Ascelosodis punctulata, Ren, Guo-Dong & Shi, Ai-Min, 2006

Ren, Guo-Dong & Shi, Ai-Min, 2006, A taxonomic review of the Chinese species from the genus Ascelosodis Redtenbacher (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), with descriptions of three new species, Zootaxa 1228, pp. 1-24 : 7-9

Ascelosodis punctulata , sp. nov.

( Figs 14–26 , 141 , 147 )

Type material

Holotype: male, CHINA: Tibet, Lhuntse, 28º24’ N, 92º30’ E, 3900–4000 m, 27 Jun. 2004, collected by Ai­min Shi and Yi­bin Ba ( MHBU). Paratypes: 11 males and 9 females, same data as the holotype ( MHBU).

Diagnosis

The new species is closely related to A. reinigi Koch, 1948 (as demonstrated by the clypeal lobe separated from lateral lobes by deep incisions, and dorsal surface of head with dense coarse punctures), but can be distinguished by pronotal surface between lateral margins convex, intercoxal process of prosternum linguiform, rounded apically, and gradually sloping behind coxae, humeral angles of elytra obtuse.

Etymology

Named after the dorsal surface of head with dense coarse punctures.

Description

Male ( Figs 14–21 ). Ovate, black to brown, shiny; antennae, legs and palpi brown.

Clypeal lobe ( Fig. 15 ) obviously prominent, nearly trapezoid, anterior margin straight or weakly prominent, separated from lateral lobes by deep acute­angled incisions. Outer margins of genae arcuately converging to clypeus. Dorsal surface of head flat, with dense coarse punctures finer at clypeal lobe and genae than at disc ( Fig. 141 ). Antennae ( Fig. 14 ) short, apices extending beyond middle of pronotum. Length (width) ratio of antennomeres 2 to 11 as follows: 5.1(4.1): 7.2(4.0): 5.1(4.1): 4.1(4.1): 4.1(4.1): 4.1(4.3): 4.1(4.3): 4.8 (5.1): 5.3(6.2): 5.5(5.6). Apical part of inner margin of antennomere 9 with a tuft of light setae, apical part of inner and outer margins of antennomere 10 and apical part of antennomere 11 with dense hair and sparse long setae.

Pronotum ( Fig. 16 ) transverse, 1.98–2.12 (2.00, on the average, n=12) times as wide as long, widest in the middle, 1.57–1.68 (1.64, on the average, n=12) times as wide as head. Lateral margins of pronotum arcuately protruding, bordered along entire length; anterior margin sinuate, middle part of base slightly protruding backward, both anterior margin and base bordered along entire length or borders shortly interrupted in the middle. Anterior angles of pronotum nearly rectangular; posterior ones obtuse. Pronotal surface between lateral margins convex, with dense coarse punctures sparser at disc than laterally. Propleura deeply concave, with dense coarse punctures. Intercoxal process of prosternum linguiform, rounded apically, prominent behind coxae and steeply sloping at apex.

Elytra ovate, 1.26–1.33 (1.29, on the average, n=12) times as long as wide, widest near the middle, 1.16–1.24 (1.20, on the average, n=12) times as wide as pronotum. Elytral base not bordered, humeral angles obtuse. Surface of elytra convex and rugged, with dense coarse punctures, each puncture with a light seta, anterior margins of punctures convex; sides, especially near the base, sparsely ciliate beneath. Epipleura narrow, completely ventral, outer margins not extending to shoulders, with very sparse granules. Visible abdominal ventrites with dense coarse punctures, each puncture with a seta.

Legs short, only apices of metafemora visible from above. Outer margins of protibiae weakly serrate, apices extending beyond anterior margin of protarsomere 3. Length ratio of metatarsomeres 1–4 as follows: 13: 5: 5: 10.

Aedeagus ( Figs 17–19 ): length 1.50 mm (when body length 5.3 mm). Parameres 0.83 mm long and 0.26 mm wide. Median lobe strong and long. Apex of parameres pointed, with setae, and covered by median lobe in ventral view. Spiculum gastrale as in Fig. 20 . Abdominal sternite VIII as in Fig. 21 .

Female ( Figs. 22–26 ): Difficult to distinguish from male by general characters. Ovipositor as in Figs. 22–23 . Middle part of posterior margin of urotergite VIII ( Fig. 24 ) obviously prominent. Urosternite VIII as in Fig. 25 . Posterior margin of spiculum ventrale ( Fig. 26 ) weakly sinuate.

Distribution

China: Tibet (Lhuntse).

Figures

FIGURES 14 – 26. Ascelosodis punctulata, sp. nov.. 14. antenna; 15. head in dorsal view; 16. pronotum; 17 – 19. aedeagus in dorsal, ventral and lateral view; 20. spiculum gastrale; 21. abdominal sternite VIII of male; 22 – 23. ovipositor in dorsal and ventral view; 24. urotergite VIII of female; 25. urosternite VIII of female; 26. spiculum ventrale.

FIGURES 141 – 145. 141 – 142. head in dorsal view (141. Ascelosodis punctulata sp. nov., 142. A. rugulosa sp. nov.); 143 – 145. left side of pronotum in dorsal view (143. A. haagi Bates, 1879, 144. A. everestina Blair, 1923, 145. A. schmidi Kaszab, 1965)

FIGURES 146 – 149. 146. Ascelosodis emarginata, sp. nov., male; 147. A. punctulata, sp. nov., male; 148. A. rugulosa, sp. nov., male; 149. A. emarginiventris Koch, 1948, male.