Odontocheila paraexcisipenis, Moravec & Huber, 2021

Moravec, Jiří & Huber, Ronald, 2021, Taxonomic and nomenclatorial revision within the Neotropical genera of the subtribe Odontocheilina W. Horn in a new sense- 24. Odontocheila paraexcisipenis sp. nov., a new species of the O. cajennensis species-group (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae), Zootaxa 5005 (2), pp. 175-188 : 178-187

Odontocheila paraexcisipenis sp. nov.

( Figs 1–16 , 38)

Type locality. Venezuela: San Carlos de Rio Negro in the Venezuelan state of Amazonas. Type material. Holotype ♂ in USNM (ex ASUT), labelled: “ Venezuela: T. F. Amaz. / San Carlos de Rio Negro

/ 26 June, 1991 / D. L. Pearson ” [printed, the date “26” handwritten] // “Caatinga / Frasco # 5” [printed]. Paratypes. 1 ♂ in CCJM (ex ASUT), with same first label as holotype (except for “25 June”) and: “Yovaro / Frasco” [printed]. 1 ♂ in RLHC with same first label (except for “27 June”) and: “Bosoue Bana / Frasco” [printed] // “n. sp.?, 13.5 mm, pronotum robust / inner tooth 4 tiny, anastomosed to 3 / labrum like excisipenis / but aedeagus like cayennensis” [handwritten, attached to the male by the second author at the time of receiving the specimen] .

Differential diagnosis. Odontocheila paraexcisipenis sp. nov. differs from other species of the O. cajennensis species-group (those with which it shares black metatibiae and metatarsi) in having unicoloured, yellow testaceous, smooth labrum ( Figs 4–6 ), combined with very small, almost triangular-topped and dorsally excised aedeagus apex ( Figs 12–16 ). Due to its testaceous labrum and excised aedeagus apex, it resembles Odontocheila excisipenis (originally described as a subspecies of O. chiriquina by Horn (1932) and occurring in the Panamanian province of Darien, western Colombia and northwestern Ecuador). However, the labrum in O. excisipenis is markedly longer (in both sexes), more reddish-testaceous (usually with darker patches) and with notably wrinkled surface ( Figs 17–19 ), and the male aedeagus apex is notably more deeply dorsally excised, somewhat wider and with almost rounded top ( Figs 21–25 ).

The excised aedeagus apex clearly differentiates O. paraexcisipenis from some males of vicariant populations of O. chiriquina from the Costa Rican province of Puntarenas, which possess variably also testaceous labrum. The Costa Rican localities of O. chiriquina in the province of Puntarenas lie near the Panamanian border, thus not far from the type locality in the Panamanian province of Chiriqui, but their coastal biotopes differ from those in the Panamanian type locality that lies in much higher altitudes. Therefore, as discussed in Moravec & Brzoska (2015) and Moravec (2018), the Costa Rican adults, due to their adaptations under different environmental conditions, may represent vicariant populations under particular evolutionary pressure, resulting in allopatric speciation .

Notwithstanding, adults of O. chiriquina (including the lectotype) from the type locality in Chiriqui and other Panamanian localities, have their labrum distinctly bicolored in both sexes ( Figs 26–27 ) and are therefore immedi- ately distinguished from O. paraexcisipenis sp. nov. The aedeagus apex in males of O. chiriquina is blunt or only unnoticeably emarginated (never excised)—see Figs 32–37 and the illustrations by Moravec (2012, 2018) and in Moravec & Brzoska (2015). In addition, males of O. chiriquina have their pronotal disc of the same width as their pronotal anterior lobe, and their elytral apices are almost subacute, while O. paraexcisipenis sp. nov. has its pronotal disc wider ( Fig. 7 ) and the elytral apices more rounded ( Figs 8–11 ). It must be mentioned here that O. chiriquina sensu Rivalier (1969) and some subsequent authors was in fact O. excisipenis (as disclosed and rectified by Moravec 2012). Moreover, both mandibles of the new species possess rudimentary fourth tooth, while those in O. excisipenis ( Fig. 20 ) and O. chiriquina ( Figs 30–31 ) have almost consistently only three teeth (lacking any rudiment of fourth tooth).

