Morulaptoma Opitz, 2019

Opitz, Weston, 2019, Classification, Natural History, and Evolution of the Subfamily Peloniinae (Coleoptera: Cleroidea: Cleridae). Part XIV. Taxonomy of the South American Genera Corinthiscus Fairmaire and Germain, Morulaptoma Opitz, New Genus, and Petorca Opitz, New Genus, The Coleopterists Bulletin 73 (2), pp. 329-342 : 334-336

Morulaptoma Opitz , new genus

Zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:0879D47E-06CB-4D4C-9AC3-1CFD150AB9ED

Type Species. Corinthiscus nigra ( Chevrolat, 1876) . By present designation.

Diagnosis. The elytral punctures extend to the elytral apices. This characteristic will separate the members of this species from superficially similar specimens of Corinthiscus and Petorca Opitz , new genus. Also, the unguis of Morulaptoma specimens shows a well-developed denticle, which is not the case in specimens of the other two aforementioned genera.

Synapotypic Characteristic. Elytral punctures extend to the elytral apices.

Description. Size: Length 4.0–5.0 mm; width 1.5–1.7 mm. Form: Oblong, rectangular, about 3 times longer than broad ( Figs. 25–26 ). Vestiture: Dorsum vested with pale setae; antennae moderately setose; elytra vested with 1° and 2° setae.

20) Tree 1; 21) Tree 2.

Head: Cranium subquadrate, frons wider than width of eye, with coarse, setiferous punctures; mandible stout, anterior dens acuminate, medial and posterior dens well-developed; terminal maxillary palpomere subdigitiform; labium with ligula deeply incised, terminal palpomere subsecuriform; eyes small, coarsely facetted, ocular notch moderately sized; antenna ( Figs. 2–3 ) comprised of 11 antennomeres, capitate, capitulum elongate. Thorax: Pronotum quadrate ( Figs. 6–7 ), anterior limit of dorsolateral carina ending at pronotal tubercle, disc convex, lateral tubercles subacuminate; prointercoxal process broad, not expanded distally, pronotal projections short, acuminate, not approximating prointercoxal process; elytra with asetiferous punctures that extend to elytral apices,

(tree 3).

epipleural fold narrow and tapered to elytral apex, anterior margin of elytra not carinate; profemora swollen, anterior margin without spines, tibial spur formula 1-2-1, tarsal pulvillar formula 3-3-2, unguis with basal denticle. Abdomen: Aedeagus shorter than length of abdomen, distal region of phallobase lobed, phallobasic lobes not fimbriate, tegmen very reduced, submembranous, phallobasic struts not confluent with phallobasic apodeme, phallobasic rod absent, phallic plates narrow; spicular plates slightly flared, spicular apodemes not fused, intraspicular plate oblong-linear.

Distribution. This bitypic genus is known from Brazil ( Fig. 23 ).

Etymology. Morulaptoma is a compound name that stems from the Greek Ptoma (= carcass) and the Latin morulus (= dark), in reference to the body coloration of the members of this genus. The gender is feminine.

Notes. This genus contains two species: Morulaptoma nigra ( Chevrolat, 1876) and Morulaptoma canuta Opitz , new species.

Morulaptoma canuta Opitz , new species Zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:3DDA83BF-1262-4482-BB0D-E74CA45D4AA6 ( Figs. 2, 6, 11 , 23 , 26 )

Holotype. BRAZIL. Estado do Santa Catarina, Nova Teutonia, 21°11 ′ La., 52°23 ′ Lo , XI-3-1941, Fritz Plaumann ( AMNH).

Diagnosis. The only known specimen of this species has a patch of grey setae behind the middle of the elytra.

Description. Size: Length 5.0 mm; width 1.7 mm. Form: As in Fig. 26 . Color: Black, except elytral disc with pale anterior bullule, patch of grey setae behind middle, and elytral apex narrowly pale. Head: Funicular antennomeres oblong or quadrate, antennomere 9 longer than combined length of funicular antennomeres, antennomeres 9 and 10 oblong-triangular ( Fig. 2 ), antennomere 11 oblong; frons wider than width of eye (FW/EW = 23/20). Thorax: Pronotum quadrate (PW/PL = 68/68), lateral margins with well-defined tubercle ( Fig. 6 ), disc coarsely punctate; elytral asetiferous punctation extending to elytral apices, EL/EW = 190/50; protibial anterior margin not spinose. Abdomen: Pygidium scutiform.

Distribution. Morulaptoma canuta is known only from southern Brazil ( Fig. 23 ).

Etymology. The trivial name, canuta , is a Latin adjective that stems from canus (= grey), in reference to the grey setal patch on the elytral disc.

Figures

Figs. 24–27. Habitus. 24) Corinthiscus insignicornis (magnification 19X); 25) Morulaptoma nigra (magnification

Figs. 1–12. Morphological structures. Male antenna: 1) Corinthiscus insignicornis; 2) Morulaptoma canuta; 3) Morulaptoma nigra; 4) Petorca denticolla. Pronotum 5) C. insignicornis; 6) M. canuta; 7) M. nigra; 8) P. denticolla. Elytron. 9) C. insignicornis; 10) P. denticolla; 11) M. canuta; 12) M. nigra.

Fig. 23. Known geographical distribution of Corinthiscus, Morulaptoma, and Petorca species.