Prothyma (Symplecthyma) aeneoparva Horn, 1934

Anichtchenko, Alexander & Wiesner, Jürgen, 2023, Philippine species of the genus Prothyma Hope, 1838 (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae). Part 2. Subgenus Symplecthyma Rivalier, 1964, Zootaxa 5357 (1), pp. 71-99 : 73-79

Prothyma (Symplecthyma) aeneoparva Horn, 1934 stat. nov., sensu lato ( Figs 1c , 2 , 3 and 14a–c )

Prothyma lucidicollis aeneo -parva Horn 1934: 145 , f. 4. Type locality: “ Samar, Biliran ”.

Prothyma (Genoprothyma) lucidicollis aeneoparva: Wiesner 1980: 24 .

Prothyma (Symplecthyma) heteromallicollis aeneoparva: Wiesner 1992: 58 ; Cabras, Cabigas & Wiesner 2016: 193; Wiesner 2020: 139.

Prothyma (Symplecthyma) nitida Rivalier 1964: 160 syn. nov.

Type locality: “Mindanao”; Nom. Rep. for lucidicollis: Horn, 1926 nec Chaudoir, 1869

Prothyma (Symplecthyma) nitida: Wiesner 1980: 124 ; Wiesner 1992: 58; Cabras, Cabigas & Wiesner: 2016: 193; Wiesner 2020: 139.

Prothyma (Symplecthyma) boholensis Dheurle 2012: 41 , syn. nov. Type locality. “ Bohol ”.

Prothyma (Symplecthyma) boholensis: Cabras, Cabigas & Wiesner 2016: 193 ; Wiesner 2020: 139.

Type material. Lectotype (designed here) male: “Isl. Biliran / Philippines / Baker”, “Type / W. Horn”, “Syntipus [red label]”, “Coll. W. Horn / DEI Eberwalde”, “DEI Müncheberg / Col-14541 [green label]”, “ LECTOTYPE / Prothyma / aeneoparva W. Horn, 1934 / design. Anichtchenko & Wiesner 2023 [printed, red]” ( SDEI).

Paralectotypes: SAMAR: 1 female: “ Island / Samar / Baker”, “Type / W. Horn”, “Syntipus [red label]”, “Coll. DEI / Eberwalde”, “SDEI Coleoptera / # 301939”, “Coll. W. Horn / DEI Eberwalde”, “DEI Müncheberg / Col-14538 [green label]” ( SDEI); 1 female: “ Island / Samar / Baker”, “Type / W. Horn”, “Syntipus [red label]”, “ssp. / aenea-par-/ va / m.”, “DEI Müncheberg / Col-14545 [green label]” ( SDEI); 1 male: “ Island / Samar / Baker”, “Type / W. Horn”, “Syntipus [red label]”, “Coll. DEI / Eberwalde”, “DEI Müncheberg / Col-14539 [green label]” ( SDEI); 1 male: “ Island / Samar / Baker”, “Type / W. Horn”, “Syntipus [red label]”, “Coll. DEI / Eberwalde”, “DEI Müncheberg / Col-14537 [green label]” ( SDEI). BILIRAN: 1 female: “Isl. Biliran / Philippines / Baker [11.604821, 124.480096]”, “Type / W. Horn”, “Syntipus [red label]”, “Coll. W. Horn / DEI Eberwalde”, “DEI Müncheberg / Col-14540 [green label]” ( SDEI); 1 female: “Isl. Biliran / Philippines / Baker”, “Type / W. Horn”, “Syntipus [red label]”, “Coll. W. Horn / DEI Eberwalde”, “DEI Müncheberg / Col-14542 [green label]” ( SDEI); 1 female: “Isl. Biliran / Philippines / Baker”, “Type / W. Horn”, “Syntipus [red label]”, “Coll. W. Horn / DEI Eberwalde”, “DEI Müncheberg / Col-14543 [green label]” ( SDEI); 1 female: “ Biliran ”, “Collected by / R. C. Gregor”, ”, “Type / W. Horn”, “Syntipus [red label]”, “Coll. W. Horn / DEI Eberwalde”, “DEI Müncheberg / Col-14544 [green label]” ( SDEI). BOHOL: female: “ Bohol. [9.832142, 124.102854]”, “ Philippines / Ch. Semper”, “Museum Paris / 1952 / Coll R. Oberthür”, “ HOLOTYPE. Prothyma / (Symplecthyma) boholensis / Dheurle, 2012 [red label]” ( MNHN). SIARGAO: 1 female: “Cabuntug / Sargao [General Luna, Siargao]”, “Type / W. Horn”, “Syntipus [red label]”, “Coll. DEI / Eberwalde”, “Coll. W. Horn / DEI Eberwalde”, “DEI Müncheberg / Col-14546 [green label]” ( SDEI); All specimens with label “ PARALECTOTYPE / Prothyma / aeneoparva W. Horn, 1934 / design. Anichtchenko & Wiesner 2023 [printed, red]”.

