Cryptosphaeroides hippocrepis, Ballerio, 2008

Ballerio, Alberto, 2008, Descriptions of two new endemic genera and four new species of Ceratocanthinae (Insecta, Coleoptera, Scarabaeoidea, Hybosoridae) from Madagascar, Zoosystema 30 (3), pp. 605-628 : 612-614

Cryptosphaeroides hippocrepis n. sp. ( Figs 4 E-I; 5)

TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype ♂ ( CASC): “ Madagascar: Antsiranana Province, Réserve Spéciale de l’Ankarana, 13.6 km 192° SSW Anivorano Nord, Elev. 210 m. 16-20 Feb.2001 / 12°51’49” S 49°13’33” E, coll.Fisher, Griswold et al., Calif. Academy of Sciences, sifted litter tropical dry forest, collection code: BLF3012” [specimen in good condition, distended and glued on a card, the dissected aedeagus, abdomen and genital segment are mounted in DMHF resin on a separate card on the same pin]. Paratypes: 3 ♂♂, 14 ♀♀ ( CASC), 3 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀ (coll. ABCB), 1 ♀ ( MNHN): same data as holotype [5 ♂♂

and 2 ♀♀ dissected].

ETYMOLOGY. — From ancient Greek ιππΟς (horse) and ΚΡΗπίς (shoe), in order to highlight the presence of large horseshoe-shaped punctures on elytra. Noun in apposition.

DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT. — Known only from the type locality, the Réserve spéciale de l’Ankarana (Antisiranana Province), in northern Madagascar. The forest grows in a limestone formation (“Tsingy”) and falls within the Western Domain ( Paulian 1961) and can be classified as “deciduous, seasonally dry, western forest” ( Du Puy & Moat 1996), although characterized by a moister climate compared to other similar forests ( Cardiff & Befourouack 2003). All specimens have been collected by sifting litter.

DIAGNOSIS. — Besides the distinctive shape of parameres, the combination of strongly impressed sparse pronotal punctures and large shallow horseshoe-shaped elytral punctures allow to identify this species very easily.

DESCRIPTION

HL = 0.66 mm; HW = 1.03 mm; PL = 0.91 mm;

PW = 1.56 mm; EL = 1.53 mm; EW = 1.50 mm. Black to dark brown, shiny; underside alutaceous,

yellowish/reddish-brown; head, pronotum, margins of pronotum and elytra with yellowish/whitish sparse long clavate erect pubescence.

Head: surface with sparse (their distance being usually larger than their width) impressed transverse comma-shaped punctures and transversal irregular lines. Pubescence shorter than on pronotum and elytra.

Pronotum:surface with sparse puncturation made of large transverse irregularly spaced out punctures, very deeply impressed, bearing an erect long clavate seta. Scutellum: a few transverse irregular impressed punctures. Elytra: surface covered by large weakly impressed horseshoe-shaped punctures, relatively dense (their distance being about equal to their width) and oriented backwards, punctures shorter near elytral base. Pseudoepipleuron indistinct, sides of elytra regularly rounded, lacking any carina or furrow.

Parameres: Fig. 4 F-I. Genital segment: Fig. 4E .

Figures

FIG. 4. — A-D, Cryptosphaeroides hystrix (Paulian, 1991); A, B, aedeagus; C, outline of genital segment; D, outline of female head, arrows indicate small dorsal ocular area and starting point of gena; E-I, Cryptosphaeroides hippocrepis n. sp.; E, outline of genital segment; F-I, aedeagus. Scale bar: A-C, 0.4 mm; D, 0.25 mm; E-I, 0.4 mm.