Bothrichara dani, Telnov, 2023

Telnov, Dmitry, 2023, New and poorly-known taxa of Lagriinae Latreille, 1825 (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) predominantly from the collections of the Naturkundemuseum Erfurt. 1, Baltic Journal of Coleopterology 23 (1), pp. 1-33 : 1-33

Bothrichara dani sp. nov. ( Figs 5–6 )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:A2AD89A7-E39E-4244-B318-C77667C82E64

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Type material designated. Holotype male NME: INDONESIA Irian Jaya Wamena S, Kurima 1700 m 04°12'64''S 139°01'32''E 26.I.1999 leg. A.Weigel cult.area [printed] [the right terminal protarsomere is missing].

Paratypes 9 specimens. 1 male DTC, 1 male & 1 female NME : same label as holotype; 1 female DTC, 1 male & 3 females NME : INDONESIA Irian Jaya Wamena Ort 1700 m 24.I.1999 leg. A. Weigel KL [print- ed] ; 1 male NME : INDONESIA, Irian Jaya Wamena W, Tailarek 04°03'84S; 138°44'85E 2300 m NN, 22.I.1999 leg. A.Weigel [printed] .

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Derivatio nominis. Named after Dani, the main tribe and language in Baliem Valley of New Guinea. Noun in apposition.

Measurements. Holotype male, total body length 11.4 mm; head length 1.6 mm, maximum head width across compound eyes 1.6 mm, pronotal length 1.8 mm, maximum pronotal width across premedian part 2.2 mm, elytral length 8 mm, combined maximum elytral width across postmedium 4.6 mm. Paratypes males 9.7–11 mm, paratypes females – 11.5–12 mm long.

Description. Holotype male ( Fig. 5A ). Dorsal and ventral forebody uniformly black. Elytra dark blue metallic along suture, very dark red on rest of elytral surface except postbasal area which is either black or dark blue metallic. Mouthparts, maxillary palps, antennae and legs black to dark brown. Head elliptical, about same wide as long, subopaque dorsally and ventrally. Labrum shallowly emarginate medially at anterior margin. Epistoma broadly emarginate at anterior margin. Frontoepistomal impression shallow. Anterolateral area of frons slightly projected laterally to hold insertion of antenna. Compound eye large, strongly kidney-shaped, strongly emarginate at anterior, subtruncate at posterior margin in lateral view, not touching insertion of antenna, moderately prominent in lateral and dorsal aspects. Interfacetal setae not observed. Minimum interocular distance about 1.2× a length of dorsal eye portion. Tempus nearly as long as dorsal eye portion, constricted posteriad, posterior temporal angle rounded, head base subtruncate. Head dorsum densely punctate with flat punctures. Intervening spaces generally narrower than punctures, subopaque while microreticulate. Head dorsal setation inconspicuous, whitish, short, appressed, not concealing dorsal surface of head, directed generally anteriad. Antenna moderately long, filiform, extending towards metacoxa when directed posteriad. Basal antennomere thickened, about twice as long as antennomere two. Antennomere two shortened. Antennomere three about 3× as long as antennomere two, about as long as antennomere four. Antennomeres 8–10 slightly widened distally. Terminal antennomere slightly arched, apically bluntly pointed, 1 mm long, about twice as long as penultimate antennomere and longer than combined length of two preceding antennomeres. Terminal maxillary palpomere strongly securiform. Cranial ‘neck’ not exposed from beneath anterior margin of pronotum, glossy and impunctured. Pronotum transverse, opaque and flattened dorsally, subtruncate at both anterior and posterior margin. Maximum width before midlength, rather strongly expanding premedium on lateral margins, constricted anteriad and posteriad to this expansion. Anterior and posterior margin not beaded or rimed. Antero- and posterolateral angles obtuse angulate in dorsal view. Dorsal pronotal punctures moderately large, flat, dense. Intervening spaces narrower than to as wide as punctures, opaque while microreticulate. Dorsal pronotal setae yellowish, short, appressed, in part concealing sculpture of pronotal disc. Scutellar shield small, apically rounded, gently punctured and appressedly setose. Elytron widened postmedium, dorsally moderately convex, glossy. Apical sutural angle nearly right-angled. Elytral sculpture of dense, deep, rather large punctures and slightly elevated, glossy, variably wide intervening spaces. Lateral margin with vague lateral impression at basal third. Basal fifth of elytra covered with short, rather dense silvery setae, setation slightly expanding along lateral margins. An inconspicuous, elongate area of same dense silvery setae near suture in apical fifth on each elytron. Rest of elytron appressedly, sparsely and less conspicuous greyish to whitish setose. Epipleuron complete, broad at most of its length except at elytral apex, densely punctured and rather densely white setose. Metathoracic wings fully developed (functional). Ventral pterothorax and abdominal sternites densely white setose by short setae, in part effectively concealing their ventral sculpture. Legs long, slender, slightly glossy, with whitish to yellowish, moderately dense suberect to appressed setae. Femora slender, not clavate or thickened. Tibiae subequally long to corresponding femora, meso- and metatibia denticulate/serrate at inner margin in distal half ( Fig. 5B ). Tarsomeres somewhat widened likely pointing on arboreal lifestyle. Basal metatarsomere shorter than combined length of remaining metatarsomeres. Male tergite VII and morphological sternite VII broadly rounded at posterior margin. Aedeagus as in Fig. 6 .

Sexual dimorphism. Female ( Fig. 5C ) generally larger and stronger globose than male. Minimum interocular distance about 1.5× a length of dorsal eye portion. Terminal antennomere about as long as combined length of two penultimate antennomeres. Meso- and metatibia without modifications, inner margin with comparatively stouter, suberect setae.

Interspecific variability. Purple reddish areas on elytra less prominent due to stronger blue metallic lustre in some male paratypes.

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Differential diagnosis. This species is unique among all known congeners primarily due to the peculiar dorsal colouration, comparatively large body and complete absence of glossy impressions on elytra.

Ecology. Occurs in degraded habitats at 1700–2200 m. Diurnal.

Distribution. Baliem Valley, Central Cordillera of New Guinea.

Figures

Fig. 5.Bothrichara danisp. nov. A – Holotype male, habitus, dorsal view; B – ditto, meso- and metatibia, dorsal view; C – Paratype female, habitus, dorsal view [not to scale].

Fig. 6. Bothrichara danisp. nov., holotype male, aedeagus in dorsal (A), ventral (B) and lateral (C) view.