Ctesias (Decemctesias) olexai, Háva, 2008

Háva, Jiří, 2008, Dermestidae (Coleoptera) from the collection of the Czech entomologist Aldo Olexa. Part 3 - Attagenini, Megatomini, Baltic Journal of Coleopterology 8 (2), pp. 115-123 : 121

Ctesias (Decemctesias) olexai sp. n. ( Figs 1-3)

Type material. Holotype (B&): „ Syria, Zainie , Latakia env. [35°31´N 35°47´E], 4.5.1982, A. Olexa [lgt.]“ . Holotype deposited in the author´s collection. Holotype specimen provided with label: „ HOLOTYPE, Ctesias (Decemctesias) , olexai sp. n., Jiří Háva det. 2005“. [red label, printed] .

Description. Male. Measurements TL 3.7 mm EW 2.4 mm. Body cuticle on pronotum black, elytra black and reddish, ventral surface black. Head finely punctate, with short brown pubescence. Palpi entirely brown; pubescence on mentum denser. Median ocellus on front present. Antennae with 10 antennomeres, antennomeres I-VI yellow, VIII-X dark brown, antennal club with 3 antennomeres, terminal antennomere short, with black setation ( Fig. 2). Pronotum coarsely punctate like head, with short brown pubescence on the disc and yellow-brown pubescence on lateral parts and posterior angles. Scutellum triangular, coarsely punctate as pronotum, without pubescence. Elytra finely punctate; cuticle black, each elytron in anterior S! with very broad transverse reddish fasciae and two very small circular spot, covered by short yellow pubescence; other parts with short brown pubescence. Legs brown, with very short yellow pubescence. Mesosternum and metasternum with short yellow pubescence. Prosternal proccess finely punctate, narrow, short. Abdominal sternites black, with short yellow pubescence. Male genitalia ( Fig. 3).

Female unknown.

Differential diagnosis. Ctesias (D.) olexai sp. n. belongs to the subgenus Decemctesias Háva 2004 ; this subgenus includes 8 species. The new species differs from the all known species by the structure of antennae and male genitalia, and colour patterns on elytrae; visualy very similar to Ctesias syriaca Ganglbauer, 1904 and Ctesias maculifasciata (Reitter, 1899), but differs from them by the following characters:

1(4) patterns or fasciae isolated

2(3) male terminal antennomere with very short tip; female terminal antennomere with very short tip ……… Ctesias syriaca Ganglbauer, 1904

3(2) male terminal antennomere with long tip; female terminal antennomere with long tip ........………. Ctesias maculifasciata (Reitter, 1899)

4(1) each elytron in anterior S! with very broad transverse reddish fasciae …………………………….. Ctesias olexai sp. n.

Name derivation. Patronymic, dedicated to the excellent Czech coleopterologist and collector of the new species Mr. Aldo Olexa (Prague) .