Synarmostes eugenii, Ballerio, 2021

Ballerio, Alberto, 2021, The Ceratocanthinae of Madagascar and Comoro Islands: a revision of the genera Synarmostes and Goudotostes, and of the flightless Philharmostes, with description of 64 new species (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea, Hybosoridae), Fragmenta entomologica 53 (2), pp. 105-282 : 155

Synarmostes eugenii sp. nov.

( Figs 15 e-i, 32 d-e, 35) http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:1F985E81-5767-4AD2-8E7A-26EF6B2B8A26

Type series. Holotype, ♂, deposited in the collection of the California Academy of Sciences , San Francisco, CA, USA, labelled as follows: / CASTYPE 20251 / Madagascar Est : Andasibe: Forêt de Maromizaha, 8-10.I.2010 leg. A. Ballerio & J. E. Randrianirina, altitude about 1100 m, leaf litter sifting in rainforest / Synarmostes eugenii n. sp. det. A. Ballerio 2020 Holotypus ♂ / [distended, glued on card, dissected, male genitalia glued in DMHF resin on a separate card, same pin]. Paratypes: 1 ♀ and 1 sex unstat- ed ( ABCB), same collecting data as holotype .

Diagnosis. Synarmostes eugenii sp. nov. can be differentiated from all other species of Synarmostes by the following combination of characters: a) medium size, b) ventral ocular area medium-sized, c) dorsal ocular area present, d) dorsal setation absent (20×), e) flightlessness, f) pronotum with two weak callosities on disc, g) pronotum with discal punctation consisting of short strongly impressed dense transverse punctures, h) elytra with inner longitudinal carina occupying only distal third, i) dorsal outline of rolled up beetle elongate subovoidal, j) carinae of elytral apical third irregular (with some weak tubercles or other irregularities), k) parameres with apical portion curved (lateral view). Synarmostes eugenii sp. nov. belongs to the tibialis group of species and can be easily distinguished from the other species of the group thanks to the pronotal callosities on disc.

Description. Size: HL = 1.0 mm; HW = 1.6 mm; PL = 1.4 mm; PW = 2.6 mm; EL = 2.7 mm; EW = 2.6 mm. Overall morphology as in generic diagnosis. Medium-sized flightless Synarmostes . Body moderately convex. Black with dark bronze sheen, shiny, dorsum with setigerous punctures bearing an extremely short simple seta (50×), underside, tarsi and antennae reddish-brown, setation yellowish. Head: W/L ratio = 1.40, clypeal apex obtuse, apical projection hardly appreciable; dorsal ocular area small, interocular distance about 21 times the maximum width of dorsal ocular area, ventral ocular area medium; head dorsal surface with disc covered by sparse strongly impressed medium-sized simple punctation becoming comma-shaped only towards apex. Fore margin with some transverse large comma-shaped punctures. Interpunctural distance of simple impressed punctures twice or thrice larger than the punctural diameter. Vertex smooth with one continuous transverse impressed line. Pronotum: subrectangular (W/L ratio = 1.88), regularly convex apart two slightly protruding callosities on disc, pronotal surface covered by dense medium-sized impressed simple and short transverse comma-shaped punctures on disc becoming simple punctures at sides. Interpunctural distance shorter than punctural diameter. Scutellum : almost smooth near base, apically covered by few small impressed transverse comma-shaped punctures. Elytra: longer than wide (W/L ratio = 0.91); subovoidal (dorsal view); inferior sutural stria reaching humeral area; humeral callus indistinct; elytral surface regularly convex, uniformly covered by impressed punctation. Punctures transverse comma-shaped near base and sides of elytra, becoming longitudinal comma-shaped on medial third and horseshoe-shaped with a broad opening directed backwards on distal third. Elytral distal third with at least nine raised longitudinal irregular carinae sometimes with a longitudinal impressed irregular line between them. Wings: flightless. Male genitalia: aedeagus (L = 1.0 mm) with parameres as in Figs 32 d-e.

Etymology. Noun in the genitive case. Dedicated to my father Eugenio.

Distribution and habitat. Known only from the type locality (Maromizaha forest) in Eastern Madagascar ( Fig. 92 a ). The type series was collected by sifting leaf litter in rainforest, at the beginning of the trail connecting the main road to the research facility. The vegetation cover consists of “medium altitude moist evergreen forest” ( Goodman et al. 2018) also known as “humid forest” ( Moat & Smith 2007). The collecting locality falls within the protected area “Réserve de Ressources Naturelles de Maromizaha”.

Figures

Fig. 15 – Synarmostes annamariae sp. nov., paratypes, a, dorsal view of distended specimen; b, ventral view of rolled up specimen; c, dorsal view of rolled up specimen; d, lateral view of rolled up specimen;Synarmostes eugenii sp. nov.. e, dorsal view of distended holotype;f, ventral view of rolled up paratype;g, dorsal view of rolled up paratype; h, lateral view of rolled up paratype; i, lateral view of distended holotype showing pronotal discal tubercles (dt: discal tubercles).

Fig. 32 – Aedeagi and spicula gastrales, a–c, Synarmostes annamariae sp. nov., paratype; d–e, Synarmostes eugenii sp. nov., holotype; f–h, Synarmostes parrilloi sp. nov., holotype; i–j, Synarmostes occidentalis sp. nov., holotype; k–m, Synarmostes zahamenae sp. nov., holotype; n–p, Synarmostes niger, paratype.

Fig. 92 – Habitat, a, Maromizaha forest (Andasibe/Perinet), habitat of Synarmostes eugenii sp. nov. and Synarmostes tibialis, b, Andohahela forest, Managortry, habitat of Philharmostes nelsoni sp. nov., c, nest of Nasutitermes where a specimen of P. nelsoni sp. nov. has been collected together with Manjarivolo randrianirinai Ballerio & Montreuil, 2019 (Coleoptera Scarabaeidae Aphodiinae Aulonocnemini).