Pogonostoma (Bathypogonum) horimichioi, Razanajaonarivalona & Moravec & Rakotomanana, 2021

Razanajaonarivalona, Elysé Hugo, Moravec, Jiří & Rakotomanana, Hajanirina, 2021, New or rare Madagascar tiger beetles- 20. Pogonostoma (Bathypogonum) horimichioi sp. nov. and supplemented characters of P. (B) levigatum levigatum (W. Horn) and P. (B.) levigatum lucens Rivalier (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae), Zootaxa 4926 (2), pp. 245-262 : 248-254

Pogonostoma (Bathypogonum) horimichioi sp. nov.

( Figs 1–25 , 45 )

Type locality. West Madagascar: Mahajanga Province, region of Melaky, National Park of Tsingy de Bemaraha , 17–18 km north of Bekopaka , a dry deciduous forest of Andamozavaky near Antsalova .

Type material. Holotype ♁ in OSAKA, labelled: “ Madagascar W, Bemaraha N.P. / 17–18 km N of Bekopaka, Forest / Andamozavaky (near Antsalova) / 9.XII.2013, leg. Michio Hori & / Elysé H. Razanajaonarivalona ” [printed] . Allotype ♀ in CCJM with same locality label except for: “ 4.XII.2014 ” . Paratypes. 1 ♁ in SDEI, 1 ♁ in MHCW, 1 ♁ in ZUAC with same locality label as allotype. 1 ♀ in MHCW: “ Madagascar W, Bemaraha N.P. / Andranopasazy Forest , 10 km / SE of Antsalova, 7.XII.2014, / leg. Michio Hori & / Elysé H. Razanajaonarivalona ”. All type specimens labelled: “ Holotype (Allotype or Paratype respectively) / Pogonostoma (Bathypogonum) / horimichioi sp. nov. / det. Elysé H. / Razanajaonarivalona / & Jiří Moravec 2020” [red, printed] .

Differential diagnosis. Despite the same unique shape of the aedeagus in its lateral view ( Figs 22–23 ), characteristic of the subgenus Bathypogonum , as well as similar shape of elytral apices, the new species is immediately distinguished from the two other taxa of the subgenus by its black, matt coloration on dorsal body surfaces and particularly by the bumpy, irregularly, verruculose-rugulose surface of its subglobose pronotal disc ( Fig. 20 ). In contrast, both above-mentioned subspecies of P. (Bathypogonum) levigatum clearly differ in having larger body which is dorsally notably metallic coloured, deep violaceous-blue to shiny green blue, and their pronotal disc is markedly shiny, due to very shallow, partly effaced transverse rugae; for other differentiating characters see “Differential diagnoses” for these two taxa below.

Pogonostoma (Neopogonum) comptum Rivalier, 1970 , and P. (Neopogonum) perrieri Fairmaire, 1900 , may resemble the new species due to their black body coloration,but both are clearly distinguished by their microtuberculate sculpture on their pronotal disc, consisting of minute isodiametric tubercles, which are isolated and occasionally arranged in chains in middle. Moreover, all species of the subgenus Neopogonum possess very different aedeagi, all of which are quite dissimilar to the unique shape of the aedeagus in the subgenus Bathypogonum .

Description. Body ( Figs 1–3 ) medium-sized to large and rather robust (wider in female), 14.3–16.1 (HT 14.4, AT 15.2) mm long, 3.40–3.90 (HT 3.60, AT 3.80) mm wide, entirely black, matt, setal vesture whitish to cinnamontinged setae on pronotal posterior lobe may appear blackened.

Head ( Fig. 4, 12 ) narrower than body (more distinctly in female), width 2.60–3.15 mm; temples moderately arcuate, notably long, only 1.2–1.4 times shorter than eyes.

Frons differentiated from clypeus laterally, merging with it in middle and not differentiated from vertex; supraantennal keels consisting of distinctly elevated anterior crest and blunt posterior one; median frons-vertex area fluently passing into vertex.

Vertex almost flat in middle with shallow or deeper posterior impression; whole frons-vertex surface very finely and densely scabriculous-verruculose to finely colliculate, consisting of short and very irregular and indistinctly vermicular rugae partly anastomosing into fine, chains, partly forming barely defined fine sculpture; rugae slightly coarser and more anastomosing on temples; whole dorsal surface of head densely (fur-like) covered with decumbent and short, whitish to slightly cinnamon-tinged setae which are more obvious and mostly erected on temporal areas, irregularly mixed with longer, scattered hairlike setae.

Genae finely and shallowly wrinkled on anterior and juxtaorbital areas, coarser and scabriculous on postgenal area (sculpture passing from temples); ventral area covered with rather sparse, whitish hairlike setae.

Clypeus convex in middle when merging with frons (differentiated from frons only laterally); surface rather densely covered with irregular, short and fine rugae and short or longer whitish setae.

