Ancyronyx punkti Freitag & Jäch, 2007

Freitag, Hendrik & Jäch, Manfred A., 2007, The genus Ancyronyx Erichson, 1847 (Coleoptera, Elmidae) in Palawan and Busuanga, (Philippines) with descriptions of six new species, Zootaxa 1590, pp. 37-59 : 47-50

Ancyronyx punkti Freitag & Jäch sp. n.

( Figs. 6 , 13 a–j)

Type locality. Mountain river SE of Laptay/Napsan, central Palawan, Philippines.

Type material. Holotype ď ( NMW): “ PHIL.: Palawan, P.Princesa; Napsan 2km SE Laptay, 9°43'N 118°28' E 29.3.1995, leg. Freitag (23)M \ mountain stream in semi-primary forest”, dissected (terminal parts of abdomen and aedeagus glued separately), one hind leg lacking. Paratypes: 3 ďď, 11 ΨΨ ( NMW): same data as holotype; 1 Ψ ( NMW): “ PHIL.: Palawan, P. Princesa, Iwahig, Balsahan River, 7km NW of PPC, upstream of dam 9°47'N 118°40' E 0 5.03.1994, leg. Freitag (20)M”; 1 Ψ ( NMW): “ PHIL.: Palawan, Brookes P., Sabsaban River, c. 10km NW of town proper, downstream falls, grassbank rills, 8°49'N 117°48' E 20.5.1994, leg. Freitag (79c)M”; 63 exs. (3 ďď, 3 ΨΨ CZW; 1 ď, 1 Ψ IRML; 5 ďď, 5 ΨΨ MTD; 4 ďď, 12 ΨΨ, 25 exs. NMW; 1 ď, 1 Ψ UPLB; 1 ď, 1 Ψ WPU): “ PHIL.: Palawan 1994 7km N Narra, 5.4. Estrella Falls leg. Zettel (59)”.

Description. Body 1.4–1.7 mm long (CL), 6.0– 7.1 mm broad (EW), 2.2–2.4 times as broad as wide (CL/ EW). Body form elongately obovate, strongly convex dorsally.

Colouration ( Fig. 6 ) predominantly dark brown to black (labrum, clypeus, frons, pronotum, scutellum, most parts of elytra); elytra with two pairs of yellowish to pale brown patches, basal patches round, dot-like; ventral side brown, but paler than dark dorsal parts, except gula; maxillary palpi, femora, and tibiae evenly dark brown, but not black, claws slightly paler; antennae pale brown (basally), gradually darkened (distally).

Plastron hardly discernible with stereoscopic microscope, not examined.

Head: 0.33–0.39 mm broad (HW); ID 0.21–0.25 mm; labrum, frons and clypeus finely punctate, moderately densely pubescent; frontoclypeal suture almost straight, impressed. Eyes protruding. Antennae 11-segmented, slender, rather short (approximately as long as HW). Gula microreticulate; gular sutures inconspicuous.

Pronotum 0.40–0.51 mm long (PL), 0.46–0.53 mm broad (MW), almost as long as wide (PL/MW: 0.85– 1.00), distinctly narrower than elytra, widest at ca. posterior 0.35, anteriorly attenuate; anterior margin nearly straight; lateral rim inconspicuous; anterior transverse groove distinct and deeply impressed, medially extended backwards; anteriorly and posteriorly of transverse groove vaulted; posterolateral oblique grooves shallow, in most specimens indistinct; pronotal surface (including gibbosities) densely punctate, appearing microreticulate; interstices glabrous; hypomeron granulose. Prosternum punctate; prosternal process subquadrate, medioposteriorly slightly impressed, posterior margin truncate, lateral margins concave.

Scutellum hardly discernible, subpentagonal, longer than wide, medially slightly impressed, glabrous. Elytra elongate, 1.03–1.22 mm long (EL), ca. 1.6 times as long as wide (EL/EW), almost parallel-sided in anterior 0.1–0.6, posteriorly roundly convergent to apices; with ca. 10 longitudinal, quite regular, slightly impressed rows of punctures (five strial rows between suture and shoulder); punctures large and deeply impressed; interstices and intervals convex, glabrous; lateral elytral gutter narrow; humeri prominent; elytral apices slightly separately rounded. Mesoventrite short, with one conspicuous medial and a pair of inconspicuous sublateral impressions. Metaventrite prominent, with distinct discrimen, medioanteriorly almost glabrous, with distinct longitudinal glabrous groove; remaining parts deeply punctate; interstices glabrous; anepisternum 3 prominent, with two distinct rows of punctures, inconspicuously differentiated from lateral elytron. Hind wings present; venation more or less as in Ancyronyx malickyi Jäch, 1994 ( Jäch 1994: Fig. 21).

