Mordellina (Pseudomordellistena) janae, Horák & Farkač & Nakládal, 2012

Horák, Jan, Farkač, Jan & Nakládal, Oto, 2012, Mordellidae (Coleoptera) from Socotra Island, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 52, pp. 253-268 : 257-259

Mordellina (Pseudomordellistena) janae sp. nov.

( Figs. 10–21 )

Type locality. Yemen, Socotra Island, Deiqub cave, ca. 12°23.1′N, 54°00.9′E, 115 m.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: J, Yemen,Socotra Isl., Deiqub cave env., 10.vi.2010, V.Hula & J. Niedobová leg. ( NMPC) . ALLOTYPE: ♀, Yemen, Socotra Isl., Haqher [Haghier] Mts, Skant, N 12°34.557′ E 54°01.514′, 7.–8.vi.2010, V. Hula & J. Niedobová leg. ( JHCP) . PARATYPES: 5 ♀♀, same data as allotype ( JHCP) ; 1 ♀, Yemen, Socotra Island, Diksam plateau, Bidehor, Digeila, cave env., 920 m, 12°30′31″N 53°56′18″E, 8.ii.2010, L. Purchart & J. Vybíral leg. ( JHCP) ; 2 JJ 2♀♀, Yemen, Socotra Isl. , Al Haqhier Mts., wadi Madar, 1180–1230 m, 12°33.2′N 54°00.4′E, 12.–14.xi.2010, J. Bezděk leg. ( JHCP) ; 1 J 1 ♀, Yemen, Socotra Isl. , Al Haqhier Mts, Scant Mt. env., 1450 m, 12°34.6′N 54°01.5′E, 12.–13.xi.2010, L. Purchart leg. ( JHCP) ; 2 JJ 2 ♀♀, same data, but J. Bezděk leg. ( JHCP) ; 1 J 2 ♀♀, same data, but J. Hájek leg. ( NMPC) ; 1 J, same data, but Jan Batelka leg. ( JBCP) ; 2 ♀♀, Yemen, Socotra Isl. , wadi Ayhaft, 200m, 12°36.5′N 53°58.9′E, 7.–8.xi.2010, J. Hájek leg. ( NMPC) .

Description. Male holotype. Body slender, rather parallel-sided, only moderately convex ( Fig. 10 ). Ground colour blackish-brown, only head, anterior third of pronotum, maxillary palpi, antennae, anterior and mid legs reddish-brown. Terminal spurs of posterior tibiae yellowishbrown. Pubescence golden-yellow, on elytra with faint blue-green lustre.

Body length from tips of mandibles to tips of elytra 3.8 mm, to tip of pygidium 4.8 mm.

Head distinctly flatly convex, only indistinctly wider than long (width to length ratio 6.8: 6.5), distinctly prolonged at mouth parts. Eyes ( Fig. 17 ) of usual size, broadly oval, emarginate at insertions of antennae, coarsely facetted, with short setae, posterior margins with very narrow temporal border, temporal angles not developed. Maxillary palpus ( Fig. 11 ) with palpomere II distinctly wider than palpomere III, palpomere II nearly twice as long as wide; terminal palpomere rather broadly securiform with distinctly rounded inner angle and its outer side gently convex. Antennae ( Fig. 13 ) long and filiform; antennomeres I and II subequal, antennomere III almost as long as and distinctly narrower than antennomere II; antennomere IV nearly three times as long as wide, indistinctly wider and almost twice as long as antennomere III; following antennomeres gradually slightly shorter than antennomere X, antennomere X 2.6 times as long as wide; terminal antennomere long oval, with moderately narrowed apex, 2.6 times as long as wide and 1.2 times as long as penultimate one.

Pronotum wider than long (width to length ratio 14.0: 11.0), anterior margin with very slightly neck-shaped protuberance. Lateral margin of pronotum only moderately emarginate, posterior angles nearly rectangular with rounded apex. Dorsal surface with sparse rasp-like punctures.

Scutellum very small, triangular with moderately rounded apex.

Metaepisterna long, three times as long as wide, at base twice as broad as on sternal side, which is truncate.

Elytra in basal half almost parallel-sided, almost three times as long as their combined width at shoulders, separately rounded at apex. Punctation dense and rather coarse, rasp-like.

Pygidium slender, narrowly conical, three times longer than hypopygium.

Protibia gently curved inward, at base with gentle calf-like swelling and without longer setae. Protarsomere I only moderately shorter than two following ones together, protarsomere IV only indistinctly longer than wide, terminal tarsomere twice as long as preceding one. Mesotibia distinctly shorter than mesotarsus. Metatibia besides short apical ridge with two very oblique ridges. Metatarsomeres I–II with two very oblique ridges, metatarsomere III without ridges. Outer terminal spur of metatibia one fourth shorter than inner one.

Genitalia as Figs. 18–20 , shape of urosternite VIII as in Fig. 21 .

Female allotype. Body more robust than in male, 4.3 mm long from tips of mandibles to apex of elytra and 5.4 mm long from tips of mandibles to apex of pygidium. Antennae ( Fig. 14 ) shorter, antenonnomere X twice as long as wide. Terminal maxillary palpomere ( Fig. 12 ) broadly securiform, with strongly rounded inner angle.

Variability. Body shape and colour very uniform. The total length, measured from tips of mandibles to apex of pygidium, varies between 3.8 and 5.4 mm.

Differential diagnosis. The species is similar to M. (P.) fuscocastanea Ermisch, 1952 from the Congo ( ERMISCH 1967), from which it may be easily distinguished by the antennal length, elytral length and pygidium shape. The diagnostic characters are included in the key to species below.

Etymology. Dedicated to Jana Niedobová who participated, together with Vladimír Hula (both Mendel University, Brno, Czech Republic), in discovery of the species.

Collection circumstances. The specimens from Scant were collected at light trap and swept at night from bushes (J. Hájek, pers. comm.).

Figures

Figs. 10–21. Mordellina (Pseudomordellistena) janae sp. nov. 10 – habitus; 11–12 – maxillary palpus; 13–14 – antenna; 15 – protibia and tarsus; 16 – metatibia and tarsus; 17 – eye; 18 – paramere; 19 – phallobasis; 20 – apical part of penis; 21 – J sternite VIII. 10–11, 13, 15–21 – holotype (J); 12, 14 – allotype (♀). Scale: a – 11–12; b – 10; c – 18; d – 19–20; e – 16; f – 13–15; g – 17; h – 21.