Prionocerus malaysiacus, Geiser, Michael, 2010

Geiser, Michael, 2010, Studies on Prionoceridae (Coleoptera: Cleroidea). II. A revision of the genus Prionocerus Perty, 1831, Zootaxa 2328, pp. 1-48 : 34-36

Prionocerus malaysiacus n. sp.

Holotype 3: Malaysia –W; Pahang, Cameron Highlands, ~ 1500 m, Tanah Rata (35 km SEE Ipoh), 4°28' N 101°23' E, 19.–31. III. 2003, M. Řiha & M. Nĕmec leg.; NHMB.

Paratypes (1 3, 5 Ƥ): 1 3: "Malay Penin, Pahang, F. M. S., Fraser's Hill, 4200', Jan. 19th 1920, H. M. Pendlebury, F. M. S. Museums" ( MNHP); 2 Ƥ: Malaysia, W. Pahang, Cameron Highlands, Tanah, Rata, 1500–1600 m, 2.–26. III. 2004, P. Pacholátko leg. ( NHMB); 1 Ƥ: Pahang, F. M. S., Fraser Hill, 3500-4500', 12. VIII. 1923, H. M. Pendlebury leg., ex coll. F.M.S. Mus., B. M. 1927–12. ( NHML); 2 Ƥ: Pahang, F. M. S., Lubok Tamang, G. Taybakay, 4500 ft., 9. VI. 1923, H. M. Pendlebury leg., ex coll. F.M.S. Mus., B. M. 1927– 12. ( NHML).

The male from "Fraser's Hill" at MNHP was identified as P. coeruleipennis var. diversicollis by M. Pic (see above under P. coeruleipennis ).

Other material examined: MALAYSIA: PAHANG: Cameron Highlands, Tanah Rata, 1500–1700 m, 1.–13. II. 2003, P. Pacholátko leg. 1 Ƥ ( NHMB).

Type locality: Tanah Rata, Pahang, Malaysia.

Measurements 3 (n = 2): TBL 10.0– 10.2 mm, L-h 8.3–8.7 mm

HL 1.5–1.7 mm, PL 1.5–1.7 mm, EL 6.8–7.0 mm

Measurements Ƥ (n = 6): TBL 10.7–12.0 mm, L-h 9.0– 10.3 mm

HL 1.5–1.8 mm, PL 1.6–1.9 mm, EL 7.4–8.4 mm

Differential diagnosis: Distinguished from all other species of the genus by its aedeagus, especially the median lobe, as well as by the last abdominal sternite in males. Similar in coloration to P. opacipennis and P. championi , but smaller and with broader pronotum and smaller antennae as P. opacipennis and with narrower, more filigrane antennae than P. championi . The dark greenish, metallic coloration can rarely also occur in P. coeruleipennis , but this species, like P. b i c o l o r, has the antennae more strongly serrate with the segments 7–10 much wider.

Description: Habitus as in figs. 37 (3) and 38 (Ƥ). Body black with slight greenish or bluish metallic lustre. Pronotum bright reddish orange, in some specimens with a bluish black spot in the middle of the disc. Elytra and scutellum metallic dark green. Antennae black, with segments 10–11, a part of segment 9, and sometimes the outer edge of segment 8 brownish orange, the three basal segments with slight blue metallic lustre and often some slightly reddish parts. Maxillary and labial palpi almost entirely black, only the outer edge may be slightly reddish. Tarsi black, claws orange brown.

Head behind the eyes wider than half of the pronotum. Vertex shining, sparsely and finely punctate and with some black hairs. Frons between eyes slightly rugulose, narrower than the length of the first antennal joint in males, almost as broad as the first two joints in females; in front of the eyes depressed and slightly rugose. Clypeus trapezoidal, wider than long and slightly convex, slightly shagreened. Labrum about as long as wide or slightly wider, rather flat and more coarsely punctate than the head, with some long blackish hairs.

Male antennae short, reaching only the shoulders of the elytra in length. First three segments subfiliform, segments 4–5 only very slightly widened and flattened, 6–10 of subtriangular shape, widened. Last segment not conspicuously widened, but large and strongly emarginate. First segment long, second very short, only about one third as long, third to fifth again long, like the first or slightly longer, sixth to tenth decreasing in length, but increasing in width, the last segment longest, about 1.5 times as long as the first. Female antennae of about the same length, only scarcely reaching the humeral callus; apical segment slightly shorter, otherwise everything of similar shape than in males.

Pronotum slightly longer than wide, maximal length: maximal width 1: 0.92–1: 0.98, subhexagonal, widest part in front half, before the middle, all angles rounded, basal angles of about 90°; with two shallow, sometimes very vague, oblique impressions in the basal half, at both sides of the disc, slightly convex near hind angles and in the middle of the disc; finely bordered, the bordering becoming very vague in the middle of the front margin; shining, sparsely covered with shallow punctures and black (or sometimes golden yellow) short, suberect hairs; lateral margins with some slightly longer black hair-like setae.

Elytra about 2.7–2.9 times as long as wide in males, about 2.6 times in females, of almost parallel shape, very slightly wider in apical half; humeral area convex, slightly flattened towards the apex; finely and very densely, rugosely punctate over their whole surface; regularly covered with very fine, short, recumbent, golden brownish hairs, and bearing few, blackish, erect hairs, which, contrary to P. coeruleipennis and P. bicolor , are hardly visible if not seen in profile; without distinct granular rows. Margins distinctly crenulate, the crenules all bearing blackish setae. Scutellum as in P. coeruleipennis .

Femora metallic, shining, with fine punctures and rather long, greyish pubescence intermixed with short, blackish setae. Tibiae slightly metallic, densely covered with brownish setae. Tarsi not metallic, with blackish or brownish setae, intermixed with greyish hairs.

Abdomen with rather long, but not very dense, greyish, recumbent pubescence and some longer black, suberect setae; the fissure-like punctures confluent, forming a somewhat rugose texture.

Male: Last abdominal sternite of similar shape as in P. b i c o l o r, slightly narrower, slightly larger, but less transverse than in P. coeruleipennis (fig. 26); emargination of basal margin narrower, only in the middle of the sternite. Emargination of apical margin similar to P. b i c o l o r, the opening of transverse shape, the last tergite not emarginate.

Aedeagus (figs. 4, 11, 18): Process of phallobase pointing backwards. Paramera flat and arcuate, much more strongly curved than in the preceding species. Seen in dorsal view, they are broad, almost straight, but slightly diverging from near the base, causing a increasing gap between them, which then becomes smaller through the slightly converging apices. Median lobe straight from near the base until apex, not bent upwards and without a dorsal tooth. Its tip (after ostium) strongly flattened and slightly pointing downwards. Median lobe in dorsal view with very elongate, apically broadened ostium, its sides slightly thickened before the apex, then drawn into a subtriangular, slightly rounded tip with a weak middle furrow.

Sexual dimorphism: Females are slightly larger than males, with slightly broader and less parallelshaped elytra, as well as slightly smaller and more widely separated eyes. Antennal dimorphism is weak in this species.

Variability: The single female which is not designated as paratype here, differs from all other specimens by the dull black coloration of the elytra. Otherwise, no differences could be found. More material, including males, would be useful to find out if this colour variation has any taxonomic significance.

Distribution (fig. 45): So far known only from the Cameron Highlands in peninsular Malaysia.

Derivatio nominis: Named after Malaysia, its country of origin.