The other species with black metatibiae and metatarsi and testaceous labrum, such as O. molesta Nidek, 1957 and O. mirekskrabali Moravec & Brzoska, 2015 , clearly differ in having hooked aedeagus apex, O. molesta also in its distinctly acute elytral apices.

For differences from all others of this species-group see the key to species above and the revision of the genus by Moravec (2018).

Description (male). Body ( Fig. 1 ) medium-sized, 12.4–13.4 (HT 12.8) mm long, 3.90–4.30 (HT 4.00) mm wide, dorsal surface of head, pronotum and elytra dark copper, usually with reddish-cupreous lustre on sublateral areas and faint greenish iridescence laterally.

Head ( Fig. 2 ) narrower than body, 3.50–3.85 mm wide, all parts of head glabrous.

Frons dorsally triangular, steeply sloped towards clypeus, clearly delimited from clypeus and separated from vertex by frons-vertex fold, which is triangular and blunt in middle and indistinctly edged laterally; surface metallic black-blue with violaceous and greenish lustre, the sloped areas almost smooth and shiny, sometimes with limited, finely asperate-rugulose posteromedian area (the sculpture passing towards vertex over the frons-vertex fold); supra-antennal plates flat, vaguely triangular, smooth, indistinctly delineated, their apices merging with the indistinct frons-vertex lateral edges.

Vertex with usual juxtaorbital sensory setae (two on either side but usually abraded), almost flat, metallic red- dish-cupreous with two greenish sublateral patches; anteromedian area finely and irregularly rugulose, rugae short, wavy to vermicular, those on median area usually forming arcuate-parallel ornament while sublateral areas sub- parallel-longitudinally striate-rugulose, stria-like rugae coarser and divergent when running towards temples; large juxtaorbital areas distinctly longitudinally parallel striate; rugae on posteromedian and occipital areas becoming irregular, fragmented into fine, irregularly rugulose-granulate sculpture.

Clypeus reddish-cupreous with bright greenish lustre on margins, rather distinctly wrinkled.

Genae metallic black with indistinct chatoyant bronze lustre but strong violaceous-blue or green-blue lustre on apical area, almost smooth and shiny except for few indistinct juxtaorbital striae.

Labrum ( Figs 4–6 , male) 4-setose, 1.45–1.60 mm long, 1.75–1.95 mm wide, its surface smooth, yellow-ochre except for narrow blackened borders, possessing seven teeth: acute basolateral teeth, right-angled lateral teeth and prominent anteromedian lobe of three acute teeth that are either at the same level, or with median tooth shorter; shape of female labrum unknown.

Mandibles ( Fig. 2 ) metallic black except for testaceous lateral stripe, rather robust, subsymmetrical, each man- dible with only three well-developed teeth (and basal molar) but rudimentary tiny fourth tooth adjacent to third tooth in left mandible, while right mandible has the rudiment tightly anastomosed to the third tooth.

Palpi. Maxillary palpi ( Fig. 2 ) testaceous with penultimate and terminal palpomeres metallic black; labial palpi black, their penultimate (longest) palpomere narrow with only moderately dilated apex.

Antennae ( Figs 1, 2, 3 ) rather long, reaching elytral half; scape with one apical seta, metallic black with strong green-blue lustre, pedicel black-blue with brown basal half; antennomeres 3–4 metallic-black-blue with faint green- ish lustre and mahogany-reddish anteapical area, with only several setae; antennomeres 5–11 smoky-blackish with usual micropubescence.

