S. L. Straneo.
One Some Central and South American Pterostichini (Coleoptera, Carabidae) in the Museum of Comparative Zoology.
Psyche 58:1-19, 1951.

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PSYCHE
VOL. 58 MARCH, 1951 No. 1
ON SOME CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICAN
PTEROSTICHINI (COLEOPTERA, CARABIDAE)
IN THE MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY*
BY S. L. STRANEO
Gallarate, Italy
Some weeks ago I received for study from Dr. P. J. Darlington Jr. many undetermined Central and South Amer- ican Pterostichini from the collection of the Museum of Comparative Zoology of Cambridge, Massachusetts. This material was so interesting that I decided to write the present notes on it and on a few examples of two of the same species in my collection. I have to thank Dr. Darling- ton for submitting these specimens to me and for per- mission to keep many duplicates for my collection. Tichonia orientalis, n. sp.
Purplish violaceous, metallic color stronger in the holo- type 8 than in the allotype $ ; lower surface blackish, legs dark rufopiceous, antennae and palpi wholly ferrugineous. Length 11.6 mm.; width 4.4 mm. Head robust; eyes promin- ent and convex; frontal impressions wide and deep, narrow and strongly divergent behind, reaching the 2nd supraorbital seta; antennae long and slender, exceeding by the last three segments the base of the pronotum. Prothorax transverse in the 8 (2.5 by 3.3 mm.) and nearly square in the $ ; sides rather strongly rounded and narrowed to apex (2 mm.), straight or a little subsinuate towards base (2.8 mm.) ; anterior angles obtuse, rounded ; basal angles nearly square, with apices slightly rounded ; basal impressions, one on each *Published with a grant from the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College.
1
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2 Psyche [March
side, deep, wide, more than one half the length of the pro- thorax; space between the basal impressions and the sides strongly sloping towards the impressions; lateral margin narrow, with the two usual setiferous punctures; base im- punctate, unmargined, nearly straiight ; disc very depressed, with the median line deeply impressed, elongate, reaching the base, not reaching the anterior margin. Elytra oval (7.4 by 4.4 mm.), strongly convex; shoulders square, ealch with a distinct tooth ; basal margin strong, nearly straight ; striae deep, impunctate; interstices strongly convex, base of the second with an umbilicate pore, third without dorsal punc- tures, 'sixth and seventh a little raised near the shoulders ; apical declivity rather strong. Undersilde wholly impunctate ; prosternum with a moderate depression before the coxae; prosternal process not margined at the extremity; metepi- sterna very short; abdominal segment's strongly sulcate across the base; anal segment with a single puncture on elach side in the s and two in the 9. Aedeagus with apical blade peculiarly formed (Fig. 1). Anterior tarsi of s moderately dilated.
Hdotype s from Hansa Humboldt, Sta. Catharina, Brazil, in my collection (from E. Reitter) ; allotype 9 from Nova Teutonia (27' 11'-52' 23'), 3500 m., Brazil (F" Plau- mann, 20-X-1948) (Museum of Comparative Zoology, Type No. 28,441).
This new species has, like T. catharinae Tschit., the base of the prothorax distinctly narrower than the base of the elytra, but the sides of the prothorax are slightly subsinuate toward the base and the size is much smaller (11.6 instead of 16 mm.).
Tichonia paraguayensis, n. sp.
Purplish violaceous on prothorax and elytra; head black- ish; lower surfa<ce black, shiny, a little iridescent; legs blackish; antennae and palpi dark rufopiceous. Length 15.2 mm.; width 5.7 mm. Head robust and strongly sculp- tured; eyes wide and prominent; frontal grooves rather narrow, not elongate, reaching only the anterior supraorbital puncture; antennae rather robust, exceeding the base of



