Macrocheilus philippeorum, Serrano, 2023

Serrano, Artur R. M., 2023, Afrotropical ground beetles of Macrocheilus Hope, 1838 (Coleoptera, Carabidae) description of four new species and faunistic notes, Zootaxa 5256 (1), pp. 1-35 : 5-7

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5256.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:CE0AC7CD-E55D-484C-9346-86F16C985DBE
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7746795
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/AE0487C8-F537-FFDE-0986-A64263CEFAFD
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Macrocheilus philippeorum
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Macrocheilus philippeorum n. sp.

Figs. 1c View FIGURE 1 , 2c View FIGURE 2 , 3b View FIGURE 3 , 4b View FIGURE 4

Type material. Holotype male: “ Burkina Faso, Pama \ 24–28.VIII.2005,\ 11º 17′ 00′′ N, 0º 42′59E, 232m \ Phillippe Moretto leg.” \\ “Macr-12” (yellow label)\\ “Holotype male\ A. Serrano det. 2022” [t] [h] [red card] GoogleMaps . Paratypes: 3 males: “ Burkina Faso, Pama \ 24–28.VIII.2005,\ 11º 17′ 00″′N, 0º 42′59E, 232m \ Phillippe Moretto leg.” \\ “Macr-13”\\ “Macr-14”, “Macr-15” (yellow labels)\\ GoogleMaps “ Paratype male\ Macrocheilus philippeorum n. sp. \ A. Serrano det. 2022” [t] [h] [red card]; 1 female: “NE Benin \ E of Kandi \ 7 km E of Bensekou \ 23– 24.07.2001 \ A. Kudrna Jr. LGT” \\ “Macr-16” (yellow label)\\ “ Paratype female\ Macrocheilus philippeorum n. sp. \ A. Serrano det. 2022” [t] [h] [red card]; 1 male: “NE Benin \ E of Kandi \ 4 km W of Bensekou \ 24– 25.06.2001 \ A. Kudrna Lgt. ” \\ “Collection\ Th. Assmann \ Bleckede, CAB” (yellow label)\\ “ Paratype male\ Macrocheilus philippeorum n. sp. \ A. Serrano det. 2022” [t] [h] [red card]; 1 male: “ Afrique de L`Ouest\ Senegal Petit Cote \ Nianing 18.VI.2008 IRD\Ultra Violet\Alain Coache\\ “Paratype male\ Macrocheilus philippeorum n. sp. \ A. Serrano det. 2022” [t] [h] [red card] ; 1male: “ Afrique de L`Ouest\ Senegal Petit Cote \ Mbour 20.IX.2009 IRD\Ultra Violet\Alain Coache\\ “ Paratype male\ Macrocheilus philippeorum n. sp. \A. Serrano det. 2022” [t] [h] [red card]. Holotype deposited in PSC. Paratypes deposited in ACC, ASC, PSC and TAC.

Differential diagnosis. Head, including mouthparts, antennae, pronotum, scutellum, legs, and abdomen orange-brownish or reddish-brown; elytra fuscous black or dark brown, lateral and apical regions orange-brownish, a pair of large longitudinal humeral orange bands and a sub transverse one of the same colour in the last third; shiny and pubescent.

Description. Length of holotype: 11.4 mm. Length of paratypes: 11.3–12.9 mm (males), 11.5 mm (female).

