Pterostichus ( Morphohaptoderus ) zhizheng, Wu & Chen & Shi, 2025

[10] Pterostichus ( Morphohaptoderus) zhizheng sp. nov.

Figs 4 B View Figure 4 , 5 L View Figure 5 , 17 C – D View Figure 17 , 22 View Figure 22

Type material.

Holotype: Hubei • ♂, labeled “ Hubei Province, Wufeng County, Houhe Nature Reserve , pitfall trap, 900–1000 m, 2013. VIII. 4, Hao Huang leg. ” [in Chinese] ( IZAS) . Paratypes (a total of 3 ♂ and 5 ♀): Hubei • 3 ♂, 4 ♀, the same data as holotype ( IZAS & CBFU) ; • 1 ♀, labeled “ China, Hubei, Wufeng county, Houhe Natural Reserve // 30 ° 05 ' 09 " N, 110 ° 33 ' 05 " E, along path in a mixed forest, bamboo, leaf litter, sifted, 1160 m, 06. VII. 2013, Dai, Peng, Xie leg. ” ( IZAS) .

Diagnosis.

Medium-sized species for the subgenus ( BL = 8.8–9.5 mm); elytra with linear microsculpture in both sexes; antennomeres 3 without accessory setae; pronotum circular-quadrate, lateral margins slightly constricted basally, PBW / PW = 0.75–0.77, basal foveal area with indistinct punctures along inner sulcus, outer sulcus short and shallowly impressed; elytral interval 3 with one setigerous pore near midpoint of elytra; fifth tarsomeres asetose ventrally. Apical lamella of aedeagus large and wide.

Comparisons.

As discussed above, this new species is most closely related to P. lianquan sp. nov. described above. Their comparison has been provided under the description under that new species. From the general habitus, P. zhizheng sp. nov. is externally similar to another new species also from Hubei, P. yaotiao sp. nov. Despite their quite different male genitalia, P. yaotiao sp. nov. is also distinguishable from P. zhizheng sp. nov. in that pronotum usually more distinctly punctate on basal foveae and basal-median area, pronotum outline more quadrate, and elytral interval 3 with two setigerous pores.

Description.

BL = 8.8–9.5 mm, BW = 3.3–3.8 mm; dorsal surface dark brown to black, appendages brown; elytra with linear microsculpture in both sexes (Fig. 22 D, E View Figure 22 ).

Head slightly thickened, HW / PW = 0.53–0.57; frons without puncture; frontal sulci short and shallow; antennae reaching elytral basal sixth, antennomere 3 without accessory seta; eyes large and hemispherical, tempora very shortly swollen behind eyes; submentum with one seta on each side.

Pronotum circular-quadrate, wider than length, PW / PL = 1.21–1.26, widest near middle; posterior margin slightly narrower than greatest width, PBW / PW = 0.72–0.77. Anterior margin concaved at middle, slightly narrower than posterior margin, PAW / PBW = 0.80–0.86; anterior angles broadly rounded, distinctly projecting; lateral margins evenly and slightly arched along their full length, nearly straight before posterior angles, slightly constricted to base; posterior angles nearly right angled, without projecting denticle. Basal foveae (Fig. 4 B View Figure 4 ) nearly impunctate, only with very fine punctures along inner sulcus; inner sulcus straight and long, shallowly incised, with well-defined boundaries; outer sulcus very short and shallow, but always recognizable, less than one-third length of inner one, ending at a distance before posterior margin of pronotum; area between inner sulcus and lateral margin usually flat and impunctate, occasionally with a few fine punctures near base of outer sulcus; lateral channels very narrow, without punctures, abruptly ending at the seta near posterior angle. Pronotal disc without wrinkles aside median line; median line shallow; basal median area without puncture.

Elytra oblong and flat, humeral area normal in the subgenus, distinctly wider than P. lianquan sp. nov.; lateral sides nearly parallel, very faintly expanded near middle, BW / EL = 0.65–0.73. Elytral basal border shallowly but distinctly curved at middle, forming a distinct obtuse angle with lateral margin, humeral tooth small, apex faintly pointed; striae without punctures but faintly crenulate near base; parascutellar striole joined to apical portion of stria 1, angular base of stria 1 usually short with free apex (Fig. 4 B View Figure 4 ). Parascutellar pore present; elytral interval 3 with only one setigerous pore near midpoint of elytra, adjacent to stria 2; umbilical pore series on ninth interval sparse in middle, composed of 15–16 pores (5–6, 1–2, 8–9).

Male profemora slightly thicker than in females; fifth tarsomeres without setae ventrally.

Male sternite without secondary sexual modification, apex of sternite VII evenly rounded.

Median lobe of aedeagus (Fig. 22 A View Figure 22 ) relatively slender; in lateral view, ventral margin distinctly and evenly bent near basal fifth, evenly curved along the length of middle portion, apex gradually but distinctly bent ventrally; apical orifice very large, not turned to left, opened to the dorsal surface of median lobe. Ventral surface without ridge. Apical lamella thin in lateral view; very large and wide in dorsal view, apex widely rounded, faintly turned to right side, length subequal to basal width ( AL / AW = 0.90–1.00). Right paramere short, apex rounded (Fig. 22 C View Figure 22 ).

Endophallus (Fig. 17 C, D View Figure 17 ) bent to ventral side across the apex of apical lamella, major parts of endophallus located on dorsal side of aedeagus; gonopore opened to ventral-basal direction of aedeagus; surface with coarse scales, densest near gonopore; gonoporal piece crescent-shaped, small and sharp. Three distinct lobes recognized: left pre-apical lobe (lp) relatively large and rounded, on the left side of endophallus, decorated with coarse scales; left apical lobe (la) small and oblate, close to gonopore, decorated with fine scales, slightly pigmented near base of its apical surface; right apical lobe (ra) relatively large, rounded, on the right side of endophallus and near gonopore, with fine scales.

Gonocoxite 2 of female ovipositor narrow and crescent-shaped (Fig. 5 L View Figure 5 ), sharply pointed apically, outer margin with two or three ensiform setae in relatively large size, length of the largest ensiform seta ca. 0.05 mm; dorsal margin with one ensiform seta, ridged between the ensiform seta and apex of gonocoxite 2, one nematiform seta located on the apical third of outer surface.

Distribution.

This species is only known in the type locality, Houhe Nature Reserve in Wufeng County, Hubei Province. It is distributed at relatively low altitudes of 900–1160 m.

Etymology.

The scientific name of the new species is derived from Qu Yuan’s work “ Huai Sha ”: 内厚质正兮 [Nei Hou Zhi Zheng Xi], 大人所晟 [Da Ren Suo Sheng]. This couplet can be translated as: My inner self is rich and righteous and is praised by aspiring personages. Zhizheng (质正) is a term used to describe the integrity of a person in the poem. As a specific name, zhizheng implies the new species having a relatively robust and solid habitus compared to its relatives. The name is treated as a noun in apposition.