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19511 Straneo - American Pterostiehini 3 the prothorax by the two last segments.
Prothorax mod-
erately transverse (3.4 by 4.3 mm.), with sides strongly rounded and narrowed anteriorly (width of apex 2.3 mm. ) , only a little rounded and nearly straight towards base (4.1 mm.) , which is wider than base of elytra ; anterior angles obtuse, rounded; basal ones raised, nearly square, not dentate; basal impressions much longer than in any other species of the genus, reaching % of the length of the pro- thorax, very deep; lateral margin narrow, with the two usual punctures; base impunctate, strongly depressed, as is the whole disc. Elytra oblong-oval (9 by 5.7 mm.) , convex, with the sides slightly rounded behind the shoulders and widest near middle; shoulders square, dentate; striae deep, impunc- tate; interstices very convex, the sixth and seventh a little raised near shoulders. Prosternum with a moderate longi- tudinal groove; prosternal process not margined ; met- episterna short; ventral segments strongly sulcate across base and with deep depressions at sides; anal segment with one fovea on each side in 8 and two in 9. Aedeagus with apical blade rounded, without apical spine. Holotype s and 2 s 8 paratypes from Rio Confuso, Paraguay (from Institut Fabre, through Prof. Porta), in my collection; allotype Q from Villarica, Paraguay (Mu- seum of Comparative Zoology, Type No. 28,440). This new species is colored like 2'. superba and festiva Tschit. but belongs to the group of depressicollis Dej., with the tip of the aedeagus simply rounded, without spine. It differs from every previously known species of the genus by the very long, strong basal impressions of the prothorax, which reach three fourths the length of the prothorax, while in the other species they do not exceed half the length. Oxycrepis parvula, n. sp.
Black shining, with apex of elytra slightly brownish; antennae with segments 1-3 ferrugineous brown, 4-6 darker, 7-11 wholly white ; ventral segments 'brownish, iridescent ; anal segment ferrugineous. Length 5.6 mm.; width 2.2 mm. Head elongate ; eyes wide, moderately convex, temples very short ; frontal grooves deep, wide, short ; antennae long.



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4 Psyche [March
Pronotum as in the other species of the genus, nearly as long as wide (1.3 by 1.4 mm.), with base (0.7 mm.) narrower than apex (0.8 mm.) ; latter with a strong, entire margin ; base impunctate, with sides strongly oblique, so that the basal angles are obtuse; lateral margins very nar- row; disc strongly convex, with median line deeply im- pressed from anterior margin nearly to base. Elytra sub- rectangular (3 by 2.2 mm.) ; shoulders widely rounded; striae deep, wide, and strongly punctate ; interstices convex ; striae 4-9 not reaching base of elytra. Underside impunc- tate ; metepisterna elongate, strongly grooved inwardly ; anal segment of 8 with one setiferous puncture on each side.
Holotype 8 from Rio Frio (S. of Santa Marta), Prov. of Magdalena, Colombia (Museum of Comparative Zoology, Type No. 28, 436) ; and allotype 9 from Sevilla (near Rio Frio), August 28 (in my collection). Both specimens col- lected by P. J. Darlington Jr.
This new species is near gracilis Bts. but is less narrow, with apex of elytra darker, and with base of prothorax wholly impunctate.
Loxandrus minimus, n. sp.
Head and pronotum brown, more or less infuscate; elytra blackish brown with humeral margins, suture, and lateral margins ferrugineous ; epistoma, legs, palpi, and first three antenna1 segments ferrugineous, the other segments darker. Length 4.2 mm.; width 1.8 mm. Head normal; eyes mod- erately convex ; frontal grooves short and wide ; antennae rather long. Prothorax transverse (1 by 1.4 mm.) , slightly emarginate anteriorly, with an anterior submarginal line not interrupted at middle ; sides moderately rounded, slight- ly subsinuate before base; anterior angles rounded, not or very little prominent; anterior margin a little narrower (0.9.5 mm.) than base (1.2 mm.) ; hind angles square, with their apices sharp and dentate; basal impressions rather deep, moderately elongate ; spaces between them and lateral margins nearly flat; lateral margins rather narrow, each with the two usual punctures; base a little depressed, not



