Nesocyrtosoma curvum Hopp and Ivie

Hopp, Katie J. & Ivie, Michael A., 2009, A Revision Of The West Indian Genus Nesocyrtosoma Marcuzzi (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), The Coleopterists Bulletin (mo 8) 63, pp. 1-138 : 68-69

Nesocyrtosoma curvum Hopp and Ivie , New Species

( Figs. 69 , 230–233 , 268 , 300 )

Type Material. HOLOTYPE: Male. PUERTO RICO; Maricao Forest , 890m,;

28–30-VII-2004; G.Nearns, beating. ( FSCA) .

Diagnosis. This species can be distinguished from all other species by the combination of the shining bronze color, impressed elytral striae ( Fig. 230 ), absence of a hypomeral bead, antennomeres 6–10 enlarged, presence of an ocular depression, intercoxal process of first ventrite without apical nipple ( Fig. 233 ), the presence of a weakly impressed dorsal longitudinal groove on the tibiae, and the anterior angles of the pronotum acute, moderately produced, and narrowly rounded ( Fig. 232 ). It is nearly identical to N. bankense and N. puertoricense , but can be distinguished from those by the above characters and the male metatibia. The male metatibia of N. curvum is broad and abruptly emarginate at the apex without a ventral tooth ( Fig. 69 ), whereas the male metatibia of N. bankense and N. puertoricense are slender and evenly curved at the apex with a ventral tooth ( Figs. 63, 64 ).

Description (male). 3.5 mm long, 2.3 mm wide. Small, moderately convex, elytra widest in apical half, tapered at apex ( Figs. 230, 231 ). Shining bronze; antennae, mouthparts, and tarsi ferrugineous. Head densely variably punctate; largest punctures larger than a single eye facet, weakly to moderately impressed; extremely short golden seta emerging from each puncture. Antenna clavate, antennomeres 6–10 weakly widened, forming a loose club; apical antennomere subcircular; antennomeres 6–11 with stellate sensoria. Mentum with weak acute median keel anteriorly raised to a point ( Figs. 10, 12 ). Ventral portion of eye not reaching subgenal sulcus ( Fig. 8 ); ventral ocular groove present ( Fig. 191 ); postgena without distinct punctures. Dorsal surface of pronotum densely punctate; punctures separated by 0.5–1.0 diameters. Pronotal marginal bead complete laterally, anterior margin with marginal bead effaced medially, posterior margin without marginal bead; anterior angles of pronotum acute, moderately produced and narrowly rounded apically; lateral edge of pronotum evenly curved to base; pronotum evenly convex ( Fig. 232 ). Hypomeron without distinct punctures. Prosternal process apically rounded, with indistinct marginal grooves opposite coxae not joined apically ( Fig. 233 ). Elytral striae deeply impressed, present as rows of small punctures separated by 0.5–1.0 3 diameter, with a deeply impressed line through middle of puncture rows, connecting the row of punctures; elytral interstriae roundly convex, scarcely punctate, shagreened; scutellary striae 3 punctures long; scutellum triangular, normal ( Figs. 230, 232 ). Mesoventrite broad antero-posteriorly, U-shaped, excavate, receiving prosternal process; metaventrite subequal to antero-postero length of mesocoxa ( Fig. 233 ). Metathoracic wing fully developed. Legs short, punctate; femora barely reaching beyond edge of elytra; tibiae with indistinct dorsal longitudinal groove, metatibia abruptly emarginate at apex with small serrations in the emarginate portion ( Fig. 69 ). Abdominal depressions on 4th and 5th ventrites reduced to indistinct slits ( Fig. 74 ); intercoxal process of the first ventrite apically rounded; ventral surface densely punctate, punctures moderately impressed ( Fig. 232 ).

Female. Unknown.

Biology. This species has been collected by beating vegetation at 890 m.

Distribution. This species is endemic to Puerto Rico. It has been collected in the Maricao Forest in west-central Puerto Rico ( Fig. 268 ).

Etymology. The species epithet comes from the Latin word curvus meaning curved or bowed, referring to the male metatibia as it is abruptly emarginate or curved near the ventral apex ( Fig. 69 ).

Figures

Figs. 62–73. Male metatibia of the Serrania species-group species. 62) N. bankense; 63) N. garridoi; 64) N. puertoricense; 65. N. serratum; 66) N. skelleyi; 67) N. nearnsi; 68) N. teresitae; 69) N. curvum; 70) N. guerreroi; 71) N. virens; 72) N. cubanense; 73) N. dentatum.

Figs. 225–233. 225–229: Nesocyrtosoma teresitae. 225) Habitus, dorsal; 226) Habitus, lateral; 227) Pronotum; 228) Thoracic sterna; 229) Ocular depression. 230–233: Nesocyrtosoma curvum. 230) Habitus, dorsal; 231) Habitus, lateral; 232) Pronotum; 233) Thoracic sterna.

Figs. 268–269. Nesocyrtosoma species distribution maps. 268) Distributions of N. bankense, N. curvum, and N. puertoricense; 269) Distribution of N. lacrima on Montserrat.

Figs. 293–304. Illustrations of male genitalia in dorsal and lateral view of the Serrania species-group species. 293) Nesocyrtosoma bankense; 294) N. garridoi; 295) N. puertoricense; 296) N. serratum; 297) N. skelleyi; 298) N. nearnsi; 299) N. teresitae; 300) N. curvum; 301) N. guerreroi; 302) N. virens; 303) N. cubanense; 304) N. dentatum.

Figs. 10–18. 10–13: Ventral portion of head. 10) Nesocyrtosoma guerreroi ocular depression; 11) Nesocyrtosoma bankense ocular depression; 12) Nesocyrtosoma virens distinct postgenal punctures; 13) Nesocyrtosoma otus median keel of mentum broad. 14–18: Antenna. 14) Nesocyrtosoma crenulatum with antennomeres 10 and 11 with stellate sensoria; 15) Nesocyrtosoma guerreroi with antenna clavate, apical six antennomeres enlarged to form club; 16) Nesocyrtosoma crenulatum with antenna moderately clavate, apical six antennomeres enlarged to form club; 17) Nesocyrtosoma inflatum with antenna weakly clavate, nearly filiform, apical six antennomeres enlarged to form club; 18) Strongylium atrum with filiform antenna.

Figs. 5–9. 5–7: Mandible of Nesocyrtosoma hispaniolae. 5) View from back; 6) View from side; 7) View from front. 8–9: Ventral portion of eye. 8) Nesocyrtosoma lacrima with ventral portion of eye not reaching the subgenal sulcus; 9) Nesocyrtosoma darlingtoni with ventral portion of eye reaching the subgenal sulcus.

Figs. 189–199. 189–193: Nesocyrtosoma bankense. 189) Habitus, dorsal; 190) Habitus, lateral; 191) Pronotum; 192) Thoracic sterna; 193) Ocular depression. 194–199: Nesocyrtosoma fernandoi (photos taken with MiScopeH at FMZC). 194) Habitus, dorsal; 195) Habitus, lateral; 196) Pronotum; 197) Ocular depression; 198) Thoracic sterna; 199) Holotype locality label.

Figs. 74–76. Abdominal characters. 74) Nesocyrtosoma inflatum with abdominal depressions on 4th and 5th ventrites reduced to indistinct slits (AbS 5 abdominal slits); 75) Nesocyrtosoma otus with abdominal depressions on 4th and 5th ventrites present as impressed pits (AbP 5 abdominal pits); 76) Nesocyrtosoma skelleyi with first visible abdominal ventrite with a nipple at the apex.