Legs approximately as long as body; pro- and mesocoxae large, globular; metacoxae only slightly protruding, suboval; femora, tibiae, and tarsi covered with setae; claws well developed, rather strongly curved, base of each claw with three teeth, two distal ones larger than inconspicuous basal one.

Sternite IX ( Fig. 13 c) ca. 390 µm long; apical margin almost straight, very slightly emarginate, lateroapically without setae, but with a row of setae, sublateroapically with dense rows of microsetae; paraprocts not reaching apical margin.

Aedeagus ( Fig. 13 a, b) ca. 420 µm long. Median lobe moderately long and moderately broad, subapically slightly widened (ca. 95 µm broad); tip curved ventrad (lateral view), with numerous distinct microtube-like structures ending sublateroapically; ventral sac slightly plicate; fibula weekly sclerotized, inconspicuous; corona moderately developed. Phallobase asymmetrical; basal margin strongly sclerotized; basolateral (penile) apophyses rather short. Parameres subtriangular (lateral view), reaching basal 0.65 of aedeagus; basal margin slightly emarginate (lateral view), not contiguous ventrally.

Ovipositor ( Figs. 13 d). Total length ca. 510 µm. Stylus rather stout, bent outwards. Coxite moderately long and slender; distal portion distinctly elongate, with several rather short, squamous setae, most densely set at apex; inner margin distinctly pubescent (dorsal view); basal portion ca. half as long as distal portion, with rather short, peg-like setae, most densely set at anterior and posterior margin. Valvifer about as long as coxite; fibula curved inwards caudally, cranially widened, subtruncate.

Secondary sexual characters. Sternite VIII in female ( Fig. 13 h) with median strut apically widened, almost truncate, posterior portion moderately pubescent; sternite VIII in male ( Fig. 13 g) weekly sclerotized, median strut distinctly shorter than in female, apically rounded. Tergite VIII in male ( Fig. 13 i) distinctly broader than long, subcrescentic, distinctly reticulate and pubescent in apical half; basal half with microstrial pattern; condyles straight and broad. Tergite VIII in female ( Fig. 13 e) only slightly broader than long, subcrescentic, entirely pubescent; reticulation indistinct; basal forth (only medially extended to posterior half) with microstrial pattern; condyles distinctly curved. Ventrite 5 in male ( Fig. 13 j) suboval; in female ( Fig. 13 f) longer and subtriangular.

Differential diagnosis. The general habitus and colour of this species somewhat resemble A. patrolus and A. pseudopatrolus , but it can easily be distinguished from the latter by its unicoloured dark legs, longer and well developed longitudinal metaventral groove, its broad, but apically less widened aedeagus and other sexual characters.

Distribution (Fig. 17). The species is only known from central and southern Palawan.

Etymology. Named for “Punkt e. V.”, German NGO for environmental education and conservation, and its voluntary fellow supporters. Punkt ( German, dot) refers to the roundly dot-like elytral patches of this species.

Figures

FIGURE 13. Ancyronyx punkti sp. n., paratypes from site “ Zettel (59) ”: a, b) aedeagus in ventral and lateral view; c) male sternite IX (strioles omitted); d) ovipositor in ventral view (left half); e) female tergite VIII (setae and strioles of left half omitted); f) female ventrite 5 (setae and strioles of left half omitted); g) male sternite VIII (strioles omitted); h) female sternite VIII (strioles omitted); i) male tergite VIII (setae and structures of left half omitted); j) male ventrite 5 (setae and strioles of left half omitted).

FIGURES 3 – 6. Habitus of 3) Ancyronyx patrolus sp. n., paratype ♂, usual colouration; 4) A. patrolus sp. n., paratype Ψ, dark coloured individual, partly completed; 5) A. pseudopatrolus sp. n., holotype ♂, partly completed; 6) A. punkti sp. n., paratype ♂, partly completed.