae glabrous and considerably grooved, bronze with dorsal and anteroventral green transition to the blue margin, with violet-blue anteroventral spot. Clypeus glabrous and iridescent bronze, anterior with green margin and often two dull blue spots. Labrum testaceous, with four setae, five apical teeth, and one lateral tooth on each side, three median teeth acute, third apical teeth slightly reduced, shape variable, male labrum triangular but rather short (0.93–1.05 mm long, 1.83–1.93 mm wide, Fig. 119), female labrum elongated triangular (1.43–1.53 mm long, 1.85–2.03 mm wide, Fig. 120). Mandibles testaceous, teeth black, basal inner margin and inner tooth often rufous-brown. Labial and maxillary palpi testaceous, terminal palpomeres in males apically and in females entirely black. Antennae slender, extending back over the first third of the elytra, metallic black, scape with metallic green and pedicel with slightly green lustre, antennomeres 3–4 distal with golden-violet shine, pedicel apically slightly and basally considerably testaceous, scape with a single apical seta, antennomeres 3–4 with few scattered setae, antennomeres 5–11 finely and evenly pubescent, in males terminal antennomere dilated.
Thorax entirely glabrous. Pronotum metallic bronze-green, approximately as long (2.65–3.20 mm) as wide (2.65–3.15 mm), narrow median line blue, irregular transverse grooves wrinkled anteromedially and on disc, pronounced anterior and posterior sulci, anterior lobe wider than posterior, lateral margins of the median lobe slightly converging to the base median, but buckling more strongly posteriorly, giving the median lobe a rather globular shape. Proepisternum bronze-green, mesepisternum yellowish-green metepisternum bronze. Sterna medially violetblue and laterally bronze-green. Epimera iridescent bronze to copper and green.
Elytra elongate, length 8.6–9.9 mm, slightly dilated laterally, maximal width at or a little anterior to the middle, colouration green with slightly yellow-bronze lustre, dull shine due to pronounced microsculpture, lateral margin violet with bluish-green transition, apical margin bluish-green, juxtahumeral impression, apical impression and posterior gibbosity slightly pronounced, discal impression and basodiscal convexity moderate, violet-blue punctures slightly deeper anteriorly, punctures forming irregular transverse lines, which are sometimes anteriorly and laterally fused to short transverse grooves.
Coxae dark-testaceous with iridescent yellowish-green to violet-blue lustre, procoxae anteriorly, mesocoxae anteriorly and posteriorly, and metacoxae laterally densely covered with long white setae. Trochanters, femora, and tibiae testaceous. Femoral distal apices with black tip, followed by a testaceous ring and a metallic green shining black colouration covering approximately one-third to one-half of the posterior side of meso- and metafemora, and one-third to almost entire profemora. Tarsi and distal half of tibiae metallic black. Terminal tarsomeres frequently dark-testaceous and claws rufous-testaceous.
Abdominal sternites glabrous (apart from few long setae at posterior margins), with yellowish-green to violetblue lustre, last four sternites with dark-testaceous to testaceous posterior margins (Fig. 121).
Aedeagus comparatively thick and angled, length 3.80–4.00 mm, ventral rather straight but with a slight median convexity, acute aedeagal tip slightly directed ventrally, with short dorsoapical ascent, moderate dorsal curvature peaked slightly posterior to medioventral convexity, short aedeagal base steeply sloping. Inner sac in right lateral aspect with dark-testaceous apical and anteromedian spine rows of approximately same size, anteromedian spine row covered by dark-testaceous straight anteromedian sclerite ending in a short upright spine located between both rows (Figs. 122–123).
Distribution. Northeasten INDIA (Meghalaya (Garo Hills)).
description: Published as part of Görn, Sebastian, 2020, Revision of the Oriental tiger beetle genus Heptodonta Hope, 1838 (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae), pp. 1-62 in Zootaxa 4875 (1) on pages 43-48, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4875.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/4578779