A taxonomic review of the pericaline ground-beetles in Taiwan, with descriptions of new species (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Lebiini).

Wesley Hunting,Man-Miao Yang

doi:10.3897/zookeys.816.29738

Abstract

A taxonomic review of the known Taiwanese taxa of the pericaline Lebiini, this paper includes a key to the genera, keys to species, descriptions, and redescriptions of all species, illustrations, geographic range maps, re-rankings, and new synonymies. In total 34 species are treated, nine of which are described as new. A new genus and new species are as follows: Bellavalentisgen. n., (type species Dolichoctiskuzugamii Shibata, 1967); Amphimenesabsensacidussp. n.; Amphimenesbeichatiensissp. n.; Amphimenescarinacaulissp. n.; Catascopus(s. str.)asahartisp. n.; Catascopus(s. str.)viridiorchissp. n.; Coptodera (Coptoderina) occultasp. n.; Dolichoctisbadiadorsissp. n.; Dolichoctisdilatatasp. n.; Moctherusobscurabasissp. n. After close examination of the type material of several species, we were able to determine that Coptoderinachaudoirianguilipennis (Nakane and Okhura) is a junior synonym of Coptodera (Coptoderina) chaudoiri Andrewes, syn. n. and Coptoderanobilis Jedlička is also a junior synonym of C.chaudoiri, syn. n.Dolichoctisstriatusformosanus Habu is a junior synonym of Dolichoctisrotundata (Schmidt-Goebel), syn. n.Dolichoctis (Mochtherus) uenoi Habu is a junior synonym of Mochtherusluctuosus Putzeys, syn. n.Pericalusformosanus Dupuis was recently ranked as a subspecies of Pericalusornatusformosanus Dupuis. After consideration of the several consistent taxonomic characteristics and also considering its allopatric distribution with all other species of Pericalus, we believe Pericalusformosanus Dupuis to be a valid species, stat. resurr. The monobasic genus Pseudomenarus (type species Pseudomenarusflavomaculatus Shibata, 1964) is established as conspecific with members of the genus Formosiella Jedlička, 1951, comb. n.Species previously recorded from Taiwan that are not present here include: Amphimenespiceolus Bates; Catascopusaequatus Dejean; Catascopusfacialis (Wiedemann) Coptoderainterrupta Schmidt-Goebel Coptoderaflexuosa Schmidt-Goebel and Peripristusater (Laporte). The pericaline taxa of Taiwan are arranged in 14 genera, five subgenera, and 34 currently known species. Notes on collecting circumstances, habits, and habitat are included when known.

Highlights

During the past 130 years, few researchers have studied the ground-beetle fauna of Taiwan
Less extensive publications deal with elements of the Taiwanese pericaline fauna though most of these only include a species description of a specific taxon and are often not restricted to Taiwan in scope
The latest checklist of Carabidae from Taiwan has a total of 467 species belonging to 34 tribes have been described to date but acknowledges that additional taxa still await discovery in the rich landscape of Taiwan (Terada 2006)