Passalus (Passalus) cleidecostae, Bevilaqua & Fonseca, 2020

Bevilaqua, Marcus & Fonseca, Claudio Ruy Vasconcelos da, 2020, Two new species of Passalus Fabricius (Coleoptera: Passalidae) from the western Brazilian Amazon with comments on the taxonomic limits of the subgenera, Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia (Pap. Avulsos Zool., S. Paulo) 60 (19), pp. 1-13 : 4-8

Passalus (Passalus) cleidecostae sp. nov.

( Figs. 4 , 5 , 6 A-C)

Type material: HOLOTYPE: ♂ ( INPA). “ BRAZIL. Acre: Sena Madureira / Tr 23n – praia redonda / 09°09′36.15″S, 68°45′47.33″W / 15-19.xi.2010 / FBP Gouveia, GC de Sá col” . PARATYPES:“Sena Madureira / Tr23n – praia redonda / 09°09′36.15″S, 68°45′47.33″W / 15-19.xi.2010 / FBP Gouveia, GC de Sá col. (1 ♀, INPA). Sena Madureira / Tr22n – praia redonda / 09°09′41.15″S, 68°45′49.42″W / 15-19.xi.2010 / FBP Gouveia, GC de Sá col. (1 ♂, 2 ♀, INPA). Sena Madureira / Tr21n – praia redonda / 09°09′47.84″S, 68°45′49.57″W / 15-19.xi.2010 / FBP Gouveia, GC de Sá col. (1 ♂, 1 ♀, INPA).Sena Madureira / Tr27n – praia redonda / 09°09′27.90″S, 68°45′44.30″W / 15-19.xi.2010 / FBP Gouveia, GC de Sá col. (1 ♂, 1 ♀, INPA). Sena Madureira / Tr30n – praia redonda / 09°09′34.70″S, 68°45′41.34″W / 15-19.xi.2010 / FBP Gouveia, GC de Sá col. (2 ♀, INPA). Sena Madureira / Tr29n – praia redonda / 09°09′34.70″S, 68°45′41.34″W / 15-19.xi.2010 / FBP Gouveia, GC de Sá col. (2 ♀, INPA). Sena Madureira / roÇa D. [ona] Marina / (2 ♂, INPA).”

Diagnosis: medium sized specimens (28-31 mm, total length); body flat; anterior frontal edge of the front straight; anterior mediofrontal area with coarse punctures,posterior mediofrontal area with large rounded cephalic nodule; laterofrontal tubercles large, conspicuous, with acute apices; mediofrontal tubercles with round- ed apices, smaller than laterofrontal tubercles, located externally to these; secondary mediofrontal tubercles smaller than laterofrontal, with acute apices, distance between them less than distance to laterofrontal tubercles; inner tubercles small, but slightly detached from the anterofrontal ridges; posterofrontal ridges elevated, strong and slightly straight, starting at apex of central tubercle; anterofrontal ridges arched, larger, lower and weaker than posterofrontal ridges; central tubercle flat, with not free apex; conspicuous and slightly rounded lateroposterior tubercles; lateropostfrontal areas with a few small punctures; mentum with non-dilated mediobasal area, large and deep lateral scars; pronotum with anterior angles not protruded and slightly acute; pronotal punctures only on marginal grooves and near lateral fossae; mesosternal scars deep and elongated; metasternal disc barely delimited, without carina, with large group of punctures on posterior region; metasternal grooves deep and pubescent; in ventral view, aedeagus ventrally with basal piece fused to parameres, and with V-shaped emargination in middle region; median lobe globular occupying almost half of all aedeagus, with two longitudinal sclerotized plates located near outer edges; in dorsal view, apices of parameres very close to each other.

Description

Body ( Figs. 4-6 ): flat; size: medium (28-31 mm, total length).

Head ( Figs. 4 A-C, 5A-C, 6A): Labrum concave on anterior border. Clypeus: hidden under frons, with anterior angles small and obtuse and positioned below laterofrontal tubercles. Anterior frontal edge: straight. Secondary mediofrontal tubercles: small, smaller than laterofrontal tubercles, with acute apices, near to each other than distance to laterofrontal tubercles. Laterofrontal tubercles: large, conspicuous, with acute apices projected forward. Mediofrontal tubercles: small, with rounded apices, small- er than laterofrontal tubercles, located near and externally to this. Secondary laterofrontal tubercles: absent. Mediofrontal area: caliciform 2.1× wider than long, with anterior region deeper than posterior; with coarse punctures scattered across anterior region. Cephalic nodule: large, well-marked, rounded. Inner tubercles: small, but detached from the anterofrontal ridges, with rounded apices, a little closer to the central tubercle. Anterofrontal ridges: arched, larger, lower and weaker than the posterofrontal ridges. Posterofrontal ridges: elevated, strong and slightly straight, starting in apex of central tubercle. Central tubercle: conical, flat, with apex not free, dilated posteriorly. Lateroposterior tubercles: conspicuous, with evident apices,slightly rounded,slightly distant from cen- tral tubercle. Laterofrontal areas: slightly flat and smooth, without punctures or wrinkles. Lateropostfrontal areas: deep, with smooth surface containing some punctures. Postfrontal area: shallow, smooth surface. Postfrontal groove: well-marked, lacking medial notch. Epicranial sutures: well-marked. Epicranial pits: deep. Anterior angles of head: well-developed, with acute apices, slightly smaller than laterofrontal tubercles. Canthus ocular: apices almost straight, not reaching half of eye. Antennae: trilamellated, with large and robust lamellae not folded inward, distal lamella almost twice as wide as the other two.

