Psammoecus harmandi Grouvelle, 1912

(Figs. 1C, 4 D-F and 7)

Psammoecus harmandi Grouvelle, 1912: 413. Type locality: India (Darjeeling). - Pal 1985: 19, figs 5, 32. - Sen Gupta and Pal 1996: 170, figs 242, 269.

Psammoecus boreas Yoshida and Hirowatari, 2014: 413. Type locality: Japan; Type examined. syn. nov.

Psammoecus triguttatus: Nakane 1963: 195, fig. 16 in pl. 98.

Psammoecus sp. 3, Hirano 2009: 63, 66, 67, fig. 8. - Hirano 2010: 12, 16.

S p e c i m e n s e x a m i n e d: J A PA N: 1 m a l e, Yoshin, Tanzawa, Kanagawa Prefecture, 26-V-1989, Y. Hirano leg. (EUMJ; formerly holotype of Psammoecus boreas). TAIWAN: [Yilan County] 1 male & 1 ex., Taipingshan, Datong Township, alt. 1950 m, 1-IV-2004, T. Kurihara leg. (EUMJ). [Hualien County] 1 ex., Piluhsi For. Rec. Area, 22- V-1999, 2150 m, S. E. Halbert & C. W. L. O’Brien leg., Night Beating (FSCA). [Nantou County] 1 ex., Pi Lu Chieh, alt. 2400 m, 6-IX-1986, K. Baba leg. (EUMJ); 1 ex., Gaofeng, 7-8-V-2009, J. Aoki leg. (ELKU); 4 exs, Wushe, Ren-ai Township, 16-III-1983, H. & M. Townes leg. (FSCA); 2 exs, Meifeng, Ren-ai Township, 3-V-1983, Henry K. Townes leg., Insect Flight Trap. (FSCA); 2 males, 1 female & 16 exs, Tun-yuan-trail, Jing Ying Village, Ren-ai Township, 5-VII-2014, T. Yoshida leg. (ELKU); 1 male & 4 exs, same locality, 6-VII-2014, T. Yoshida leg. (ELKU); 1 ex., N24°02'53.0" E121°12'55.5", Ren-ai Township, 6-VIII-2008, Barclay, Mendel & Ewers leg. (BMNH; studied by MK). [Chiayi County] 1 ex., Fenchihu, Zhuqi Township, 10-VII-1966, H. Kamiya leg. (KUM); 5 exs, same locality, 16-VII-1966, H. Kamiya leg. (KUM); 2 exs, same locality, 23-VII-1966, H. Kamiya leg. (KUM); 7 exs, same locality, 24-VII-1966, H. Kamiya leg. (KUM); 1 ex., same locality, 27-VII-1966, H. Kamiya leg. (KUM); 1 ex., same locality, 28-VII-1966, H. Kamiya leg. (KUM). [Taitung County] 5 exs, Taimali-shan (Mt.), Jinfeng Township, alt. ca. 1300 m, 22°38'N 120°57'E, 23-VI-2015, J. Yamasako leg. (ELKU). [Kaohsiung City] 1 male, vic. Fujieda (= Tengzhi) nr. Taoyuan, Taoyuan District, at light, 6-IV-1976, K. Ushijima leg. (EUMJ).

Diagnosis: This species resembles P. taiwanensis sp. nov. but is easily distinguished by the absence of a row of long erect setae along each lateral elytral margin, the weak anterior angles of pronotum and the cone-shaped and stout parameres (see Yoshida and Hirowatari 2014). This species also resembles P. trimaculatus and other closely related species, but it differs from them by the shorter lateral teeth of its pronotum.

Coloration: (Figs. 1C and 7). Head and pronotum yellowish-brown. Elytra sometimes a little lighter colored, with variable black maculae near posterior 1/3; round maculae around middle of each elytron, another round one near posterior 1/3 close to elytral suture (Fig. 7C): maculae sometimes connected to each other (Fig. 7A) or forming a wide v-shaped covering posterior half of elytra (Fig. 7D). Antennae yellowish-brown basally, 9th and 10th antennomere black, 11th yellowish-brown, sometimes darkened.

Distribution: Taiwan; Japan; Thailand (new record); Nepal; India.

© 2018 Academia Sinica, Taiwan

Remarks: This species occurs sympatrically with P. taiwanensis sp. nov.

Psammoecus boreas, now synonymized with P. harmandi, was described from Japan based on diagnostic differences from P. harmandi according to a redescription of P. harmandi by Pal (1985). Yoshida and Hirowatari (2014) pointed out that P. harmandi differed from P. boreas by its shorter antennae and slightly transverse 10th antennomere. Although we could not examine the type of P. harmandi, we had an opportunity to examine a male specimen of P. harmandi from northern India and found these two species to be indistinguishable.

This species is widely distributed; specimens from Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Nepal, and India have been studied. Except for Hokkaido (Japan) where the northern limit of its distribution might be reached, they are exclusively distributed in high altitudes.

Compared to the coloration described by Pal (1985), the Taiwanese specimens show considerable intraspecific variation. We have not seen specimens outside of Taiwan with strongly enlarged black maculae that cover the posterior half of the elytra (Fig. 7D). Examples for the variability are given in figure 7.