Scolytocis danae Lopes-Andrade et Grebennikov

Lopes-Andrade, Cristiano & Grebennikov, Vasily V., 2015, First record and five new species of Xylographellini (Coleoptera: Ciidae) from China, with online DNA barcode library of the family, Zootaxa 4006 (3), pp. 463-480 : 465-467

Scolytocis danae Lopes-Andrade et Grebennikov , sp. nov.

Figs. 1–6 , 35 , 37

Diagnosis. The species belongs to the zimmermani species-group characterized by tibiae expanded to the middle, with the outer edge broadly rounded and with spines very close to each other at the apical half. Among species in the group, it differs from Scol. zimmermani Lopes-Andrade by its biconcave prosternum; Scolytocis philippinensis Lopes-Andrade and Scol. thayerae Lopes-Andrade also have biconcave prosternum, but in the former the longitudinal carina in front of coxae is conspicuous; it closely resembles Scol. thayerae, which is more elongate (TL/EW 2.11–2.25) and male genitalia has tegmen narrower at apical half. Additionally, this species differs from all other known Scolytocis by its large body size (TL> 2.40 mm). Scolytocis howdeni Lopes-Andrade and Scol. fritzplaumanni Lopes-Andrade may reach 2.00 mm, and a few specimens of Scol. thayerae are 2.05 mm long. All other Scolytocis are lesser than 2.00 mm.

Description, male holotype ( Figs. 1–6 ). GenBank accession: KC 130821 . Fully pigmented adult. Measurements in mm: TL 2.43, PL 0.88, PW 1.10, EL 1.50, EW 1.20, GD 1.08. Ratios: PL/PW 0.80, EL/EW 1.25, EL/PL 1.71, GD/EW 0.90, TL/EW 2.02. Body elongate, convex, dark reddish brown, antennae palpi and tarsi a bit lighter; dorsal vestiture of very fine minute setae, smaller than a puncture-width and barely discernible even in high magnifications (190X); ventral vestiture of fine decumbent setae with about a puncture-width long. Head with shallow, fine, sparse punctation, the surface between punctures microreticulate; dorsum convex, devoid of knob at vertex. Antennae bearing nine antennomeres with the following lengths (in mm, left antenna measured): 0.13, 0.05, 0.07, 0.02, 0.02, 0.02, 0.07, 0.05, 0.09 (FL 0.13 mm, CL 0.21 mm, CL/FL 1.62). Eyes finely facetted, each bearing about 80 ommatidia; GW 0.21 mm. Pronotum with coarse punctures separated by a puncture-width or more, the surface between them microreticulate; devoid of longitudinal mark or sulcus at midline; anterior margin broadly rounded; anterior angles obtuse and not projected forward; sides smooth and not explanate, not visible from above; posterior edge broadly rounded, devoid of rugose border. Scutellum broad, triangular, bearing a few small punctures near the anterior edge; BW 0.16 mm. Elytra with conspicuous humeral calli; punctures a bit smaller than those on pronotum, the surface between them somewhat rugose; cuticular globules discernible at the posterior portion, somewhat seriate but not forming keels; pseudoepipleura tapering from base to middle, then continuing as a narrow line until apex. Prosternum in front of coxae biconcave, slightly tumid at midline but not carinate; prosternal process laminate; punctures indiscernible; surface somewhat rugose, microreticulate.

Hypomera with coarse shallow punctures, the surface between them somewhat rugose. Pro-, meso and metatibiae with similar shape and length, approximately three times as long as broad, expanded from base to basal two-thirds of their lengths and with outer edge of apical portion broadly rounded; outer edge with spines at the apical three-fourths; inner facet of protibia with a narrow tuft of long bristles along the apical half of the inner margin. Metaventrite with discrimen being one-tenth the length of the ventrite at the longitudinal midline; punctures coarse, concentrated at the anterior portion and scarce posteriorly; surface between punctures and elsewhere microreticulate. Abdominal ventrites with coarse punctures, separated by a puncture-width or less; length of the ventrites (in mm, from base to apex at the longitudinal midline) as follows: 0.31, 0.09, 0.10, 0.10, 0.21; first abdominal ventrite bearing a small, circular setose sex patch positioned posteriorly of the center, with a transverse diameter of 0.04 mm. Male abdominal terminalia in the holotype ( Fig. 4–6 ) with sternite VIII (damaged during dissection and not shown in figures) with posterior margin curved inward, bearing minute setae medially and long setae at the lateral corners; lateral margins converging; anterior margin membranous and devoid of median strut. Tegmen ( Fig. 4 ) slightly shorter than penis; anterior half mostly membranous and bearing a longitudinal spatulate sclerotization; posterior half with lateral margins converging to an acute apex. Basal piece ( Fig. 5 ) subquadrate. Penis ( Fig. 6 ) extremely elongate, subcylindrical, slightly curved downward, widest at the anterior portion and lateral margins gradually converging to an acute apex.

Females. Unknown.

Type series. Holotype: male (dissected, IZCAS) “P.R. CHINA, Yunnan, E slope N Gaoligongshan, N27º46.782’ E098º33.087’, 14.vi.2009, 2956m sifting04, V. Grebennikov \ CNCCOLVG00000143 \ CNCCOLVG00000919 \ Scolytocis danae Lopes-Andrade & Grebennikov HOLOTYPUS [handwritten, red paper]\”.

Etymology. The species epithet is a Latinized Greek mythical name of King Acrisius' daughter and mother of Perseus impregnated by Zeus, in spite of being locked by her father to keep her childless, Zeus came in a disguise of golden rain; noun in apposition.

Comments. Besides the holotype, no other specimen is known. We believe its sampling in leaf litter was incidental. It is the largest known Scolytocis and the second largest representative of Xylographellini, being smaller only than Xylographella speciosa Lopes-Andrade , which may reach 2.95 mm. We include Scol. danae sp. nov. in the zimmermani species-group, together with Scol. philippinensis and Scol. thayerae from the Philippines, and Scol. zimmermani from Fiji.

Figures

FIGURE 35. Known distribution of Xylographellini beetles in the Palaearctic Region outside of Japan.

FIGURE 37. Lower part of the Maximum Likelihood inference phylogram, upper part of which is depicted on Fig. 36. HT: holotype.

FIGURES 1 – 6. Scolytocis danae sp. nov., male holotype from Gaoligong Shan: (1) dorsal view; (2) lateral view; (3) ventral view. Aedeagus of the holotype (Figs. 4 – 6): (4) tegmen; (5) basal piece (= phallobase); (6) penis. The apices of sclerites of male abdominal terminalia are oriented to the left. Scale bars: 0.5 mm (Figs. 1 – 3); 0.1 mm (Figs. 4 – 6).