Anthelephila bacillipes, Kejval & Cz, 2010

Kejval, Zbyněk & Cz, Domažlice, 2010, Studies on the genus Anthelephila (Coleoptera: Anthicidae) 11. New species and records from India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Oman, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 50 (1), pp. 189-234 : 193

Anthelephila bacillipes sp. nov.

( Figs. 7–12 , 94 )

Type locality. India, Meghalaya state, Garo Hills, Nokrek National Park, 25°40′N, 91°04′E, 1150 m a.s.l.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: J, ‘ N.E. INDIA W. Meghalaya, Garo Hills, Nokrek Nat. Park 2. –13.VII.1997, 1150 m // 25°40′N 91°04′E Afonin & Siniaev lgt.’ ( NMPC) . PARATYPE: J, ‘NE INDIA ; Meghalaya 1999 3 km E Tura ; 1150 m; 25°30′N 90°14′E; 4.v; Dembický & Pacholátko leg.’ ( NHMB).

Description (male, holotype). Body length 5.2 mm. Head and pronotum dark reddish; elytra brown black with slight bluish reflection and dark reddish base; legs reddish brown, antennae reddish.

Head 1.2 times as long as wide, produced postero-medially and less differentiated from longer neck; tempora strongly narrowing posteriad, posterior angles absent. Eyes mediumsized, rather convex and protruding. Dorsal surface glossy, finely but distinctly punctate; dorsal punctation rather sparse, especially postero-medially. Setation subdecumbent, with a few distinctly longer erect setae. Antennae at most moderately enlarged in terminal third; antennomere X 2.2 times and antennomere XI 2.4 times as long as wide.

Pronotum 1.5 times as long as wide, slightly narrower than head across eyes, nearly evenly rounded anteriorly, narrowed and moderately but distinctly impressed and constricted posterolaterally in dorsal view; pronotal disc evenly shaped, its outline more or less convex in lateral view. Dorsal surface smooth, unwrinkled, distinctly punctate; antero-lateral sides finely and sparsely punctate, impunctate near procoxal cavities; postero-lateral impression distinctly wrinkled, adjacent basal area somewhat rugose or densely punctate; dorso-median punctation moderately denser than that on head. Setation as that on head, erect setae more numerous.

Mesosternum and metasternum simple.

Elytra 1.7 times as long as wide, conjointly rounded apically; humeri distinct; postscutellar impression at most slightly indicated. Surface glossy, distinctly punctate; punctation simple, moderately dense. Setation pale, slightly longer than on head, evenly developed, decumbent, with scattered erect setae.

Metathoracic wings fully developed.

Fore legs modified ( Fig. 7 ); profemora with long and slender bacillary process, its obtuse apex fringed with short stiff setae; protibiae dilated and slightly angulately produced on inner side distally; penultimate tarsomere widened and flattened distally, with terminal tarsomere articulated dorsally in all tarsi. Mesotibiae with some distinctly longer raised setae on inner side.

Abdominal characters as in Figs. 8–12 ; sternum III with a pair of conspicuous projections medially shortly before posterior margin; tergum VII simple, evenly rounded posteriorly; apical portion of tegmen 0.5 times as long as basal-piece, with small apical lobe bearing two longer setae laterally in dorsal view.

Differential diagnosis. Anthelephila bacillipes sp. nov. is habitually very similar to A. himalayana , showing only somewhat longer antennae, more robust and wider pronotum and shorter legs. However, it differs clearly from the latter species by male characters. Males of A. himalayana (Krekich-Strassoldo, 1914) possess, for example, a more robust and sinuous profemoral process, modified abdominal sternum IV (having a conspicuous median process) and simple sternum III, and quite dissimilar morphology of sternite VIII.

Etymology. Composed from the Latin nouns bacillum (rod) and pes (leg), referring to the bacillary profemoral process in males. Noun in apposition.

Distribution. India (Meghalaya).

Figures

Figs. 7–12. Anthelephila bacillipes sp. nov., holotype (male). 7 – profemur and tibia; 8 – sternum III, median part in cranial view; 9 – sternum VII; 10 – sternite VIII in dorsal view (one half); 11 – tergite VIII; 12 – apical portion of tegmen of aedeagus. Scale = 0.5 mm: A – Figs. 7, 11; 0.2 mm: B – Fig. 9; C – Fig. 10; D – Fig. 12.

Figs. 93–100. Anthelephila spp., body in dorsal view (males, holotypes). 93 – A. adivasi sp. nov.; 94 – A. bacillipes sp. nov.; 95 – A. bheri sp. nov.; 96 – A. comes sp. nov.; 97 – A. insperata sp. nov.; 98 – A. interposita sp. nov.; 99 – A. kailasa sp. nov.; 100 – A. kali sp. nov.