Calosoma (Carabops) nyassicum Basilewsky, 1984

Carabops nyassicus Basilewsky, 1984: 627 (type locality: Malawi: Nyika Plateau, Mwenembwe); holotype ♀ and 2 paratype ♀ ♀ in Musée Royal de l'Afrique Central, Tervuren [examined]

Length 24-25 mm. C. nyassicum has a large head, its eyes are not very protruding and the antennae are relatively short and thick. The pronotum is very large with sides regularly rounded, and with the maximum width in its middle. Head and pronotum are strongly wrinkled and with a dense and thick punctuation. The elytra are elongated, slightly widened in the posterior third. The elytral sculpture is almost but not perfectly homodinamic because the tertiary intervals a little narrower and less elevated than the primary and secondary ones. All the intervals are strongly imbricated and incised by transverse wrinkles but not interrupted.
In the original description Basilewsky (1984: 628) highlighted the similarities with C. aethiopicum, and we cannot exclude that C. nyassicum, C. rugolosum and C. aethiopicum form a chain of closely related species, having possibly a common origin.
C. nyassicum has been found in northern Malawi: Nyika Plateau. Only three female specimens are known.

Examined specimens
Malawi: Nyika Plateau, Mwenembwe, 2300-2400m (type, RMCA)

Notes Brachypterous with wings reaching the half of elytron but very narrow and nonfunctional. The specimens of the typical series were collected in alpine grassland between 2300 and the 2400m. of altitude, in December during the rainy period (Basilewsky 1984: 627).

Calosoma (Carabops) nyassicum
Basilewsky, 1984
Malawi North Reg., Nyika Plateau, Mwenembwe,
2300-2400m, 17.XII.1981, R. Jocqué
(holotype, Musée Royal de l'Afrique Central, Tervuren)
Calosoma (Carabops) nyassicum
Basilewsky, 1984
Malawi North Reg., Nyika Plateau, Mwenembwe,
2300-2400m, 17.XII.1981, R. Jocqué
(paratype, Musée Royal de l'Afrique Central, Tervuren)
updated july 18 2019

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