Head ( Fig. 1c View FIGURE 1 ). Slightly wider than long (males: length 2.02–2.34 mm, width: 2.50–2.82 mm; female: length 2.34 mm; width: 2.56 mm). Surface shining, coarsely and deeply punctured, less dense in middle of the frons, each puncture with a long, decumbent and fine brown-yellowish seta, without microsculpture; antero-lateral impressions well marked, frons excavated behind clypeus; last maxillary palpomere securiform, pubescent; eyes prominent, temples short with rows of large setae along posterior margin of eyes. Clypeus slightly punctured, each puncture with a long, decumbent and fine brown-yellowish seta, anterior half with a row of four large and one to two minor submarginal setiferous punctures. Labrum smooth, orange and shiny, with a medium thin blackish band, 1.1–1.2 times wider than long (males: length 0.86–1.12 mm, width 1.06–1.22 mm; female: length 0.98 mm, width 1.17 mm), posterior half subparallel-sided, anterior half almost triangular, lateral margins converging and the apex rounded; a large seta at the widest point near the rim, at the apex 4 setae, two exactly on the margin from the top, and two beneath the margin just on the top, not visible in dorsal view; posterior lateral half with a longitudinal groove directed inward and up to widest point with a fringe of short setae underneath ( Fig. 2c View FIGURE 2 ). One pair of supraorbital setae on each side ( Fig. 1c View FIGURE 1 ). Mentum with a central triangular tooth, slightly shorter than the side ones, with several setae near the base; on the tooth itself three bristles near the apex. Antennae with the first three antennomeres less densely pubescent with rather long setae, from the fourth antennomere densely pubescent with shorter setae, first and third antennomeres almost cylindrical, second and fourth sub-pyriform, the remaining depressed, slightly longer than wide, with a thin median longitudinal blackish smooth area; last antennomere more or less acuminate.

Thorax. Pronotum slightly cordiform ( Fig. 1c View FIGURE 1 ), transverse, about 1.2–1.4 times wider than long (males: length 1.95–2.24 mm, width: 2.43–3.01 mm; female: length 2.08 mm, width 2.66 mm), maximum width more or less at the middle length; surface covered with coarsely punctures, more densely in the anterior, lateral and posterior areas, bearing each one a long and fine brown-yellowish seta, intervals smooth; anterior angles rounded, anterior margin arcuate; posterior margin slightly arcuate in the middle, strongly oblique sinuate towards the posterior angles which are obtuse-sharped and bear a long seta; posterior margin not margined, anterior margin margined in the middle, lateral margins with complete and distinct margination from the anterior angles and reaching the posterior angles, slightly sinuate just anterior to posterior angles, forming a short tooth just before the angles, a long seta in front of the widest part of pronotum, anterior angles with some large bristles; anterior transverse sulcus not distinct, pronotal base with a pair of longitudinal faint foveae separated by a median sulcus in a flat and depressed area that reaches the posterior margin. Scutellum triangular, strongly setiferous punctured. Prosternum coarsely punctured, without microsculpture.

Elytra ( Fig. 1c View FIGURE 1 ) 1.8–1.9 times longer than wide (males: length 6.80–8.38 mm, width 3.68–4.55 mm; female: length 7.06 mm, width 3.89 mm), subparallel-sided, widening slightly towards the posterior third, not covering the last two tergites; only seven striae visible, the first six well-marked, the seventh faint, all slightly punctured and not reaching the base and the apex; intervals slightly convex, coarse setiferous punctures in two rows on 2 nd –7 th intervals and one row on 1 st interval, decumbent seta brown-yellowish sub-erected and directed posteriad; lateral margin rounded in the shoulders, ending in deep furrow densely punctuated towards the scutellum. Scutellar striae hardly visible through the deep punctures in the basal region of first interval. Basal pore present. Just behind the shoulders 3 pores on the very margin. Umbilicate series with about 22 to 29 pores, not interrupted in the middle although pores are more separated from each other in that area; 1 subapical pore shifted inward in the lengthening of the imaginary 8 th interval; apex with 4 extra pores, in the lengthening of the imaginary 7 th striae and 7 th, 6 th and 4 th intervals; apical transparent membrane extending from sutural angle to the lengthening of the imaginary 8 th interval. The longitudinal humeral orange band extends from the base to the median part, extending from the 2 nd striae to the lateral margin; the median dark brown transverse band stops very near the lateral margin, or reaches it, extending backwards to the ending of the imaginary 8 th striae; the oval sub transverse orange band in the last third reaches the apex and part of lateral margins; the dark brown basal marking reaches the basal margin towards the 5 th interval, extending, diamond-shaped, backwards, but not reaching the apex ( Fig. 1c View FIGURE 1 ).