Labrum with 5–7 anterior and 2 lateral testaceous to pale reddish-brown setae, metallic black, teeth and sometimes lateral margins with reddish-brown tinge; surface glabrous, or with occasional seta mostly on basal area, smooth on lateral areas, while coriaceous-wrinkled on central convexity which is laterally markedly outlined by deep furrows that are interrupted or almost connected anteriorly; male labrum ( Figs 9–10 ) 1.25–1.40 mm long, 1.70–1.80 mm wide; lateral margins rounded towards indistinct or almost effaced lateral indentations; anterior margin sinuate, indicating or forming two rounded anterior teeth between two well-developed, blunt anterolateral teeth; female labrum ( Fig. 11 ) longer, notably prolonged anteriad, length 1.60–1.85 mm, width 1.90–2.00 mm, two anterior teeth large, rounded, distinctly surpassing blunt anterolateral teeth.

Maxillae ( Fig. 13 ): galea slim and long, black; lacinia metallic black-brown to reddish brown with shiny surface, apical portion distinctly dilated (0.70–0.80 mm wide), convex outwards and distinctly elongate-recurved inwards; setae ochre-testaceous to reddish-brown, long and stiff, sparsely mixed with feebler whitish ones.

Palpi ( Figs 4–5, 12 ) of usual length, black; maxillary palpi with terminal palpomeres brownish on their apex and with slightly emarginate margin of upper orifice in male, while of almost regular shape in female; penultimate palpomeres densely covered with whitish and darkened microtrichia and few long, black and stiff setae, longest palpomeres slender, slightly dilated anteriad, metallic black with indistinct blue lustre, with row of several, long and stiff black setae and dense whitish microtrichia; labial palpi ( Fig. 5 ) slender, their penultimate (longest) palpomeres bearing long, densely aggregated black setae, terminal palpomeres of regular shape in both sexes.

Mandibles ( Figs 6–8 ) dark mahogany to reddish-brown with metallic black basolateral and lateromedian area, comparatively short, subsymmetrical (left terminal tooth slightly shorter than right one), left male mandible with second tooth shorter than third one, while the second tooth is slightly longer than third one in right mandible, or the inner teeth are of almost similar size; female mandibles with left mandible with almost equally sized inner teeth, but they are usually less spaced in left mandible.

Antennae in male as long as body, somewhat shorter in female; antennomeres 1–4 metallic-black, densely covered with whitish microtrichia, scape voluminous with one apical seta and scattered microtrichia; antennomeres 5–11 black-brown becoming gradually paler towards terminal antennomere, covered with greyish-white micropubescence.

Thorax. Pronotum ( Figs 19–21 ) distinctly longer than wide, length 3.10–3.40 mm, width 2.15–2.45 mm; anterior lobe slightly narrower than posterior one, surface very irregularly foveolate-scabriculous; disc subglobose, lateral margins slightly attenuated posteriad; notopleural sutures invisible in dorsal view in male, while they are rather distinctly obvious in female (except for discal anterior third); median line thin, usually partly merging with surface sculpture; discal surface densely, rather shallowly and irregularly bumpy, forming extremely irregular, verruculoserugulose to colliculate-verruculose, barely defined sculpture ( Fig. 20 ) consisting of irregularly anastomosing, short, very irregularly elongated rugae mixed with small and tiny, irregularly shaped (never isodiametric) warts which are occasionally indistinctly umbilicate; area adjacent to posterior lobe covered with transverse, often interrupted stria-like rugae; whole surface of anterior lobe and disc rather densely covered with whitish or straw-yellow setae which are longer on lateral areas; posterior lobe smooth laterally, wide median area shallowly irregularly wrinkled and sometimes with shallow irregular foveae, with scattered, barely visible and partly blackened setae in males, while almost glabrous with only occasional seta in females (setae easily abraded); prosternum, mesosternum and metasternum black, covered with whitish hairlike setae which are long and erect on median areas; proepisterna black, surface shiny-coriaceous, appearing glabrous but in fact with sparse, very feeble and barely visible erect hairlike setae; mesepisterna smooth and shiny, in both sexes with median furrow which is shallow in male but deeper and fovea-like in female (probably coupling sulcus), covered with few long hairlike setae mostly on ventral area; metepisterna with scattered short, whitish setae.

Elytra ( Figs 14–18 ) elongate, 8.30–9.50 mm long, black and appearing matt, surface moderately convex, basodiscal convexity distinct, discal impression rather deep, V-shaped (usually shallower and less distinct in male); upper outer margins of elytral base obliquely sloped towards arcuately rounded humeri; lateral margins almost parallel in male (except for slightly arched bulge in anterior third of the outer margin), moderately enlarged posteriad in female; angles of anteapical convexity arcuate; apices sexually dimorphic: apex in male ( Figs 14, 16 ) with wide, deep sutural emargination towards indistinct, right-angled sutural spine, forming together with arcuate outer margin mesially pointed median tooth; apex in female ( Figs 15, 17 ) with deeper and arcuate sutural emargination, mesially forming large, subacute inner tooth with its outer margin obliquely sloped towards smaller, right-angled external tooth; dorsal elytral surface appearing matt due to bumpy intervals between punctures, rather densely punctate throughout (except for more or less shallower or partly effaced punctures on very limited area on elytral base); punctures mostly isolated, isodiametric, but their margins often irregularly radiate-uneven, notably larger on basodiscal convexity and whole anterior elytral third, occasionally and irregularly catenulate-anastomosing, particularly within and behind discal impression; punctures on posterior elytral third becoming smaller and of very irregular arrangement, but apical area is indefinitely sculptured by larger but shallow, almost fovea-like irregular punctures; intervals between punctures thin or wider, covered with minute, setigerous microtubercles bearing short, decumbent whitish to cinnamon-coloured ornamental setae which are dense and appressed on elytral disc (irregular setal vesture, setae not confined to punctures); long, erect, whitish hairlike sensory setae are scattered mostly on anteapical convexity and are more copiously on humeral areas.

