Ancyronyx patrolus 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 : 41-46

Ancyronyx patrolus Freitag & Jäch sp. n.

( Figs. 3, 4 , 11 a–i)

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). Paratypes: 18 exs. (1 ď, 1 Ψ IRML; 6 ďď, 8 ΨΨ NMW; 1 ď UPLB; 1 ď WPU): same data as holotype; 3 exs. (1 ď NMW; 1 Ψ WPU; 1 ď UPLB): “ PHIL.: Palawan, P. Princesa Panaguman R. 10°15'09''N 118°58'03'' E 17.5.2001, leg. Freitag (PR1)D”; 1 Ψ ( UPLB): “ PHIL.: Palawan, P. Princesa S Manturon, Cabayugan R. 10°09'28''N 118°53'26'' E 25.5.2001, leg. Freitag (CR4)D”; 1 Ψ ( NMW): “ PHIL.: Palawan, P.Princesa; Luzviminda, 9km SSW PPC; 9°39'N 118°38' E 14.12.1994, leg. Freitag (17a)M \ forest creek, small fall, rocky bank, riffle, ca. 50m asl”; 1 Ψ ( NMW): “ PHIL.: Palawan, P. Princesa, Iwahig, Balsahan River, 7km NW of PPC, upstream of dam 9°47'N 118°40' E 0 5.3.1994, leg. Freitag (20)M”; 19 exs., (5 ďď, 5 ΨΨ MTD; 3 ďď, 6 ΨΨ NMW): “ PHIL.: Palawan, P. Princesa, Irawan River, 6km NW of PPC, 2km upstream of water plant 9°49'N 118°39' E 0 6.4.1994, leg. Freitag (60)M”; 1 Ψ ( NMW): “ PHIL.: Palawan 1994 9km W P. Princesa Iwahig, 25.3. leg. Zettel (48)”; 35 exs., three of them mutilated (14 ďď, 15 ΨΨ CZW; 3 ďď, 3 ΨΨ NMW): “ PHILIPPINEN: Palawan Pr. Busuanga Isl., 5km NW Coron Mabentangen For. Res. 1.- 7.2.1999, leg. H. Zettel (170)”.

Description. Body 1.4–1.5 mm long (CL), 0.61–0.66 mm broad (EW), 1.9–2.1 times as broad as wide (CL/EW). Body form subovate, strongly convex dorsally.

Colouration ( Figs. 3–4 ) predominantly dark brown to black (labrum, clypeus, frons, pronotum, scutellum, most parts of elytra); elytra usually with two pairs of yellowish to pale brown patches ( Fig. 3 ); basal patches cross-strip-like, in very dark specimens inconspicuous, lacking ( Fig. 4 ) or reduced to one or two small spots at each elytron; ventral side brown to dark brown; maxillary palpi, femora, tibiae, and claws yellowish to pale brown; areas around the knee, and tarsomeres dark brown; antennae yellowish to pale brown, distally darkened.

Plastron not examined, hardly discernible with stereoscopic microscope.

Head 0.34–0.40 mm broad (HW); ID 0.19–0.24 mm; labrum micropunctate, setae distinct; frons and clypeus finely punctate, moderately densely pubescent; frontoclypeal suture slightly arcuate, distinctly impressed. Eyes protruding. Antennae 11-segmented, slender, rather short (approximately as long as HW). Gula microreticulate; gular sutures inconspicuous.

Pronotum 0.42–0.49 mm long (PL), 0.44–0.48 mm broad (MW), almost as long as wide (PL/MW), widest at about posterior 0.25, distinctly narrower than elytra, anteriorly attenuate; anterior margin nearly straight; margin between pronotum and hypomeron inconspicuous, arcuate; anterior transverse groove distinct and deeply impressed, seemingly dividing the pronotum, medially extended; anteriorly and posteriorly of transverse groove vaulted; posterolateral oblique grooves shallow, indistinct; pronotal surface reticulate to granulose; anterior and posterior gibbosities almost glabrous; hypomeron microreticulate. Prosternum punctate; prosternal process subquadrate, almost flat, posterior margin truncate.

