Lutrochus maldonadoi, Maier, Crystal A. & Short, Andrew E. Z., 2013

Maier, Crystal A. & Short, Andrew E. Z., 2013, A revision of the Lutrochidae (Coleoptera) of Venezuela, with description of six new species, Zootaxa 3637 (3), pp. 285-307 : 297-299

Lutrochus maldonadoi n. sp.

( Figs. 6 , 34–39 )

Type Material. Holotype male: “ Venezuela Exp./Culebra N. Duida/ Territ. Amazonas/ April 7-16 1950 ” “J. Maldonado/ Capriles Coll.” “USNM00768075” Holotype deposited in MIZA. Paratypes (12): VENEZUELA: Amazonas State: Same locality data as holotype (3 specimens, USNM). “ Venezuela Exp./Territ. Amazonas/ Upper Cunucunuma/ Julian Apr. 28, 1950 ” “J. Maldonado/ Capriles Coll.” (8 specimens, USNM). Paratypes will be deposited in: 1 in MIZA, 1 in MALUZ, 2 in SEMC, and 8 in USNM.

Diagnosis. This species can be distinguished from all other described Lutrochidae by the following combination of characters: apical metatarsomere entirely pubescent, apical maxillary palpomere broadly ovate, and metatibia entirely pubescent.

Description. MALE.—Length 3.1 mm; width 1.6 mm. Body ovate and strongly convex, dark to medium brown, densely pubescent; clothed with short, fine, recumbent setae and long, erect golden setae ( Fig. 34 ).

Head broad, broadly rounded, strongly grooved beneath eye for reception of antenna ( Fig. 37 ). Eye rounded, large, with short, golden interfacetal setae; eyes slightly projecting from outline of head. Antenna short, reaching slightly past anterior border of pronotum, apical 9 antennomeres short, dark brown and clavate, clothed with short golden setae ( Fig. 37 ). Frontoclypeal suture indistinct. Clypeal margin straight, with brush of long setae apically, setae longer laterally, nearly as long as labrum. Apical margin of labrum sinuate, apical setal brush, lateral setae three times as long as medial setae. Labrum clothed with sparse setae. Mandibles large, dark brown, sickle-shaped; apex of mandible with one or two blunt teeth, if with two teeth, weakly so. Maxilla with 4-segmented palpus, apical palpomere flattened and ovate. Labial palpus 3-segmented; apical palpomere fusiform.

Pronotum pubescent, medium brown, two times as wide as long at base, bisinuate at base. Lateral edge of pronotum with distinct bead, slightly explanate apically ( Fig. 36 ). Posterior margin straight anterior to scutellum. Disc of pronotum broadly convex. Scutellum triangular, slightly wider than long; clothed in golden setae, which rest transversely, appearing silver to whitish in dorsal view. Hypomeron slightly excavate posteriorly to accommodate profemur ( Fig. 36 ).

Elytron pubescent, dark brown to medium brown, widest at anterior third. Elytron broadly convex, densely punctate with very fine, shallow punctures, punctures randomly scattered, not arranged in rows; elytron clothed with dense short recumbent golden setae and long erect golden setae; humerus not protuberant ( Fig. 34 ). Lateral edge with distinct bead, epipleuron appearing narrow in ventral aspect ( Fig. 35 ). Elytron with faint sutural stria in apical third. Elytral apex broadly rounded.

Prosternum transverse, approximately 1.7 times as wide as long; anterior edge with strong bead, slightly deflexed to accommodate withdrawn head; prosternal process about as wide as long, with bead laterally, pointed posteriorly ( Fig. 25 ). Mesoventrite pubescent, disc fully clothed with setae. Mesepisternum and mesepimeron excavated to accommodate folded front and middle legs. Mesepimeron extended posteriorly to metacoxae.

Legs long and slender, posterior two pairs reddish-brown, anterior pair dark brown. Profemur densely pubescent. Protibia entirely pubescent. Protarsus with all tarsomeres densely pubescent, lacking tufts of long golden setae ventrally; apical tarsomere 1.2 times as long as preceding four tarsomeres combined. Mesocoxa with row of short golden setae basally. Mesofemur densely pubescent posteriorly, becoming less so anteriorly. Mesotibia completely glabrous, with small patch of short golden setae at apex; apex with excavation laterally for reception of tarsus. Mesotarsus with all tarsomeres entirely glabrous; apical tarsomere 1.5 times as long as preceding four tarsomeres combined. Metatrochanter globose, slightly pointed posteriorly. Metafemur densely pubescent. Metatibia entirely pubescent, with small patch of longer golden setae at apex. Metatarsus pubescent, setae becoming sparse toward apex of apical tarsomere, with apical tarsomere as long as previous four combined ( Fig. 38 ).

Abdomen densely pubescent, with five ventrites. First abdominal ventrite shallowly excavated for reception of folded hind legs ( Fig. 35 ). Apical ventrite broadly rounded.

Genitalia as illustrated, basal piece + parameres 1.4 mm long. Aedeagus slender and curved, becoming more curved at tapered tip ( Fig. 39 ). Parameres fused, pointed, with distinct lobes interiorly subapically.

Female. Length 2.8 mm; width 1.4 mm. Externally similar to male.

Intraspecific Variation. This species varies considerably in size, ranging from 2.5–3.2 mm long and 1.4–1.6 mm wide. Additionally, specimens vary slightly in color, from dark brown to medium brown. Some specimens examined have differing levels of setation, with patches where setae have rubbed off, as well as patches where setae have become matted down with grease, or the grease changes the apparent color of the setae to brown.

Etymology. This species is named for hemipterist J. Maldonado-Capriles, who collected the only known specimens on an expedition to Amazonas State, Venezuela.

Habitat and Distribution. This species was collected at the same collecting events as L. gustafsoni , in Amazonas State, Venezuela. The habits and microhabitat preferences of this species are unknown.

Figures

FIGURES 4 – 7. 4. Map of Venezuela showing collection localities of L. acuminatus (red circles) and L. cauraensis (yellow square). 5. Map of Venezuela showing collection localities of L. vestitus (red circles). 6. Map of Venezuela showing collection localities of L. meridaensis (red circles), L. minutus (orange circles), and L. maldonadoi (yellow circles). 7. Map of Venezuela showing collection localities of L. violaceus (red circles) and L. gustafsoni (yellow circles).

FIGURES 34 – 39. Lutrochus maldonadoi n. sp.: 34. Habitus, dorsal view; 35. Habitus, ventral view; 36. Habitus, lateral view; 37. Head, three-quarters view, showing shape of apical maxillary palpomere; 38. Metatarsus; 39. Aedeagus, dorsal and lateral views (scale bar = 0.62 mm).

FIGURES 20 – 26. Lutrochus gustafsoni n. sp.: 20. Habitus, dorsal view; 21. Habitus, ventral view; 22. Habitus, lateral view; 23. Protarsus; 24. Mesotarsus; 25. Metatarsus; 26. Aedeagus, dorsal and lateral views (scale bar = 0.62 mm).