Diastolinus azuaensis Hart and Ivie, 2016

Hart, Charles J. & Ivie, Michael A., 2016, A Revision of the Genus Diastolinus Mulsant and Rey (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), The Coleopterists Bulletin 70 (3), pp. 485-540 : 485-540

Diastolinus azuaensis Hart and Ivie , new species

( Figs. 30–35 , 103 )

Type Material. HOLOTYPE: Male. REP.DOM. Azua Prov. 18 km E. Azua; XII-28-1986; Doyen & Santiago / WIBF 035538 (from WIBF, deposited in NMNH).

Etymology. Named after the type locality, Azua Province.

Diagnosis. This species is similar to D. coarctatus but can be distinguished by the male protibia armed with a large, single, distinct spine, scutellum larger and crescent-shaped, longer setae on the pronotum, and punctation on the pronotal disk typically spaced greater than the diameter of a puncture.

Description. Male. Length 10.0 mm, width 4.1 mm. Body ( Fig. 30 ) black, except distal 1/2 of antennomere 8 reddish, last 3 antennomeres fully reddish; somewhat shiny; convex, oblong; covered in long, yellow setae.

Head ( Fig. 30 ) with epistoma evenly convex; punctures greater than diameter of ommatidium, covering dorsal surface, evenly spaced, separated by about 1 puncture diameter; setae 2–4X length of punctures. Labrum densely punctate, punctures subequal to punctures on head. Antenna weakly clavate. Dorsal portion of eye circular; ventral portion somewhat ovate. Gular horns short, not prominent.

Pronotum ( Fig. 31 ) widest at middle; apical margin evenly emarginate; apical corners rounded, lateral margin gently rounded outwards from apex in anterior 1/2, then sides gently rounded to base; base slightly wider than width across humeri; basal margin bisinuate; dorsal surface broadly, evenly convex; all margins narrowly beaded, except obsolete at middle of anterior margin, bead may be obscured somewhat by setae; heavily punctate, punctures subequal in diameter to punctures on head, closely spaced about equal to 1 puncture diameter on pronotal disc; long, yellow setae on pronotal disc, longer laterally, typically at least 4X longer than puncture diameter. Hypomeron rugulose, punctate shallowly, setae less dense than dorsal surface. Prosternal process toungue-like, short, not reaching mesoventrite, punctate, setose.

Scutellum ( Fig. 31 ) short, crescent-shaped, about 2.5X as wide as long. Elytra constricted in anterior 1/3. Elytron gradually broadening from base to widest point, opposite abdominal ventrite 1, then evenly arcuate to apices; striae heavily impressed; strial punctures deep, not confluent; intervals convex, punctation minute; setae at least as long as 3X diameter of strial punctures. Stria 7 ending in lateral stria slightly posterior to humeral angle.

Mesoventrite punctate, rugulose. Metaventrite short, anterior border punctate behind mesocoxae.

Leg surfaces densely setose and heavily punctate. Femora expanded. Protibia ( Fig. 33 ) narrow, expanding gradually in distal 3/4; dorsolateral margin somewhat arcuate; posteroventral surface with prominent spine at middle; apex obliquely truncate, ringed by stout spines. Pro- and mesotarsi with tarsomeres 1–3 expanded, ventrally with golden, densely setose pads, tarsomere 2 widest, more than 2X width of tarsomere 4. Metatarsus narrow, about 2/3 as long as metatibia, without setose pads; 1 st tarsomere more than 2X length of 2 nd.

Abdomal ventrites ( Fig. 34 ) with scattered, large punctures; ventrites 1–3 slightly concave medially, concavity not extending onto intercoxal process; anterior border of ventrite 1, just behind hind coxae, with row of heavy punctures extending onto intercoxal process; ventrites 2 laterally with row of heavy punctures on anterior edge, indistinct on medial concavity; ventrite 3 laterally and medially with row of heavy punctures on anterior edge; ventrite 5 flattened medially, heavily punctate, posterior margin evenly rounded. Aedeagus ( Figs. 32, 35 ) with basal piece and parameres strongly arched, length about equal to 2/3 elytra length; parameres slightly narrowing from base, then gently expanding to widest point, then converging gently towards apex, gently rounded at apex; parameres with slightly sinuate lateral margin, with upturned tips in lateral view.

Female. Unknown.

Biology. Unknown.

Distribution. Hispaniola* (WIBF, to be deposited in NMNH). Known only from a single specimen from Azua Province, Dominican Republic ( Fig. 103 ).

Figures

Figs. 30–35. Diastolinus azuaensis, holotype. 30) Dorsal habitus; 31) Pronotum; 32) Aedeagus, dorsal view; 33) Fore leg; 34) Abdominal ventrites; 35) Aedeagus, lateral view.

Fig. 103. Map of the distributions of Diastolinus species on Hispaniola.