Trypheridium Brancucci, 1985

Zubair, R. M., Maqbool, Amir, Wachkoo, Aijaz Ahmad & Biffi, Gabriel, 2021, A review of the Himalayan genus Trypheridium Brancucci (Coleoptera: Cantharidae: Chauliognathinae with description of a new species, European Journal of Taxonomy 764, pp. 18-36 : 20-22

Genus Trypheridium Brancucci, 1985

Figs 2–7

Trypheridium Brancucci, 1985a: 245 .

Trypheridium – Kazantsev 2004: 30 (catalogue); 2012: 403 (catalogue). — Kazantsev & Brancucci 2007: 297 (catalogue).

Type species

Trypherus nuristanicus Wittmer, 1956 , by original designation.

Diagnosis

Trypheridium is similar to Trypherus , and distinguished by sexual characters: tergite IX with dorsal and ventral blades (“lames tergales et sternales”) very long and asymmetrical ( Figs 3A–D , 6E–F ); aedeagus without left paramere, median lobe membranous ( Figs 3F–J , 6G–I ), with orifice apically (not preapically as in Trypherus ); female with sternite VII remarkably broad, partly or completely concealing most of sternite VIII ( Figs 4G–H , 7B ); bursa copulatrix elongate, with two tubular spermathecae and one accessory gland connecting the bursa in its postero-dorsal part ( Figs 5F , 7D ).

Re-description ( Figs 6–7 )

Coloration

General coloration pale to sulphur yellow with dark brown to black patches; head yellow anteriorly at frons and clypeus and infuscate at vertex and occipital region; antennae dark brown to black, the three or four basal antennomeres yellow; pronotum with a transversal black band at posterior half; elytra with dark brown to black triangular patches, from the base of elytra (not reaching the humeri) and extending posteriorly; wings dark brown; legs dark brown or black, usually fore and mid legs light brown with dark spots; abdominal tergites and ventrites black in the centre and yellow at the margins. Coloration in females usually darker.

Male

HABITUS. Length 6.5–8.5 mm.

HEAD. Head (including the eyes) wider than pronotum; vertex flat, frons concave between the eyes, occipital region convex, sides rounded and regularly narrowing behind the eyes. Eyes large, oblong, bulging, longer than wide, broadly separated. Fronto-clypeal suture distinct laterally, indistinct in the middle; anterior margin of clypeus slightly sinuous, nearly straight; labrum membranous. Mandibles arcuate, apex acute, blunt, retinaculum in the same plan as incisor, apex rounded, with a small supplementary tooth at the base of retinaculum. Maxillary palp with fourth palpomere elongate, narrowing apicad. Antennae not juxtaposed, separated by at least the width of antennal sockets; with 11 antennomeres, filiform, without modifications; antennomere I slender, without swellings.

PRONOTUM. Transverse, wider than long, convex; anterior margin broadly arched, lateral margins nearly straight, slightly narrowing posteriorly; posterior margin projected posteriorly; anterior and posterior angles rounded, barely distinct. Elytra short, 1.2–1.4 times longer than combined width, slightly narrowed laterally, suture dehiscent posteriorly, apex rounded.

WINGS. With reduced venation, radial cell 2R 1 closed; vein r-m barely visible, vein Cu straight, vein Mr fading; transversal vein cu-a absent; Rr extends beyond the joining of vein r; vein A x2 well visible, not joining Ax 1+2 and ending near the joining of vein A and Ax 1+2.

LEGS. Slender, without swellings, teeth or remarkable modifications; apex of fore tibia with a pair of tiny spurs; all tarsal claws with broad internal teeth.

ABDOMEN. Weakly sclerotised; tergites with a pair of small glandular pores on the distal corners; pores of tergite VIII in the apex of projections. Tergite VIII long and broad, with distal corners projected posteriorly, distal margin arcuate, concave. Tergite IX (paraproct) strongly modified in a capsule with a pair of long and asymmetrical lamellar projections directed ventrally; left blade (“lame sternale” of Brancucci) longer, flattened; right blade (“lame tergale” of Brancucci) shorter, more strongly curved ventrally. Tergite X (proctiger) divided posteriorly into two projecting lobes. Sternite VIII (ventrite VII) asymmetrical, distal margin sinuous and deeply notched, sides projected posteriorly. Sternite IX concealed underneath sternite VIII, elongate, lamellar, weakly sclerotised.

AEDEAGUS. Elongated and weakly sclerotised; left paramere absent, right paramere and the prolongation of tegmen elongate and directed posteriorly; left prolongation of tegmen broad and lamellar, margins sinuous. Median lobe membranous, short, not twisted, with its broad opening located apically.

Female

Similar to males, except for eyes slightly smaller and more separated; sternite VII long and broad, mostly concealing sternite VIII, distal margin with elongate lobes projecting posteriorly. Sternite VIII membranous, broadly rounded, distal margin with a broad rounded lobe projecting posteriorly; coxites small, not fused medially, anterior arms very long and slender, apparently fused with valvifers, styles elongate, digitiform. Genitalia membranous, consisting of a long and broad vagina; oviduct anteriorly in the vagina; bursa copulatrix elongate, wrinkled, spiralling; spermatheca formed by two tubular projections; accessory gland large, connected by a long winding duct to the postero-dorsal part of bursa copulatrix.

