Craniotus mardecortesi Aalbu, Smith, and Sanchez Piñero, 2015

Aalbu, Rolf L., Smith, Aaron D. & Piñero, Francisco Sanchez, 2015, A Revision of Craniotus Leconte (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae: Pimeliinae: Asidini), with Descriptions of New Insular Species from Mexico and Notes on Distribution and Biology, The Coleopterists Bulletin (mo 14) 69, pp. 93-100 : 94-95

Craniotus mardecortesi Aalbu, Smith, and Sanchez Piñero , new species

( Figs. 1–2 )

Description. Holotype female. Length 11.5 mm, width 5.3 mm. Color black, luster opaque to slightly shiny ( Fig. 1 ). Body elongate, bi-ovate, inflated, apterous. Head: Moderately deflexed, widest anterior to eyes, vertex convex; surface strongly punctate; punctures contiguous, moderate in size, deeply perforate in form, each puncture bearing 1 moderately long, black seta approximately equal in length to length of clypeus; some setae on vertex shorter, anteriorly decumbent; clypeus broadly bilobed; labrum produced, quadrate, convex; frons with genae strongly produced laterally above antennal insertions, lateral apex acute, depressed medially between lateral projections; eyes dorsoventrally transverse, dorsal slightly larger, laterally produced, surface convex, anteriomedial border concave; mentum large, reniform, 1.8X broader than long, surface punctate, punctures as on top of head; ligula large, medially acutely excavate; maxillary palpus approximately equal in length to first 3 antennomeres; ratio of segment lengths 8:20:15:24; antennae long and slender, apical antennomeres reaching elytra, 11 th antennomere broadly attached to 10 th; ratio of antennomere lengths 24:13:32:20:19:17:17:16:16:13:9. Pronotum: Narrower than elytra, laterally rounded, strongly inflated ( Fig. 2 ); anterior margin broadly concave, apical angles produced, basal margin broadly convex; lateral margins strongly serrate with lateral connate projections longer anteriorly, each bearing 1 moderately long, erect seta; surface strongly punctate, punctures contiguous moderate in size, deeply perforate in form, each puncture bearing 1 short, black, posteriorly appressed seta approximately equal to puncture diameter in length, interspaced with few, longer, erect setae. Scutellum: Visible, triangular. Elytra: Convex, inflated, surface strongly punctatestriate, punctures set in uneven striae on disc, laterally becoming more confused; punctures contiguous, large in size, impressed near lateral margins, deeply perforate centrally, intervals bearing rows of short, black, posteriorly recumbent setae approximately equal to puncture diameter in length, subspatulate in shape, few longer, black, erect setae present on posterior lateral margins; epipleura remaining narrow from apex to base. Venter: Prosternal process convex between procoxae, mesosternum not excavate; mesotrochantin hidden; metacoxae separated by about 1.5X distance of mesocoxae; intercoxal process of abdomem truncate; apex of meso- and metasternum impressed; Sterna decreasing in length posteriorly, slightly convex; surface of thoracic pleura punctate, punctures as on pronotum; thoracic and abdominal sternal surfaces with smaller, moderately dense, perforate punctures each bearing a short to moderately long, fine seta; sternal ratios (anterior to posterior midline) 21:17:12:7:11. Legs: Moderate in length, slender, not inflated; leg ratios (femur:tibia) pro- 20:20, meso- 21:20, meta- 25:28; tibiae and tarsi densely setose, femora sparsely setose; tarsi with ventral surface bearing numerous short, stiff, black setae. Tarsomere length ratios as follows (base to apex): protarsus 22:10:8:8:24; mesotarsus 22:12:11:10:23; metatarsus 30:14:13:28.

Allotype Male. Similar to female, slightly smaller, length 10.4 mm, width 5.3 mm.

Type Specimens. H O L O T Y P E: f e m a l e; MEXICO. Baja Calif. Norte, Isla San Esteban , main canyon wash, east side, VII-28/29-86 R. L. Aalbu col. [deposited in CASC]: ALLOTYPE: male MEXICO: B.Cal. Isla San Esteban IV-8-1953 Col. J.P. Figg-Hoblyn ( CASC).

Diagnosis. Craniotus mardecortesi can be easily separated from other Craniotus species by the strongly globose pronotum with lateral margins bearing numerous lateral connate projections and the very large elytral punctures set in uneven striae. This species is most similar to C. triplehorni new species.

Etymology. This species is named for the Sea of Cortéz, in which Isla San Esteban is more or less centrally positioned.

Figures

Figs. 1–2. Craniotus mardecortesi, Holotype female, habitus. 1) Dorsal view; 2) Lateral view.