Anthelephila theravada, Kejval, 2017

Kejval, Zbyněk, 2017, Studies of the genus Anthelephila Hope (Coleoptera: Anthicidae) 14. Twenty-four new species from Asia and new records of A. fossicollis Kejval, Zootaxa 4306 (1), pp. 1-52 : 45

Anthelephila theravada sp. nov.

Figs 93–97 , 113

Description. Male (holotype). Body length 3.2 mm. Head brownish black, pronotum dark reddish-brown; elytra black, with paler, dark reddish-brown base; legs and antennae dark reddish-brown, antennae slightly darker in terminal third.

Head 1.2 times as long as wide, its base somewhat unevenly rounded, clearly differentiated from short neck; tempora shortly subparallel, posterior angles indistinct. Eyes small, convex. Dorsal surface nearly matt, distinctly punctate and with coarse cell-like sculpture; punctures distinctly separated. Setation short, subdecumbent; numerous longer tactile setae. Antennae distinctly enlarged in terminal third; antennomere X 1.3 times, XI 2.1 times as long as wide.

Pronotum robust, 1.4 times as long as wide, moderately narrower than head including eyes, nearly evenly rounded anteriorly, strongly narrowed and moderately impressed (constricted) postero-laterally in dorsal view; pronotal disc convex, slightly bulging and abruptly sloping at base in lateral view. Surface nearly matt; anterolateral sides finely rugose; disc more distinctly punctate, with coarse sculpture, similar to head except for smooth antebasal area; postero-lateral impressions and adjacent dorso-lateral surface rugose (not longitudinally wrinkled). Setation as on head.

Mesosternum and metasternum simple.

Elytra 1.6 times as long as wide, ovoid, conjointly rounded apically; humeri at most slightly indicated; postscutellar impression absent. Surface moderately glossy, distinctly punctate; setiferous punctures widely separated, surrounded by slight punctures/impressions. Setation unevenly developed, generally longer than on head, with coarser whitish setae forming two vague/sparse transverse bands; numerous short tactile setae.

Metathoracic wings absent or ar most strongly reduced.

Fore legs modified ( Fig. 93 ); profemora with small tooth-like process, bluntly pointed apically; protibiae with distinct longitudinal carina, abruptly ending in distal half; penultimate tarsomere widened/flattened distally, with terminal tarsomere articulated dorsally near base in all tarsi. Setation normally developed; pro- and mesotibiae with two, metatibiae with single distinct terminal spur.

Abdominal sternum VII ( Fig. 94 ) distinctly emarginate and moderately produced medially. Tergum VII simple, convex, moderately widely rounded posteriorly. Sternite VIII ( Figs 95, 96 ); paired prongs well-sclerotized, laterally flattened (lobed), with longer process ventrally, several projections and robust setae medially. Tergite VIII with simple paired sclerites nearly evenly rounded apically, narrowly connected medially. Aedeagus ( Fig. 97 ); apical portion of tegmen 0.4 times as long as basal-piece, suntruncate and triangular apically.

Female. Externally differing from male as follows: fore legs and abdominal sternum VII simple; tergum VII subtriangular, narrowly rounded apically.

Variation. Body length (♂♀) 3.2–4.1 mm.

Type material. Holotype, ♂: BURMA, Mandalay reg., Bagan env., 21°09′N 94°53′E, 10.–24.x.2014, alt. 80 m, R. Fouque lgt. [p] ( NMPC).

Paratypes: 1 ♀, same data as holotype ( NMPC) ; 6 ♂♂ 8 ♀♀, same data, except: 3.–8.v.2016 ( ZKDC, BMNH, DCDC) .

Differential diagnosis. Anthelephila theravada sp. nov. seems to be close to A. cineracea Kejval, 2006 from Thailand, as suggested by the matt, robust body and similarity of the male characters. It differs by the paler, partly reddish-brown colouration, smaller eyes, wider and somewhat expanded head base (covering neck in dorsal view), ovoid elytra with narrower setose bands, and by numerous details of all male characters. Externally, it also resembles A. albifasciata Telnov, 1999 from Thailand, but differs mainly by the narrower pronotum, lack of lateral pronotal tubercles, presence of modified male profemora (simple in A. albifasciata ), and by the shape of paired prongs of male sternite VIII, that are surprisingly quite dissimilar.

Etymology. Named after the Theravada, a branch of Buddhism practiced in Burma. Noun in apposition.

Distribution. Burma.

Figures

FIGURES 93 – 97. Anthelephila theravada sp. nov. (holotype ♂). Profemur and tibia (93); abdominal sternum VII (94); sternite VIII, dorsal view (95); prong of sternite VIII, lateral view (96); apical portion of aedeagus (97). Scale (0.5 mm): A—Fig. 93; (0.2 mm): B—Fig. 97, C—Fig. 94, D—Figs 95, 96.

FIGURES 107 – 114. Body in dorsal view. Anthelephila abnormis sp. nov., paratype ♂ (107); A. ailani sp. nov., holotype ♂ (108); A. disparilis sp. nov., holotype ♂ (109); A. keahi sp. nov., holotype ♂ (110); A. laopako sp. nov., holotype ♂ (111); A. provecta sp. nov., holotype ♀ (112); A. theravada sp. nov., paratype ♀ (113); A. triplex sp. nov., holotype ♂ (114).