Cycadophila fupingensis Skelley, Tang & Xu

Xu, Guang, Tang, William, Skelley, Paul, Liu, Nian & Rich, Stephen, 2015, Cycadophila, a new genus (Coleoptera: Erotylidae: Pharaxonothinae) inhabiting Cycas debaoensis (Cycadaceae) in Asia, Zootaxa 3986 (3), pp. 251-278 : 262-267

Cycadophila fupingensis Skelley, Tang & Xu , new species

( Figures 5–7 )

Adult diagnosis. Distinguished from other Cycadophila spp. by the short supraocular striae, narrow protibia lacking stout apical setae, fine pronotal punctation, and having a small elytral maculation.

Adult male description. Length 3.53–3.76 mm, width 1.47–1.59 mm. Body in dorsal view elongate, sides arcuate, greatest width at middle of elytra; in lateral view convex dorsally. General body and appendage color solid reddish-brown, elytra with central maculation along suture occupying medial half, not reaching base or apex; dorsal surface distinctly punctate, shining, dorsally appearing glabrous, short procumbent hairs associated with punctation behind eyes and along lateral sides and declivity of elytra, ventrally mostly covered with short procumbent setae ( Figs. 5 A–D).

Head in dorsal view conical, gradually narrowed anteriorly, surface flat to slightly convex, distinctly punctured ( Fig. 6 A); width 0.9–1.0 mm; dorsal interocular distance 0.50–0.53 mm, head width/dorsal interocular distance ratio 1.75–1.81, ventral interocular distance 0.33–0.35 mm, head width/ventral interocular distance ratio 2.69–2.71. Eyes globular; bordered dorsally with short supraocular striae at basal 1/3 of eye; projecting laterally, with large black facets and short, inconspicuous interfacetal setae. Frons with a short, dark, subcuticular suture on each side, approximately 1/4 width of frons in length, extending obliquely to lateral margin anterior to antennal insertion.

Antennal length about 3/4 pronotal width, slightly longer than head width, antennomere relative lengths approximately 15:11:13:10:10:10:10:10:13:13:20; antennomere I (scape) fairly large, slightly elongate, antennomere II slightly smaller than III; IV–VIII small, width equals length; club fairly large, IX–XI similar in length, XI globular. Clypeus truncate anteriorly, anterior margin with long setae; densely punctate; somewhat emarginate, with narrow margin. Mandible with 3 apical teeth; prostheca extending from mola halfway to apical teeth, length,about ½ width, edge nearly straight, with fringe of hairs along edge that extends to the proximal apical tooth; mola with carinulation and small spines. Labrum transverse, about 2 times broader than long; anterior margin fringed with long bristles. Hypopharynx with thin setae directed medially. Maxilla with cardo expanded apically; stipes narrowly triangular, apically acute, partially overlapping with palpiger; galea and lacinia with long, densely aligned setae; setae on the lacinia thick and strong, but distinguishable hooks absent from surrounding dense setae; galea wider than lacinia. Maxillary palp 4-segmented, palpomere I very small; II, III slightly longer than wide, IV elongate oval, apex densely papillate, relative lengths of II–IV approximately 4:3:7. Labium with mentum pentagonal with carina forming triangular plate projecting medially, with shallow lateral pockets; labial palp 3-segmented; palpomere I small, elongate; II transverse; III large, elongate-oval. Mentum and submentum with moderate punctation and setation, setae short. Gular area smooth, without setae or punctation, except near suture with submentum, where vague discolored depression present, marked by last set of submental punctures ( Fig. 6 C).

Thorax with pronotum transverse in dorsal view with marginal bead on all sides; length/width ratio 0.65–0.68, convex, sides arcuate; anterior angles rounded; lateral margin with thin marginal bead, bead bearing row of minutely setose punctures; posterior angles exteriorly angulate; posterior margin projecting medially; with a narrow, short longitudinal furrow posterolaterally, beginning at pore on posterior margin, extending forward and ending abruptly, length of furrows relative to pronotal length 0.19. Prosternum in ventral view convex; anterior margin slightly emarginate, finely denticulate with row of long, anteriorly directed setae; posterior prosternal process truncate and convex ( Fig. 6 B). Hypomeron laterally with few punctures, medially without longitudinal striations. Scutellar shield transverse, posterior margin rounded, somewhat pentagonal. Elytra in dorsal view elongate, evenly arcuate along sides, convex; length/width 3.33–3.36, greatest width near midlength; with marginal line basally, 10 complete striae of moderate puncture size, scutellary striole with 10–12 punctures along anterior 1/ 4; intervals of striae with fine, distinct punctures. All punctures of elytral striae bearing a single short seta; seta only visible in profile, extending slightly out of puncture. Punctation on meso- and metaventrites distinct. Metaventrite long, convex laterally, metathoracic discrimen extending slightly over half metaventrite length, slightly impressed medially. Legs narrow, similar in length; procoxa oval; mesocoxa globular; metacoxa transversely elongate-oval; trochanters obliquely truncate apically; femora compressed laterally; tibiae shorter than femora, gradually dilated to narrow apex. Protibia narrow, weakly dilated toward apex, with apical fringe of small, hair-like spinules ventrally, lateral margin lacking spinules ( Fig. 6 D); width at apex almost equal to length of tarsomere V. Meso- and metatibiae narrowed, obliquely angled at lateral apex.