Other material examined. SIARGAO: 1 female: “ Cabuntug IX / Philipp. Isl. / BittXXX leg. [9.785147, 126.150116]”, “ Coll. W. Horn / DEI Eberwalde”, “DEI Müncheberg / Col-14551 [green label]” ( SDEI) . LEYTE: 6 males, 7 females: “ Philippines, Leyte / V.2014 / Noel Mohagan leg.” ( JWc) ; 1 male, 1 female: “ Philippines, Leyte / Visca N Baybay / cultiv land, 1991 / leg. Schawaller & al [10.753418, 124.811996]” ( JWc) ; 1 male: “ Philippines / Sud Leyte, Sogod / 02.2015 / Coll. Dheurle [10.445432, 124.986007]” (CDc) ; 1 male: “ Philippines ii.2015 / S Leyte, Sogod / local collector leg.” ( DUBC) . LUZON: 1 male: “ Quezon Park / Tayabas, Luzon / P.I. VI-932 [13.992932, 121.622568]”, “ F.C. Hadden / Collector”, “ Coll. W. Horn / DEI Eberswalde”, “DEI Münchenberg / Col-14557 [green label]” ( SDEI) ; 1 female: “ Quezon Park / Tayabas, Luzon / P.I. VI-932”, “ F.C. Hadden / Collector ”, “pronoto pa- / rallelo, dense / transv. et viol.”, “ Coll. W. Horn / DEI Eberswalde”, “DEI Münchenberg / Col-14556 [green label]” ( SDEI) . MINDANAO: 1 female: “ Agusan riv. / Mindanao [8.656238, 125.657548]”, “Acc. No. 13672 / Lot / Bu. of Sci. , P.I.”, “Collected by / W. Schultze ”, “ Coll. W. Horn / DEI Eberwalde”, “DEI Müncheberg / Col-14552 [green label]” ( SDEI) ; 1 female: “ Iligan / Mindanao / Baker [8.243997, 124.287429]”, “ Coll. W. Horn / DEI Eberwalde”, “DEI Müncheberg / Col-14548 [green label]” ( SDEI) ; 1 male: “ Filippine, Mindanao / Lanao del Sur / Wao V.2018 [7.660748, 124.721727]” (RSc) ; 1 male, 1 female: “ Filipine-Mindanao / Bukidnon / Panamokan VII.2014 ” (RSc) ; 3 males, 3 females: “ Philippines, Mindanao / Sitio Bitaugan, Kawa-Kawa river , 24–26.iii.2018 / A. Anichtchenko leg [6.744185, 126.179798]” (AAc) ; 5 males, 5 females: “ Philippines, Mindanao, Tibanga River Pool ( Cawa-Cawa river ), 6.744185, 126.179798, 10.V.2023, Anichtchenko A. leg.“ (AAc; DUBC) ; 1 male, 3 females: “ Philippines, Mindanao / Davao, The Filippine Eagle / Foundation , 29.iii.2018 / [7.185259, 125.415154] / A. Anichtchenko leg.” (AAc) ; 1 male: “ Davao City, Mindanao / October 2017 ” (MMc); 1 male: Philippines, Davao Oriental, Manay , Prk. 10 / 19.II.2023 [7.199967, 126.514607]” (MMc) ; 1 male: “ Philippines / Mindanao, Bukidnon / Kabanglasan / XII.2015 / Lumawig leg. [8.084773, 125.311504]” (CDc) ; 13 males, 6 females: “ Philippines, Mindanao, Mt. Hamiguitan, 410–500m, 6.73493N, 126.14129E, 19–24.V.2023, Anichtchenko A. leg.