Anthelephila bifida, Kejval, 2017

Kejval, Zbyněk, 2017, Studies of the genus Anthelephila Hope (Coleoptera: Anthicidae) 14. Twenty-four new species from Asia and new records of A. fossicollis Kejval, Zootaxa 4306 (1), pp. 1-52 : 19-21

Anthelephila bifida sp. nov.

Figs 37–41

Description. Male (holotype). Body length 3.5 mm. Head and pronotum reddish; elytra brownish, with indication of paler, reddish, transverse band in basal third; legs and antennae reddish-brown, antennae slightly darker distally. Head 1.2 times as long as wide, its base slightly produced medially, differentiated from short neck; tempora strongly narrowing posteriad, posterior angles absent. Eyes medium-sized, convex. Dorsal surface moderately glossy, distinctly punctate and partly finely corrugated, with smooth and glossy base; punctures distinctly separated. Setation short, subdecumbent; few longer tactile setae. Antennae moderately enlarged in terminal third; antennomere X 1.3 times, XI 2.1 times as long as wide.

Pronotum 1.4 times as long as wide, distinctly narrower than head including eyes, nearly evenly rounded anteriorly, strongly narrowed and moderately impressed (constricted) postero-laterally in dorsal view; pronotal disc evenly convex in lateral view. Surface glossy; antero-lateral sides minutely and sparsely punctate, nearly impunctate near procoxal cavities; disc more distinctly and densely punctate, especially posteriorly, with some weak transverse wrinkles before base; postero-lateral impressions distinctly longitudinally wrinkled, and adjacent dorso-lateral area rugose. Setation as on head.

Mesosternum with slight indication of median longitudinal bulge. Metasternum simple.

Elytra 1.8 times as long as wide, conjointly rounded apically; humeri distinct; postscutellar impression distinct, moderate. Surface glossy, distinctly punctate; punctation double, setiferous punctures rather widely separated. Setation nearly evenly developed, generally somewhat longer and more raised than on head, decumbent; scattered tactile setae.

Metathoracic wings fully developed.

Fore legs modified ( Figs 37, 38 ); profemora with short, subtruncate process, bearing short fringe of stiff setae subapically; protibiae with pointed median protrusion at mid-length and small lateral lobule more distally; penultimate tarsomere widened/flattened distally, with terminal tarsomere articulated dorsally near base in all tarsi. Setation normally developed; pro- and mesotibiae with two, metatibiae with single distinct terminal spur.

Abdominal sternum VII deeply impressed medially, with fine, moderately lobed posterior margin, and small, setose median protuberance dorsally ( Fig. 39 ). Tergum VII simple, subtruncate posteriorly. Sternite VIII ( Fig. 40 ); paired prongs each with thin, bifid lobe laterally. Tergite VIII with simple paired sclerites nearly evenly rounded apically, narrowly connected medially. Terminal sclerite of segment IX (spiculum) membranous, evenly rounded apically. Aedeagus ( Fig. 41 ); apical portion of tegmen 0.5 times as long as basal-piece, with small lateral lobules apically.

Female. Externally differing from male by simple fore legs and abdominal sternum VII; tergum VII subtriangular, rounded apically.

Variation. Body length (♂ ♀) 3.2–3.8 mm. Reddish transverse band of elytra more or less distinct, always vaguely outlined, sometimes the whole basal fourth and rarely median strip partly reddish. Head glossy to largely finely corrugated and nearly matt. Posterior punctation and transverse corrugation of pronotal disc varying in prominence.

Type material. Holotype, ♂: W Thailand Kanchanaburi 31.3.– 1.4.1994, Sv. Bílý leg. [p] ( NMPC).

Paratypes: 4 ♂♂, same data as holotype ( NMPC) ; 3 ♂♂, Thailand 31.3 94, Kanchanaburi S. Bílý leg. [p] ( NMPC) ; 6 ♂♂, THAI, 18.–24.IV.1991 LANSANG n.p. 500m 16°48′N 98°57′ E Vít Kubáň leg. [p] // Thailand ′ 91 '' Thanon Thong Chai' ' D. Král & V. Kubáň [p] ( ZKDC) ; 1 ♂, THAILAND, Erawan N.P., River Kwaw Yai, Erawan Guest House , [p] // at light, No. 96, 15. II. 1994, leg. S. & L. Mahunka [p] // Formicomus basalis Krekich det. G. Uhmann 1999 [p+h] ( HNHM) ; 1 ♂, same data, except: No. 100 ( HNHM) ; 1 ♂, same data, except: No. 81, 13. II. 1994 ( HNHM) ; 1 ♂, same data, except: No. 75, 13. II. 1994 ( HNHM) ; 1 ♂, THAILAND, Erawan N.P., Erawan Waterfall [p] // at light, No. 90, 14. II. 1994, leg. S. & L. Mahunka [p] // Formicomus basalis Krekich det. G. Uhmann 1999 [p+h] ( HNHM) .

Additional specimens. Thailand: 7 ♀♀, Tak prov., Lansang National Park , 16°48′N 98°57′E, 500 m, V. Kubáň lgt. ( ZKDC).

Differential diagnosis. Anthelephila bifida sp. nov. is extremely close to the sympatric A. disparilis sp. nov., but differs by the following details of the male characters: profemoral process shorter, lateral lobule of protibiae situated closer to pointed median protrusion, posterior margin of sternum VII moderately lobed and somewhat less sclerotized, lateral lobe of paired prongs bifurcate (simple in A. disparilis sp. nov.).

This species also resembles A. fieberi (Pic, 1900) from the adjacent region of southern Burma, and especially their females can be easily confused. The latter species differs by the smooth and glossy antebasal impression of the pronotal disc, conspicuous band of short, whitish, coarse appressed setae in the postscutellar impression of the elytra, and by the male characters (single protrusion of protibiae, deeply emarginate sternum VII, with median bunch of long, stiff setae, quite dissimilar morphology of the paired prongs).

Etymology. From Latin bifidus (cleft, forked), refering to the bifid lateral projection of the paired prongs of male sternite VIII.

Distribution. Thailand.

Figures

FIGURES 37 – 41. Anthelephila bifida sp. nov. (holotype ♂). Profemur and tibia (37); tibia, lateral view (38); abdominal sternum VII (39); sternite VIII, dorsal view (40); apical portion of aedeagus (41). Scale (0.3 mm): A—Figs 37, 38, B—Figs 39, 41; (0.5 mm): C—Fig. 40.