Abdomen. Ventrites black, densely covered with short, blonde setae.

Legs. All leg segments entirely pitchy-black, rather densely covered with semierect and appressed setae (appearing blackish but proved to be whitish or blonde when observed on black background) and black thorns; hooks reddish-brown.

Aedeagus shaped as in the two subspecies of P. (B.) levigatum ; it is robust and straight, 3.40–3.50 mm long, 0.90 mm wide, in lateral view apically constricted into narrow, cylindric, rounded or slightly capitate apex ( Figs 22–23 ) which is narrower in dorsal (and ventral) view ( Figs 24–25 ).

Variability. Only unimportant variability which is treated in the description above and obvious from the illustrations.

Etymology. Dedicated to the renowned Japanese entomologist and ecologist Prof. Michio Hori (Kyoto University, Japan), who, together with the first author of this paper discovered the new species during their field research in the Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park.

Distribution and biology. Pogonostoma (Bathypogonum) horimichioi sp. nov. is probably a rare species. It is known only from the type specimens taken in two localities covered with the dry western deciduous forest of the Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park, both situated near Antsalova (administratively Melaky Region of the large province of Mahajanga). The type locality is a forest of Andamozavaky, 17–18 km north of Bekopaka (S19°01´15.8´´, E44°46´11.9´´). Two paratypes come from a forest of Andranopasazy, 10 km southwest of Antsalova. The biotope of these two places is a moist valley with many boulders and rocks of eroded karstic limestone, in the dry deciduous forest of the Bemaraha plateau. The adults are diurnal, hunting on bark of various trees. The forests of Andamozavaky and Andranopasazy are also places of occurrence of a rare tiger beetle Physodeutera (Axinomera) horimichioi Moravec & Razanajaonarivalona, 2015 . Another very rare tiger beetle Paraphysodeutera naviauxi Moravec, 2002 was recently rediscovered in the forest of Andranopasazy (see Moravec & Razanajaonarivalona 2015). The type locality of Paraphysodeutera naviauxi is “Antsalova” and it must be noted here that the area had been under an intense research conducted by the late scientist André Peyrieras (Antananarivo). Among a great number of tiger beetles with such locality label “Antsalova”, Physodeutera (Axinomera) antsalovensis Moravec, 2002 , Pogonostoma (Pogonostoma) atrorotundatum W. Horn, 1934 , P. (P.) majunganum Jeannel, 1946 and P. (Polypogonostoma) vestitum Fairmaire, 1900 are worth mentioning (see Moravec 2002a, 2002b, 2007, 2010 and Moravec et al. 2020).

Figures

FIGURES 1–3. Pogonostoma (Bathypogonum) horimichioi sp. nov. Habitus (all from type locality). 1—♁, 14.4 mm, HT (OSAKA); 2—♁, 14.3 mm, PT (SDEI); 3—♀, 15.2 mm, AT (CCJM): Bar = 1 mm.

FIGURES 4–13. Pogonostoma (Bathypogonum) horimichioi sp. nov. (all from type locality). 4—head, ♁, HT (OSAKA); 5—right labial palpus, ♁, PT (SDEI); 6–8—mandibles: 6—♁, HT; 7—♁, PT (SDEI); 8—♀, AT (CCJM); 9–11—labrum: 9—♁, HT; 10—♁, PT (SDEI); 11—♀, AT (CCJM); 12—head, ♀, AT; 13—galea and lacinia, ♁, PT (SDEI). Bars = 1 mm.

FIGURES 14–18. Pogonostoma (Bathypogonum) horimichioi sp. nov. (all from type locality). 14–15—elytral apices: 14—♁, HT (OSAKA); 15—♀, AT (CCJM); 16–17—elytron: 16—♁, HT; 17— ♀, AT (CCJM); 18—detail of sculpture on elytral disc, ♁, HT. Bars = 1 mm.

FIGURES 19–25. Pogonostoma (Bathypogonum) horimichioi sp. nov. (all from type locality). 19–21—pronotum: 19—♁, HT (OSAKA); 20—ditto, detail of surface sculpture; 21—♀, AT (CCJM); 22–25—male aedeagus: 22— HT (OSAKA); 23—PT (SDEI); 24—ditto, dorsal view; 25—ditto, ventral view. Bars = 1 mm.

FIGURES 45–47. Distribution of Pogonostoma (Bathypogonum). 45– P. (B.) horimichioi sp. nov.; 46—P. (B.) l. levigatum W. Horn; 47—P. (B.) l. lucens Rivalier.