Diastatotropis blazeji Trýzna, 2019

Trýzna, Miloš & Andrianomenjanahary, Mamy Nandrianina, 2019, Description of a new species of the genus Diastatotropis Lacordaire (Coleoptera: Anthribidae) with strikingly elongated elytral apices from north-eastern Madagascar, Zootaxa 4563 (3), pp. 444-450 : 445-449

Diastatotropis blazeji Trýzna sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–10 )

http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:D8091DE1-C500-486D-A1A6-A84D64E0B131

Type locality. North-eastern Madagascar, Toamasina province, Ambohitsitondrona [ca. S 15°34´, E 50°00´] .

Type material. Holotype (male): NE MADAGASCAR, TOAMASINA PROVINCE: ‘Ambohitsitondrona [p] / Madagascar [h] / I. 50. Michel! [h]’ (MNHN); Allotype (female): ANTSIRANANA PROVINCE: ‘Madagascar / Andapa / XII. [19]51. C [collection] J. Vadon! [h]’ [ca. S 14°39´, E 49°38´] (MNHN); Paratypes: 4 males and 1 female the same data as holotype (MNHN, 2 males, 1 female in MTDC); 1 male and 1 female the same data as allotype (MNHN). All specimens with a typical blue acquisition label of MNHN: ‘Museum Paris / Madagascar / Coll. J. Vadon’ [p]. Red label [p] HOLOTYPE / ALLOTYPE / PARATYPE / Diastatotropis / blazeji sp. nov. / M. Trýzna det., 2018.

Identification. Distinguished from all species of the genus by strikingly elongated apices of elytra, unknown in other species of the genus. Apices extend distinctly beyond pygidium in both sexes, pygidium is partially hidden and invisible from above. Species with one central and two lateral longitudinal carinae on the rostrum. Color of the upper side of the body distinctly bright golden green. Legs, scape, pedicel and funicle bronze brown, antennal club dark brown to blackish. Large-sized species (13–19 mm).

Description. Male holotype (female allotype). Measurements (in mm): Total body length—17.53 (18.24). Head: total length—3.25 (3.25); length of rostrum—1.80 (2.00); maximum width of rostrum—2.05 (2.55); length of eye—1.40 (1.35); maximum width across eyes—2.55 (2.70); minimum distance between eyes—0.95 (1.25). Antenna: length of segments: II—0.50 (0.45), III—0.98 (0.75), IV—0.75 (0.63), V—0.70 (0.40), VI—0.65 (0.33), VII—0.70 (0.33), VIII—0.55 (0.33), IX—0.75 (0.70), X—0.25 (0.25), XI—0.50 (0.55), width of segment VIII—0.43 (0.38). Pronotum: maximum length—4.25 (4.10); width at carina—3.75 (4.00); minimum width—2.75 (3.00). Elytra: maximum length—9.70 (10,00); maximum width—4.60 (5.00).

Colouration of the cuticle of entire body black. Legs, scape, pedicel and funicle bronze brown, antennal club and claws dark brown to blackish. Head, pronotum and elytra covered by dense flakes of distinctly bright golden green color. Pro-, meso- and metasternum and abdominal ventrites with delicate and sparser flakes of the same color.

Vestiture. Head, disc of pronotum and elytra covered by slightly prolonged, very dense, minute flakes. Disc of pronotum with indistinct slender longitudinal central black stripe, resulting from absence of flakes. Anterior margin of pronotum with longer, strictly appressed forward-facing scales. Apices of elytra with longer decumbent blackish setae. Lower part of head almost naked, lateral sides of pronotum well covered with flakes, disppearing downwards. Mesosternum naked with coarse sparse sculpturation. Mesepisternum, mesepimeron, metepisternum and metasternum covered by dense flakes. Abdominal ventrites I–V naked in central part, covered only by very sparse subdecumbent setae. Pygidium and distal margin of ventrite V with subdecumbent setae in both sexes. All femora almost naked, only in lower part indistinct strip of short subdecumbent setae, all tibiae with distinct subdecumbent setae in distal two thirds. Tarsomere I with subdecumbent, II–V with appressed setae. Scape, pedicel and antennomeres III–VII naked, VIII with short setae on distal margin, club covered by dense short appressed setae in both sexes.

