Coelocraera punctatifrons Vienna & Simon-Pražák, 2025

Vienna, Pierpaolo, Simon-Pražák, Jan & Baňař, Petr, 2025, Notes on the genus Coelocraera from Cameroon with the description of four new species (Coleoptera: Histeridae: Exosternini), Zootaxa 5725 (4), pp. 551-566 : 557-559

Coelocraera punctatifrons Vienna & Simon-Pražák sp. nov.

Figs 5 , 7K , 8K

Type material. Holotype: ♂ CMR/FIT/007 CAMEROON / Buea distr. Bokawango vill. env./ 9.iv–26.v. 2022, 998 m/ N04°07’59.2” E009°12’52.1” Flight / Interc. Trap F.L. Ewome lgt. ( MMBC) Paratypes (49): 3♂♂, 1♀: FIT 005_3_V/ Cameroon CMR/FIT/005/03/ Mt. Cameroon NP Drink GARI/ 10.v.–7vii. 2023, 605 m FIT/ N04°05’55.1” E 009°03’45.7” /P. Baňař & F. L. Ewome lgt. ( MMBC) ; 3♂♂, 2♀♀: Cameroon CMR/FIT/ECO/005/ Mt. Cameroon NP. Drink Gari / 14.ii.–8.iii. 2022, 635 m FIT/ N04°05’58.4” E009°03’46.5” / P. Baňař & F. L. Ewome lgt. ( MMBC) ; 9♂♂, 5♀♀: CMR/FIT/006/ECO CAMEROON / Mt. Camerron NP Bamboo camp/res. plot. 15.ii–8.iii.2022 369 m / N04°05’20.8” E009°03’04.6”, flight/ Interc. trap. F.L. Ewome & P, Baňař lgt. (3 MMBC, 10 PCJSP) ; 1♂: CMR/ FIT/007 CAMEROON / Buea distr, Bokwango vill. env./ 15.ii–12.iii.2022 998 m / N04°07’59.2’’ E009°12’52.1’’ Flight / Interc. Trap F.L Ewome lgt. ( PCJSP) ; 2♂♂, 3♀: CMR/FIT/007 CAMEROON / Buea distr. Bokawango vill. env./ 9.iv–26.v. 2022, 998 m/ N04°07’59.2” E009°12’52.1” Flight / Interc. Trap F.L. Ewome lgt. ( PCPV) ; 1 spec.: CMR/FIT/007 CAMEROON / Buea distr. Bokawango vill. env./ 9.iv–26.v. 2022, 998 m/ N04°07’59.2” E009°12’52.1 ” Flight / Interc. Trap F.L. Ewome lgt. ( PCPV) ; 1♀: CMR/FIT/006/ECO CAMEROON / Mt. Cameroon NP Bamboo camp/res. plot. 10.iv–26.v.2022 369 m / N04°05’20.8 E009°03’04.6”, flight/ Interc. trap. F.L. Ewome & P, Baňař lgt. ( PCPV) ; 1♂: FIT_006_1_II/Cameroon CMR/FIT/006/1/ Mt. Cameroon NP Bamboo/ Camp. 1.xii.2022 – 7.i.2023 390 m / N04° 05,22.7” E009°03’06.7” /FIT P. Baňař & F.L. Ewome lgt. ( PCPV); 2♀♀, 1 spec.: FIT_006_2_IX/ CAMEROON NP Bamboo/Camp. 24.xi 2023– 20.i. 2024, 369 m/ N04°05’20.8” E009°.03’04.6”/FIT P, Baňař & F.L. Ewome lgt. ( PCPV); 1 spec.: FIT_005_2_IV/ CAMEROON CMR/FIT/005/02/Mt. Cameroon NP. Drink Gari/ 14. iii–10.v. 2023, 635 m FIT/ N04°05’58.4” E 009°03’46.5” / P. Baňař & F.L. Ewome lgt. ( PCPV); 1♂: Cote d’Ivoire: Montagnes, Mont Tonkoui summit at 7°27’15” N 7°38’13” W, 1200 m, FIT, 27.ix.2019, F. Génier & A. Gué ( CMN) ; 1♂: Km 1.8, route of Mont Tonkoui , 7°26’40” N 7°38’40” W, 1120 m, FIT, 23.ix.2019, F. Génier & A. Gué ( CSCA) ; 1♂: Mont Tonkoui at 74544° N 7.6368° W, 1200 m, FIT, 24.x.–6.xi.2021, P.Moretto ( CSCA) ; 2♂♂, 3♀♀: Mont Tonkoui at 7°27’0” N 7°38’28” W, 1090 m, FIT, 20.xi.–2.xii.2021, F. Génier ( CMN, CSCA); 1♂, 1♀: Mont Tonkoui at 7°27’05” N 7°38’09” W, 1110 m, FIT, 19.xi.–2.xii.2022, F. Génier ( CMN) ; 2 specs.: Mont Tonkoui near summit, 7.451° N 7.636° W, 1130–1150 m, FIT, 19–27.xi.2022, A. K. Tishechkin ( CSCA) . 1♂: Guinea: Nzerekore, Mont Nimba , 7°41’ to 42’ N 8°23’ W, 514–740 m, xii/1990 – iii.1991, L. Leblanc ( CSCA) .

