Calosoma (Carabops) oberthueri Vuillet, 1910
The elytral sculpture of the group of populations that we attribute to C. oberthueri, at first sight appears similar to the sculpture of C. rugolosum but, if carefully examined, it has a completely different pattern. In fact in this case are the tertiary intervals that are transformed into continuous ribs, while primary and secondary ones are replaced by bands of transverse roughness, even if sometimes they reappear here and there, as barely recognizable series of tubercles.
C. oberthueri was originally described on two female specimens from Bihè Plateau in Angola sent by M. G. Sanders to René Oberthür. Of these, the type is in the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, in Paris and the second specimen probably is the one existing in the Musée Royal de l'Afrique Central, in Tervuren. The species has never been found again but recently Häckel (2012: 55) has published another female specimen existing in the National Museum, in Prague, coming from the Hauser's collection and that was captured in Angola in Benguela province. This third specimen that comes from a place not too far from the typical locality adds some interesting elements for the definition of the species.
In fact, Basilewsky had described on numerous specimens a new species that he called Carabops Janssensi from the Upemba national park in the Katanga southeastern province of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
C. janssensi and C. oberthueri are separated by more than a thousand kilometers as the crow flies, but the differences between them appear to be limited to the fact that C. oberthueri is on average bigger than C. janssensi, with elytra relatively short and wider and with slightly stronger sculpture of the head and pronotum.
Basilewsky had already noted the striking resemblance between the two taxa, but knowing only the type of C. oberthueri had refrained from definite conclusions. Now, also in the light of the new specimen recently published that would seem to confirm a considerable individual variability even inside the population of Angola, it seems preferable collecting the two taxa into a single species and to consider the population of Upemba as a slightly differentiated subspecies. Of course, additional findings will clarify the matter once for all.
Calosoma (Carabops) oberthueri oberthueri Vuillet, 1910
Calosoma (Mimotefflus) Oberthüri Vuillet, 1910: 103 (type: Angola, Bihè); type material: 2 ♀♀, lectotype designated by Deuve (1978: 255), in Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle (Paris) [examined]
Calosoma (Carabomorphus) oberthüri Breuning, 1928: 140
Caminara (Mimotefflus) oberthüri Lapouge, 1932: 415
Carabops Oberthüri Jeannel, 1940: 137
Carabops oberthueri Lorenz, 2005: 70
Length 30-35 mm. Judging from the three specimens available, the Angolan population, in comparison with the one of Upemba, has a sculpture of the elytra more regular and on average has a bigger body. Moreover C. oberthueri oberthueri also differs from C. oberthueri janssensi because of the elytra that are distinctly shorter and wider, and because of stronger sculpture of the head and pronotum.
Examined specimens and literature’s data
Angola: Bihè (holotype, MNHN; RMCA); Benguela (Häckel, 2012: 55, NMP)
Notes:Brachypterous. No more information on the manner of life or habitat is available
The species is named after René Oberthür (1852 - 1944), french entomologist, whose immense collection was classified historical monuments and is currently preserved at the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, in Paris.
 Bihè, Angola, Sanders 1910 (Typus) (coll. Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris) |
 Angola, Bihé (coll. Musée Royal de l'Afrique Central, Tervuren) |
 Benguella, Angola, W. Hauser lgt. (coll. Národní muzeum, Prague) photo Häckel in: Häckel M. (2012), "Three new records of caterpillar hunters of the genus Calosoma Weber 1801 (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Carabini) from Afrotropical and Palearctic regions", Folia Heyrovskyana, series A, 20 (1-2): 55-65 |
Calosoma (Carabops) oberthueri janssensi Basilewsky, 1953
Carabops Janssensi Basilewsky, 1953: 26 (described from : Congo Belge, Parc National de L’Upemba) ; type material 32 specimens ; holotype ♂ and allotype ♀ from Mukana 1810m., in Musée Royal de l'Afrique Central, Tervuren [examined]
Length 26-30 mm. The numerous specimens from the Upemba, compared to the three ♀ ♀ from Angola, are all characterized by slightly smaller size, more elongated elytra and less pronounced sculpture of head and pronotum. In some specimens we can also better identify the series of tubercles which represent the vestige of primary and secondary intervals.
C. janssensi was described by Basilewsky in 1953 on numerous specimens from the Upemba national park in the Katanga southeastern province of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Examined specimens
Democratic Republic of Congo. Katanga prov., Upemba N. P.: Lusinga 1760m (AC, MNHN, RMCA); Mukana 1810m (holotype RMCA); Kaiumegongo 1830m (RMCA); Mabwe 585m (RMCA).
Notes: C. janssensi is brachypterous, with wings reaching barely the half of elytron. The specimens of the typical series were collected mainly between 1700 and 1800m altitude, in the period between October and January and in March, during the two rainy seasons and in the intervening period in between.
The attribution to C. janssensi of the larva described by Raynaud (1965: 134) is very doubtful (Vigna Taglianti & Bruschi, 1986: 10).
The species is named after André Janssens (1906 - 1954) Belgian entomologist, participant in the expedition during which the new beetle has been found.
 Congo Belge: P.N.U., Mukana 1810m, 4.III.1948, Mis. G.F. de Witte (Holotype) (coll. Musée Royal de l'Afrique Central, Tervuren) |
 Congo Belge: P.N.U., Mukana 1810m, 19.X.1948, Mis. G.F. de Witte (Allotype) (coll.Musée Royal de l'Afrique Central, Tervuren) |
 Congo Belge: P.N.U., Lusinga (1760m), 8.XI.1947, Mis. G.F. de Witte (Paratype) (coll. A. Casale) |
 Congo Belge: P.N.U., Lusinga (1760m), 8.XI.1947, Mis. G.F. de Witte (Paratype) (coll. Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris) |