Thorax. Pronotum ( Fig. 7 ) almost as long as wide, 2.25–2.50 mm long, 2.30–2.55 mm wide, cupreous, usually darkened in middle and iridescent reddish on sublateral areas and iridescent green margins, glabrous; anterior sulcus pronounced laterally, its dorsal line shallow in middle, dorsal line of posterior sulcus sinuate (both lines forming a subcordiform outline); anterior lobe wider than posterior lobe but narrower than lateral margins of disc, its surface densely and irregularly vermicular-rugulose; disc with lateral margins (of dorsally visible proepisterna) convex but subparallel in middle; notopleural sutures very thin but well obvious also from above as running in form of thin, slightly emarginated lines distant from the lateral margins; discal surface moderately convex, rather finely rugulose, sculpture consisting of wavy, zigzag-wavy and vermicular rugae that are coarser on sublateral areas, more irregular and denser on anteromedian area, becoming stria-like when converging towards indistinct median line on postero- median area; rugae on lateral areas towards notopleural sutures become wider and elongate-transverse; posterior lobe with distinct posterior rim, coarsely and irregularly wavy- to vermicular-rugulose in middle; dorsolateral bulges distinct, nearly smooth and shiny with strong green and reddish lustre; prosternum, mesosternum and metasternum glabrous, metallic black, with faint chatoyant greenish, blue and violaceous lustre, glabrous and smooth except for indistinct wrinkles on prosternum and anterior margin on mesosternum; proepisterna and mesepisterna glabrous, shiny metallic-black, smooth; metepisterna shiny metallic black, indistinctly coriaceous-wrinkled.

Elytra ( Figs 8–11 ) elongate, length 7.60–8.30 mm, with rounded or arcuate humeri, lateral margins, subparallel, outer margin moderately dilated in middle; anteapical angles arcuate, then running obliquely towards apices which are more or less rounded towards small but distinct sutural spine; microserrulation indistinct, very fine and irregular; dorsal surface nearly even, slightly convex on posterior half of elytral disc; humeral impressions indistinct, baso- discal convexity moderate, discal impression mostly shallow, anteapical and apical impressions shallow; elytral coloration cupreous or with olivaceous tinge, darker on elytral disc, sublateral areas more vividly and iridescent reddish-cupreous, lateral areas with iridescent green-blue longitudinal stripe; juxtaepipleural area black-violaceous; whole elytral surface rather finely and densely punctate; punctures mostly isolated, larger on anterior elytral half, particularly on basodiscal convexity and within humeral and discal impressions, partly almost anastomosing in chains, becoming much smaller and more anastomosing with thin intervals posteriad, forming finer and more ir- regular sculpture on posterior elytral half, which appears to be more irregular on apical area, but the pattern of the punctation is changeable depending on light angle (as obvious in Figs 8 and 9 ); elytral surface glabrous except for usual, often indistinct hair-like setae scattered mostly on basal area and other few adjacent to epipleura; elytral maculation whitish, consisting of only medium-sized lateromedian macula, or with also small or only indicated, barely visible anteapical macula.

Abdomen. Ventrites metallic black with chatoyant violaceous and green-blue lustre, glabrous, except for usual (easily abraded) hair-like sensory setae (on either side) at posterior margins of ventrites.

Legs. Coxae metallic black-blue with strong green-blue and violet lustre, pro- and mesocoxae densely whit- ish setose, metacoxae with only one apical and one basal seta on their discal area and with lateral margin densely fringed with whitish setae; trochanters glabrous (except for usual apical seta on pro- and mesotrochanters), brownish, black-brown, glabrous; femora notably bicolored with whole dorsal longitudinal half of profemora (anterior if the profemora are stretched forwards), and whole ventral (posterior) longitudinal area of meso-and metafemora, metal- lic black with blue or violaceous lustre while the opposite longitudinal area is brownish, femoral apices black-blue, or variably bright blue and sharply delineated from brownish femoral area; pro- and mesotibiae metallic black with strong green-blue lustre and brownish basal third; metatibiae metallic black with strong green-blue lustre and only basal quarter brown; tarsi entirely metallic black, often with blue, purple or violaceous lustre; setal vesture usual as in other species of the species-group.

