Lemodes (Lagriomorpha) pembertoni, Young, Daniel K., 2012

Young, Daniel K., 2012, Five new species of Lemodes (Lagriomorpha) (Coleoptera: Anthicidae: Lemodinae) from Indonesian and Papuan New Guinea with a revised key to the species, Zootaxa 3316, pp. 15-27 : 22-25

Lemodes (Lagriomorpha) pembertoni , new species

( Figs. 13–15 )

Description. Length 6.5 mm (n=1). Dorsal and ventral surfaces, legs, and antennae moderately densely covered with short, mostly decumbent setae, dorsum and elytra also with a few longer, semierect to erect setae.

Adult (sex not determined) (Dorsal habitus: Fig. 13 ). Head and mouthparts coppery-orange; mandibles rufopiceous, at least in part. Dorsal surface of head ( Fig. 14 ) confusedly, conspicuously, moderately coarsely, but shallowly punctate, lateral and ventral aspects with punctures less coarse, cranial neck sparsely, coarsely punctate. Compound eyes small, fine-faceted, slightly protruding. Tempora (measured from cranial neck constriction anteriorly to posterior rim of compound eye) 0.35X dorso-longitudinal length of compound eye. Antennae with antennomeres 1–5 largely amber-orangish, gradually with increasing rufopiceous pigmentation, especially the distal region of each antennomere, antennomeres 6–7 rufopiceous, antennomeres 8–10 largely black, 11th antennomere black in proximal 1/2, lighter distally, largely due to yellowish-white pubescence; antennae densely covered with stout, semierect and erect setae; antennomeres 6–10 each gradually wider distally; 11th antennomere nearly 1/2 again as long as antennomere 10, flattened, bluntly acuminate distally. Terminal segment of maxillary palpus very strongly, acutely securiform. Visible dorsal and ventral surfaces of thorax orangish-brown to amber, pronotum ( Fig. 15 ) campanulate, widest anterad the middle, densely covered with testaceous to coppery-orange setae, coarsely punctate with surface finely punctate between larger punctures; prothoracic coxal cavities widely open externally; scutellum flat, quadrate, punctate, densely clothed in retrorsely decumbent, yellowish-brown setae; mesosternum, metasternum and mesothoracic episterna with scattered, large, shallow punctures; mesothoracic episterna meeting anteromesad the mesosternum. Prothoracic legs yellowish-brown, those of mesothorax yellowish-brown proximally, suffused with rufopiceous pigmentation distad the femora; metathoracic legs with coxae amber, trochanters and proximal ends of femora orangish-brown, distal portions of femora and tibiae rufopiceous, tarsi largely amber; paired, dorsal tibial carinae evident; tibial spurs short, stout; penultimate tarsomere slightly dilated, bilobed; tarsal claws simple. Elytra coppery-orange in basal quarter, remainder metallic blue-violet, with anterior margin of dark pigmentation not sharply defined, but relatively straight across; each elytron bearing a well-defined, posteriorly angulate (from lateral elytral margin to suture) band of white setae in distal 2/3 that does not attain sutural margin; elytra elongate, 2.7X longer than width across sub-basal humeral area, covering abdomen, margins subparallel along much of length; elytral surface coarsely, somewhat deeply, confusedly punctate, surface between punctures smooth to sparsely punctulate. Metathoracic wings fully developed. Ventral surface of abdomen rufopiceous.

Type. Holotype (sex undetermined): [First label]: [ NEW GUINEA] Koitaki, 1500 ft.// New Guinea // Oct. – Nov. 1928; [Second label]: Pemberton// Coll.; [Third label]: Auto-Montaged// digital image(s)// per D. K. Young; [Fourth label]: HOLOTYPE:// Lemodes // (Lagriomorpha)// pembertoni // Young. ( BPBM)

Distribution. As detailed above, L. pembertoni is presently known only from the type locality, east by northeast of Port Moresby in Central Province, Papua New Guinea; in the region known as the Koitaki Plantation; presumably near - 9.411802° S, 147.468854° E.

Diagnosis. The distinctly bicolored elytra of L. pembertoni with the orange pigmentation restricted to the basal 1/4 ( Fig. 13 ) are similar to those of L. albertisi , L. bicolora , L. elegans , L. finisterrensis , L. rugosa , L. semicoerulea , and L. sulcata . However, the white, elytral setal patches within the metallic blue-violet to metallic blue-purple field are exhibited only by L. albertisi , L. elegans , L. pembertoni ( Fig. 13 ), and L. sulcata . Because it possesses a shallowly depressed, mesal pronotal disk, L. pembertoni might be confused with L. sulcata . The fine, but distinct, linear, mesal, longitudinal pronotal sulcus of L. sulcata is diagnostic for that species. Among additional differences, L. sulcata has antennomeres 4–10 largely black, while in L. pembertoni , antennomeres 6–7 are largely rufopiceous and 8–10 are largely black.

Etymology. The specific epithet, pembertoni , is a patronym honoring Cyril Eugene Pemberton, an entomologist associated with the Experiment Station of the Hawaiian Sugar Planters’ Association (1919–1953). It was during his 1928 field expedition to New Guinea in search of disease-resistant sugar-cane varieties that he collected this species. His trip was documented in a 1929 issue of The National Geographic Magazine, and also highlighted in the following website: http://garamut.wordpress.com/ 2009/03/11 /sugar-cane-expedition-to-png-1929/.

Figures

FIGURES 13 – 15. Lemodes (Lagriomorpha) pembertoni, sp. nov.,: Fig. 13, dorsal habitus; Fig. 14, dorsal cranium; Fig. 15, dorsal pronotum.