Dyslexia tomasi Skelley and Gasca-Álvarez, 2020

Skelley, Paul E. & Gasca-Álvarez, Héctor Jaime, 2020, Dyslexia, a new remarkable genus of pleasing fungus beetles (Coleoptera: Erotylidae: Erotylinae) from the Andes, Insecta Mundi 2020 (835), pp. 1-15 : 12-14

Dyslexia tomasi Skelley and Gasca-Álvarez , new species

Figures 9 , 29‒35 .

Diagnosis. A member of Dyslexia differing from the other species by the rounded yet elongate pronotum, almost spherical elytra with transversely wavy color pattern, and in having hind wings greatly reduced, flightless.

Description. Length: 7.1–7.5 mm; Width 4.1–4.3 mm. Body ovoid, constricted at base of elytra; elytra nearly circular, strongly convex dorsally, not distinctly declivous at base, widest at middle; microreticulation moderate, surface glossy; orange with black color pattern ( Fig. 29 ).

Color pattern variable in distinctness and size of dark markings. Body and elytra orange with black markings. Head entirely orange. Pronotum variably marked, entirely orange or with two large elongate black marks ( Fig. 32 ). Scutellar shield orange. Elytra margined in black; disc with a wide wavy ring-like transverse band at basal and apical third that connected to black lateral margin and sutural margin on some, thus elytra appearing to have 4 wavy bands ( Fig. 29, 31 ); a free circular apical elytral spot present on one specimen. Ventrally entirely orange; abdominal ventrites with having free lateral spots. Mouthparts orange; femora basally orange, apically black; tibiae and tarsi black; antennae black except antennomere XI which is pale brown apically.

Head dorsal distance between eyes = 4.1–4.5× eye width ( Fig. 9 ); vertex and epistome punctures fine, size = 0.25× facet, widely separated; clypeus with u-shaped apical emargination. Antenna with all antennomeres elongate, narrowed; antennomere II length = 2× width; antennomeres III–VII width near apex slightly less than = antennomere II width; antennomere VIII width near apex = antennomere II width, truncate at apex; antennomere III length = 3× width, length = 1.2× length antennomere IV; antennomeres IV–VIII becoming gradually shorter with antennomere VIII length = 0.6× length antennomere III; antennomeres IX–X triangular, narrowed basally, length = 1.3× antennomere VIII length, length = width; antennomere XI length = 2× width, length = 1.3× antennomere X.

Pronotum slightly wider than long, width = 1.4–1.5× length, lateral edge arcuate, appearing semicircular to circular, width at anterior angles = 1.5–1.7× width at posterior angles; posterior angles obtuse,> 90°. Scutellar shield weakly pentagonal, rounded triangular, length = 0.6× width. Elytra weakly microreticulate, glossy, hemispherical; elytron length = 2× width in dorsal view; in lateral view, elytra evenly convex entire length; lateral margin evenly arcuate entire length; strial punctures indistinct on disc, approaching base; width of striae equal entire length; interval punctures not evident; punctures in groove of lateral marginal bead 2–3× larger than pores of marginal bead; epipleuron wide entire length, width most of length = 2× width of femur. Hind wings reduced, flightless.

Prosternum with angulation of anterior margin flattened, not projecting ventrally ( Fig. 33 ); distance from anterior margin to procoxae = 1.1× distance between procoxae; surface impunctate; coxal lines weakly constricted around procoxae; prosternal plate weakly convex, length = 0.9× distance between coxae. Mesoventrite length = 1.2× distance between mesocoxae; posterior margin truncate. Metaventrite short, length from mesocoxae to posterior margin = 1.9× distance between mesocoxae. Protarsomeres I–II of equal length; protarsomere III slightly longer. Meso- and metatarsomeres with tarsomere I and III of equal length, tarsomere II shorter.

Sexual dimorphism present, male with medial patch of setae on abdominal ventrite I ( Fig. 30 ); female lacking a setose patch.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 34 ) with penis weakly arched, narrowing apically, with broad 45° curved apical process; median strut length = 1.2× penis length; internal sac without noticeable sclerotized structures, pale microtrichia not evident; flagellum length = 1.5× penis length; virga of flagellum narrow, straight, truncately thickened basally; head of flagellum small, sclerite at base elongate claw-shaped. Females genitalia shortened ( Fig. 35 ).

Material examined. The holotype male of Dyslexia tomasi label data: “ ECUADOR: Napo, Cosanga / 4.2 km S on Baeza-Tena / Road then 2.9 km W. on pipeline access / road, 2150 m; 0°37′19″S, 77°50′1″W / 6 NOV 1999, Z. H. Falin / ECU1F99 112 pyrethrin fog fungus / logs” // “[barcode] / SM0355155 / KUNHM-ENT” ( SEMC) .

Allotype female same data as holotype except barcode number “SM0355156” ( SEMC) . Paratype (1) male same data as holotype except barcode number: “SM0355154” ( FSCA).

Etymology. This species is named after a friend and mentor, Michael C. Thomas, an expert on several cucujoid families world-wide. He was a creative, artistic person, both in the visual arts and nomenclaturally. Mike wished he had thought of the theme for a genus named “dyslexia” and encouraged PES to publish it someday. The species name has the intentional spelling variation without the “h” (ICZN 1999, Article 58.11).

Remarks. Dyslexia tomasi is unique in the genus in body shape, color pattern, and in being flightless. Mountain ranges present evolutionary opportunities for flightless lineages to speciate. We anticipate many additional flightless and flighted species of Dyslexia remain to be discovered.

Figures

Figures 1‒9. Heads of various Erotylini. 1) Aegithus clavicornis (Linnaeus). 2) Iphiclus (Sternolobus) dispilotus (Lacordaire). 3) Iphiclus (Saccomorphus) bimaculatus (Fabricius). 4) Erotylus giganteus (Linnaeus). 5) Ellipticus sp. 6) Scaphidomorphus quinquepunctatus (Linnaeus). 7‒8) Dyslexia belamyi Skelley and Gasca-Álvarez, n. sp., dorsal and ventral views. 9) Dyslexia tomasi Skelley and Gasca-Álvarez, n. sp.

Figures 29‒35. Dyslexia tomasi Skelley and Gasca-Álvarez. 29) Dorsal habitus. 30) Ventral habitus. 31) Lateral habitus. 32) Anterior oblique view of head and pronotum. 33) Ventral view head and posternum. 34) Male genitalia. 35) Female genitalia, allotype.