Cheleion watanabei Kakizoe, Maruyama & Masumoto

Kakizoe, Showtaro, Maruyama, Munetoshi & Masumoto, Kimio, 2019, Cheleionwatanabei sp. n., a new species of Stereomerini (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Aphodiinae), and description of the male of C. jendeki, ZooKeys 824, pp. 45-52 : 45

Cheleion watanabei Kakizoe, Maruyama & Masumoto sp. n. Figs 1-4, 9, 11

Type material.

Holotype, female, deposited in the National Museum of Nature and Science, Tsukuba, Japan: "PENINSULAR MALAYSIA, Pahang, Cameron Highlands, Tanah Rata, 8-12. III. 2006, T. Watanabe leg., by FIT [= flight interception trap]".

Distribution.

(Fig. 12) Peninsular Malaysia, Pahang, Cameron Highlands, Tanah Rata.

Etymology.

Dedicated to Mr Takashi Watanabe, the collector of the type specimen.

Diagnosis.

This new species is easily distinguished from all known congeners by the following character states: 1) larger body size (total body length ca. 2.5 mm); 2) anterior ridges of the two distinct pronotal depressions short; 3) pads bearing lanceolate scale on the elytra slightly developed; 4) elytral posterior margin strongly depressed; and 5) elytral ridges indistinct.

Description.

Holotype female. Large species (2.51 mm). Body (Figs 1-4) slightly convex dorsally, dorsal surface more or less covered with appressed lanceolate scales, general color uniformly matte brown. Head (Figs 1-4) wide, subrectangular in dorsal view, with densely appressed lanceolate scales. Clypeus impunctate, shiny, apically pointed and reflexed under head. Frons flat with five anteriorly divergent furrows, second and fourth furrows strongly curved medially. Genal tip slightly obtusely angular in dorsal view. Eyes large, visible ventrally, less visible dorsally. Occiput with numerous small, longitudinal punctures. Antennae long, amber colored, with long setae; club lamellae long. Maxillary palpi as long as head, amber colored, with securiform ultimate palpomeres. Prothorax (Figs 1-4) large and transverse, anterior edge slightly bisinuate, side edges weakly rounded in dorsal view. Base of pronotum with a median protrusion, wider than base of elytra. Pronotal disc with seven furrows medially, concave at middle of hourglass pattern, with tufts of dense trichomes, with densely appressed lanceolate scales; mid furrow shallower than lateral furrows. Lateral furrows large, flat. Subtriangular depressions delineated by more furrows sparsely appressed lanceolate scales medially. Anteromedial disc distinctly high, tuberculate; promedial disc and posterolateral sides slightly low, less tuberculate than anteromedial disc. Prosternum fairly elevated and expanded anteriad and posteriad, rugose; anterior part grooved longitudinally and sinuate apically, posterior part hastate; prosternal spine apically pointed. Scutellum (Figs 1, 3, 4, 9) triangular, notably small. Elytra (Figs 1-4, 9, 11) approximately as wide as pronotum and only slightly longer than pronotum and head combined; feebly tapered posteriad, fairly rounded apically; posterior margin strongly depressed. Each elytron with three indistinct ridges; intervals (between ridges) flat, rugose, with densely appressed lanceolate scales. Epipleura broadly inflexed; posterior two-thirds of lateral edge slightly recurved to allow free movement of metalegs. Macropterous. Mesoventrite (Fig. 2) strongly narrow with alutaceous and punctured surface. Metaventrite (Fig. 2) flat, alutaceous, subtriangular, tapering, widest anteriorly, grooved along midline, with coarse, macrosetigerous punctures. Legs (Figs 1-4) short with broad femora and tibiae. Femora shiny, covered with coarse, macrosetigerous punctures. Protibiae flattened; each with two teeth on outer edge, sparsely macrosetose outward. Protarsi pentamerous, amber colored, long, sparsely macrosetose medially, inserted well before protibial apex. Proclaws normal, symmetrical. Meso- and metatibiae with concave, sparsely macrosetose apex; each with five inconspicuous terminal spurs; dorsal sides shiny, glabrous; ventrolateral sides with densely appressed lanceolate scales. Meso- and metatarsi tetramerous, short, compacted-complanate, sparsely macrosetose medially. Meso- and metaclaws slightly weak, symmetrical. Abdomen (Fig. 2) with five visible ventrites apparently fused, covered with coarse, dense, macrosetigerous punctures. Pygidium exposed, strongly punctate proximally, less strongly apically.

Male. Unknown.

Measurements.

Body length 2.51 mm; maximum width of head 0.79 mm; median dorsal length of pronotum 0.74 mm, maximum width 1.16 mm; sutural length of elytra 1.15 mm, maximum length 1.26 mm, maximum width 1.22 mm.