Osphyoplesius colacurcioi, Magrini, Paolo & Uliana, Marco, 2015

Magrini, Paolo & Uliana, Marco, 2015, A new species of the enigmatic genus Osphyoplesius from Sicily (Coleoptera: Tenebrionoidea: Pythidae), Zootaxa 3925 (4), pp. 573-580 : 574-578

Osphyoplesius colacurcioi n. sp.

( Figs. 1–7 , 9–14 )

Diagnosis. An Osphyoplesius species about 2.1–2.7 mm long. Pronotum evidently sinuated at sides, with no sign of dorsal grooves or keels; elytra with humeral tooth. Can be diagnosed from the other two species of the genus also by the shape of the aedeagus and by morphometric analysis ( Table 2).

Type locality. Italia, Sicilia, Foresta di Ficuzza (Palermo), 37°52’N, 13°23’E, m 900.

Type series. Holotype ♂: Italia, Sicilia, Foresta di Ficuzza (Palermo), 37°52’N, 13°23’E, m 900, 5.IV.2013, leg. L. Colacurcio (CM). Paratypes: same data of the holotype 4 ♀♀, (CU, CP, CC, MSNM).

Description. A small-sized Osphyoplesius , measuring 2.15–2.73 mm from the apex of the mandibles to the apex of the elytra (2.09–2.63 mm excluding the mandibles). Uniformly yellowish-brown, with testaceous appendages. Integument shiny, without evident microsculpture but with strong and dense punctures quite evenly distributed on the dorsal surface. Each puncture bearing a seta, the dorsal surface appearing therefore covered with a quite long yellowish pubescence ( Fig. 1 ). Ventral side covered by confluent punctures, giving the integument a granulose to wrinkled appearance ( Fig. 2 ).

For p <0.05 (figures marked in grey) the difference between the two sexes is assumed to be statistically significant and therefore the traits assumed to be dimorphic. For acronyms of the measures, see Material and methods.

A B C D E F G H Measurements

TL LA HW PL PW PB EL EW min 2.09 0.86 0.38 0.58 0.56 0.38 1.08 0.59 ♀ max 2.31 1.05 0.45 0.69 0.66 0.49 1.26 0.75 average 2.27 0.99 0.44 0.68 0.65 0.47 1.23 0.72 ♂ 2.63 1.06 0.48 0.7 0.74 0.5 1.35 0.8 T test: p= 0.0043 0.0682 0.0502 0.1124 0.0191 0.0991 0.0245 0.0393

I J K L M N O P Q Ratios

TL/LA TL/PL TL/EL EL/PL PW/PB PW/PL EL/EW EW/PW PW/HW min 2.19 3.33 1.83 1.80 1.35 0.96 1.68 1.05 1.47 ♀ max 2.43 3.60 1.94 1.86 1.47 1.00 1.83 1.14 1.49 average 2.29 3.36 1.85 1.81 1.38 0.96 1.70 1.11 1.48 ♂ 2.48 3.76 1.95 1.93 1.48 1.06 1.69 1.08 1.54 T test: p= 0.1173 0.0149 0.0599 0.0056 0.0874 0.0023 0.1965 0.9091 0.0010 Head distinctly narrower than pronotum, eyes absent. Frons concave, strongly punctured; clypeus broad, wider than long, flat, with anterior margin almost straight; labrum narrow, elongated, anterior border straight and bearing some setae. Mandibles short, strong, apex sharp and strongly pigmented. Temples laterally protruding, with slightly inflated appearance. Antennal insertion and base of the first antennal article covered by a lobe and not visible from above. The integument covering the base of the antenna bearing a well-defined semi-transparent area, approximately circular and suggestive of an eye.

Maxillary palps ( Fig. 3 ) attached near the base of the maxilla, composed of 4 articles, the last one securiform in both sexes; labial palps ( Fig. 4 ) much smaller, last article subcylindrical.

Antenna moniliform, composed of 11 articles, about 0.4 times as long as the body. Shape of the articles from subcylindrical near the base, to subquadrate or irregularly isodiametric towards the apex, last article more elongated, piriform. Article 1 about 0.08 mm long, article 2: 0.06–0.08, article 3: 0.07–0.09, article 4: 0.06–0.08, article 11: 0.10–0.17.

Pronotum as long as wide ( Table 1, N), evenly convex, without carinations, narrowing towards base. Punctation strong and regular, evenly distributed except for a smooth, narrow longitudinal area occupying the anterior third of the midline. Anterior angles obtuse, broadly rounded; posterior angles obtuse, sharp. Sides broadly rounded in the distal 2/3, sinuated before the basal third, where they are slightly concave. Margins regular and simple, lacking any bead or denticulation. A small fovea, shallow, narrow, strongly pigmented present on each side, in front of the base. Marginal groove narrow, pigmented. Pubescence directed along the midline and backwards, but for the anterior angles, where it is transversally directed towards the midline. Scutellum triangular, well visible, wider than long.