Abdomen with 5 ventrites bearing fine punctures; anterior margin with intercoxal process narrow, with triangular point anteromedially, lateral edges slightly projected, lateral and posterior margins arcuate, converging posteriorly; anterior and posterior margins of ventrites more or less straight; ventrite I lacking subcoxal line, slightly longer medially than II; I–IV each with pair of long erect sensory hairs located adjacent to midline (often abraded); II–IV subequal in length; V slightly longer than IV with lateral margins converging posteriorly to a rounded apex.

Male genitalia (tegmen and median lobe of aedeagus) twisted approximately 45o toward the left and resting on side ( Fig. 5 E). Tegmen sclerotized, triangular, gently twisted; with anterior region ring-like, posterior region sheath-like, posterior margin slightly arcuate; lateral margins gradually converging posteriorly; dorsally with 2 large, elongate, somewhat coniform-shaped parameres. Parameres apically with long setae; length/width ratio 2.6. Aedeagus with median lobe short, slender, highly sclerotized, apex long and acuminate. Ratio of penile strut length to median lobe length 5:1.

Female similar to male; except with protibia width at apex distinctly less than length of tarsomere V, pygidium truncate, not as well developed. Genitalia with gonocoxites triangular, gradually narrowing posteriorly; apices of gonocoxites laterally with concave impression and setae. Gonostylus small, inserted at the concave impression of the gonocoxite, with several short setae and 1 long seta. Valvifers expanded posteriorly. Spermatheca elongate, Cshaped.

Variation. There is little notable variation in the materials studied. The elytral maculation in some is notably smaller than others, but these may be teneral specimens where the dark mark is not fully developed.

Larval description. Mature individuals up to 5.5 mm; body elongate, in dorsal view more or less parallelsided and narrowing slightly anteriorly and posteriorly, cylindrical, lightly pigmented except for head, legs and sections of tergum ( Figs. 7 A–E).

Head sclerotized, light brown with faint pattern of darker brown longitudinal streaks, smooth without ornamentation, protracted, prognathous and slightly flattened; epicranial stem absent, frontal arms lyriform and contiguous basally; median epicranial suture distinct and dark, extending over half the length of the frontal arms; 5 stemmata on each side; antenna length less than half of dorsal length of head at midline, 3-segmented, antennomere 1 slightly shorter than wide, 2 almost twice as long as 1, 3 slightly longer than 1, sensorium located on ventral apex of antennomere 2, conical, with convex sides, length about 1/4 length of antennomere 3, width slightly more than 1/2 width of antennomere 3; frontoclypeal suture absent; labrum free. Mandibles symmetrical, incisor cleft with dorsal and ventral prongs of nearly equal length, both prongs smooth; mola well-developed, asperate with asperites forming transverse rows; accessory ventral process present; prostheca hyaline, with two edges, dorsal edge broadly rounded, ventral edge broad basally, triangular with angulate apex ( Fig. 7 F). Ventral mouthparts retracted, with well-developed maxillary articulating area; maxilla with transverse cardo, elongate stipes, 3-segmented palp, terminal palpomere slightly less than 3 times its own width, mala falciform with apex divided into 3 lobes; labium more or less free to base of mentum, labial palps 2-segmented, separated by 1.5 times width of basal palpomere ( Fig. 7 G), apical palpomere length 1.5 times its own width. Hypostomal rods diverging; ventral epicranial ridges weakly developed.