Aedeagus ( Figs 12–16 ) comparatively long, similar to all species of the O. cajennensis species-group, length 3.80–4.10 mm, width 0.80–1.10 mm, with short basal portion, dilated in middle, apical portion conically attenu- ated towards very small, almost triangular-topped apex, which is dorsally moderately yet noticeably excised; apical orifice with a small protrusion with protruding flagellum; internal sack ( Figs 14–15 ) characteristic of the speciesgroup, its structure consisting of large, voluminous, somewhat reniform central-ventral piece with narrow basal appendage, dorsal elongate and somewhat bent arciform piece, long, convoluted flagellum with bulbous base and multicoiled flagelliform part (usually protruding from the dorsoapical orifice), small, dorsally placed (barely vis- ible) stiffening rib, central sclerite folded in middle, and large, elongate basodorsal piece with its basal third mod- erately bent and narrower.

Variability. Of the only three male type specimens examined, one paratype ( CCJM ex ASUT) lacks the an- teapical macula ( Fig. 10 ). The paratype in RLHC has paler, almost uniformly brownish femora, except for their sharply delimited metallic deep-blue apices .

Etymology. The species name is derived from the ancient Greek prefix παρά (para) (= next to, nearby) and the species name of the somewhat similar Odontocheila excisipenis W. Horn.

Distribution and biology. Known only from the three males caught in the type locality in the Venezuelan state of Amazonas. San Carlos de Rio Negro is a small city on the bank of the Rio Negro River, opposite to Colombian city of San Felipe, several kilometres from the Casiquiare Canal that connects the Amazon Basin with the Orinoco River. The area connects the Venezuelan, Colombian and Brazilian Amazonia. The behaviour of adults is similar to other species of this species-group, which occur on forest paths and fly up and land on the surrounding veg- etation when disturbed. The three males were taken in a secondary forest when foraging in the leaf litter along a path and flew up to land on leaves of low understory plants (David L. Pearson pers. com). Developmental stages unknown.

Figures

FIGURES 1–6. Odontocheila paraexcisipenis sp. nov. Venezuela, San Carlos de Rio Negro. 1—habitus, ♂, 12.8 mm, HT (USNM ex ASUT); 2—head, ♂, HT; 3—antennomeres 1–4, ♂, HT; 4–6—male labrum: 4—HT; 5–PT (CCJM ex ASUT); 6—PT (RLHC). Bars = 1 mm.

FIGURES 7–11. Odontocheila paraexcisipenis sp. nov. Venezuela, San Carlos de Rio Negro. 7—pronotum, ♂, PT (RLHC); 8–11—elytron: 8—♂, HT (USNM ex ASUT); 9—the same elytron upon different illumination angle; 10—♂, PT (CCJM ex ASUT); 11—♂, PT (RLHC). Bars = 1 mm.

FIGURES 12–16. Odontocheila paraexcisipenis sp. nov. Venezuela, San Carlos de Rio Negro, male aedeagus or its apex. 12—HT (USNM ex ASUT); 13—PT (CCJM ex ASUT); 14–15—ditto, cleared, showing internal sac in its left and right lateral view; 16— PT, (RLHC). Bars = 1 mm.

FIGURES 17–25. Odontocheila excisipenis W. Horn. 17–19—labrum: 17—♂, Colombia, Rio Dagua, LT (SDEI); 18—♂, Ecuador, Cachabe, PLT (SDEI); 19—♂, ibid., PLT (MNHN); 20—head, ibid., PLT (MNHN); 21–25—male aedeagus or its apex: 21— LT; 22—Cachabe (MNHN); 23—ditto, internal sac; 24—Colombia, Valle de Cauca (MNHN); 25—Panama, Darien (CCJM ex DBCN). Bars = 1 mm.

FIGURES 26–37. Odontocheila chiriquina Bates, all from Panama. 26–29—labrum: 26—♂, Bugaba (BMNH); 27—♂, Volcan de Chiriqui, LT (BMNH); 28–29—♂, Costa Rica, Puntarenas (CCJM ex DBCN); 30—♂, right mandible, LT; 31—♂, head, Puntarenas; 32–37—male aedeagus or its apex: 32—LT; 33—Chiriqui, PLT (MNHN); 34— ditto, internal sac; 35— Bugaba (BMNH); 36–37— Costa Rica, Puntarenas (CCJM ex DBCN). Bars = 1 mm.