Revision of the Oriental tiger beetle genus Heptodonta Hope, 1838 (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae).

Abstract

This contribution aims to revise the taxonomy of the genus Heptodonta Hope, 1838, and provides a dichotomous key to the 15 species of this genus. Each species is described in detail with colour photographs of habitus and diagnostic characters. Information on distribution and biology of each species is provided. Heptodonta abasileia sp. nov., H. halensis sp. nov., H. horii sp. nov., H. schuelei sp. nov., H. tempesta sp. nov. and H. wiesneri sp. nov. are described. Heptodonta nigrosericea (W. Horn, 1930), stat. nov. is raised to species rank. Heptodonta ferrarii Gestro, 1893, syn. nov. and H. ferrarii shooki Wiesner, 1986, syn. nov. are placed into synonymy under H. pulchella (Hope, 1831). Heptodonta lumawigi Wiesner, 1980, syn. nov. is placed into synonymy under H. nigrosericea stat. nov. Females of H. vermifera W. Horn, 1908, and males of H. mindoroensis Cassola, 2000, are described for the first time. Lectotypes are designated for H. analis (Fabricius, 1801), H. arrowi W. Horn, 1900, H. ferrarii Gestro, 1893, H. hopei Parry, 1844, H. melanopyga (Schaum, 1862), H. nigrosericea (W. Horn, 1930), H. posticalis (White, 1844), H. pulchella (Hope, 1831), H. thongdii Fleutiaux, 1919, H. variipes (Chaudoir, 1850), H. vermifera W. Horn, 1908, and H. yunnana (Fairmaire, 1887). Holotype is designated by monotypy for H. eugenia Chaudoir, 1865. Regionally restricted records of two new species from the Philippine island Negros and one new species from the northeast Indian Garo Hills highlight the high conservation value of these rather small-scale regions.