Philharmostes manomboensis, 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 : 252-253

Philharmostes manomboensis sp. nov.

( Figs 81 e-h, 85 o, 86 g-i, 89) http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:ECB1B91B-4B20-4DB1-90D5-F6CE0A046A38

Type series. Holotype, sex unstated, deposited in the collection of the California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA, USA, labelled as follows: / CASTYPE 20292 / CASENT 8135272 / Madagascar: Fianarantsoa Réserve Speciale Manombo, 24.5 km 228° SW Farafangana elev 30 m 20 April 2006 / 23° 00’ 57” S 047° 43’ 08” E / California Acad. of Sciences coll: Brian L. Fisher et al. maxi winkler litter extraction in rainforest BLF 13963/ Philharmostes manomboensis n. sp. det. A. Ballerio 2020 Holotypus /. Paratypes: 7 exx. (sex unstated) (5 in CASC and 2 in ABCB), same collecting data as holotype .

Diagnosis. Philharmostes manomboensis sp. nov. can be differentiated from all other species of Philharmostes by the following combination of characters: a) flightlessness, b) dorsal ocular area small, c) head with clypeal disc covered by large impressed simple punctation, d) dorsum with brown colour, without metallic sheen, e) pronotal fore angles broadly truncate, f) pronotum with disc slightly raised with respect to sides, g) pronotal disc covered by large horseshoe-shaped punctation mixed to some large comma-shaped punctation, h) elytral lateral carina complete, h) elytral lateral carina blunt, i) elytral lateral carina strongly sinuate in lateral view, j) elytral parasutural area with large comma-shaped punctures longitudinally and transversely oriented and with opening inwards or outwards, l) elytral fore angles indistinct.

Description. HL: 0.7 mm; HW: 1.0 mm; PL: 0.8 mm; PW: 1.6 mm; EL: 1.8 mm; EW 1.7; overall morphology as in generic diagnosis. Small flightless Ceratocanthinae . Body moderately convex. Dark brown, shiny, dorsum glabrous (40×), fore margin of clypeus, sides of pronotum, underside, tarsi and antennae reddish-brown. Head: W/L ratio = 1.33; clypeus triangular with angle blunt and obtuse and sides weakly curved; genae produced outwards, acute; genal canthus complete, fused with the occipital portion of head; dorsal ocular area small-sized, interocular distance about 18 times the maximum width of dorsal ocular area, frons with dense simple impressed punctation, disc uniformly covered by sparser simple impressed punctation, fore margin with some transverse large comma-shaped punctures and a few irregular impressed transverse short lines. Interpunctural distance of simple punctures one to four times larger than the punctural diameter. Pronotum: short and transverse (W/L ratio = 1.80), weakly convex, surface irregular; base and sides broadly rounded (dorsal view); fore margin thick and limited to the median portion, not reaching the fore angles, fore angles gently truncate, disc covered by impressed comma-shaped punctures, sides covered by dense medium-sized relatively shallow horseshoe-shaped punctures, with a short opening oriented centripetally mixed to few ocellate punctures. Each puncture bearing in the middle a very short simple seta. Interpunctural distance shorter than punctural diameter. Scutellum : covered by several small impressed horseshoe-shaped or ocellate punctures. Elytra: longer than wide (W/L ratio = 0.87); ovoidal (dorsal view) with maximum width at middle of elytral length; humeral callus poorly developed; elytral surface feebly convex, covered by dense (interpunctural distance much shorter than punctural diameter) punctation. Punctures horseshoe-shaped with a broad opening directed inwards or outwards (on proximal and median third) and short opening (on distal third) opening directed backward. Lateral carina distinct, thick, blunt and complete, S-shaped (lateral view). Pseudoepileura covered by dense broad horseshoe-shaped punctures with an opening directed towards lateral carina. Wings: flightless. Male genitalia: aedeagus (L = 0.8 mm) with parameres as in Figs 86 g-h, spiculum gastrale (L = 0.7 mm) as in Fig. 86 i .

Etymology. Latin adjective in the nominative singular, meaning “from Manombo”. Named after the type locality.

Distribution and habitat. Known only from the type locality in Eastern Madagascar. The type locality belongs to the parcel one of the protected area and is characterized by the presence of degraded a lowland moist evergreen forest ( Goodman et al. 2018), also known as “humid forest” ( Moat & Smith 2007). The type series was collected by sifting in rainforest. The collecting locality falls within the protected area “Réserve Spéciale de Manombo”.

Figures

Fig. 81 – Philharmostes indri sp. nov., a, dorsal view of distended paratype; b, ventral view of rolled up paratype; c, dorsal view of rolled up paratype; d, lateral view of rolled up paratype; Philharmostes manomboensis sp. nov., e, dorsal view of distended paratype; f, ventral view of rolled up paratype; g, dorsal view of rolled up paratype; h, lateral view of rolled up paratype.

Fig. 86 – Aedeagi and spicula gastrales, a–c, Philharmostes indri sp. nov.; d–f, Philharmostes centralis sp. nov.; g–i, Philharmostes manomboensis sp. nov.