“ ( DUBC, JWc); 2 males: “ Philippines, Mindanao , Aliwagwag falls , Cateel riv ., Davao Oriental, 7.740266, 126.301608, 200m, 4–7.v.2023, Anichtchenko A. leg.“ ( DUBC); 1 male, 1 female: “ Philippines, Mindanao . Davao del Sur, Karilongan Mt. , 850m, 7.126816, 125.357420, 16–17.v.2023, Anichtchenko A. leg.“ ( DUBC) ; 1 male: “ Philippines, Mindanao / Balingasag / Misamis Oriental, vii.2014 [8.757473, 124.858728]” ( DUBC) . 1 male: “ Filippine, Mindanao / Agusan del Sur / San Luis VI.2021 [8.440342, 125.582844]” (RSc) ; 1 female: “ Surigao / Mindanao ” (RSc) ; 1 male: “ Surigao / Mindanao ”, “ Prothyma (Geno- / prothyma) luci-/ dicollis lucidic. / Chd. , 1869 [yellow label]”, “ Prothyma / lucidicollis / Chaud.”, “DEI Müncheberg / Col-14628 [green label]” ( SDEI) ; 1 female: “ Philippinen / Mindanao / Surigao [9.752729, 125.442311]”, “ Coll. W. Horn / DEI Eberwalde”, “DEI Müncheberg / Col-14554 [green label]” ( SDEI) ; 1 male: “ Philippines, Mindanao / Agusan del Sur / Esperanza , XII.2014 / local collectoctor leg.” ( DUBC) ; 1 male: “ October 2021 / Esperanza, Agusan S. / Mindanao / Philippines ” (WJc) ; 1 male: idem, but August 2021 (WJc) ; 1 male: “ May 2019 / Gutalac, Zamboanga N. / Mindanao / Philippines [7.940280, 122.370088]” (WJc) ; 1 male, 1 female: “ Sibagat, Agusan del Sur / Mindanao / September 2022 ” ( DUBC) ; 1 male: “ June 2018 / Sibagat / Mindanao / Philippines [8.934048, 125.744164]” (WJc). SAMAR : 1 male: “ Filippine, N Samar / Lope de Vega / IX.2020 [12.317275, 124.664443]” (RSc) ; 1 female: idem but “ II.2020 ” (cRS) ; 1 female: idem but “ III.2020 ” (cRS) ; 1 male: “ Lope de Vega vill. Env. / Northern Samar prov. / E Visayas , Philippines / local collector 03.2020” (CKc) ; 1 male: “ Philippines / Northern Samar / Lope de Vega / Baco / Mai 2017 / Lumawig leg” (CDc) ; 1 male, 1 female: “ June 2019 / Lope de Vega / N. Samar / Philippines ” (WJc) ; 1 female: “ Philippines / Northern Samar / Lope de Vega / Agusan del Sur/ Fevrier 2018 / Lumawig leg.” (CDc) ; 1 male: “ Philippines / Samar / Eastern Visayas / 03.2010 / Lumawig leg” (CDc) ; 1 male: “ Philippines, Samar / Marabut IX.2015 / Coll. Dheurle [11.226981, 125.191679]” (CDc) ; 1 male: “ Philippines / E Visayas, Samar / Hinabangan 1.2015 / local collector [11.744949, 125.189376]”( DUBC) ; 1 male: idem, but vii.2014 ( DUBC) ; 1 male: idem, but vi.2014 ( DUBC) ; 1 male: “ Philippines: E / Samar, Borongan / 11–18.V.1984 / C.K. Starr [11.601610, 125.414459]” ( ZSM) .