Description. Measurements of holotype (in mm). Head width—0.47; width between anterior pronotal angles—0.56; pronotum maximum width—1.51; pronotum median length—0.51; pronotum maximum length— 0.6; width across elytra—1.45; maximum length of elytron—1.22; sutural length of elytron—1. Body round and convex, mostly smooth, cuticule rufous. Head. Frons smooth with small punctures separated by 5–8 times their diameter. Frontal stria complete, clypeus smooth, labrum emarginate. Eyes convex. Scape large, curved, punctate, with several prominent setae. Pedicel small. Antennomeres 3–9 gradually wider creating a conical shape together with a densely setose club. Thorax. Pronotum with evenly distributed punctures separated by 5–8 times their diameters, otherwise smooth. Marginal stria thin and complete. Scutellar shield small, triangular and smooth. Elytral epipleuron smooth with a complete epipleural stria. Subhumeral stria complete. Dorsal striae crenulate, becoming wider towards the suture. 1–3 complete, 4 connected with sutural, 5 reaching about ⅔ of elytral length. Elytral surface smooth. Prosternum smooth. Lobe short and wide with a complete marginal stria. Basal suture of the prosternal lobe very thin. Carinal prosternal striae converging anteriorly, but not connected. They reach about ½ prosternal length. Basal prosternal margin emarginate. Mesoventrite smooth, anteriorly cuspidate. Thick and crenulate marginal stria angled anteriorly. Meso-metaventral suture present, outlined by a row of punctures. Metaventrite smooth except the posterior part where large punctures are present. In males a short median longitudinal ridge is present. Inner lateral mesoventral striae shifted mediad, straight, sligthly diverging posteriorly, then curved inwards at the end. Outer lateral stria shaped similarly, connected with marginal mesoventral stria. Postmesocoxal striae present as short straight fragments. Abdomen. First abdominal ventrite with a row of punctures anteriorly, otherwise smooth. Lateral and postmetacoxal striae sub-parallel, curved mediad. Propygidium and pygidium shiny with only very sparse miniscule punctures. Legs. Profemur flat, smooth with a stria along the anterior margin. Protibia smooth, very small denticles along the outer margin in apical ⅓. Protibial spur small and sharp. Protarsus simple, protarsomere 4 half the length of 5. Claws short. Mesofemur smooth, mesotibia with thin bristles along the inner and outer margin. Hind leg same as middle leg. Male genitalia. Phallobase about ½ of aedeagus length. Parameres fused, with an opening in the middle. Aedeagus curved in apical half with a strongly widened and truncate tip.

Diagnosis. It differs from the most similar C. lucida by the frontal punctation, presence of pronotal punctation on the entire surface, complete outer lateral metaventral stria and absence of subhumeral elytral sulcus.

Etymology. Name refers to punctuation on the frons.

Figures

FIGURE 7. Coelocraera species from Cameroon, dorsal views. A. C. mirifica Desbordes. B. C. burgeoni Paulian. C. C. costifera Marseul. D. C. kistneri Dégallier. E. C. mariaeclarae Dégallier. F. C. parumstriata sp. nov. G. C. tishechkini sp. nov. H. C. cohici Paulian. I. C. lucida sp. nov. J. C. sigillata Thérond. K. C. punctatifrons sp. nov. L. C. tuberiventer Kanaar. Measurement: 1 mm.

FIGURE 8. Coelocraera species from Cameroon, ventral views. A. C. mirifica Desbordes. B. C. burgeoni Paulian. C. C. costifera Marseul; D. C. kistneri Dégallier. E. C. mariaeclarae Dégallier. F. C. parumstriata sp. nov. G. C. tishechkini sp. nov. H. C. cohici Paulian. I. C. lucida sp. nov. J. C. sigillata Thérond; K. C. punctatifrons sp. nov. L. C. tuberiventer Kanaar.

FIGURE5. Coelocraera punctatifronssp.nov.—holotype.A—dorsal view; B—ventral view; C—lateralview; D—propygidium and pygidium; E—head; F—aedeagus; G—aedeagus tip; H—pregenital segments.