Insights on Ethiopian montane ground beetles biodiversity: Taxonomic study of afro-alpine and sub-alpine Trechini (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Trechinae)

Abstract

Based on collaborative work of a French-Ethiopian team, we investigated the diversity and distribution of Ethiopian trechine beetles (Carabidae, Trechini), in the sub-alpine and afro-alpine ecosystems. Four new genera, three new subgenera and eighteen new species are described from Ethiopian Highland environments: Trechus (Abyssinotus) subgen. nov. (type species: salomon sp. nov.) and Trechus (Abyssinotus) sabae sp. nov. (Mount Choke, Amhara), Trechus (s. str.) lalibelae sp. nov. (Abuna Yusef Mountains, Amhara), T. (s. str.) habeshaicus sp. nov. (Menz-Guassa Plateau, Amhara), Trechus (s. str.) kosso sp. nov. (Bale Mountains, Oromia), Deuveopsis gen. nov. (type species: lobeliae sp. nov.) (Mount Choke, Amhara), Deuveopsis (Abayopsis) subgen. nov. (type species: basilewskianus Geginat, 2008) (Mount Choke, Amhara), Aethiopsis gen. nov. (type species: chioriae sp. nov.) (Abuna Yusef Mountains, Amhara), Aethiopsis abunaensis sp. nov. (Abuna Yusef Mountains, Amhara), Aethiopsis wolloi sp. nov. (Abuna Yusef Mountains, Amhara), Aethiopsis lastaensis sp. nov. (Abuna Yusef Mountains, Amhara), Aethiopsis meneliki sp. nov. (Delanta Mountains, Amhara), Aethiopsis delantae sp. nov. (Delanta Mountains, Amhara), Aethiopsis guassaensis sp. nov. (Menz-Guassa Plateau, Amhara), Afrotrechus gen. nov. (type species: afroalpinus sp. nov.) (Mount Choke, Amhara), Afrotrechus abyssinicus sp. nov. (Mount Choke, Amhara), Afrotrechus (Abyssiniopsis) subgen. nov. (type species: amharicus (Ortuño and Novoa, 2011) comb. nov.) (Mount Choke, Amhara), Afrotrechus (Abyssiniopsis) bunae sp. nov. (Belleta Forest, Oromia), Nilotrechus gen. nov. (type species: reebae sp. nov.) (Mount Choke, Amhara), Nilotrechus niloticus sp. nov. (Mount Choke, Amhara). New data and informations are provided for previously described species: Trechus (A.) dimorphicus Pawlowski, 2001 comb. nov., Trechus (A.) chokensis Pawlowski, 2001 comb. nov., Trechus (A.) gigas Pawlowski, 2001 comb.nov., and Trechus (s. str.) bipartitus Raffray, 1885, sublaevis Raffray, 1885 and aethiopicus Alluaud, 1918. The putative phylogenetic affinities of the different genera are discussed. Considerations about microspeciation and endemism on Mount Choke are proposed.