Scutellum subpentagonal, medially slightly impressed, glabrous. Elytra elongate, 0.94–1.02 mm long (EL), ca. 1.4–1.5 times as long as wide (EL/EW), almost parallel-sided in anterior 0.1–0.6, posteriorly roundly convergent to apices; with ca. 11 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 separately rounded. Mesoventrite short, with one medial and a pair of sublateral impressions. Metaventrite prominent, with distinct discrimen, medioanteriorly almost glabrous, medially slightly impressed along the groove, lateral parts distinctly punctate, interstices glabrous; anepisternum 3 prominent, with two distinct rows of punctures, inconspicuously differentiated from lateral elytron. Hind wings present; venation not examined.

Ventrites 1–4 almost glabrous medially, very sparsely covered with short adpressed setae, laterally covered with plastron; ventrite 5 almost entirely covered with plastron, modrately densely covered with short adpressed setae emerging from flat glabrous granules; lateral projection small and inconspicuous ( Fig. 11 f).

Legs approximately as long as body; pro- and mesocoxae large, globular; metacoxae only slightly protruding laterally, somewhat elongately oval; femora, tibiae, and tarsi covered with inconspicuous setae, tibiae distally with a distinct row of setae; claws well developed, rather strongly curved, base of each claw with two teeth, distal one larger than basal one.

Spiculum gastrale ( Fig. 11 c) ca. 380 µm long; apical margin almost straight, only very slightly emarginate, lateroapically with groups of ca. five setae, sublateroapically densely covered with rows of microsetae; paraprocts not reaching apical margin.

Aedeagus ( Fig. 11 a, b) ca. 430 µm long (in specimens from Busuanga slightly larger). Median lobe moderately long and slender, subapically distinctly widened (ca. 75 µm broad), slightly curved ventrad (lateral view), with numerous distinct microtube-like structures ending sublateroapically; ventral sac rather inconspicuous, slightly plicate, with weekly sclerotized, inconspicuous fibula (mesal, longitudinal sclerotisation); corona weekly developed. Phallobase asymmetrical, ventrally slightly widened, with conspicuous, strongly sclerotized margin; basolateral (penile) apophyses rather short. Parameres subtriangular (lateral view), reaching about basal 0.65 of aedeagus; basal margin strongly emarginate (lateral view), not contiguous ventrally.

Ovipositor ( Figs. 11 d). Total length ca. 510 µm. Stylus slender, almost straight, slightly bent outwards (dorsal view). Coxite long and slender; distal portion distinctly elongate, with several rather short, peg-like setae, most densely set at apex; mesal margin moderately pubescent; 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 somewhat acuminate.

Secondary sexual characters. Sternite VIII in female ( Fig. 11 g) with median strut apically widened, almost truncate, posterior portion moderately pubescent; sternite VIII in male ( Fig. 11 h) weekly sclerotized, median strut distinctly shorter than in female. Tergite VIII in male ( Fig. 11 e) broader than long, with distinct reticulation in apical half; basal half patterned with lines of microstriae; condyles curved inwards, not reaching anterior margin. Tergite VIII in female ( Fig. 11 i) longer than broad; condyles more or less straight and prominent; reticulations less developed than in male, most conspicuous laterally; microstrial pattern confined to subbasal third. Ventrite 5 ( Fig. 11 f) in male suboval, in female longer and subtriangular. Tibiae in female very slightly more clavate than in male.

Differential diagnosis. The general habitus, the comparably short legs, and the predominantly dark colour of this species somewhat resemble A. sophiemarie ( Jäch 2004: Fig. 1 ), from which it can easily be distinguished by the shape, the number, and the position of the yellowish elytral markings, by the slightly larger size and by the sexual characters (aedeagus subapically distinctly widened; ovipositor with numerous comparably long and acute setae).

Distribution (Fig. 17). This species is known from central Palawan and Busuanga.

Ecology. This species was collected in headwaters of rather undisturbed, forest-covered areas, which suggests an affinity to undisturbed habitats.

Etymology. Named in reference to Nissan Patrol, offroad vehicle.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Collecting sites of Ancyronyx species in Palawan, including enlarged map of St. Paul National Park.

FIGURE 11. Ancyronyx patrolus sp. n., paratypes from PR 1: a, b) aedeagus in ventral and lateral view; c) male sternite IX (strioles omitted); d) ovipositor in ventral view (right half); e) male tergite VIII (setae and strioles of left half omitted); f) male ventrite 5 (setae and strioles of left half omitted); g) female sternite VIII (strioles omitted); h) male sternite VIII (strioles omitted); i) female tergite VIII (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.