Scirtes mahensis, Ruta, Rafal, 2008

Ruta, Rafal, 2008, Contribution to the knowledge of Seychellois Scirtidae (Coleoptera: Scirtoidea), Zootaxa 1913, pp. 49-68 : 64-66

Scirtes mahensis sp. nov.

( Figs. 52–60 )

Type material (1 male). Holotype, male. “ SEYCH., Mahé, 1992 / Bel Ombre, 18.12 / leg. Malicky” (printed label); “ HOLOTYPE / Scirtes mahensis sp. n. / des. Rafał Ruta 2008” (red label, printed). Deposited in NMW.

Diagnosis. Body uniformly brown, elytra boadest in posterior half; distinguishable from similar species on the basis of the morphology of male genitalia (tegmen and penis fused, aedeagus asymmetrical with inner process curved).

Description. Holotype, male. Measurements (n = 1): TL 2.18, EW 1.43, EL 1.75, PW 1.03, PL 0.38, HW 0.68, HL 0.4, interocular space 0.45, greatest depth of body 0.78.

Body oblong oval, moderately convex, and covered with brownish hairs. Elytra, scutellum and pronotum brown, head dark brown, ventrum lighter, brownish. Legs yellowish-brown, antennae yellow. Body 1.53 times as long as broad.

Head 1.69 times as broad as long, 1.5 times wider than interocular space, with subtle punctures separated by a single diameter, eyes moderately protuberant. Antennae filiform, terminal 4 (in right antenna) and 3 (in left antenna) antennomeres missing in the holotype; antennomere 1 and 2 wider than remaining ones, cylindrical, antennomere 3 shortest, antennomere 4 longest; length ratios of antennomeres 2.5: 1.5: 1.0: 2.0: 2.0: 2.0: 2.0: 2.0; L/W ratios of antennomeres 1.67, 1.5, 1.33, 2.0, 2.0, 2.0, 2.0, 2.0. Clypeus transverse, with explanate anterolateral angles. Labrum very small, with rounded anterior angles. Mandibles very small, reduced.

Pronotum small, transverse, widest at posterior angles, 2.73 times as broad as long. Pronotum with punctation similar to that of head, punctures separated by a single diameter. Posterior margin of pronotum bisinuate. Anterior angles slightly explanate.

Scutellum subtriangular, with very subtle punctation.

Elytra elongate oval, without longitudinal ridges, slightly widening posteriorly, 1.23 times as long as broad and 4.67 times as long as pronotum. Sides rounded in posterior half, regularly converging to apex. Humeri evident. Punctation relatively dense, punctures evenly larger than on head and pronotum, distance between punctures 0.5–1.0 diameter. Epipleura gradually narrowing, reduced in apical portion. Hind wings fully developed.

Prosternal process elongate, laminar, forming a sharp ridge. Mesocoxae separated by an extremely narrow and long process with subparallel sides (ca. 8 times as long as wide), metaventral discrimen present in posterior half of metaventrite. Metacoxae touching one another. Ratios of ventrites’ lengths: 1.0: 2.0: 1.5: 1.5: 2.0. Ventrite 1 with two small foveae near posterior margin, ventrite 2 with few larger punctures along mesal part of anterior margin, last ventrite not emarginate, with 2 small teeth in the posterior area. Metafemora enlarged, ca. 4.5 times broader than metatibia. Metatibial spurs present, more than 0.7 length of tarsomere 1, regularly curved. Shorter spur curved, as long as 0.3 of the length of tarsomere 1. and 0.4 of the length of the longer spur.

Male genitalia. Aedeagus (L 0.45, W 0.15) asymmetrical and ventrally depressed; inner process of aedeagus curved, with minute denticles on one side; parameroids long, with a spinose area at the mid point. Sternite 9 (L 0.17 W 0.1) minute, with a setose apex. Tergite 8 (L 0.6, W 0.32) with long apodemes; tergite 9 consisting of two hemitergites, each hemitergite (L 0.70, W 0.07) with a long rod-like apodeme and spinose apical portion.

Female unknown.

Name derivation. From Mahé island, terra typica of this species.

TABLE. 1. Collection localities of Seychellois Scirtidae

Species Island Localities

Cyphon biperforatus Mahé Cascade Estate

Cyphon insularius Mahé Cascade Estate; slopes of Morne Seychellois; Morne Seychellois over 450 m. a.s.l.; country above Port Glaud, 150- 300 m. a.s.l., Mare aux Cochons District, 300- 600 m. a.s.l.

Silhouette forest above Mare aux Cochons; Mare aux Cochons, plateau and jungle; Grande Barbe (coastal marsh)

Cyphon mahensis Mahé Mare aux Cochons District, 300- 600 m. a.s.l.; country above Port

Glaud, 150- 300 m. a.s.l.

Scirtes confinis sp. nov. Mahé nr. Morne Blanc c. 300 m. a.s.l.; Cascade Estate, c. 300 m. a.s.l.; Mare

aux Cochons District, 300- 600 m. a.s.l.

Silhouette Mare aux Cochons, plateau and jungle

Scirtes flavohumeralis sp. nov. Mahé Anse aux Pins, La Roussette Hotel and surroundings (at light); Riv. du

Cap; Grand Police Bay

Grande Soeur no precise data

La Digue La Digue Veuve Reserve

Silhouette Grande Barbe

Praslin Anse Lazio, lagune

Scirtes mahensis sp. nov. Mahé Bel Ombre

Scirtes seychellensis Mahé Mare aux Cochons District 300- 600 m. a.s.l.; Mare aux Cochons District, marsh at summit of pass, 600 m. a.s.l.; Cascade Estate, c. 300 m. a.s.l., forest

Figures

FIGURES 52 – 60. Scirtes mahensis sp. nov. 52) holotype, habitus; 53) ventrites 1 & 2; 54) ventrite 5, apex; 55) male genitalia; 56) apex of male genitalia, close-up; 57) aedeagus; 58) sternite 9; 59) tergite 8; 60) hemitergite of tergite 9. Scale bar = 0.2 mm (for Figs. 57 – 60).