Ermischiella bejceki, 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 : 264-266

Ermischiella bejceki sp. nov.

( Figs. 44–54 )

Type locality. Yemen, Socotra Island, Zemhon protected area, ca. 12°20.58′N, 54°06.39′E, 270– 300 m.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: J, Yemen,Socotra Isl., Zemhon area , 270–300 m, N 12°20.58′ E 054°06.39′ 16.–17.vi.2010, V. Hula leg. ( NMPC) . ALLOTYPE: ♀, same data as holotype ( NMPC) . PARATYPES: 4 JJ 3 ♀♀, same data as holotype ( JHCP) ; 1 J, Yemen, Socotra Isl. , Firmhin plato, 400–500 m, N 12°28′46″ E 54°00′89″, 18.–19.vi.2010, V. Hula & J. Niedobová leg. ( JHCP) ; 1 ♀, Yemen, Socotra Isl. , Wadi Far, 69 m, 1.4.2001, GPS 12.433N 54.195E, V. Bejček & K. Šťastný leg. ( JHCP) ; 2 JJ (one is torso), Yemen, Socotra Isl. , Zerik, 25.– 27.3.2001, V. Bejček & K. Šťastný leg. ( JHCP) .

Description. Male holotype. Ground colour yellowish-brown, eyes and ridges of hind legs black. Maxillary palpi, antennomeres I–IV, anterior and mid legs, and terminal spurs of metatibiae yellowish-brown. Pubescence uniform, golden-yellow, with faint silver lustre.

Body length from tips of mandibles to tips of elytra 3.4 mm, to tip of pygidium 4.3 mm.

Head ( Fig. 44 ) rather flatly convex, shining and sparsely punctate; distinctly wider than long (width to length ratio 7.0: 6.0) and distinctly narrower than pronotum (ratio of head width to pronotal width 7.0: 8.5). Eyes large, almost globular, coarsely facetted and short and rather densely pubescent. Temples not developed, somewhat extended in area of temporal angle. Maxillary palpi ( Fig. 45 ) rather long, palpomere II clavate, one third wider than palpomere III, which is almost one half longer than wide; terminal palpomere broadly securiform, its inner angle rather shifted toward base and distinctly rounded at top. Antennae ( Fig. 47 ) very long, reaching shoulders; antennomere I one third longer and slightly wider than antennomere II; antennomere III almost equally long and one third narrower than antennomere II; antennomere IV almost twice as long and about one third wider than antennomere III; antennomeres IV and V equal in length; antennomere IV almost three times as long as wide; antennomeres V–X gradually slightly diminished, antennomere X only twice as long as wide; terminal antennomere oblong oval, almost twice as long as wide and only 1.15 times longer than penultimate one.

Pronotum flatly vaulted, wider in posterior third, distinctly wider than long (width to length ratio 8.5: 6.0). Anterior angles hardly visible from above, anterior margin almost semicircular, with indistinct neck-shaped protuberance. Sides in dorsal view almost straight, posterior angles obtuse with rounded tips. Punctation sparse, rasp-like.

Scutellum small, triangular, brown with golden-yellow pubescence. Punctation coarse, rasp-like.

Elytra 2.1 times longer than their combined width, in basal third almost parallel-sided, then gradually narrowed posteriorly, their tips separately rounded. Punctation coarse, rasp-like.

Pygidium narrowly conical, one third longer than hypopygium.

Protibiae ( Fig. 49 ) only indistinctly curved inward, without swelling and longer setae at base. Protarsomere I almost as long as protarsomeres II–III combined; protarsomere IV moderately wider than protarsomere III, bilobed to basal third and with truncate onychium on ventral side; terminal protarsomere overlapping it almost by two thirds of its length. Mesotibiae longer than mesotarsi. Metatibiae ( Fig. 50 ) besides short apical ridge, with two oblique lateral ridges and above upper lateral ridge with another ridge structurally similar to dorsal ridge. Metatarsomere I with three oblique ridges, metatarsomere II with two oblique ridges, metatarsomere III without ridges. Outer terminal spur of metatibia reaching almost midlength of inner one.

Male genitalia as in Figs. 51–53 , shape of urosternite VIII as in Fig. 54 .

Female allotype. Larger, more robust and convex, with strongly arcuate sides. Antennae ( Fig. 48 ) shorter and less serrate. Terminal maxillary palpomere ( Fig. 46 ) elongate securiform, its inner angle situated at distal third. Palpomere II narrower than in male. Pygidium widely conical. Metatarsomere I with four ridges. Body length from tips of mandibles to tips of elytra 4.3 mm, to tip of pygidium 4.9 mm.

Variability. Body shape and colour uniform. Total length, measured from tips of mandibles to apex of pygidium, varying between 3.6 and 4.9 mm.

Differential diagnosis. The diagnostic characters are included in the key to species below.

Etymology. The new species is dedicated to our teacher and friend Vladimír Bejček, who underwent, along with Karel Šťastný (both Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic), research in Socotra Island leading to discovery of this species.

Distribution remarks. All hitherto known species of the genus Ermischiella occur in the Oriental and eastern Palaearctic Regions. The occurrence of E. bejceki sp. nov. in Socotra represents the westernmost limit of the genus range of distribution.

Figures

Figs. 44–54. Ermischiella bejceki sp. nov. 44 – habitus; 45–46 – maxillary palpus; 47–48 – antenna; 49 – protibia and tarsus; 50 – metatibia and tarsus; 51 – paramere; 52 – phallobasis; 53 – apical part of penis; 54 – sternite VIII. 44 – 45, 47, 49 – 54 – holotype (J); 46, 48 – allotype (♀). Scale: a – 45–46; b – 49; c – 47–48, 50, 52–53; d – 44; e – 51; f – 54.