Scirtes confinis, Ruta, Rafal, 2008

Ruta, Rafal, 2008, Contribution to the knowledge of Seychellois Scirtidae (Coleoptera: Scirtoidea), Zootaxa 1913, pp. 49-68 : 59-61

Scirtes confinis sp. nov.

( Figs. 38–43 )

Type material (7 males). Holotype, male. Mounted on card bearing number 42 [nr. Morne Blanc, c. 1000ft., 13.xi.1908]; “ Mahe, 1908-9. / Seychelles Exp.” (printed label); “ex syntypes series of Scirtes seychellensis Champion, 1924 ” (printed label); “ HOLOTYPUS / Scirtes confinis sp. n. / des. Rafał Ruta 2008” (red label, printed). Deposited in CUMZ. Paratypes. 1 male: Mounted on card bearing number 104 [ Mahe, Cascade Estate, c. 800ft. and over]; “ Mahe, 1908-9. / Seychelles Exp.” (printed label); “ex syntypes series of Scirtes seychellensis Champion, 1924 ” (printed label); “ PARATYPUS / Scirtes confinis sp. n. / des. Rafał Ruta 2008” (red label, printed). Deposited in CUMZ. 1 male: Mounted on card bearing number 85 [Mare aux Cochons District, 1000-2000ft., 26.i.1909]; “ Mahe, 1908-9. / Seychelles Exp.” (printed label); “ex syntypes series of Scirtes seychellensis Champion, 1924 ” (printed label); “ PARATYPUS / Scirtes confinis sp. n. / des. Rafał Ruta 2008” (red label, printed). Deposited in CUMZ. 1 male: Mounted on card bearing number 94 [Cascade Estate, c. 1000ft., ii-iii.1909]; “ Mahe, 1908-9. / Seychelles Exp.” (printed label); “ex syntypes series of Scirtes seychellensis Champion, 1924 ” (printed label); “ PARATYPUS / Scirtes confinis sp. n. / des. Rafał Ruta 2008” (red label, printed). Deposited in CUMZ. 1 male: Mounted on card bearing number 42 [nr. Morne Blanc, c. 1000ft., 13.xi.1908]; “ Mahe, 1908-9. / Seychelles Exp.” (printed label); “ex syntypes series of Scirtes seychellensis Champion, 1924 ” (printed label); “ PARATYPUS / Scirtes confinis sp. n. / des. Rafał Ruta 2008” (red label, printed). Deposited in CUMZ. 1 male: Mounted on card bearing number 47 [nr. Morne Blanc, xi. 1908]; “ Mahe, 1908-9. / Seychelles Exp.” (printed label); “ex syntypes series of Scirtes seychellensis Champion, 1924 ” (printed label); “ PARATYPUS / Scirtes confinis sp. n. / des. Rafał Ruta 2008” (red label, printed). Deposited in CUMZ. 1 male: Mounted on card bearing number 17 [Mare aux Cochons, plateau and jungle, viii.1908]; “Silhouette, 1908. / Seychelles Exp.” (printed label); “ex syntypes series of Scirtes seychellensis Champion, 1924 ” (printed label); “ PARATYPUS / Scirtes confinis sp. n. / des. Rafał Ruta 2008” (red label, printed). Deposited in CUMZ.

Diagnosis. Externally identical to S. seychellensis . Distinguishable from similar species on the basis of the morphology of male genitalia (penis symmetrical, with long parameroids, tegmen symmetrical, tergite 8 long, apices tapered and devoid of setation).

Description. Holotype, male. Measurements: TL 2.05, EW 1.33, EL 1.7, PW 0.98, PL 0.43, HW 0.68, HL 0.32, interocular space 0.49, greatest depth of body 0.73.

Body oblong oval, flattened, and covered with yellowish hairs. Elytra, scutellum, head and ventrum brown, pronotum lighter, yellowish-brown. Legs light brown, antennae with first 3 antennomeres yellow, remaining yellowish-brown. Body 1.2 times as long as broad.

Head 2.13 times as broad as long, 1.39 times wider than interocular space, with subtle granulate punctation, eyes moderately protuberant. Antennae filiform, reaching base of elytra, antennomere 1 subcylindrical, 2 subglobular, antennomere 3 shortest; length ratios of antennomeres 2.0: 1.5: 1.0: 2.0: 1.75: 1.75: 1.75: 1.75: 1.75: 1.75: 2.0; length/width ratios of antennomeres 1.6, 1.5, 2.0, 2.67, 2.33, 2.33, 2.33, 2.33, 2.33, 2.33, 2.67. Clypeus semirectangular, with slightly emarginate anterior margin, lateral edges explanate.

Labrum reduced, hidden under clypeus. Mandibles subtriangular, small, reduced.

Pronotum small, almost semicircular, anterior angles rounded, 2.3 times as broad as long, widest at posterior angles. Pronotum with subtle punctation. Posterior margin of pronotum bisinuate.

Scutellum subtriangular, with subtle punctation. Base of elytra only slightly wider than base of pronotum.

Elytra elongate oval, without longitudinal ridges, 1.28 times as long as broad and 4 times as long as pronotum. Sides rounded, regularly converging to apex. Humeri slightly protruding. Punctation relatively dense and deep, punctures fusing into transverse lines, distance between punctures = 0.5 diameter. Epipleura gradually narrowing, reduced in apical part. Hind wings fully developed.

Prosternal process elongate, laminar, forming a sharp ridge, apex tapered. Mesocoxae separated by a very long (ca. 4 times as long as wide) process with subparallel sides slightly dilating in apical portion, metaventral discrimen indistinct. Metacoxae touching one another. Ratios of ventrites’ lengths: 1.0: 2.1: 2.0: 2.0: 1.9. Last ventrite not emarginate. Ventrite 2 with few larger punctures on mesal portion of anterior margin. Metafemora enlarged, ca. 5 times broader than metatibia. Metatibial spurs present, longer almost straight, as long as 2/3 length of 1st tarsomere, with small tooth on margin. Shorter spur as long as 0.4 of the length of the longer spur.

Male genitalia. Penis (L 0.18, W 0.06) with very narrow parameroids and reduced centema; tegmen (L 0.32, W 0.08) bifid in apical half; sternite 9 (L 0.2, W 0.11) small, with hooked apices and few setae on apical margin; tergite 8 (L 0.5, W 0.18) relatively large, consisting of two rod-like hemitergites, tempered in the apical portions and devoid of setation; tergite 9 (L 0.43, W 0.8) with row of setae on apical margin.

Variability. Total length 1.88–2.25 (mean 2.1, n = 7). Coloration almost invariate, pronotum always distinctly lighter than head and elytra, yellowish. Elytra and head brown.

Female unknown.

Name derivation. Referring to external similarity to Scirtes sechellensis .

Figures

FIGURES 38 – 43. Scirtes confinis sp. nov. 38) habitus; 39) penis; 40) tegmen; 41) sternite 9; 42) tergite 8; 43) tergite 9. Scale bar = 0.2 mm (for Figs. 39 – 43).