Phegea 53(1) 01.iii.2025: 10 ISSN 0771-5277 A new subspecies of Carabus (Morphocarabus) scheidleri (Coleoptera: Carabidae) from the Ötztaler Alps, Tyrol, Austria Ief Peeters & Ivan Rapuzzi Abstract. Based on material collected by Ief Peeters and Andreas Berger in August 2023, the description of a new subspecies of Carabus (Morphocarabus) scheidleri Panzer, 1799 from the Ötztaler Alps in Tyrol (Austria) is given. Samenvatting. Op basis van materiaal verzameld door Ief Peeters en Andreas Berger in augustus 2023 wordt de beschrijving gegeven van een nieuwe ondersoort van Carabus (Morphocarabus) scheidleri Panzer, 1799 uit de Ötztaler Alpen in Tirol (Oostenrijk). Résumé. Sur la base du matériel collecté par Ief Peeters et Andreas Berger en août 2023, la description d'une nouvelle sous-espèce de Carabus (Morphocarabus) scheidleri Panzer, 1799 des Alpes de l'Ötztaler au Tyrol (Autriche) est donnée. Key words: Coleoptera — Carabidae — Morphocarabus — Carabus scheidleri bergeri — Tyrol — Austria. Peeters I.: Breeërweg 103, 3680 Maaseik, Belgium; ief.peeters@outlook.com Rapuzzi I.: Via Calla n. 47, 33040 Prepotto (UD), Italy; info@ronchidicialla.it DOI: LSID: Introduction Carabus scheidleri Panzer, 1799 (Scheidler’s ground beetle) is endemic to Central Eastern Europe, where it occurs in Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, W. Hungary, S.W. Poland, and W. Slovakia. Northern Slovenia also has a very doubtful occurrence (Breuning 1932– 1936). The species belongs to the subgenus Morphocarabus Géhin, 1885. Although different authors (Breuning 1932–1936; Mandl 1957; Brezina 1999; Turin et al. 2003; Deuve 2021) have made many attempts to improve the knowledge of its classification, Morphocarabus remains one of the most intricate groups among the European Carabus beetles. Consensus on its taxonomic placement is still lacking. The taxon scheidleri makes no exception. For that reason, the authors apply the subspecific classification as published in ‘ Carabus of the World’ (Deuve 2021). Consequently, the following subspecies of C. scheidleri are present in Austria: ssp. scheidleri Panzer, 1799; ssp. preyssleri Duftschmidt, 1812; ssp. styriacus Kraatz, 1887; ssp. pseudoscheidleri Mandl, 1964; ssp. baderlei Mandl, 1965. In Austria, C. scheidleri is well-distributed in the northern part of the country, especially in Upper Austria, Lower Austria, and Vienna. The species is far less common in Burgenland, Styria, and Carinthia. In August 2022 Andreas Berger (Department of Botany, Natural History Museum, Vienna) observed and photographed several Carabus in Feichten in the Kaunertal (Ötztaler Alps, Tyrol, Austria). Despite C. scheidleri’s previously unknown occurrence in Tyrol and the big disjunction from other known populations, the first author recognised them as such. One year later, the first author undertook a survey trip to Austria, aiming to find proof of C. scheidleri as an established species in the Kaunertal region of Tyrol. The beetles were found and turned out to represent a new subspecies as described in this paper. Sampling area The Kaunertal area is a municipality and alpine valley in the Landeck district in the Austrian state of Tyrol. It consists of several smaller villages and hamlets along the main road, running north to south. The area makes up a part of the Kaunergrat Nature Park and runs into the Ötztaler Alps. The sampled sites are privately owned and considered as seminatural montane grasslands in an alpine valley. Some specimens were found in disturbed roadside vegetation. Materials and methods Between 12.viii and 16.iii.2023, 40 pitfall (4×10) traps were placed at 4 different locations in the Kaunertal, Tyrol, Asutria. The traps were set 5 m apart and contained red wine vinegar. The first sampling location (1292 m) was the same as where C. scheidleri was observed in August 2022, in the immediate surroundings of a hotel. At that location, Andreas Berger and his group of student teachers assisted with placing the pitfall traps. The second site (Fig. 1, 1303 m) is situated 440 m further southwest. The third and fourth locations are situated 920 m southeast of the first location, 1299 m (Fig. 2) and 1350 m (Fig. 3), respectively. The traps were checked and emptied daily. Additionally, night searches with headlamps were conducted in the area (Fig. 4). Collected specimens were stored in containers with cotton, moistened with drops of ethyl acetate to prevent decomposition, preserve the relaxed state and sustain the inflation of the endophallus. Results Between 12–16.viii.2023, 19 female and 37 male C. scheidleri were collected using pitfall traps and hand collecting.