Diagnosis. The most widespread and variable species of the subgenus. Some specimens are externally similar to P. eureka sp. nov. or to P. heteromallicollis , from which they reliably distinguished only by structure of the aedeagus. In P. eureka sp. nov. and in P. heteromallicollis the aedeagus is elongated, with narrow basal third and with long thin apex bent downwards, or forming rounded hook, while in P. aeneoparva the aedeagus is short, with wide base and short apex forming blunt hook, often with denticle.

Re-description. Size: TL (without labrum) 8.5–9.5 mm (mean = 9.0 mm; n = 107).

Head: almost as wide as elytra (mean EW/HW = 0.95). Dorsally color shining copper with gold reflections; orbital plates with copper or sometimes green reflections; area behind the eye and near orbital plates with blue and green reflections; genae blue-violet; clypeus with greenish-blue reflections; surface glabrous, with two setigerous punctures next to eye, one along frontal margin and one dorsally at center; strong longitudinal striae on orbital plates and vertex; strong transverse striae behind the eyes and on neck; striae weakly impressed on genae, frons, and clypeus. Labrum golden-red, with greenish reflections laterally. Labrum of male ( Fig. 2g ) slightly wider than long (mean LW/LL = 1.24); with two setae located near the lateral margins and two setae centrally, between midline and lateral margins in anterior fourth; with two obtuse anterolateral teeth and two small, forward-directed anterior teeth at the anteromedian lobe, intermediate space almost straight. Labrum of female ( Fig. 2h ) almost as long as wide (mean LW/LL = 1.04), with two setae located near the lateral margins and two setae centrally, between midline and lateral margins in anterior fourth; with two blunt anterolateral teeth and two inward directed, curved teeth on the anterior margin at the anteromedian lobe, intermediate space with a long, narrow and slightly downturned triangular tooth. Mandibles light brown, with four dark brown teeth. Labial and maxillary palpi testaceous, the last segment of both completely or in apical half dark brown with metallic greenish-blue luster. Antennae slender, reaching posteriorly to the middle of the elytra in the male, shorter in the females; scape (antennomere 1) ochre-testaceous, ventral extent violet; antennomeres 2–4 yellow or brownish with metallic violet luster; scape with one apical seta, antennomeres 5–7 almost glabrous; antennomeres 5–11 dark brown or black, matte, finely, and evenly pubescent.

Thorax: pronotum slightly longer than wide (mean PW/PL = 0.9); sides weakly rounded between the transverse constrictions, nearly parallel-sided; glabrous; disc finely transversely wrinkled throughout; dorsally color copper with goldish, reddish, bluish or greenish reflections; transverse constrictions with blue and green reflections; margins bluish green.

Elytra: ( Figs 2a–f ) slightly longer than wide (mean EL/EW = 2.1), parallel-sided, with a dorsally flattened basal hump, dorsal surface finely microreticulated, more evident in apical half; dorsally color shining copper, disc coppery-red with greenish reflections behind humeri; testaceous elytral maculation in males consists of humeral, lateromedial and preapical spots; the humeral spot is relatively small and located at the humeri; the lateromedial spot is variable, from narrow and oblique to widely triangular (in some specimens from Samar); the preapical spot is variable, relatively large, rounded, transverse or sometimes extended along margin to suture in females humeral spot absent. Elytra in anterior half covered by transverse punctures, punctures becoming narrower and forming a scale-like surface towards the apices. Apical margin minutely serrate, distinctly rounded and restricted towards middle suture, with a minute sutural spine. Epipleurae black.

Ventral aspect: blue-violet; pro- and mesocoxa testaceous, metacoxa violet with testaceous apex; trochanter glabrous, pro- and mesocoxa with 3–4 setae, metacoxa bisetose; femur, tibia, and tarsi setose. Leg coloration varies between specimens from the same population, ranging from completely yellow with only last tarsomeres slightly darker, to dark metallic blue, with only base of femora yellow. Coxa and basal half of femur testaceous, remaining segments of legs brownish, with or without metallic luster. Protarsomeres 2–3 in males laterally and ventrally covered by long white setae.

Aedeagus: ( Figs 3a–n ) median lobe relatively short, in lateral view abruptly widened from the base to the middle and tapering again towards the short apex, with a hook at the tip. Apical hook with sharp or blunt tooth. Ventral side of median lobe, just behind the middle towards to apex, with rounded protrusion, in which the coil of spiral sclerite is situated. The spiral sclerite of endophallus at the base has three complete coils.

