Aulonothroscus inawa, Johnson, 2015

Johnson, Paul J., 2015, Two new species, a new country record, and a key to the species of Aulonothroscus Horn (Coleoptera: Throscidae) from The Bahamas, Insecta Mundi 2015 (412), pp. 1-6 : 2-4

Aulonothroscus inawa new species

( Figures 1–2 )

Description. Male. Body ( Fig. 1 ) 2.7–2.8 mm long, 1.3–1.4 mm wide; elongate-ovate, broadest across humeri, shallowly convex, shining, dorsum piceus, venter castaneus, and antennae, palpomeres and tarsi brunneopiceus; pubescence pale cinereus.

Head larger punctures separated 0.2–0.5 times own diameter, interpunctural spaces finely punctured; frontal carinae close to and curving around eyes, diverging around antennal fossae to anterolateral angles of frons. Antenna capitate; antennomere 2 subequal in length to antennomeres 3 and 4 together, and 1.5 times as wide; antennomeres 3–8 short, subcylindrical; antennomeres 9–11 abruptly forming a subserratiform club, densely setose.

Pronotum sparsely, moderately punctured, interpunctural spaces twice puncture diameter, minutely punctured; transverse antescutellar region ill-defined, minutely punctured; antescutellar region with fine median ridge, indistinct paramedial impressions; hind angle dorsal carina fine, subparallel to lateral margin, reaching about 60% of distance to anterior margin. Elytra 3.1 times mesal length of pronotum. Stria 1 finely, shallowly grooved; striae 2–4 of fine to moderate serial punctures; striae 5–8 finely, shallowly grooved; striae 8–9 deeply impressed in basal half, fine apically. Intervals flat minutely, confusedly punctured. Metaventrite finely, sparsely punctured on disc, larger laterally; densely pubescent; transverse tarsal sulcus shallowly arching basally, strongly arcing laterally to lateroposterior angle. Middle and hind tibiae with fringe of long setae along dorsal angle. Tarsomere 3 slightly dilated apically; tarsomere 4 with membranous ventral lobe extending about half-length of tarsomere 5.

Abdominal ventrites finely punctured on disc, coarsely punctured laterally. Aedeagus ( Fig. 2 ) with basal piece 0.55 times total length, two large ventrolateral setae at shoulder, and deeply, narrowly incised basally; median lobe 0.33 times total length, evenly attenuate apically, apex subtruncate, 0.75 times length of lateral lobe; each lateral lobe 0.45 times total length, attenuate, apex slightly incurved, acuminate, ventrally with dense brush of long setae.

Female unknown.

Type Material. HOLOTYPE, male, labeled “ BAHAMAS: Great Inagua, Matthew Town , at light, 9 July 2007, R. Turnbow ( FSCA).

Paratype: BAHAMAS, Great Inagua, 2-3 mi. N. Salt Pond Hill, 14-vii-2007, blacklight trap, Thomas, Turnbow & Smith (1, FSCA).

Etymology. The species epithet “ inawa ” is a noun in apposition and comes from the Taino term “ i na wa ” for the island of Great Inagua, which translates to “small eastern island” ( Granberry 1991; Granberry and Vescelius 2004).

Discussion. This species represents part of the “ Aulonothroscus sp. 2 ” specimen series of Turnbow and Thomas (2008). In the species key by Blanchard (1917), A. inawa fails to trace through the key due to the combination of entire compound eyes, carinate frons, and long prosternal carinae.

Figures

Figures 1–4. Aulonothroscus species. 1) Aulonothroscus inawa Johnson, new species, adult habitus. 2) Aulonothroscus inawa Johnson, new species, aedeagus, dorsal aspect. 3) Aulonothroscus sibateo Johnson, new species, adult habitus. 4) Aulonothroscus sibateo Johnson, new species, aedeagus, dorsal habitus. Scale bars = 0.5 mm.