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margined at sides, evidently punctate at middle ; disc slightly convex, with median line rather deep but short. Elytra sub- rectangular (2.6 by 1.8 mm.) ; sides rounded just behind shoulders, thence parallel for %, of length ; shoulders widely rounded ; striae deep and well punctate ; interstices moder- ately convex. Underside smooth; metepisterna twice as long as wide. Hind tarsi not carinate above; onychium glabrous beneath, nearly as long as the first segment. Aedea- gus as figured (Fig. 2).
Holotype 5 (Museum of Comparative Zoology, Type No. 28,438), allotype 9 (in my collection), and one paratype (M.C.Z.) from Rio Frio (3. of Santa Marta), Prov. of Mag- dalena, Colombia ; and 4 additional paratypes ( M.C. Z. and my collection) from Aracataca (S. of Rio Frio). All speci- mens taken by P. J. Darlington.
L. minimus is the smallest species of the genus. T small size and the color distinguish it at once. Sierrobius, n, gen.
Not winged; glabrous- Head with clypeus bisetoae; two supraorbital setae each side; supraorbital ridges regular; labrum transverse, 6-setose; mandibles rather elongate, sharp, hooked at tip, the external scrobes without setae; menturn rather deeply incised, median tooth more or less prominent, excavated at apex, Sightly incised in some species, truncate or rounded in others, lobea rounded at sides, apices of epilobes barely projecting as a short tooth on each side; lignia short, wide, apex bisetose; paraglossae narrow, membranous, with apical halves free; palpi with penultimate segments bisetose, the apical ones slightly at- tenuate and subtruncate at apex, apparently glabrous, but actually with a few very short, very thin setae; maxillae sharp, hooked at apex, inwardly fringed with bristles, outer lobe jointed ; maxillary palpi with last segment f usif orm ; antennae rather short, pubescent from and including Beg- ment 4. Prothorax with a setigerous pore near each basal angle and 1-3 such pores on each side in different species, in anterior half. Elytra with a basal margin, 9-striate, with a variable short scutellar stria between striae 1 and 2 and a aetiferous puncture near base of 2; interstice 3 with 2-4



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6 Psyche [March
punctures ; inner plica present and well developed. Under- side glabrous ; prosternal process glabrous, margined at apex; metepisterna short, very little longer than wide; ab- dominal segments sulcate and with series of deep punctures across base. Legs normal except for the hind tibiae of one species; protarsi of male with first 3 segments strongly di- lated, triangular; basal segments of tarsi glabrous on the upper side, not sulcate or carinate externally; segment 4 not emarginate ; onychium with a few setae beneath ; claws smooth. Aedeagus with the apical blade characteristically modified in the different species.
Genotype : Sierro b k smragdinus Straneo (below) Sierrobius could be considered a subgenus of the great genus Pterostichus (sensu lato), but the five new species I refer to it are very homogeneous generically, though very different from each other, and from other previously known species, and I prefer to consider it a distinct genus, confined to the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia. Key to the Species of Sierrobius
1
(8) Size over 8 mm. ; hind angles of prothorax more or less blunt.
2 (3) Striae of elytra strongly but irregulary impres- sed ; lateral margin of pronotum in anterior half always with 2-3 setae; aedeagus as in Fig. 3 smaragdinus n. sp.
3 (2) Striae of elytra either strongly but regularly im- pressed, or faint; lateral margin of prothorax in anterior half usually with a single seta. 4 (7) Elytra with all striae faint throughout, except that 2 and 3 are lightly impressed in one species and 7 is always rather deeply impressed; basal angles of prothorax wholly rounded.
5
(6) Size smaller (12 mm.) ; striae 2 and 3 slightly but distinctly impressed; extremity of stria 7 deeply and irregularly impressed, with two con- spicuous setiferous punctures ; aedeagus with apex strongly asymmetrical (Fig. 4). .bistriatus n. sp.



