Gauromaia (Gauromaia) ruffordi, Medina & Cabras & Ruzzier, 2022

Medina, Milton Norman, Cabras, Analyn & Ruzzier, Enrico, 2022, The Tenebrionidae Latreille, 1802 (Coleoptera: Tenebrionoidea) of the Philippines Part 2. Two new species of the genus Gauromaia Pascoe, 1866 (Cnodalonini) from Mindanao Island, Zootaxa 5178 (3), pp. 278-284 : 280-281

Gauromaia (Gauromaia) ruffordi sp. nov.

( Figs 2 A–G )

Type specimen. Holotype: male, PHILIPPINES, Davao region, Davao City, Catigan Toril , 7°00’28.62 N; 124°55’17.99 E, 12-14. VII. 2019, M.N.D. Medina leg. ( MMCP) to be deposited at PNM.

Description. Measurements (in mm): body length: 14.2; IE 1.5; TD 0.4; EL 7.3; EW 4.0; mCG 0.5; PL 2.0; PW 3.2; Proportions: IE/TD 3.75; PW/PL 1.6; EL/EW 1.8.

Body subrectangular, subparallel, black colored with strong blue-green metallic shine, elytra metallic green with a metallic purple transverse band on the ¾ of their length.

Male. Head metallic green dorsally, with metallic blue frons; coarsely punctate at the base and near the eyes, finely punctate at the frons, piliferous; epistoma moderately depressed, finely punctate, piliferous; mEG weakly notched; labrum black, elliptical, entirely flattened, finely punctate, piliferous, with slightly concave apex which is covered with golden setae; epistomal suture obsolete, evenly arcuate; genae moderately convex, finely punctate, piliferous; frons flat, finely punctate, piligerous; inner ocular sulci shallow, extends one half the diameter of an eye; eyes light brown, moderate in size, transverse in lateral view; tempora weakly convex, not produced. Neck densely microsculptured ventrally; antennae short, reaching approximately apical third of pronotum; 7 th- 10 th antennomeres moderately dilated and forming a weak club; 1 st and 3 rd antennomeres 3.5 times as long as wide, individually; 2 nd as long as wide; 4 th 3.0 times as long as wide; 5 th twice as long as wide; 7 th- 10 th a little wider than long, individually; 7 th- 11 th moderately covered with golden setae; 11 th antennomere linguiform, as long as wide. Ultimate maxillary palpomere moderately securiform. Mentum trapezoidal, convex, bearing a fringe of long setae in anterior corners. Mandible black, glabrous. Base of the head lined with golden setae.

Pronotum 1.6 times as wide as long, metallic green with coppery green luster, subquadrate, widest at the middle, finely punctate, piliferous; disc slightly convex, steeply descendent laterally, smooth along lateral margins; anterior margin almost straight; basal margin weakly sinuate, pronotal margin thick, black, glabrous; anterior corners obtusely rounded, posterior corners obtusely angulate, pointed. Scutellum triangular, flat, glabrous, of the same color of the pronotum.

Elytra metallic green, with strong metallic purple transverse band on the ¾ of the elytral length; elytra distinctly convex in lateral view, widest behind middle in dorsal view; striae with very fine punctures; these punctures gradually become finer towards apical declivity; intervals almost flat, finely and sparsely punctate at the first basal half of the elytra, becoming weaker and almost invisible towards the apex; humeral calli gently humped, steep descendent towards elytral margins; epipleura metallic purple, glabrous, evenly flat until third ventrite, the rest weakly oblique, reaching the anterior third of 5 th abdominal ventrite.

Prothoracic hypomera slightly depressed, piliferous with fine microsculpture. Prosternum with fine punctations; prosternal process ( Fig. 2D ) lanceolate, curved inwards behind coxae, depressed from the base to behind apex. Mesoventral ridge strongly oblique forwards, slightly raised. Abdomen finely punctate, metallic green at the lateral terminals; ventrite I-III finely punctate with microsculpture pronounced near the anterior margin; ventrite IV-V impunctate, devoid of microsculpture.

Genitalia ( Fig. 2 E-G): phallobase 1.3 times as long as paramera, subellipsoidal in dorsal view, curved at basal third in lateral view; paramera fused, leaf-shaped in dorsal view, pointed at apex, in lateral view, gently curved from the base toward the apex

Legs metallic green, short. Femora metallic blue with metallic green luster, finely punctate, sparsely piliferous, dilated at apical third. Tibiae slightly curved, anterior terminal of pro- and posterior terminals of meso- and metatibiae bearing golden setae. Pads of (pro-, meso-, metatarsi) tarsi covered with golden setae; claws simple and glabrous.

Etymology. The specific epithet is dedicated to Mr. Josh Rufford Medina, son of the first author.

Diagnosis. The new species, Gauromaia ruffordi sp. nov., is similar to G. bella Pic , with which it shares a similar chromatic pattern (purple-blue transverse band on the apical third of the elytra) and body profile. The two species can be separated by the base of the color pattern of the elytra: green-purple elytra with a marked purple transverse band on the ¾ of the elytral length in G. ruffordi ; elytra mostly purple, humeri greenish, with the transverse band occupying all the apical third of the elytra, band golden-purple and delimited by iridescent blue, green and gold colors in G. bella .

Furthermore, the lateral sides of the pronotum in G. ruffordi sp. nov., in dorsal view, are gently but continuously curved from the posterior to the anterior angles of the pronotum; in G. bella the margins of the pronotum are almost subparallel-sided in the basal half and more abruptly curved in the apical half.

Figures

FIGURE 2A–G. Gauromaia ruffordi sp. nov. A. Dorsal aspect, B. Ventral aspect, C. Lateral aspect, D. Ventral aspect showing the sternal process (SP). E-F. Male genitalia. E. Ventral, F. Dorsal, G. Lateral view.