Cryptalaus alveolatus Parekar & Patwardhan, 2021

Parekar, Harshad, Danani, Drashti & Patwardhan, Amol, 2024, Rediscovery and Redescription of Cryptalaus cardoni (Candèze, 1890) comb. nov (Coleoptera: Elateridae) after a century with notes on other Cryptalaus Ôhira species in India, Zootaxa 5399 (1), pp. 52-64 : 57

Cryptalaus alveolatus Parekar & Patwardhan, 2021

( Figures 15–20 , 28–33 )

Cryptalaus alveolatus Parekar & Patwardhan, 2021: 19987 (original description; type locality: Supegaon , Raigad district, Maharashtra, India).

New material examined. 1 male (HN35), INDIA: Haathi Gate, SGNP , Mumbai, Maharashtra, 29.x.2022, on light, coll. D. Danani ( ZKJSSC) ; 1 female (HN412), INDIA: Haathi Gate, SGNP , Mumbai, Maharashtra, 27.vii.2022, on light, coll. D. Danani ( ZKJSSC) ; 1 female, INDIA: Amboori, Thiruvananthapuram , Kerala, 3.vii.2022, coll. unknown ( ZKJSSC) .

Distribution. INDIA: Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala (new state record).

Additional description. Male (HN35). Body similar to female (compared with the holotype and new material), just slightly more elongate ( Figs 15, 16 ), 20 mm long, 5 mm wide (holotype female: 26 mm long, 6.8 mm wide). Frons ( Figs 15, 19 ) more emarginate than in female. Antennae ( Fig. 20 ) slightly longer than in female, reaching just beyond half of pronotal length in dorsal view. Length ratio of antennomeres II–IV is about 1.0: 1.6: 2.6. Abdominal ventrite V ( Fig. 18 ) anteriorly (measured near anterior edge) 1.65 times as wide as long. Tergite VIII ( Fig. 28 ) somewhat v-shaped with very slightly truncated tip, about 1.45 times as wide as long, anterior edge concave; medially without any long setae, apicolatterally somewhat densely punctate with long bristle-like setae than medial region. Sternite VIII ( Fig. 29 ) widely v-shaped with smoothly concave posterior edge, about 1.70 times as wide as long, densely covered with setae along darker posterior edge; translucent median area with mickey-mouse-like contour and sparse punctures. Tergites IX–X ( Fig. 30 ) connected with membrane; tergite IX more than twice as wide as long, anterior margin bisinuous, sides sloping in posteriad, posterior edge abruptly incurved medially, posteriorly with dense punctures; tergite X small, widely subpentagonal. Sternite IX ( Fig. 31 ) almost twice as long as wide, posteriorly widely rounded and translucent with sparser, longer setae than on darker subapical area, sides abruptly constricted medially, anterior arch with slightly incurved sclerotized area forming v-shaped edge. Aedeagus ( Fig. 32 ) more than twice as long as wide; median lobe distinctly longer than parameres, wider at base, gradually slightly narrowing after basal two-third to somewhat weakly pointed apex; basal struts moderately long, robust, about 0.27 times as long as aedeagus and 0.43 times as long as median lobe, wider towards apex, apically rounded. Paramere ( Fig. 32, 33 ) abruptly yet smoothly incurved behind subapical hook, sides somewhat subparallel with tiny bristly setae along edge just behind subapical hook and inner margin with elongate setae more on ventral side than on dorsal; apical lobe of paramere triangular, about 1.4 times as long as wide (width measured along subapical hook) with narrowly rounded apex, outer margin straight towards subapical hook, inner margin translucent with sinuate edge submedially; subapical hook somewhat rounded.

Remarks. The female specimen obtained from the village Amboori (Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala) extends the range of this species to Kerala.

Figures

FIGURES 15–21. Morphology and habitat of Cryptalaus alveolatus Parekar & Patwardhan, 2021, male (HN35). 15, habitus, dorsal view; 16, habitus, ventral view; 17, elytral apex, dorsal view; 18, abdominal ventrite V, ventral view; 19, head, anterodorsal view; 20, antenna, anterolateral view; 21, habitat, collection site of C. alveolatus in SGNP, Mumbai, Maharashtra.

FIGURES 22–33. Genitalia and terminalia of Cryptalaus spp. 22–27, Cryptalaus cardoni (Candèze, 1890) comb. nov., male (TN275). 22, abdominal tergite VIII; 23, abdominal sternite VIII; 24, abdominal tergites IX–X; 25, abdominal sternite IX; 26, aedeagus, dorsal view; 27, detail of paramere, ventral view. 28–33, Cryptalaus alveolatus Parekar & Patwardhan, 2021, male (HN35). 28, abdominal tergite VIII; 29, abdominal sternite VIII; 30, abdominal tergites IX–X; 31, abdominal sternite IX; 32, aedeagus, dorsal view; 33, detail of paramere, ventral view.