Tropiorhynchus annandalei Gupta & Chandra, 2017

Gupta, Devanshu & Chandra, Kailash, 2017, Tropiorhynchus annandalei (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae), a new species from Maharashtra, India, Zootaxa 4337 (4), pp. 509-522 : 510-512

Tropiorhynchus annandalei Gupta & Chandra , new species

( Figs. 4–5 , 9 , 13 , 17 , 21 , 31–33, 36, 40, 44, 48, 52, 53)

Type locality. India, Maharashtra state, Pune district, Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary , 19.1319°N, 73.5538°E.

Type material (7 specimens). Holotype, male: “ India, Maharashtra state, Pune district, Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary , 19.1319°N, 73.5538°E, 1.xi.2012, collected by K. Chandra and Bulganin Mitra ” ( ZSCI registration number: 22708/H4A) . Paratypes (5 males, 1 female): same data as holotype ( ZSCI registration number: 22709/H4A to 22714/H4A). The specimens bear a red printed label: “ Tropiorhynchus annandalei sp. nov. , HOLOTYPUS [or PARATYPUS], Devanshu Gupta & Kailash Chandra det. 2016”.

Type depository. All the type specimens are deposited in the collection of Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata ( ZSCI).

Description (holotype, male). Size. Length from clypeus to pygidium: 12.0 mm, width across humeri: 5.4 mm.

Shape. Elongate and parallel sided.

Colour. Head, pronotum, and legs green; pygidium greenish black; elytra yellow with brownish-black markings, elytral suture entirely black. Elytral intervals 1 and 2 with a transverse band in middle and at end, elytral interval 3 brownish black with small yellow area in middle and at base, elytral interval 4 dark brownish black with a yellow strip present after interval 4; lateral sides entirely brownish black; setae white.

Head ( Fig. 9 ). Surface densely rugose, anterior portion smooth. Clypeus at apex rounded, at mid-disc with longitudinal ridge, not reaching to frontoclypeal suture. Frontoclypeal suture slightly curved in middle; frons rugopunctate, punctures fine at posterior portion; a group of white setae arising near margin of eyes.

Pronotum ( Fig. 13 ). Surface finely punctate; punctures saucer shaped, fine, not densely packed; edges of punctures near anterior portion not merged. Surface near base medially smooth; anterior angles pointed, posterior angles rounded, lateral sides rounded, side at base weakly sinuate. Posterior margin beaded, bead vanishing medially; a group of setae present at anterior angle, in middle and at posterior angle.

Elytra ( Fig. 17 ). Striae punctate; intervals convex and smooth, intervals 1 and 2 broad; stria 1 reaching to posterior margin, other striae vanishing before reaching posterior margin.

Scutellum ( Fig. 17 ). Traingular, broad at tip, surface finely punctate.

Pygidium ( Fig. 21 ). Strongly arched and convex, medially smooth, laterally rugose.

Venter. Surface densely setose, setae white; mesosternum not produced.

Legs ( Figs. 31–33, 36, 40, 44). Protibiae bidentate, tibial teeth near apex. Longer claw of protarsi and mesotarsi spilt apically (Figs. 36, 40); metatarsal claws simple (Fig. 44); meso- and metatrochanter with sharp tooth ( Figs. 32, 33); tooth on protrochanter absent ( Fig. 31).

Aedeagus ( Figs. 48 , 52). Parameres nearly straight (in lateral view); apex of parameres blunt, and markedly separated (in frontal view) ( Fig. 48 ); ventral plate nearly straight without a raised lamina in middle; apex of ventral plate without a hooked process (Fig. 52).

Female (paratype) ( Fig. 53 ). Differs from male in elytra rather broad, surface yellow, comparatively lessdeveloped elytral markings, legs comparatively short, metafemora broad, metatrochanter with less-developed spines.

Collecting circumstances. Handpicked from grasses ( Fig. 53 ).

Distribution: Only known from type locality ( Fig. 5 ).

Etymology. The species is named in the honor of Dr. Thomas Nelson Annandale, founder Director of Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata.

Differential diagnosis. Tropiorhynchus annandalei is distinguished by the unique structure of aedeagus, elytral markings, medially smooth and laterally rugose pygidial surface, and tooth on protrochanter nearly absent.

The new species belongs to the genus Tropiorhynchus based on the following set of diagnostic characters: clypeus produced into a truncate rostrum; pronotum broadly transverse, more-or-less setose; pygidium convex; protibiae bidentate, teeth sharp; mesotibiae and metatibiae narrowing slightly towards apex, scarcely spinose; tarsal claws long, slender, and unequal; mesosternum not produced beyond mesocoxae.

The new species is similar to T. podagricus and T. umbrinus as it has a clypeus with a longitudinal ridge in middle; pronotum with setae present only near anterior margin, anterior angles acute, posterior angles blunt, lateral side at posterior margin straight; and mesosternum not produced.

The new species is the only species in the genus in which the ventral plate of the aedeagus is nearly straight and without a hooked process at tip (Fig. 52). The other species of the genus exhibit a ventral plate with a hooked tip (Figs. 49–51). Furthermore, T. orientis exhibits an anteriorly straight ventral plate with a raised lamina in middle and tip with a small pointed hook (Fig. 49). As discussed by Machatschke (1954), the ventral plate in T. podagricus is strongly curved with its tips pointed (Fig. 50) whereas in T. umbrinus , the ventral plate is filamentous, slightly curved with the tip strongly pointed and beak shaped (Fig. 51). See Table 1 for the identification of T. annandalei , T. orientis , T. podagricus , and T. umbrinus .

Figures

FIGURE 5. Map of India and adjacent countries showing distribution of the species belonging to the genus Tropiorhynchus.

FIGURES 1 – 4. Habitus, male dorsal view. 1, Tropiorhynchus orientis; 2, T. podagricus; 3, T. umbrinus; 4, T. annandalei (holotype).

FIGURES 6 – 9. Head. 6, Tropiorhynchus orientis; 7, T. podagricus; 8, T. umbrinus; 9, T. annandalei (holotype).

FIGURES 10 – 13. Pronotum. 10, Tropiorhynchus orientis; 11, T. podagricus; 12, T. umbrinus; 13, T. annandalei (holotype).

FIGURES 14 – 17. Elytra. 14, Tropiorhynchus orientis; 15, T. podagricus; 16, T. umbrinus; 17, T. annandalei (holotype).

FIGURES 18 – 21. Pygidium. 18, Tropiorhynchus orientis; 19, T. podagricus; 20, T. umbrinus; 21, T. annandalei (holotype).

FIGURES 45 – 48. Parameres (in dorsal view). 45, T. orientis; 46, T. podagricus; 47, T. umbrinus; 48, T. annandalei (holotype). FIGURES 49 – 52. Parameres (in lateral view). 49, T. orientis; 50, T. podagricus; 51, T. umbrinus; 52, T. annandalei (holotype).

FIGURES 53 – 54. Field photographs. 53, T. annandalei (paratype, female); 54, T. podagricus, male.