Thorax and abdomen with central ½ of T1, anterior ½ of T2–3 and A1–A7, anterior ¾ of A8, and all of A9 pigmented brown dorsally, sclerotized; sclerotized regions of T1–3 and A1–8 distinctly bisected by light-colored midsagittal line; brown areas, except for their margins, more or less randomly covered with granules; T2–3 with 3 large tubercles along each lateral margin of sclerotized area; A1–8 with 2 pairs of large tubercules along posterior posterior margin; tubercles setiferous, but setae often broken off; A9 tergum with pair of urogomphi; base of urogomphi may or may not be covered with granules, dorsal and lateral sides of base with 3 pairs of prominent setiferous tubercles, but setae may be broken off; in dorsal view tubercles form approximately semicircular pattern, pair of tubercles closest to midline just anterior to urogomphi (labeled t 1 in Figs. 7 C–D) with hook at apex, bases of this pair angled vertically to postero-dorsally in direction, apical hook shaped like a bird head and neck with bill pointing posteriad ( Figs. 7 C), top of “bird head” with a prominence and a single setae, but setae often broken off; “bird beak” length about 2 times vertical width, with sharply curved tip; urogomphi length from basal tubercle t3 to apex> 1 times length of remainder of segment; apical 1/3 of length smooth without tubercles. Legs 5-segmented; coxa moderately widely separated, procoxae separated by> 1 times coxal width; meso- and metacoxa separated by> 2 times coxal width ( Fig. 7 E). Spiracles raised, annular-biforous.

Type locality. China, Guangxi Province, Debao County, Fuping village, N23°29.624', E106°12.980'.

Range. Known from Debao and Napo Counties of Guangxi Province, China. The range of the host, C. debaoensis , extends to Banshui, Baise City, Guangxi Province and Funing County, Yunnan Province with 16 known natural populations ( Xie et al. 2005; Fang 2009).

Material examined. Holotype (by designation) male with the following labels: 1) [rectangular; white; printed in black ink] CHINA, Guangxi, [Debao,] Fuping, ex ♂ cone Cycas debaoensis , N23°29.624', E106°12.980', 21-V- 2004, W. Tang, #331; 2) [rectangular; red; printed in black ink] HOLOTYPE ♂ Cycadophila fupingensis G. Xu, W. Tang & P. Skelley 2015 . Deposited in the FSCA. Allotype and 423 adult + 79 larval paratypes: CHINA: Guangxi: [Debao Co.]: Fuping, ex ♂ cone Cycas debaoensis , N23°29’50” E106°12’87”, V-2001, W. Lu (20); N23°29.643', E106°12.915', 21-V-2004, W. Tang, #1 (246); N23°29.663', E106°12.903', 21-V-2004, W. Tang, #7 (8); N23°29.655', E106°12.867', 21-V-2004, W. Tang, #31 (20 larvae); N23°29.655', E106°12.867', 21-V-2004, W. Tang, #210 (2); N23°29.624', E106°12.980', 21-V-2004, W. Tang, #331 (holotype & allotype, FSCA, 76); N23°29.643', E106°12.914', 26-V-2006, W. Tang, #1 (53); N23°29.601', E106°12.862', 26-V-2006, W. Tang, #2 (3 + 46 larvae); N23°29.669', E106°12.909', 26-V-2006, W. Tang, #4 (10 larvae); 24-V-2008, W. Tang (3+ 3 larvae); [Napo Co.]: Dingye, N23°24’26” E106°01’27”, 22-V-2004, W. Tang, #1 (5); #2 (7). Paratypes deposited at ANIC, BMNH, FSCA, IZCAS, MNHN, NZAC, USNM.

Etymology. Named for the type locality near the village of Fuping.

Remarks. The only known host of this beetle is Cycas debaoensis and the species has only been collected from the male cones of this host at two localities. Determination and description of larvae were based on large numbers found associated with adults in C. debaoensis male cones and partial 16S rRNA gene sequences which were identical to the adults. Field observations of the larvae indicate they feed and develop on the male cones of this species in moderate numbers, feeding on sporophyll tissue. The adults remain on the male cones in small numbers or up to hundreds and dissection of adults confirm cycad pollen in their guts. Adults and larvae occur sympatrically in the same cones with Cycadophila debaonica . The adults and larvae of C. debaonica usually outnumber those of C. fupingensis , and C. fupingensis typically accounts for a small percentage of adult Cycadophila on male cones sampled in the early stage of cone elongation and pollen shed (range 7.1–12.1%, mean = 9.1%, n = 5 cones). The relative abundance of adults remains about the same in cones that have nearly completed pollen shedding (range 0–26.1%, mean = 7.5%, n = 7 cones).

Figures

FIGURE 5. Photographs of Cycadophila fupingensis adult male: A – C) Dorsal, ventral and lateral habitus; D) Head and prosternum, ventral view; E) Male genitalia.

FIGURE 6. SEMs of Cycadophila fupingensis: A) Head, pronotum and elytral base, dorsal view; B) Thorax, ventral view; C) Head, ventral view; D) Protibia and tarsus, ventral view.

FIGURE 7. Photographs of Cycadophila fupingensis larva: A – B) Lateral and dorsal habitus; C – D) Terminal segments of abdomen, lateral and dorsal views (t 1 – t 3 indicate basal tubercles of urogomphi); E) Head, ventral view; F) Right mandible, dissected, ventral view; G) Maxillary palp, mala and labial palps, dissected, ventral view.