Lycoperdinella boliviensis, Arriaga-Varela, Emmanuel, Tomaszewska, Wioletta, Huo, Lizhi & Seidel, Matthias, 2018

Arriaga-Varela, Emmanuel, Tomaszewska, Wioletta, Huo, Lizhi & Seidel, Matthias, 2018, On Neotropical Merophysiinae with descriptions of a new genus and new species (Coleoptera, Endomychidae), ZooKeys 736, pp. 1-41 : 7-10

Lycoperdinella boliviensis sp. n. Figs 1, 3, 4 c–d, 6, 21

Etymology.

The name of this species is derived from the country of origin of the holotype.

Differential diagnosis.

Lycoperdinella boliviensis closely resembles L. subcaeca in its overall body shape, color and vestiture, but can be separated from L. subcaeca by having the pronotum more transverse (0.68-0.70 times as long as broad), eyes composed of 36 facets (based on studied specimens), mentum subrectangular with its anterior margin weakly arcuate, and the abdominal ventrite 1 shorter than the mesoventrite, and by the presence of well-developed hind wings.

Description.

Length 1.30-1.40 mm, width 0.60 mm, height 0.43 mm; body elongate-oval, moderately convex, 2.25 times as long as wide, 2.85 times as long as high (Fig. 3 a–c). Surfaces shiny; sparsely covered with long, decumbent, golden setae. Color homogeneously reddish brown.

Head with interocular distance 0.75 times as wide as head including eyes (Fig. 6a, b). Eyes small, composed of 36 facets. Antenna rather short and slender (Fig. 1e), 0.72 times as long as head and pronotum combined; scape 1.33 times longer than wide, 1.15 times as long as pedicel; pedicel 1.15 times longer than wide; third antennomere 1.15 times longer than wide, 0.65 times as long as pedicel; antennomeres 4-8 getting very gradually shorter and wider towards antennomere 9 which is 1.28 times wider than long and 0.6 times as long as pedicel; terminal antennomere inflated, asymmetrical, 2.30 times as long at longer margin than pedicel, its longest margin 1.16 times longer than shorter lateral one, and 1.16 as long as apical margin, apical margin truncate. Mentum subquadrate, with lateral margins weakly rounded and anterior margin slightly arcuate (Fig. 6b).

Pronotum weakly transverse (Fig. 6c), 0.68-0.70 times as long as wide, 1.53-1.57 times wider than head, about 1.05 times wider at widest part than at base, widest at about mid length, weakly convex; front angles weakly produced, rounded, lateral margins almost continuously rounded, subparallel to weakly sinuate in basal fifth, comparatively widely bordered with edges distinctly crenulate; hind angles right-angled to weakly obtuse, rounded at tips. Anterior half of disc with a vaguely defined longitudinal impression. Longitudinal lateral sulci distinctly convergent anteriorly, reaching anteriorly beyond half-length of pronotum; well defined transversal sulcus connecting deep pores; area between transverse sulcus and basal, shallow depression/sulcus weakly convex, with a guitar-shaped shallow, median depression; posterior margin distinctly lobed at mid-line. Prosternal process widely separates front coxae, widest at mid length (Fig. 6e).

Elytra 0.82-0.88 mm long, 1.38-1.45 times longer than wide; 2.60-2.70 times as long as and 1.25 times as wide as pronotum; widest at basal fourth then continuously distinctly converging to rounded apex; with hooked tooth present at anterolateral corner. Punctation composed of small setiferous punctures, and sparse larger, shallow foveate punctures (Fig. 6d). Hind wings well developed, 1.3 times longer than elytra.

Legs moderately long. Femora very narrow at base, strongly widened at apical half. Tibiae narrow, straight, continuously widened towards their apices. Metatibiae very narrow, 0.35 times as long as elytra. Metatarsus moderately long, 0.55 times as long as metatibia.

Abdomen with ventrite 1 slightly shorter than metaventrite and as long as three following ventrites combined (Fig. 6f). Ventrite 5 arcuate at apex.

Female genitalia with long, narrow coxites, emarginate at their apices, styli indistinct; spermatheca with one chamber rounded and second irregularly long oval; sperm duct moderately long, accessory gland elongate oval (Fig. 3d, e).

Male unknown.

Type material.

Holotype, female, BOLIVIA, "BOLIVIA: Cochabamba Dept. Est. Biol. Sacta, Univ Mayor S. Simeon. 17°06.48', 64°46.94', 300 m; rainforest FIT; 16/27-XII-2005; s. & J. Peck 05-47" (MNKM). Paratypes, BOLIVIA, same data as holotype (3 females: FSCA; 1: MIZ; 1: NMPC): BRAZIL, "Brazil: Manaus, AM. INPA/ Smithsonian Res. 2°25'S, 59°50'W, R. Didham. III.1994/ Leaf litter, Winkler method, Terra firmé fst./ BMNH(E), 2003-84/ 900. 2/ Main series in INPA, Manaus Brazil/ Lycoperdinella sp./ 0426 [pink label] (1 female: BMNH); "Brazil: Manaus, AM. INPA/ Smithsonian Res. 2°25'S, 59°50'W, R. Didham. III.1994/ Leaf litter, Winkler method, Terra firmé fst./ BMNH(E), 2003-84/ 320. 1 (1 female: BMNH); same but 770. 5 (1 female: MIZ).

Distribution.

South America: Bolivia (Cochabamba), Brazil (Manaus) (Fig. 21).

Comment.

Robertson et al. (2015) included in their molecular analysis one specimen from Bolivia, Santa Cruz province, identified as Lycoperdinella subcaeca . However, we have studied pictures of the disarticulated voucher and concluded that it certainly does not belong to that species. Most likely it is a member of L. boliviensis n. sp.

Fragments of phragmospores (Fig. 3d) found in the gut content of one Bolivian specimen of L. boliviensis suggest that this species probably feeds on Ascomycetes fungi.