A new subgenus of Epaphiopsis Uéno, 1953 (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Trechini) discovered in the mountains of South-East Asia, and a new species of the subgenus Allepaphiama with atypical characteristics

Abstract

Summary The Epaphiopsis complex, a complex of trechine ground beetle genera, is composed of the genus Epaphiopsis and six other genera, all of which are endemic to the Far East. Since an exhaustive definition of this genus complex has not been available to date, the general morphology of all the constituent genera of the Epaphiopsis complex is presented here. A new subgenus of Epaphiopsis, Shunichiepaphius n. subgen., is created for a new species, E. unidentata n. sp., discovered from northern Vietnam. This monotypic new subgenus, and its type species, are characterized by the strongly transverse microsculpture covering the nearly entire dorsal surface of head; by the first discal setiferous pore of elytra located in interstria 4; by the preapical pore of elytra located before the level of the anterior end of recurrent stria; by the large copulatory piece of endophallus which is doubled and knot-shaped with the apical part rounded; and above all by the male protarsi with only the first segment dilated and denticulate inwards. A new species of the subgenus Allepaphiama, E. (A.) beni n. sp., was collected in the Solukhumbu district of Nepal, which is the border between the range of the Trechus rolwalingensis species-group and the previously known range of the subgenus Allepaphiama. This new species bears a reduced chaetotaxy, i.e. only one seta on each side of the clypeus, and, as in the species described by Schmidt in 2016, only two discal setae in stria 3 (or interval 4) but without discal seta in stria 5. Finally, to help a better understanding of the systematics of the Epaphiopsis complex, a preliminary overview of the female ectodermic genital tract of the taxa belonging to the Epaphiopsis complex and several other taxa of Trechini is presented.