Distribution. Biliran, Bohol, Mindanao, Leyte, Luzon, Samar, Siargao ( Map 1 ).

Remarks. P. aeneoparva was described on the basis of specimens from Biliran and Samar islands and was considered ( Wiesner 1992: 58; Cabras, Cabigas and Wiesner 2016: 193; Wiesner 2020: 139.) as a subspecies of P. heteromallicollis . Due to the new status proposed here all old distributional data need confirmation.

The replacement name P. (S.) nitida Rivalier 1964 was suggested by Rivalier (1964: 160) for P. lucidicollis ( Horn 1926) nec ( Chaudoir 1869), and specimen from Mindanao was assigned as the type. The form of aedeagus ( Fig. 3e ), with a sharply inflated dorsal side immediately from the base, and apex with a hook-shaped denticle, is identical to the aedeagi of syntypes P. aeneoparva . New synonymy P. (S.) nitida Rivalier 1964 syn. nov. = P. (S.) aeneoparva Horn, 1934 is proposed here.

The species P. boholensis Dheurle, 2012 syn. nov. was described on the basis of a single female ( Dheurle 2012). The only feature of the taxon that reliably distinguishes it from its nearest relative, P. aeneoparva , is the weak lateromedial spot of elytra ( Fig. 2c ). Sometimes specimens from Biliran had a reduced lateromedial spot. Further study of additional material is needed, but until then we suggest that it be considered synonymous.

Specimens from Luzon have a bluish-green head and pronotum, the upper body is much shiny, and the frontal furrows are more strongly smoothed ( Fig. 2e ). Specimens from Samar often have more developed yellow pattern on elytra ( Fig. 2f ). Specimens from Surigao del Norte (province of Mindanao) have slightly smaller aedeagus with weak apical hook ( Figs 3h ).

The faint differences that we observe in populations from different islands may either indicate that they are different species or population variability within a species. It is impossible to prove or disprove this without genetic studies. Until that happens, we propose to consider this taxon sensu lato.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Ventral habitus of Prothyma (Symplecthyma). a) P. inopinata sp. nov.; b) P. kapuka sp. nov.; c) P. aeneoparva Horn, 1934. Scale = 5 mm.

MAP 1. Distribution of species of Prothyma (Symplecthyma).

FIGURE 2. Prothyma (Symplecthyma) aeneoparva Horn, 1934. a–f: Dorsal habitus. Scale = 5 mm. a) Female, Leyte. b) P. nitida Rivalier 1964 syn. nov., Type, male. c) P. boholensis Dheurle 2012 syn. nov., Holotype, female. d) Male from Cawa- Cawa, Mindanao. e) Male, Park Tayabas, Luzon. f) Lectotype, male, Samar. g) Labrum, Male. h) Labrum, Female. Scale = 1 mm.

FIGURE 3. Aedeagus of Prothyma (Symplecthyma) aeneoparva Horn, 1934, left lateral view. a) Syntype, Biliran; b) Lope DeVega, Samar, lateral and ventral view; c) Syntype, Samar; d) Hinabangan, Samar; e) P. nitida Rivalier 1964 syn. nov., Type, drawing from (Rivalier, 1964); f) Segod, Leyte; g) Park Tayabas, Luzon; h) Surigao, Mindanao; i) Wao, Mindanao; j) Sibagat; k) Cawa-Cawa, Mindanao; l) Gutalac, Mindanao; m) Cabanglasan, Mindanao; n) Esperanza, Mindanao. Scale = 1 mm.

FIGURE 14. Head and pronotum of Symplecthyma species. a–c: Prothyma (Symplecthyma) aeneoparva Horn, 1934; a) Lectotype, Samar; b) Cawa-Cawa, Mindanao; c) Park Tayabas, Luzon; d) Prothyma (Symplecthyma) eureka sp. nov., Paratype. e) Prothyma (Symplecthyma) heteromallicollis Horn, 1909, Holotype. f) Prothyma (Symplecthyma) sciakyi sp. nov., Holotype. Scale = 1 mm.