Mouthparts ( Fig. 4B ): Ligula : tridentate, with median tooth larger than lateral teeth. Hypostomal process: wide,

glabrous, slightly close to mentum. Mentum: mediobasal area not dilated, smooth and glabrous, with slightly protruded anterior region, and median notch; lateral lobes with rounded apices; lateral scars large, deep, glabrous, unpunctate and rounded. Mandibles: incisor lobe with three well-formed apical teeth; suprainternal teeth robust; infrabasal pits inconspicuous. Maxilla: lacinia bidentate at apex.

Prothorax:Pronotum( Figs.4A , 5A,C , 6B ): anterior edge slightly straight; anterior angles slightly acute and not protruding; marginal groove well-marked, deep, narrow and punctate throughout, with apex dilated, not reaching ⅓ of pronotal width; lateral fossae large, well-marked, deep and rounded; with group of coarse punctures only in the region near the lateral fossae. Prosternum ( Fig. 4B ): prepisternum with a few long, sparse setae on outer face; prepimerum with a few sparse bristled punctures; prosternelum rhomboidal, with acute base.

Mesosternum ( Figs. 4B , 5D , 6C ): smooth and glabrous; mesosternal scars elongated, deep, with slightly rough surface, without punctures or pubescence.

Metasternum ( Figs. 4B , 5E , 6C ): disc well-delimited by weak lateral carina formed by large group of punctures on lateroposterior region of metasternal disc, almost reaching metasternal lateral groove; with bristled punctures on lateroanterior region; lateral groove narrower than mesotibiae, deep, with dense bristled punctures.

Elytra ( Fig. 4A ): Approximately 2.5× longer and 1.1× wider than pronotum; striae: narrower than interstriae, marked by circular punctures, on dorsal striae smaller than that on lateral striae; epipleura with setae on region closest to the humeri which have a tuft of long setae.

Legs ( Figs. 4 A-C, 5A, C, E): profemur with well-marked groove on anteroventral border; posteroventral border with a few setae near apex; protibia not dilated; mesotibiae with one small spine on outer face; metatibiae without spine on outer face.

Abdomen ( Fig. 4B ): sternite VII with complete and wellmarked groove; sides rough.

Aedeagus ( Fig. 5F ): Median lobe: narrower than parameres and basal piece together; ventrally with two sclerotized plates lacking at median region. Basal piece attached to the parameres forming a tegmen. Tegmen ventrally with median anterior region with V-shaped median notch; laterally, with slightly straight projections almost reaching half-length of median lobe; dorsally, with projections attached.

Etymology: We dedicate this new species to Dr. Cleide Costa, a researcher with extensive career in Coleoptera systematics, working especially with Neotropical immature insects and for her dedication on training taxonomists.

Polymorphisms: The size of the inner tubercles, and the density of punctures on the lateropostfrontal areas may vary.

Remarks: Passalus cleidecostae sp. nov. can be assigned to subgenus Passalus (Passalus) , precisely in the “Neleus” section by the following characters: mediofrontal area short and transverse; presence of two well-developed secondary mediofrontal tubercles; mediofrontal and laterofrontal tubercles not fused, but close together; inner tubercles small; metasternal disc well-delimit- ed, and humeri, epipleura, lateroanterior region of the metasternum and metasternal groove pubescent. It is more similar to species whose apex of the central tubercle is not free, such as P. interstitialis Eschscholtz, 1829 and P. bucki Luederwaldt, 1931 . The new species differs from P. interstitialis by presenting smaller and more obtuse secondary mediofrontal tubercles; smaller mediofrontal tubercles and not overlapping laterofrontal tubercles; less developed inner tubercles; less straight frontal ridges; shorter and thicker antennal lamellae, not turned inwards; weaker carina on metasternal disc, and sparser pubescence on the humeri, epipleura, and metasternal anterolateral region ( Table 2). The similarities with P. bucki are more pronounced, since both species have secondary mediofrontal tubercles smaller than laterofrontal tubercles,and with obtuse apices, presence of punctures on anterior mediofrontal and lateropostfrontal areas. However, they can be differentiated since P. cleidecostae sp. nov. presents secondary mediofrontal tubercles with more acute apices ( Figs.6A, D ), inner tubercles larger and more conspicuous ( Figs. 6A, D ), frontal ridges smooth ( Figs. 6A, D ), anterior mediofrontal and lateropostfrontal areas with smaller and sparser punctures ( Figs. 6A, D ), pronotal punctures concentrated only near the lateral fossae ( Figs. 6B, E ), and metasternal punctures not ex- ceeding the lateroposterior region of the metasternal disc ( Figs. 6C, F ) ( Table 2).

Although P. cleidecostae sp. nov. and P. bucki are similar species, they have enough distinctive characteristics, which was possible to see after comparison with the P. bucki type series deposited at the Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo (MZUSP), as well as specimens from other localities and species that also belong to the Neleus section. Both species may be more similar, since the presence of flattened central tubercle flatted, and absence of free apex are not common characteristics in this group. It is possible that within the Neleus section these species form a group which the main characteristic is related to the central tubercle.

Figures

Figure 4. Passalus (Passalus) cleidecostaesp.nov., habitus.(A) dorsal;(B) ventral;(C) lateral.

Figure 5. Passalus (Passalus) cleidecostae sp.nov.(A) head and prothorax,dorsal;(B) head,ventral (C) head and prothorax,dorsolateral;(D) posterior region of the prosternum and anterior region of the mesosternum;(E) metasternum (left side);(F) aedeagus (ventral,dorsal and lateral view).

Figure 6. Passalus (Passalus) cleidecostae sp. nov. (A) cephalic capsule, dorsal; (B) pronotum, lateral; (C) meso- and metasternum. Passalus (Passalus) bucki Luederwaldt,1931:(D) cephalic capsule,dorsal v.(E) pronotum,lateral.(F)meso- and metasternum.