Drylichus monteithi, Kodada, Ján, Jäch, Manfred A. & Jr, Čiampor Fedor, 2009

Kodada, Ján, Jäch, Manfred A. & Jr, Čiampor Fedor, 2009, Review of the genus Drylichus Heller (Insecta: Coleoptera: Dryopidae), Zootaxa 2157, pp. 43-58 : 53

Drylichus monteithi sp. nov.

( Figs 41–43 )

Type locality: Aoupinié, New Caledonia.

Material examined: Holotype 3 ( QMB): " NEW CALEDONIA Aoupinié 19 May 1984 G. Monteith & D. Cook / Q. M. BERLESATE No. 653 21.10S X 165. 18 E, Rainforest, 750 m Litter".

Diagnosis: Drylichus monteithi and D. hylesinoides share 11-segmented antennae and strongly thickened male protibiae. Drylichus monteithi differs from D. hylesinoides in the following characters: smaller size (3.21 mm), puncture interstices on head and pronotum rugose, elytral striae distinct, aedeagus smaller, parameres pointed and more distinctly curved. Differences to D. fidelitas are discussed below.

Description: Length (TL): 3 3.21 mm; width (EW): 3 1.56 mm. Head, pronotum, elytra and venter black; scape and pedicel dark brown; legs, anterior margin of clypeus, mouthparts and antennal club brownish. Macropunctures (associated with flat granules, mainly laterally) smaller than facets, irregularly arranged, shallow, separated by 1–3 puncture diameters, interstices rugose; head width: 3 0.82 mm. Antenna 11-segmented.

Pronotal macropunctures smaller than facets (partly associated with small flat granules), shallow, denser and less distinct laterally, partly concealed by rugose interstices; interstices 1–3 times as wide as punctures; sides nearly subparallel in posterior half, strongly arcuate in anterior half; disc convex; pronotal lateral rim widest at posterior half, distinctly explanate, smooth; width (MW): 3 1.47 mm; length (PL): 3 1.0 mm. Prosternal punctures distinctly smaller than facets, widely spaced near middle, interstices finely punctate, wide, lateral portion with punctures larger and denser, interstices smaller; surface with transverse wrinkles medially and with scattered flat granules in posterolateral half; prosternal process with mesal keel raised apically. Hypomeron posteriorly wider than profemur, irregularly punctate, with small granules on anterior half, interstices wrinkled; posterior portion with shallow groove for reception of femur. Mes- and metepisterna irregularly punctate, reticulate; metaventrite as long as posternal process, disc deeply impressed, finely punctate, sides elevated; discrimen absent. Scutellum 1.46 times as wide as long, subtriangular, sides rounded. Elytra moderately convex, obovate, widest in middle; posterior third and lateral margins strongly declivous, apices and long portion of lateral edges invisible in dorsal view; sides moderately arcuate anteriorly, strongly arcuate posteriorly; anterior edge finely irregularly crenulate; anterolateral angles short, produced; ratio of EL/EW: 1.36; disc with nine rows of moderately large punctures arranged in striae, intervals flat, punctate, punctures smaller than on pronotum, interstices shiny.

Midline lengths of ventrites 1–5: 0.43/0.19/0.12/0.12/ 0.65 mm; ventrites convex, lateral portion finely longitudinally wrinkled and irregularly densely punctate with scattered small granules, disc more sparsely punctate; ventrite 1 with shallow depression near anterolateral angles; intercoxal process sparsely punctate, sides moderately raised, apex truncate; apex of ventrite 5 truncate. Anterior process of male sternite 8 short, rounded. Aedeagus 1.52 mm long; phallobase ca 1.9 times as long as parameres, subcylindrical, moderately bent ( Fig. 41 ), first connecting membrane with two oblique longitudinal sclerotizations. Parameres widest basally, apical half inflected ventrad ( Fig. 42 ); inner portion with longitudinal stripes near middle and with mosaic near base; apices pointed in lateral view. Penis feebly shorter than parameres, widest basally, more or less parallel-sided nearly to apex ( Fig 42 ); apex subacute; ventral sac with fine mosaic, meshes larger and more oblique basally than apically; fibula distinctly developed.

Sexual dimorphism: Female unknown.

Distribution: So far known from the type locality only ( Fig. 48 ).

Habitat: Rainforest litter at 750 m a.s.l.

Etymology: Named for Geoff Monteith (Brisbane, Australia), excellent beetle collector and discoverer of two new Drylichus species.

Figures

FIGURE 48. Geographical distribution of the species of Drylichus. ․ D. hylesinoides; □ D. monteithi sp. nov.; • D. fidelitas sp. nov.

FIGURES 41 – 43. Drylichus monteithi sp. nov., male; 41) aedeagus, ventral view; 42) same, dorsal view; 43) same, lateral view. Scale = 0.1 mm.