Scolytocis samoensis Blair, 1928

Souza-Gonçalves, Igor & Lopes-Andrade, Cristiano, 2017, Taxonomy of Xylographellini (Coleoptera: Ciidae) from the Australian and Oriental regions with descriptions of new species of Scolytocis and Xylographella, Zoologia (e 13730) 34, pp. 1-7 : 6-7

Scolytocis samoensis Blair, 1928

Figs 11–15, 24

Scolytocis samoensis : Blair 1928: 95–96 (description, type species of Scolytocis Blair, 1928 , by original designation); Lopes-Andrade 2008: 14 , 36 (inclusion in the Sc. lawrencei species-group, taxonomic notes).

Type locality. Pago Pago , Tutuila, Samoa, Polynesia (14°16’S, 170°42’W) .

Diagnosis. Scolytocis samoensis can be distinguished from other Australian and Oriental Scolytocis by the following combination of features: pronotum devoid of a rugose border along the posterior edge; metatibiae with a clear distinction between outer and apical edges, the outer edge being straight and usually bearing three well-separated spines ( Fig. 15); elytral punctation, seriate.

Redescription based in a specimen from Guam ( Figs 11–15). Adult apparently not fully pigmented but in good condition. Measurements in mm: TL 1.03, PL 0.40, PW 0.45, EL 0.63, EW 0.50, GD 0.48. Ratios: PL/PW 0.89, EL/EW 1.25, EL/PL 1.56, GD/EW 0.95, TL/EW 2.05. Body elongate, convex; dorsum and venter yellowish brown; antennae, palpi and tarsi yellowish; dorsal vestiture of minute setae, smaller than a puncture-width and barely discernible even in high magnifications (150×), except for the posteriormost portion of elytra with conspicuous setae (easily seen in lateral view); venter subglabrous. Head with anteriormost portion visible from above; dorsal surface with shallow punctures, separated from each other by a puncture-width or less and with microreticulate interspaces. Antennae bearing nine antennomeres, as follows (in mm, left antenna measured): 0.06, 0.03, 0.02, 0.01, 0.01, 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.03 (FL 0.05, CL 0.08, CL/ FL 1.60). Eyes finely facetted, each bearing about 60 ommatidia; GW 0.10. Gula 0.50 as wide as head. Pronotum with shallow, single punctation; punctures irregular, separated from each other by a puncture-width or less; interspaces microreticulate; anterior edge broadly rounded; lateral edges smooth, not explanate and not visible when seen from above; posterior edge without a rugose border along it. Scutellar shield triangular, bearing small punctures; BW 0.08. Elytra with shallow, dual punctation; large punctures coarse, seriate, about twice as large as small punctures; small punctures sparsely and irregularly distributed; interspaces of punctures, smooth; elytral apex truncate; apical declivity concave with conspicuous cuticular globules ( Fig. 14, arrows). Hind wings developed, apparently functional. Hypomera with coarse, shallow punctation; each puncture bearing a fine decumbent seta; interspaces microreticulate. Prosternum in front of coxae biconcave; interspaces microreticulate. Porsternal process laminate, as long as prosternum at midline, apex acute. Pro-, meso- and metatibiae ( Fig. 15, left metatibia) with similar shape and length, approximately three times as long as broad; tibiae with a clear distinction between outer and apical edges; outer apical angle somewhat perpendicular; outer edge straight and bearing three well-separated spines; apical edge with about 10 spines very close to each other. Metaventrite with coarse, small punctures; interspaces, microreticulate; discrimen as long as metaventrite at midline. Abdominal ventrites with coarse, small punctures, separated from each other by a puncture-width or less; interspaces, microreticulate; length of ventrites (in mm, from base to apex at the longitudinal midline) as follows: 0.10, 0.04, 0.04, 0.04, 0.10.

Measurements (in mm) and ratios (n = 15): TL 1.00–1.23 (1.11 ± 0.07), PL 0.38–0.43 (0.40 ± 0.02), PW 0.43–0.53 (0.48 ± 0.03), EL 0.63–0.80 (0.71 ± 0.06), EW 0.48–0.55 (0.53 ± 0.03), GD 0.45–0.53 (0.50 ± 0.03), PL/PW 0.75–0.89 (0.83 ± 0.04), EL/ EW 1.25–1.45 (1.34 ± 0.07), EL/PL 1.56–1.94 (1.79 ± 0.12), GD/ EW 0.82–1.16 (0.95 ± 0.08), TL/EW 1.95–2.23 (2.10 ± 0.07).

Material examined. Guam: 15 specimens (8 ANIC; 7 CELC, including 2 dissected females) labeled “MARIANAS: Guam, Ritidian Point, 29.v.1945, #2086 FMNH in polypore, H. S. Dybas ” .

Remarks. Scolytocis samoensis is the type species of the genus and was described based on a single specimen from Samoa, possibly a female, deposited in the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum (Hawaii, USA). Blair (1928) mentioned the poor condition of the holotype. This species was tentatively included in the Sc. lawrencei species-group by Lopes-Andrade (2008) and here we keep the same opinion. The specimens we examined from Guam ( Fig. 24) fit the original description by Blair (1928).