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19511 Straneo - American Pterostichini 7 6
(5) Size larger ; all striae faint; aedeagus with apex nearly symmetrical (Fig. 5) . . . . . . Zaevigatus n. sp. 7 (4) All striae deeply and regularly impressed; basal angles of prothorax obtuse but well formed. uniformis n. sp.
8 (1) Size 8 mm.; hind angles of prothorax square. parvulus n. sp.
Silerrobius ~~rn~aragdinus, n. sp.
Head bright green; prothorax green with golden reflec- tions ; elytra green with bluish reflections chiefly at sides ; mouth piceous black; femora brown with metallic reflec- tions ; underside slightly greenish ; antennae brown ; palpi blackish with apices ferrugineous. Length 12.8 mm. ; width 4.1 mm. Head smooth and shining; eyes moderate, temples short and little convex; frontal impressions very short and very little impressed ; antennae moderately elongate, hardly reaching base of prothorax, with segments 4-11 pubescent. Prothorax subquadrate (3.1 by 3.8 mm.) , anteriorly a little emarginate, with sides very little rounded, nearly parallel at middle, briefly narrowed to apex (width 2.6 mm.) and base (width 3 mm.) ; anterior angles only a little prominent, rounded; basal ones a little obtuse, with their apices round- ed; basal impressions f'oveiform, elongate, deep, and rather wide; spaces between them and lateral margins convex; side margins narrow, nearly linear,
with two setigerous
pores in anterior half ( 8 ) or three ( 9 ) and also the usual pore near each basal angle; base nearly impunctate, a little rugose at middle, slightly margined at sides; disc only a little convex; median line deep, abbreviated anteriorly and posteriorly.
Elytra subparallel, convex (7.6 by 4.1 mm.) ; sides slightly rounded behind base ; shoulders rounded, with- out teeth ; basal margin strong, nearly right; scutellar stria very short, with a large puncture near base; striae very ir- regular, only slightly impressed, punctate; interstices only slightly convex, irregular, third with 4 large punctures, of which the first is near the third stria, the others near the second ; seventh interstice with two apical punctures ; um- bilicate series of 16 punctures; apical sinuation strong.



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8 Psyche [March
Prosternum slightly depressed between coxae ; pro-episterna smooth; metepisterna small, nearly as long as wide; pros- ternal process margined ; abdominal segments sulcate and with series of coarse punctures across their bases; anal segment with one puncture each side ( s ) or with two ( $ ). Microsculpture of elytra rather indistinct. Aedeagus as shown in Fig. 3.
Holotype 8 (Museum of Comparative Zoology, Type No. 28,426) and allotype $ (my collection) from the north- western Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia, 12,000 ft., Feb. 11, 1929 (Darlingt~n).~ The specimens were taken in the paramo zone above the forest line. Sierrobius bistriatus, n. sp.
Head and prothorax metallic dark blue; elytra greenish blue with slight metallic reflections ; underside brown with metallic reflections ; legs, antennae, and mouth f errugineous brown.
Length 11.2 mm.; width 3.7 mm. Head as in pre- ceding species. Prothorax with sides more rounded, more narrowed posteriorly; only one seta on each side in anterior half of lateral margin. Elytra shaped as in the preceding species, but with the shoulders more rounded; striae very faint excepting the third and fourth ones, which are very lightly impressed; third interstice with three large punc- tures, of which the first is near the third stria, the others near the second. Underside as in maragdinus. Hind tibiae simple. Aedeagus of wholly different shape (Fig. 4.) Holotype 8 (Museum of Comparative Zoology, Type No. 28,428) from the northwestern Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia, 8-11,000 ft., Feb. 10-12, 1929 (Darling- ton). The type is unique. It comes from the highest ("tem- perate") moutain forest.
Sierrobius laevigatus, n. sp.
Upper surface metallic violaceous red with greenish re- flections, lightly alutaceous, moderately shining ; underside blackish ; appendages brownish piceous. Length 16 mm. ; All specimens taken in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta by P. J. Darlington Jr. were collected along the trail that ascends the Sierra from Rio Frio.




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19511 Straneo - American Pterostichini
9
width 5.1 mm. Head stouter than in the preceding species, with shorter mandibles and less convex eyes. Prothorax of nearly the same shape as in bistriatus but more elongate (4 by 4.5 mm.), with a single seta on each side in the an- terior half of the lateral margin as well as the usual one at each basal angle. Elytra smooth, striae all faint, not im- pressed (but ninth stria well impressed as usual) ; three punctures on each side in the third interstice; umbilicate series of 15 punctures. Underside as in the other species. Hind tibia with a stout tooth ventrally (Fig. 6). Elytral microsculpture very regular, isodiametric. Aedeagus with apex rather regular (Fig. 5).
Holotype 8 (Museum of Comparative Zoology, Type No. 28,425) from the northwestern Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia, 4-8,000 ft., July 20, 1928 (Darlington). The type is unique. It was found on the ground in heavy "subtropical zone" forest.
Siermbius uniformis, n. sp.
Brown ; head, prothorax, and elytra without metallic re- flections ; scarcely shining, elytra alutaceous. Length 14 mm.; width 4.7 mm. Head as in preceding species, but with frontal impressions wide and deep, though short. Protho- rax transverse (3 by 4.1 mm.), with sides regularly and equally narrowed and rounded anteriorly and posteriorly; anterior margin distinctly emarginate ; anterior angles lit- tle prominent, obtuse, well rounded; basal angles obtuse, with their apices scarcely blunted; basal impressions deep, rather elongate; spaces between them and lateral margins slightly impressed near base, as if there were poorly marked external basal impressions ; basal margin vestigial, visible only at sides ; lateral margin narrow, with a single puncture on each side in anterior half and the usual puncture at each basal angle ; disc moderately convex, with median line rather deep, almost reaching base. Elytra convex, subparallel (8.1 by 4.7 mm.) ; scutellar stria distinct, without basal pore; striae well impressed, regular; interstices rather convex, third with three or four dorsal punctures. Underside as in the other species of the genus; anal segment of Q with two



