Bembidion geopearlis, Sproul & Maddison, 2018

BEMBIDION GEOPEARLIS View in CoL SP. NOV.

( FIGS 2B, 9C, D, 10E, 11E, 16B)

Holotype male (in OSAC) here designated, labelled: ‘ USA: Montana: Glacier N.P., east slope Clements Mtn., 2129 m, 48.692°N 113.7292°W, 12 August 2015. JSS 2015.107-1 [‘-1’ handwritten]. J.S. Sproul & family’ [white paper], ‘David R. Maddison DNA4727 DNA Voucher’ [pale green paper], ‘ HOLOTYPE Bembidion geopearlis Sproul + Maddison 2017 ’ [partly handwritten, red paper], ‘ Oregon State Arthropod Collection OSAC_0002000000 [matrix code]’ [printed on both sides of white paper]. Genitalia mounted in Euparal on small card labelled ‘DNA4727’ beneath the specimen; extracted DNA stored separately. GenBank accession numbers for DNA sequences of the holotype are: KY950786 View Materials (28S); KY950914 View Materials ( CAD); KY951044 View Materials (COI), KY951174 View Materials (MSP), KY951301 View Materials ( Topo ).

Type locality: USA: Montana: Glacier National Park, east slope Clements Mountain near Logan Pass , 2129 m, 48.69204°N 113.72920°W GoogleMaps .

Paratypes: Thirty-eight paratypes from the following localities, with specimens deposited in OSAC and USNM: USA: Montana: Glacier National Park, east slope Clements Mountain near Logan Pass , 2129 m, 48.69204°N 113.72920°W (25) GoogleMaps ; USA: Montana: Glacier Co., Glacier National Park, Iceberg Lake (2); USA: Montana: Glacier Co., Glacier National Park, Logan Pass (1); USA: Montana: Glacier National Park (1); USA: Montana: Mineral Co., Hoodoo Creek, 1780 m (1) ; USA: Montana: Missoula Co., inlet to Heart Lake , 1891 m, 47.3801°N 113.8501°W (1) GoogleMaps ; USA: Montana: Ravalli Co., Lost Horse Creek , 1760 m, 46.1417°N 114.4863°W (1) GoogleMaps ; USA: Montana: Ravalli Co., Lost Horse Creek , 1660 m, 46.1402°N 114.4371°W (1) GoogleMaps ; USA: Montana: Flathead Co., Glacier National Park , Sperry Chalets (1); Canada: British Columbia: Akamina Pass, 1740 m, 49.0261°N 114.0611°W (3) GoogleMaps ; Canada: Alberta: Waterton Lakes National Park, Cameron Lake , 5440 m (1).

Derivation of specific epithet: The name ‘geopearlis’ is derived from an informal combination of letters taken from the names of JSS’s children ‘George’ (geo) and ‘Pearl’ (pearl) with an ending (is) to make the name euphonic. The name recognizes the contribution of George (age 10) and Pearl (age 7) to the present work. They have accompanied JSS on over 6500 miles of high-intensity collecting road trips, hiked over 40 miles to high-elevation habitats in California, Oregon and Montana, and helped collect hundreds of specimens including members of the type series of this species. JSS is indebted to them for their companionship and support. The components of the name also reference the organism: ‘geo’ evokes something of the earth; thereby, ‘earth pearl’ or ‘a precious thing from the earth’ is descriptive of these seldom-collected ground beetles.

Diagnosis: A small, convex species with a notably broad prothorax ( Fig. 2B). Forebody dark brown or black; hind body dark brown or reddish brown. Pronotum variable but generally very broad basally with a broad lateral explanation; hind angles near 90°; sinuate laterally in some specimens ( Fig. 11E). Elytra widest behind middle; often but not always broadly rounded at apex; dorsal punctures weakly foveate. Microsculpture meshes strongly etched in females and moderately etched in males. Genitalia somewhat parallel-sided in outer shape having a short taper towards the apex; flagellum sinuate and moderately long; sclerite ‘St’ expanded ( Figs 9C, D, 10E).

Comparison with similar species: Most similar in appearance to B. saturatum , B. vulcanix and B. breve . Most reliably distinguished from all three with male genitalic characters and by its eastern geographic distribution. In particular, distinguished from B. saturatum and B. vulcanix by having elytra widest behind middle resulting in a more rounded apex of the elytra, and by the apical half of the aedeagus being less curved and elongate. Distinguished in male genitalia from B. saturatum by the presence of an expanded sclerite ‘St’. Distinguished from B. vulcanix by having a less expanded, non-arcuate sclerite ‘St’. Distinguished from B. breve by having a broader pronotum, more weakly foveate elytral dorsal punctures, the shape and position of sclerite ‘St’.

Geographic distribution: Known only from the Rocky Mountains of Montana, the Waterton National Parks area of southern Alberta and British Columbia, and the Wallowa and Blue Mountains in northeastern Oregon ( Fig. 16B) .

Habitat: Collected in abundance on open slopes above the tree line at the type locality. Small series or singletons have also been collected on small creeks or depressions with damp soil below the timberline.