Bombardier beetles of the genus Pheropsophus Solier 1833 (Carabidae: Brachininae: Brachinini) from Indian subcontinent
Author
Venugopal, Akhil S.
Author
Thomas, Sabu K.
text
Zootaxa
2019
2019-05-17
4608
1
65
89
journal article
21232
10.11646/zootaxa.4608.1.3
c4d067fa-4c56-4248-8084-caf4dd1eea21
1175-5326
3993611
3540218C-34FA-4D91-925A-3E89C6C3A7C1
Pheropsophus tripustulatus
(
FABRICIUS, 1792
)
(
Fig. 3 I
,
5 H
)
=
Brachinus marginalis
DEJEAN, 1825
=
Pheropsophus amoenus
CHAUDOIR, 1850
Ssp.
Pheropsophus tripustulatus annulus
FABRICIUS, 1801
Ssp.
Pheropsophus tripustulatus curtus
ARROW, 1901
Carabus tripustulatus
Fabricius, 1792: 145
;
1801: 218
;
Hope, 1838: 101
;
Motschulsky, 1855: 55
;
Andrewes, 1919: 124
;
1921a: 155–159
;
1921b: 346
;
1924c: 592
;
1930: 276
.
Brachinus marginalis
Dejean, 1825: 310
; Heyne-Tasch, 1908: 14;
Andrewes, 1921a: 149
;
1930: 276
.
Pheropsophus amoenus
Chaudoir, 1850: 78
;
1876: 36
;
Andrewes, 1930: 276
.
Ssp.
Pheropsophus tripustulatus annulus
(described as
Brachinus
)
Fabricius, 1801: 217
;
Motschulsky, 1855: 55
;
Chaudoir, 1876: 47
;
Andrewes, 1921a: 164
;
1930: 276
.
Ssp.
Pheropsophus tripustulatus curtus
Arrow, 1901: 204
;
Andrewes, 1919: 198
;
1930: 276
.
Specimens examined (n=9)
:
Verified specimen (
H.E. Andrewes
), labelled “
Pheropsophus
3-pustulatus
F.:
marginalis
D.:
amoenus
C., compared with
3 types
,
H.E.A. Ex-Musaeo A. Kuwpert
1894,
Ex.
coll.
R. Oberthur
(Dejean’s
type
has less yellow at apex
HEA
)” (locality unknown), in
BMNH
.
Other specimens examined:
1 ex.
, locality: unknown, in
ZMUK
(wrongly labelled as
P. hilaris
)
;
6 exs.
,
India
:
Kerala
:
Palakkad
,
Hand
picking,
26.XI.2017
, coll.
M.Divya
;
1 ex.
,
India
:
Tamil Nadu
:
Coimbatore
(
TNAU
)
.
Description.
Length: 13.0 mm; TW:
5.6 mm
Colour:
Head reddish yellow with a large blackish brown spot between the eyes; clypeus and labrum reddish yellow; antennae pale yellow-red; pronotum blackish brown with a large oblong yellow spot on each side along the outer edge; elytra black with humeral spot yellow, having a small posterior projection; yellow lateral margin; striations yellow towards apex; yellow apical band with a yellow spot in the middle; reddish yellow legs, apex of femur without black spot.
Head:
Short, stout; protruding, prominent eyes; neck wrinkled.
Pronotum:
Disc laterally with anterior 2/3
rd
rounded, posterior 1/3
rd
straight; anterior margin rounded, concave, posterior margin sinuate; disc with many deep punctuations; median furrow prominent.
Elytra:
Subparallel, rectangular, base not narrowed; humeral spot large; striations wide, blunt towards apex.
Geographical distribution.
INDIA
:
Odisha
: Barkuda Is. (Lake Chilka) (
Andrewes 1930
);
Tamil Nadu
: Ennur, Chennai (
Andrewes 1930
);
Pondicherry
(
Andrewes 1930
);
Kerala
: Travancore (
Andrewes 1930
);
THAILAND
(
Andrewes 1919
).
Ssp.
Pheropsophus tripustulatus annulus
–
INDIA
:
Tamil Nadu
: Tharangambadi (
Chaudoir 1876
).
Ssp.
Pheropsophus tripustulatus curtus
–
INDIA
:
Karnataka
: North Kanara (
Andrewes 1921b
);
Kerala
: Mahe, Malabar (
Andrewes 1921b
), Nilambur (New record).
Remarks.
Similar to
P. bimaculatus
, but differs with narrow yellow spot on pronotum, large black spot on head, large elytral humeral spot with posterior projection, small, narrow elytral median band and yellow spot on elytral apical band on each elytron.