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10 Psyche [March
punctures on each side. Hind tibiae normal. Male unknown. Holotype 9 (Museum of Comparative Zoology, Type No. 28,427) from the northwestern Sierra Nevada de Santa Carta, Colombia, 12,000 ft., Feb. 11, 1929 (Darlington). The type is unique, and is from the paramo zone. Siermbius parvulus, n. sp.
Upper surface dark bronze; head and prothorax shining, elytra ( $ ) alutaceous ; antennae, legs, and palpi ferrugin- eous; underside brown. Length 7.9 mm. ; width 2.7 mm. Head robust ; eyes small and little convex ; temples half as long as the eyes; frontal impressions deep, parallel, mod- erately elongate. Prothorax elongate, subre~etangular (2 by 2.2 mm.) , truncate anteriorly; sides moderately rounded and narrowed anteriorly, nearly straight and slightly con- vergent towards base; anterior angles not or very little prominent, rounded ; posterior angles square, with their apices not rounded ; basal impressions slightly impressed, spaces between them and lateral margins little convex; lateral margins narrow, with one puncture on each side in anterior half and the usual puncture at each posterior angle; base not margined at sides ; disc only a little convex ; median line nearly reaching base. Elytra oblong-ovate (4.3 by 2.7 mm.) ; shoulders slightly obtuse, each with a minute tooth; scutellar stria very short, without apical pore; striae mod- erate; interstices not convex, the third with two punctures of which the first is at 1/5 and the other at 3/5 of the length; apical sinuation slight. Underside as in the other species of the genus. Hind tibiae simple. Male unknown. Holotype Q (Museum of Comparative Zoology, Type No. 28,429) from the northwestern Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia, 8-11,000 ft., Feb.
10-12, 1929 (Darling-
ton). The type is unique, and is from the "temperate" for- est zone.
Pachyabaris, n. gen
So closely allied to A baris Dej., Abaridius Chaud., and Pseudabaris Chaud. that it is not necessary to give a full description.
The peculiar characters of the new genus are;



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19511 Straneo - American Pterostichini 11 shape of prothorax, differing from species to species; third interstice of elytra with at least three conspicuous foveae; ventral segments deeply grooved and with series of large punctures across their bases; tarsal claws not pectinate; onychium with setae beneath.
This genus is most closely
allied to Psezidabaris, which too has the ventral segments grooved and the tarsal claws not pectinate, but the new genus differs from Pseudabaris in having the third inter- stice of the elytra tri- or quadri-foveolate. Key to the Species of Pachyabaris
Sides of prothorax strongly rounded and nar- rowed anteriorly and posteriorly.
Prothorax strongly transverse, with anterior margin rather deeply emarginate, and with sides rounded to basal angles ; shoulders squarer. darlingtoni n. sp.
Prothorax less transverse, with anterior margin less emargin'ate, and with sides evidently sub- sinuate before base, so that the basal angles are less obtuse . . . subcordata n. sp.
Sides of prothorax not much rounded, nearly straight and parallel.
Striae rather strongly impressed, regular. striolata n. sp.
Striae slightly impressed or irregular; inter- stices nearly flat.
Prothorax widest before middle, its sides nearly straight, slightly narrowed towards base, with hind angles nearly square; all dorsal elytral punctures near 3rd stria ; size smaller (6 mm.) . minuta n. sp.
Prothorax widest behind middle, its sides slight- ly but distinctly rounded towards base, with hind angles obtuse; only anterior dorsal elytral punc- ture near 3rd stria ;size large (7.5 mm.) . laevis n. sp.