Diastatotropis lepidus Trýzna & Baňař, 2016

Trýzna, Miloš & Baňař, Petr, 2016, Two new species of Diastatotropis Lacordaire (Coleoptera: Anthribidae) from east Madagascar with a key to species of the genus, Zootaxa 4161 (3), pp. 429-436 : 430-432

Diastatotropis lepidus Trýzna & Baňař sp. nov.

( Figs. 1, 3 , 6 )

Type locality. South-east Madagascar, Toliara province, Chaines Anosyennes , 1050 m.

Type material. Holotype (female): SE MADAGASCAR, TOLIARA PROVINCE: ‘ Chaines anosyennes [Sic!] / Massif nord, 1050 m / moyenne Ranomandry / 11/ 30-XI-1971 ’ [p] ( BSNPC) . Red label [p] HOLOTYPE / Diastatotropis / lepidus sp. nov. / M. Trýzna & P. Baňař det., 2016.

Description. Female holotype Measurements (in mm): Total body length—8.32. Head: total length—1.82; length of rostrum—1.07; maximum width of rostrum—1.27; length of eye—0.78; maximum width across eyes— 1.62; minimum distance between eyes—0.78. Antenna: length of segments: II—0.24, III—0.31, IV—0.22, V— 0.22, VI—0.16, VII—0.16, VIII—0.11, IX—0.38, X—0.20, XI—0.36. Pronotum: maximum length—1.76; width at carina—2.27; minimum width—1.53. Elytra: maximum length—4.32; maximum width—2.75.

Colouration of the cuticle of entire body dark brown, tarsomeres and antennae light brown.

Vestiture. Head with indistinct sparse yellowish appressed setae along central longitudinal carina on rostrum and in depression above this carina. Frons with only very short and almost invisible setae. Lateral sides of rostrum almost bare, this part only with coarse sculpture. Labrum yellowish with a few longer light setae. Vertex with two stripes behind lateral carinae of rostrum and continued to inner margin of eyes, these stripes bright yellow with very dense appressed setae. Antennae with indistinct light pubescence, only with very short, soft, sparse setae. Pronotum with two wider distinct longitudinal stripes posteriorly extended to transverse pronotal carina. Pronotal declivity with very narrow stripe in central part. All stripes covered with dense yellow setae. Rest of pronotum with delicate sculpture, covered with very short dark brown appressed setae. Elytra with wide humeral part covered with bright yellow setae. Each elytron with two distinct longitudinal stripes; one stripe on the second elytral interval extended from indistinct subbasal tubercle, continuing to preapical part but not reaching apical margin of elytra; the second stripe in lateral part on the eighth elytral interval reaching the tip of elytron. Rest of elytra covered with dense brown appressed setae. Humeral angle without yellow colouration, with only sparse short brown setae. Scutellum with yellow setae. All legs covered with dense fine yellowish setae. Tibiae covered with dense indistinct yellowish setae appressed in proximal part and subdecumbent in distal part. All tibiae on dorsal side with small spot of yellow setae in proximal third. Tarsomeres with yellowish setae. Lateral parts of venter of thorax and abdominal sternites with dense pubescence with short brown setae. Pygidium covered with short dense brown appressed setae.

Structure. Head appropriately long, rostrum noticeably extended apically, weakly depressed in the middle, with one short longitudinal carina in depression of rostrum, not reaching anterior margin of eyes, and two short indistinct lateral carinae. Ratio of rostrum length to maximum width 0.92. Eyes elliptical, not emarginate, dorsal ocular index 1.86. Ratio of maximum width across eyes to maximum width of rostrum 1.28. Antennae shorter, not reaching to posterior margin of pronotum. Pedicel not robust, funicle thin, club somewhat widened, antennomere IX and XI longer than wide, antennomere X moderately wider than long. Pronotum slightly transverse, ratio of its length to width at carina 0.78, gradually extended anteriorly to quarter of its length, here widest (at the carina), then narrowed to distal part. Dorsal transverse carina subtly bisinuate with indistinct arch in middle. Lateral carina of pronotum well-developed but short, scarcely extending to half of pronotum, rounded at contact with dorsal transverse carina. Elytra suboval, ratio of the maximum length to maximum width of elytra 1.57.

Male. Unknown.

Etymology. Based on the Latin word lepidus (= nice, good-looking, charming), from the unique and remarkable appearance of this new species.

Collecting circumstances. Unknown.

Distribution. Only known from the type locality.

Differential diagnosis. Diastatotropis lepidus Trýzna & Baňař sp. nov. can be distinguished by its characteristic colour pattern, not resembling any other species of the genus and by characters given in the key.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Type localities of Diastatotropis lepidus Trýzna & Baňař sp. nov. and D. humeralis Trýzna & Baňař sp. nov.

FIGURES 1 – 4. 1, 3, Diastatotropis lepidus Trýzna & Baňař sp. nov., holotype female; 2, 4, Diastatotropis humeralis Trýzna & Baňař sp. nov., holotype female; 1 – 2, dorsal habitus; 3 – 4, head, dorsal view. Scale bars in mm.