Afrocyrona pedestris, Kolibáč, 2014

Kolibáč, Jiří, 2014, Two new species of Afrocyrona from Socotra Island (Coleoptera: Trogossitidae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 54, pp. 197-210 : 205-208

Afrocyrona pedestris sp. nov.

( Figs 4A–D, 4G , 5A–D )

Type material. HOLOTYPE: J, ‘ YEMEN, SOCOTRA Island / Hagher Mts., SCAND Mt. env. / broad-leaved evergreen woodland / 16.–18.vi.2012 / 12°34.6′N, 54°01.5′E, 1450 m’; ‘ Socotra expedition 2012 / J. Bezděk, J. Hájek, V. Hula / P. Kment, I. Malenovský / J. Niedobová & L. Purchart leg.’ ( NMPC).

Description. Body length (from elytral apex to clypeus): 2.5 mm. For other measurements see Table 1.

Coloration and sculpture ( Fig. 4G ): Body oval, conspicuously convex; all dorsal surface black-brown to black but brown lateral margins of pronotum, margins of elytra, mesonotum, legs, and antennae. Setae covering dorsal surface scale-like, much thicker than those in A. volatilis sp. nov. Head very finely and very sparsely punctate (interspaces much larger than those in A. volatilis sp. nov.); punctures with thick erect or decumbent whitish setae. Pronotum finely and sparsely punctate (interspaces larger than diameter of punctures), size of punctures nearly same as that on head; centre of pronotum covered with thick, perfectly decumbent whitish setae; lateral margins with denser erect pubescence composed of black and white clavate setae. Elytral punctation regular, composed of about 14 rows of punctures which are clearly visible from ventral side only (covered with pubescence from above), interspaces among rows inconspicuously elevate; pubescence similar to that in centre of pronotum, composed of thick, decumbent setae which are whitish in humeral and apical areas as well as along lateral margins and black on rest of elytra; margins of elytra also with short erect setae. Sculpture of ventral surface of head and prothorax coarser than that in A. volatilis sp. nov.: punctures relatively large, not separated, joined to transverse wrinkles; sculpture and pubescence of meso- and metaventrite as well as legs similar to that in A. volatilis sp. nov.: punctation sparse, punctures relatively large and distinctly separated (interspaces larger than diameter of punctures); hypomeral area of prothorax and basal margin of metaventrite without punctation; pubescence scarce, conspicuous only in metaventrite, formed by short, sparse, decumbent pale hairs.

Head ( Fig. 4G ): almost hypognathous (position in picture artificial), frons distinctly flat; gular sutures widely separated at base, extending to approximately midpoint of cranium, strongly convergent; frontoclypeal suture inconspicuous; antennal grooves on ventral side of cranium short but relatively deep, more distinct than those in A. volatilis sp. nov.; antennal sockets not visible from above; eyes relatively small (space between them about twelve times as wide as eye diameter) but coarsely facetted, distinctly elevated, not emarginate, elliptic, their greater part situated ventrally.

Mouth parts of unique holotype not dissected. Maxillary palps tetramerous, terminal palpomere conical, elongate; labial palps with terminal palpomere distinctly shorter than the labial one, cylindrical to weakly securiform; anterior margin of labrum shallowly emarginate.

Antennae ( Fig. 4G ): with nine antennomeres; antennal club trimerous, relatively loose; antennomeres 1–6 symmetrical, 7–9 very weakly asymmetrical, without conspicuous sensorial fields, with sparse pubescence; scape robust, pedicel smaller, slightly shorter than antennomere 3, antennomere 4 approximately as long as antennomere 4, 5–6 distinctly shorter; antennae relatively short, extending backwards to midway along pronotum.

Prothorax ( Fig. 4G ): pronotum transverse; anterior margin straight, anterior corners not projecting, rounded; lateral margins rounded, excavate; lateral edge present, finely denticulate; prosternal process distinctly dilated at apex, with sharp side corners; procoxal cavities externally narrowly open, closed to halfway by postcoxal projections; anterior margin with long pubescence.

Mesothorax: prepectus present in anterior part of mesepisternum only, absent above mesoventrite; mesocoxal cavities externally widely open; mesoventral process reaches towards base of mesocoxae (anterior projection of metaventrite minute), mesoventral process with longitudinal groove; mesonotum wide.

Hind wing ( Fig. 4C ): rudimentary, vestigial; venation reduced.

Metathorax: metaventrite wide and relatively convex, distinctly narrowed towards anterior portion; discriminal line (discrimen) inconspicuous; paracoxal sutures well-demarcated, parallel with coxae, narrowly separated from base of metaventrite; metepisternum distinctly triangular; metanotum rectangular, well-developed (in spite of nonfunctional wings).

Elytra ( Figs 4G ): regularly punctate, with moderately wide epipleura conspicuous along whole length of elytra; interlocking mechanism not developed; elytra without distinct longitudinal carinae; explanation of lateral margins of elytra much narrower than those in A. volatilis sp. nov.

Legs ( Fig. 4D ): procoxae not projecting, transverse; mesocoxae oval, metacoxae extended to lateral margin of metathorax; trochanters relatively small, triangular; femora weakly clavate; tibiae with row of small spines along outer margin; tibial apical spur pattern 1(2)-2-2 (2nd spur of protibiae reduced in size) but apical spurs in meso- and metatibiae larger and more conspicuous than those in A. volatilis sp. nov.; large protibial spur distinctly hooked; apices of meso- and metatibiae without conspicuous row of spines; tarsomere 1 in all pairs of legs conspicuous, approximately as long as tarsomere 2; tarsomere 5 distinctly longer than 1–4 combined; tarsal lobes absent; claws without denticles; empodium large, projecting, bisetose; tarsal formula 5-5-5.

Abdomen ( Figs 4A–B , 5A–D ): male segment IX incomplete (reduced), only with membranous (pubescent) rudiment of sternite IX and well-developed spiculum, tergite IX inconspicuous; tegmen composed of three parts (originally, i.e. in uninverted aedeagus, dorsal ‘parameres’ separated from ‘phallobase’ which is split into separate ventral ‘apodeme’ and lateral ‘struts’), inverted (phallobase ventrally open; i.e., parameres ventrally and apodeme dorsally situated); margins of parameres shortly pubescent; phallus slender, slightly longer than tegmen.

Differential diagnosis. See Table 2.

Etymology. The species name is Latin adjective pedestris (- tre) = on foot, afoot, pedestrian.

Biology. The single male specimen was obtained by litter sifting in the same locality as the holotype of A. volatilis sp. nov .; however, the two specimens were not collected together. Wingless species. Gut empty, without content.

Figures

Fig. 4. A–D – Afrocyrona pedestris sp. nov., male holotype:A – aedeagus ventrally; B – aedeagus laterally; C – rudimentary wing; D – protarsus. E – A. volatilis sp. nov., paratype; F – A. volatilis sp. nov., holotype; G – A. pedestris sp. nov., holotype.

Fig. 5. A–D – Afrocyrona pedestris sp. nov., male holotype: A – abdominal segment IX with spiculum of sternite IX (‘spicular fork’); B – tegmen ventrally; C – sternite VIII; D – tergite VIII. E–H – A. volatilis sp. nov., female paratype: E – lacinia (incl. basistipes) and galea (incl. basigalea). Scale bars = 0.1 mm.