Structure. Head appropriately long, sides of rostrum almost parallel, distal part weakly extended apically. Rostrum flat, with one long central carina extended in distal part of rostrum and reaching vertex behind posterior margin of eyes, and two short lateral carinae. Ratio of rostrum length to maximum width 0.88 in male, 0.78 in female. Eyes elliptical, not emarginate, dorsal ocular index 1.19 in male, 1.72 in female. Ratio of maximum width across eyes to maximum width of rostrum 1.24 in male, 1.06 in female. Antennae reaching to posterior margin of pronotum in male, female antennae noticeably shorter. Scape moderately swollen, rest of antennomeres flattened, club well developed in both sexes. Antennomere VIII longer than wide in male, as long as wide in female. Pronotum longitudinal, ratio of its length to width at carina 1.13 in male, 1.03 in female, gradually extended anteriorly to quarter of its length, here widest (at the carina), then narrowed to distal part. Dorsal transverse carina sinuated with indistinct interruption in the middle. Lateral carina of pronotum developed but very short, not extending half of pronotum, rounded at contact with dorsal transverse carina. Elytra almost triangular in male, suboval to triangular in female, with significant elongation of apices of elytra in both sexes, ratio of the maximum length to maximum width of elytra 2.11 in male, 2.00 in female. Shape of male pygidium Fig. 3 , female pygidium Fig. 4 .

Male genitalia. Compared to overall size of body, male genitalia small. Tegminal plate with distinct tooth visible in lateral view, apex of tegmen slightly bent, its tip densely covered by long setae. Apodeme of tegmen straight. Pedon and tectum moderately wide. Apodemes of aedeagus moderately curved ( Figs. 6–7 ).

Female genitalia. Hemisternites conspicuously short and delicate, lateral and median rods very short, median rod reaching to half of length of lateral rod. Dorsal lobe broadly rounded and naked, ventral lobes slender, with long setae on apex. Transverse bar almost invisible. Plates of hemisternites without teeth, covered by long scattered setae, each plate with short indistinct stylus ( Figs. 8–9 ).

Sexual dimorphism. Male: generally more slender, elytra almost triangular, from half of length of elytra narrowed to distal part, antennae reaching to posterior margin of pronotum, antennomere VIII longer than its wide. Abdominal ventrite V the same length as IV. Shape of pygidium as in Fig. 3 . Female: body more robust, elytra suboval to triangular in female, up to from apical third narrowed to distal part, antennae shorter, not reaching to posterior margin of pronotum, antennomere VIII as long as wide. Abdominal ventrite V longer than IV. Shape of pygidium as in Fig. 4 .

Etymology. Patronym, dedicated to my friend Lukáš Blažej (Varnsdorf), a specialist mainly in Spheciformes (Hymenoptera: Aculeata) and Carabidae (Coleoptera) .

Collecting circumstances. Unknown.

Distribution. NE Madagascar. The species is only known from the type locality Ambohitsitondrona (Toamasina province), and the locality Andapa (Antsiranana province); the two localities are ca. 100 km apart.

Differential diagnosis. Diastatotropis blazeji Trýzna sp. nov. can be distinguished mainly by its unique prolongation of the elytral apices in both sexes, a character that is unknown in other species of the genus, and the distinctly bright golden green colour of the upper side of the body, which does not resemble any other species of the genus.

Figures

FIGURES 1–5. Diastatotropis blazeji Trýzna sp. nov.; 1–4, dorsal habitus; 1, male, paratype no. 1; 2, female, paratype no. 2; 3, male pygidium; 4, female pygidium; 5, original labels. Scale bars in mm.

FIGURES 6–9. Diastatotropis blazeji Trýzna sp. nov.; 6–7, aedeagus including tegmen; 6, dorsal aspect; 7, lateral aspect; 8, detail of plates of hemisternites, ventral aspect; 9, hemisternites, ventral aspect. Scale bars in mm.

FIGURE 10. Type locality of Diastatotropis blazeji Trýzna sp. nov. Red spot – holotype, Ambohitsitondrona, Toamasina province; yellow spot – allotype, Andapa, Antsiranana province. Google Earth Pro, modified.