Legs. Reddish-brown coloured; all tarsomeres pubescent, first three fore tarsomeres not dilated, fourth tarsomere slightly triangulate; fore tibiae on the outer edge with two blunt spines.

Ventral surface.Almost all underside orange-brownish; whole underside, including abdominal sternites coarsely punctured and pubescent (yellowish color), except gula, ventral and lateral sides of neck. Pubescence of prosternum and proepisternum slightly erected and directed anteriad; pubescence of the remaining ventral sclerites dressed and directed posteriad. Elytral epipleura moderately punctured, pubescence dressed and directed posteriad.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 3b View FIGURE 3 ). Median lobe dilated in the middle of ventral area, apical lamella short, wide and subacuminated at apex (dorsal view), downward (lateral view), ostium with one pair of thin sclerotized stripes in the dorsal median region, bending laterally downwards; endophallus with several minor sclerites just behind the dilated region; left paramere longer than wide, straight, rounded at apex, a tiny tooth in postero-dorsal edge.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 4b View FIGURE 4 ). Gonocoxite 1 subtriangular; gonocoxite 2 slender sickle shaped, apex slightly sharp; dorsal surface concave, strongly setose, four setae on dorsal half basal inner side and other four on dorsal half subapical outer side, several minor setae in a slight submarginal ridge along the half outer side; ventral surface slightly convex, smooth with some minor pubescence.

Intraspecific variation. The range of variability observed in M. philippeorum sp. n. (8 specimens) includes the darkness of the general colour of head+pronotum, the lateral extension of the median transverse dark brown band of elytra, reaching, or not, the lateral margin, extending more backwards, or not, or even in its middle width. There is some variability in the number of anterior submarginal setae of clypeus and in the number of umbilicate elytral pores (22 to 29). These values seem to be correlated with the elytral length (longer or shorter lengths correspond to larger or smaller values, respectively). There is also some variation in the location of the 4 apical extra pores, sometimes in the lengthening of the imaginary 8 th interval or 7 th striae and 7 th, 6 th and 3 rd intervals or even 3 rd striae. The medium lobe of aedeagus is very conservative, but in one male specimen there is an unusual asymmetry concerning the dorsal apical area of the left strip, having a sclerotized expansion towards left, not present in the other six males.

Etymology. In a modest homage, this species is named in honour of two French entomologists namely Philippe Moretto (Association Catharsius, France), a well-known expert on African Scarabaeinae, who collected the Burkina Faso specimens and other Macrocheilus specimens here studied and the late Philippe Annoyer (1967–2020) (Muséum de Toulouse), who organized the Expedition Sangha 2012 to the Central African Republic.

Remarks. The new species is more akin to Macrocheilus persimilis Basilewsky, 1970 and M. longicollis Péringuey, 1904 than to the other African species by the elytral colour pattern (cf. Fig. 1c View FIGURE 1 vs Figs. 9b and 9c View FIGURE 9 ). However, Macrocheilus philippeorum n. sp. can be separated from the former species by the less transverse pronotum (cf. Figs. 1c View FIGURE 1 and 9e View FIGURE 9 ), the less acuminate apex of median lobe (cf. Figs. 3b View FIGURE 3 and 13a View FIGURE 13 ) and different shape of labrum (cf. Figs. 2c View FIGURE 2 and 6b View FIGURE 6 ), and from the latter species by the less slender body shape, the bigger size, the more transverse pronotum (cf. Figs. 1c View FIGURE 1 and 9b View FIGURE 9 ), the less securiform last maxillary palpomere, the narrower transverse dark brown band (cf. Figs. 1c View FIGURE 1 and 9b View FIGURE 9 ) and different shapes of median lobe of aedeagus (cf. Figs. 3b View FIGURE 3 and 7d View FIGURE 7 ) and labrum (cf. Figs. 2c View FIGURE 2 and 10a View FIGURE 10 ). The new species differs from the remaining African species by elytra colour pattern and the median lobe shape, among other external morphological characters.