Ischalia (s. str.) ancora Kazantsev et Telnov, 2019

Kazantsev, Sergey V. & Telnov, Dmitry, 2019, New species of Ischalia Pascoe, 1860 (Coleoptera: Ischaliidae), with a key to aposematically coloured species from continental Asia, and new notes on their mimicry, Zootaxa 4555 (3), pp. 441-450 : 442

Ischalia (s. str.) ancora Kazantsev et Telnov , sp. nov.

( Figs 1–4 )

Material. Holotype ♂ [ NME], Vietnam, Lao Cai prov., Sin Chai, Hoang Lien N.P., Tram Ton , 22˚20.941′N, 103˚46.197´E, 1900 m, at light, 16.XII.2008, L. Papp, L. Peregovits & L. Ronkay leg. ; Paratypes 4♂♂ & 2♀♀ [3 DTC, 2 ICM, 1 NME], same label.

Description. Measurements. Total length: 5.0– 6.8 mm. Head length: 0.5–0.7 mm. Head width: 0.7–0.9 mm. Pronotal length: 0.7–0.8 mm. Pronotal width: 0.9–1.1 mm. Elytral length: 3.8–5.1 mm. Elytral width at humeri: 1.6–2.1 mm.

Male. Dark brown to black; pronotum and elytra ochre, pronotum infuscated at disk and near anterior angles, elytra with narrow dark brown longitudinal vittae along suture in proximal third ( Fig. 1 ).

Head transverse, posteriorly opaque and flattened, steeply rounded to the narrow parallel-sided neck. Eyes mid-sized, ca. 2.5 times longer than wide, separated by ca. their length as viewed from above, conspicuously emarginate at antennal insertions. Clypeus transverse, ca. 2 times wider than long, almost rectangular; frontoclypeal suture represented by smooth transverse impression, with traces of suture noticeable at sides. Labrum transverse. Terminal segment of labial and maxillary palps bulbous, strongly securiform. Antennae filiform, extending to midlength of elytra, with antennomere 3 about twice as long as antennomere 2 and ca. 1.2 times shorter than antennomere 4 ( Fig. 1 ).

Pronotum transverse, 1.5 times wider than long, opaque, almost parallel-sided and slightly convex anteriorly, with rounded anterior and strong acute laterally produced posterior angles; disc with narrow median longitudinal carina in basal half; postmedian transverse depressions straight; two pairs of pores located in transverse depressions in posterior third, first at carina, second half a distance from carina towards lateral margin. Scutellum distally slightly emarginate ( Fig. 1 ).

Elytra opaque, moderately long, together ca. 2.5 times longer than wide at humeri, parallel-sided, flattened, with lateral costa nearly reaching apex and less strong humeral costa reaching basal third of elytra; surface densely punctate, punctures small; lateral interstice with four rows of punctures; pubescence very short and decumbent ( Fig. 1 ).

First abdominal ventrite with median intercoxal carina in proximal two fifths, penultimate ventrite truncate distally. Legs with almost straight femora and conspicuously widened tarsomeres.

Aedeagus elongate, narrow; parameral blade distally rounded; median lobe noticeably longer than parameral blade, apically slightly widened in lateral aspect ( Figs 2–4 ).

Sexual dimorphism. Female externally similar to male.

Differential diagnosis. Ischalia ancora sp. nov. is close to I. laosensis sp. nov. (see description of this species below), distinguishable primarily by the relatively longer median lobe and apically rounded parameral blade of the aedeagus ( Fig. 3 ). Ischalia nigrovittata Pic, 1940 (N Vietnam) is generally smaller (total body length ~5.0– 5.5 mm) and has significantly broader and longer black longitudinal vittae along the elytral suture. Aedeagus of I. nigrovittata remains unknown for comparison.

Etymology. The name of the new species is derived from the Latin for “ancora” in both senses—refugia and hope—alluding to the role of the montane areas of Indochina as the last refugia (and hope) for the fauna of Indochina.

Figures

FIGURES 1–7. General view and details of Ischalia spp., holotypes males: 1—I. (s. str.) ancora sp. nov., general view, dorsally, 2—same, invaginated tergite, ventrally, 3—same, aedeagus, ventrally, 4—same, laterally; 5—I. (s. str.) laosensis sp. nov., general view, dorsally, 6—same, aedeagus, ventrally, 7—same, laterally. Scale bars: 1.0 mm.