Deretus maderai, Purchart, Luboš, 2012

Purchart, Luboš, 2012, Biodiversity research of darkling beetles on Socotra Island. Part I. The genus Deretus Gahan, 1900 (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), Zootaxa 3153, pp. 57-68 : 62-63

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.211332
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6180206
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/732487F5-BD48-6E7C-EBEF-A113FEECFBA1
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Deretus maderai
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Deretus maderai sp. nov.

( Fig. 6, 7 View FIGURES 1 – 7 , 16, 21 View FIGURES 19 – 23 , 26)

Deretus wraniki: Schawaller 2004: 457 (with figure of habitus) (partim, female paratype).

Type locality. Yemen, Socotra Island, Shibhon.

Type material. Holotype —(13 NMPC): Yemen, Socotra Island, Shibhon, 680 m, N 12°28´1.5´´, E 53°58´31.4´´, 13. vi. 2009, L. Purchart lgt. The paratypes —(23 + 2Ƥ LPCB): same data as holotype; (1 ƤLPCB, 1Ƥ NMPC): Yemen, Socotra Island, Firmihin plato, 400–500 m, N 12°28´45´´, E 54°00´89´´, 18.–19. vi. 2010, V. Hula & J. Niedobová leg.; (1Ƥ SBCB): YEMEN E, Socotra Isl., 6.–24.ix.1999, V. Bejček & K. Šťastný lgt. // COLLECTION STANISLAV BEČVÁŘ {yellow label} // PARATYPUS, Deretus wraniki n. sp., SCHAWALLER 2000 {red label} // Collection Stanislav Bečvář {green label}.

Differential diagnosis. This species can be separated from D. hulai sp. nov. by its transverse pronotum ( Fig. 16) and smooth elytra (in D. hulai sp. nov. subquadrate—Fig. 15 and sculptured respectively). From D. bezdeki sp. nov. it differs by having smooth elytra, a non dentate pronotum which also lacks extended anterior corners (elytra sculptured, pronotal sides dentate and with extremely protruded anterior corners of pronotum in D. bezdeki sp. nov.). From D. denticollis and D. necopintaus sp. nov. it differs by having a distinctly convex pronotum when viewed laterally (more or less flat in D. denticollis and D. necopinatus sp. nov.), by elytra length / pronotum width ratio less than 1.8 and by the sixth elytral interval with a longitudinal impression at the elytral base (no impressions on elytra in the latter two species). It also differs from D. necopinatus sp. nov. by its shiny body (dull in the latter species). From D. spinicollis it can be distinguished by its much smaller size and unextended anterior pronotal corners.

Description. Holotype, body length 7.2 mm, width 2.7 mm. Variability of size in paratypes—females: 5.8–8.3 x 2.5–3.6 mm; males: 5.6–7.8 x 2.3–3.0 mm. Body dark brown, shiny ( Fig. 3 View FIGURES 1 – 7 ).

Head densely punctate, punctures as large as eye facets. Space between punctures narrower or equal to their diameter. Eyes reniform, not divided by genae. Clypeus with almost straight anterior margin and with several long yellowish setae anteriorly. Labrum transverse, punctate and covered with long yellowish setae. Ventral side of head shiny and punctate. Mentum transverse with midlongitudinal and smooth gibbosity. Apical labial palpomere broadened, triangular in both sexes. Antennae filiform, relatively long, covered by whitish setae. Third antennomere prolonged, approximately as long as the two following joints combined or slightly shorter. Apical antennomere pale brown, longer in males.

Pronotum ( Fig. 16) transverse, distinctly convex (lateral view), punctate, punctures same as on head. Anterior margin broadly and shallowly emarginated. Both lateral margins irregularly serrate. Basal, lateral, and anterior margins of pronotum distinctly bordered. Anterior margin medially obliterated.

Elytra subparallel in males and subovoid in females. Slightly convex (lateral view) with moderate apical declivity (lateral view). Base of elytra bordered only around humeri. Scutellum triangular, finely punctate. Elytral striae conspicuous, composed of punctures, puncture diameter subequal to eye facet. Elytral interstriae glabrous, convex and punctate with punctures smaller than eye facet. Sixth elytral interval with longitudinal impression at elytral base. Elytral epipleuron broad and very finely punctate.

Prosternum , hypomeron, mesoventrite, mesepisternum, mesepimeron and metaventrite smooth, glabrous, densely and coarsely punctate. Prosternal process widened behind coxae (ventral view). Abdominal ventrites shallowly punctate, moderately pubescent. Males without patches of sensillae.

Legs punctate, covered with yellowish setae. Males with first three protarsomeres distinctly wider than penultimate and apical protarsomeres. Further modifications not present in either sex.

Aedeagus see Fig. 21 View FIGURES 19 – 23 , 26.

Etymology. Dedicated to Dr. Petr Madĕra ( Czech Republic), botanist and dendrologist. Without his generous offer to join his educational project I would never have had the possibility to visit Socotra Island.

Remarks. Schawaller (2004) described D. wraniki Schawaller, 2004 based on two specimens (male holotype and female paratype), which were very similar to each other, and which he believed belonged together. During this work it was discovered that the holotype is identical to the lectotype of D. denticollis and therefore it is synonymised (see also remarks in D. denticollis ). Further examination revealed that the female paratype of D. wraniki is a different species, identical to specimens collected during this study, which is described in this paper as D. maderai sp. nov.