Philharmostes apterus, 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 : 249-250

Philharmostes apterus sp. nov.

( Figs 79 a-d, 85 h, 87 d-e, 89) http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:D56FBECA-8917-4959-AC3D-528CF53E48C5

Type series. Holotype, sex unstated, deposited in the collection of the California Academy of Sciences , San Francisco, CA, USA, labelled as follows: / CASTYPE 19223 / CASENT 5503872 / Madagascar: Province d’Antisiranana Ampasindava , Forêt d’Ambilanivy, 3.9 km 181° S Ambaliha elev. 600 m 4-9 March 2001 / 13° 47’ 55” S 048° 09’ 42” E coll. Fisher, Griswold et al. California Acad. of Sciences sifted litter in rainforest collection code: BLF3252 / Philharmostes apterus n. sp. det. A. Ballerio 2020 Holotypus /. Paratypes: 98 exx. (83 in CASC and 15 in ABCB), same collecting data as holotype .

Diagnosis. Philharmostes apterus 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 sparse fine 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 sparse large ocellate punctation, h) elytral lateral carina complete, h) elytral lateral carina blunt, i) elytral punctation formed by ocellate punctures.

Description. HL: 0.7 mm; HW: 1.0 mm; PL: 0.9 mm; PW: 1.6 mm; EL: 1.9 mm; EW 1.8; overall morphology as in generic diagnosis. Small flightless Ceratocanthinae . Body convex. Reddish-brown with a slight bronze sheen, shiny, dorsum glabrous (40×), underside, tarsi and antennae reddish-brown. Head: W/L ratio = 1.29; 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 medium-sized, interocular distance about eleven times the maximum width of dorsal ocular area, vertex covered by dense simple impressed punctation, disc uniformly covered by shallower and sparser (nter- punctural distance three to five times longer than punctural diameter) simple punctation, fore margin with some transverse large comma-shaped punctures and a few irregular impressed transverse short lines. Pronotum: short and transverse (W/L ratio = 1.84), weakly convex, surface irregular; base and sides broadly rounded (dorsal view); discal area slightly raised compared to sides; fore margin thick and limited to the median portion, not reaching the fore angles, fore angles deeply truncate, whole surface covered by impressed large horseshoe-shaped punctures, with a short opening oriented centripetally. Each puncture bearing in the middle a very short simple seta. Interpunctural distance shorter than punctural diameter. Scutellum : completely covered by several ocellate punctures. Elytra: longer than wide (W/L ratio = 0,84); slightly rounded (dorsal view) with maximum width around median third; humeral callus indistinct but marked by the thick starting point of lateral carina; elytral surface convex, covered by dense (interpunctural distance much shorter than punctural diameter) larger horseshoe-shaped puncturs with opening directed backwards mixed to few ocellate punctures. Lateral carina distinct, thick, sharp and complete, broadly S-shaped (lateral view). Pseudoepileura covered by dense large horseshoe-shaped punctures with opening directed towards lateral carina. Wings: flightless.

Male genitalia: aedeagus with parameres as in Figs 87 d-e.

Etymology. Latinized Ancient Greek adjective in the nominative singular, meaning “without wings” due to the complete absence of metathoracic wings.

Distribution and habitat. Known only from the type locality in northern Madagascar. The type series was collected by sifting leaf litter in rainforest. For details on the collecting locality see under Goudotostes electrimontis sp. nov.

Figures

Fig. 79 – Philharmostes apterus sp. nov., paratype, a, pronotum. b, ventral view of rolled up specimen; c, dorsal view of rolled up specimen; d, lateral view of rolled up specimen; Philharmostes fereocellatus sp. nov., holotype, e, dorsal view of distended specimen; f, ventral view of rolled up specimen; g, dorsal view of rolled up specimen; h, lateral view of rolled up specimen.

Fig. 87 – Aedeagi and spicula gastrales, a–c, Philharmostes acutus sp. nov.; d–e, Philharmostes apterus sp. nov.; f–h, Philharmostes nelsoni sp. nov. (paratype from Col de Tanatana).