Distribution

Trypheridium seems to be endemic to the Hindu Kush Himalayan Region. The only species described prior to this work has been reported from Tajikistan, Afghanistan (Nuristan) and Pakistan ( Fig. 8A ). Herein, we report a new species of this genus from India ( Fig. 8B ).

Key to the species of Trypheridium Brancucci, 1985

1. Males: right blade of tergite IX bifurcating terminally into two unequal lobes ( Fig. 3A–D ); tergite X divided into two very long asymmetrical projections ( Fig. 3B ). Females: sternite VII long, mostly concealing sternite VIII, projecting beyond the tip of abdomen, distal margin with three projections ( Fig. 4G–H )................................................................................ Trypheridium kashmiricum sp. nov.

– Males: right blade of tergite IX undivided ( Fig. 6E–F ); tergite X divided into two short asymmetrical lobes ( Fig. 6D, F ). Females: sternite VII shorter, partly exposing sternite VIII, distal margin with two projections ( Fig. 7B–C ) ............................................... Trypheridium nuristanicum ( Wittmer, 1956)

Figures

Fig 3. Micro images (brightfield and darkfield) of Trypheridium kashmiricum sp. nov. ♂, holotype (KUIC 0013), terminal segments genitalia. A. Ventral view. B. Dorsal view. C. Lateral view. D. Ventral view with IX sternite and tergite removed. E. IXth sternite. F. Aedeagus in ventral view. G. Aedeagus in dorsal view. H. Aedeagus in lateral view, left side. I. Aedeagus in dorso-lateral view. J. Aedeagus in lateral view, right side. Abbreviations: VIII St =sternite VIII; VIII Tg =tergite VIII; IX St =sternite IX; IX Tg=tergite IX; IX Tg Lt =left blade of tergite IX; IX Tg Rt =right blade of tergite IX; X Tg=tergite X; Ad =aedeagus; Md Lb=median lobe; Pr Tg=prolongation of tegmen; Rt Pr =right paramere. Scale bars: A–D, H–J= 0.5 mm; E–G=0.1 mm.

Fig. 2. Trypheridium kashmiricumsp. nov. ♂, holotype (KUIC 0013). A. Habitus, dorsal view.B. Habitus, lateral view. C. Habitus, ventral view. D. Head, frontal view. E. Head, lateral view. F. Antenna. G. Pronotum. H. Hind wing. I. Apex of fore tibia showing a pair of tiny spurs. J. Terminal segments, ventral view. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

Fig. 4. Trypheridium kashmiricumsp. nov. ♀, paratype (KUIC 0015). A. Habitus, dorsal view.B. Habitus, lateral view. C. Habitus, ventral view. D. Head, front view. E. Head, lateral view. F. Mandibles. G. Terminal segments dorsal view. H. Terminal segments, ventral view. Abbreviations: VII St =sternite VII; IX Tg=tergite IX. Scale bars: A–E, G–H= 0.5 mm; F =0.1 mm.

Fig. 5. Micro images (brightfield and darkfield) of Trypheridium kashmiricum sp. nov. ♀, paratype (KUIC 0015), terminal segments and genitalia.A. Sternite VII. B. Terminal segments (ventral view) with sternite VIIremoved. C. SterniteVIII.D. Tergite VIII.E. Coxite.F. Membranousgenitalia.Abbreviations: VII Tg = tergite VII; IX Tg=tergite IX; X Tg =tergite X; Agl =accessory gland; Bc =bursa copulatrix; Ov= oviduct; Sp =spermatheca; Stl= style; Vg= vagina. Scale bars: A–D=0.5 mm; E–F =0.1 mm.

Fig. 6. Trypheridium nuristanicum (Wittmer, 1956) nom. emend., paratype, ♂ (CANTH00014269, NHMB). A. Dorsal habitus. B. Pronotum. C. Apex of fore tibia showing a pair of tiny spurs (arrow). D. Terminal segments, dorsal view. E. Terminal segments, ventral view. F. Terminal segments, lateral view. G–H. Aedeagus, lateral view. I. Aedeagus, ventral view. J. Paratype label. Abbreviations: IX St =sternite IX; IX Tg Lt =left blade of tergite IX; IX Tg Rt =right blade of tergite IX; X Tg =Tergite X; Pr Tg =prolongation of tegmen; Rt Pr =right paramere. Scale bars:A–B, D–F = 0.5 mm; C, G–I =0.1 mm. Line drawings (F, H) adapted from Magis & Wittmer (1974).

Fig. 7. Trypheridium nuristanicum (Wittmer, 1956) nom. emend., paratype, ♀ (CANTH00013839, NHMB). A. Habitus, dorsal view.B. Terminal segments, ventral view.C. Terminal segments, dorsal view. D. Genitalia. E. Paratype label. Abbreviations: VII St =sternite VII; IX Tg =tergite IX; Agl=accessory gland; Bc=bursa copulatrix; Ov= oviduct; Sp =spermatheca; Vg=vagina. Scale bars: 0.5 mm. Line drawing (D) adapted from Brancucci (1985a).

Fig. 8. A. Global distribution of species of Trypheridium Brancucci, 1985. B. Sampling site of Trypheridium kashmiricum sp. nov.