Description of a new subgenus of Trichotichnus (Coleoptera: Carabidae), with two new species from the Western Ghats (India), and remarks on other subgenera

Within Trichotichnus Morawitz, 1863, the new subgenus Parairidessus subgen. nov. is described, which includes two new species from the Western Ghats in India: T. saluki sp. nov. (type species) from Western Karnataka and T. perforatus sp. nov. from Maharashtra. Each of the species has distinctive features unusual for Trichotichnus: several setae in pronotal apical angles and tarsi densely setose dorsally in T. saluki sp. nov., and median lobe with membranous ventral side in T. perforatus sp. nov. The other subgenera of Trichotichnus (Iridessus Bates, 1883, Trichotichnus s. str., Amaroschesis Tschitschérine, 1897, and Bottchrus Jedlička, 1935) are briefly reviewed and their distinctive features are clarified. Harpalus relucens Bates, 1973 [= T. orientalis (Hope, 1845)] is considered as a type species of Iridessus Bates, 1883, which was originally designated by Tschitschérine in 1906; the more recent designation of Harpalus lucidus Morawitz, 1863 as the type species of this subgenus by Habu in 1954 is invalid. The systematic position of the Himalayan species T. tonklii Kirschenhofer, 1992 and the two North American species, T. autumnalis (Say, 1823) and T. nitidulus (Chaudoir, 1843) nom. resurr., is discussed. Harpalus fulgens Csiki, 1932 (non Dejean, 1829) is considered as an unnecessary substitute name for Harpalus nitidulus Chaudoir, 1843. A key to subgenera of Trichotichnus is provided