Elytra elongate, slightly convex, roughly as wide as the pronotum, with subparallel sides and rounded apex, slightly narrowing towards the base. The base is beaded and concave, housing the base of the pronotum. Humeral angles obtuse, rounded, although marked by a well-evident protruding tooth. Surface strongly and evenly punctured, missing any sign of striation. Pubescence longer than that of pronotum, inclined, directed backwards. Epipleura broad at the base, steeply reducing towards the apex; at the posterior border of the metasternum reduced to a narrow stripe, completely disappearing in the apical region. Elytra either partially fused or strongly locked in the proximal half, but easily separated from each other during specimen dissection. Wings present, strongly reduced.

A B C D E F G H measurements

TL LA HW PL PW PB EL EW O. colacurcioi ♂ (n=1) 2.63 1.06 0.48 0.7 0.74 0.5 1.35 0.8 O . colacurcioi ♀ (n=4) 2.27 0.99 0.44 0.68 0.65 0.47 1.23 0.72 O . colacurcioi ♂+♀ (n=5) – 1.00 – 0.68 – 0.48 – – O. loebli ♂ (n=1) 2.86 1.22 0.5 0.82 0.77 0.54 1.46 0.82 O . loebli ♀ (n=1) 2.87 1.26 0.56 0.84 0.85 0.64 1.61 0.86 O . loebli ♂+♀ (n=2) – 1.24 – 0.83 – 0.59 – – T-test (dimorphic traits): p= 0.0011 – 0.0041 – 0.0027 – 0.0016 0.0131 T-test (non-dim. traits): p= – 0.0015 – 0.0007 – 0.1863 – – I J K L M N O P Q ratios

TL/LA TL/PL TL/EL EL/PL PW/PB PW/PL EL/EW EW/PW PW/HW O. colacurcioi ♂ (n=1) 2.48 3.76 1.95 1.93 1.48 1.06 1.69 1.08 1.54 O . colacurcioi ♀ (n=4) 2.29 3.36 1.85 1.81 1.38 0.96 1.70 1.11 1.48 O . colacurcioi ♂+♀ (n=5) 2.44 – 1.91 – 1.45 – 1.71 1.08 – O. loebli ♂ (n=1) 2.34 3.49 1.96 1.78 1.43 0.94 1.78 1.06 1.54 O . loebli ♀ (n=1) 2.27 3.42 1.79 1.91 1.33 1.01 1.86 1.02 1.52 O . loebli ♂+♀ (n=2) 2.31 – 1.87 – 1.38 – 1.82 1.04 – T-test (dimorphic traits): p= – 0.6297 – 0.0109 – 0.0273 – – 0.0029 T-test (non-dim. traits): p= 0.2679 – 0.8468 – 0.4889 – 0.2093 0.2200 – Metasternum and first abdominal sternite ( Fig. 2 ) bearing a broad and shallow impression on each side, near the anterior border. Metasternum much wider than the median coxa, first abdominal sternite much longer than the following ones, with intercoxal area similar to a semiellipse open downwards. Sternites 2–5 similar in length.

Legs strong. Anterior and median coxae, globous, projecting, and adjoining; the medial ones also adjoining, the posterior ones more parted. Femora claviform, tibia straight, progressively enlarging towards the apex. Apex of the protibia bearing, on the internal side, two large, strong and sharp spurs, of similar size. Apex of meso- and metatibiae bearing two thin, small-sized spurs, the one on the above longer than the other. All tibiae bearing, aside spurs, tiny apical spines, more evident on the meso- and metatibiae. Protarsi and mesotarsi with 5 articles, metatarsi with 4 articles (figs 5–7); all of them pubescent. Claws smooth.

Aedeagus small (0.27 mm), with trifid apex ( Fig. 9 ), subrectangular in lateral view ( Fig. 10 ). Medial piece composed of a broad base and of long and thin apical prominence, with serrate margins. Parameres thin, concave towards the medial piece, each of them bearing six long marginal setae. Basal piece of the aedeagus subcylindrical, connected to the apical pieces by a ring-shaped articulation. Aedeagus connected to a suboval internal sclerite, ciliated along the distal margin ( Fig. 11 ).

Female genitalia as in Figs. 12–14 , with densely ciliated spiculum.

Derivatio nominis. We are glad to dedicate this species to our friend Loris Colacurcio (Zola Predosa, Italy), keen collector of soil–dwelling beetles and enthusiast student of Pselaphinae , who collected all known specimens of the type series.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 8. Osphyoplesius colacurcioi n. sp., female, paratype: (1 – 2) habitus in dorsal and ventral view; (3) maxilla and maxillary palp; (4) labial palp; (5) right protarsus; (6) mesotarsus and (7) metatarsus. (8) Osphyoplesius loebli, holotype, habitus. Photos P. Magrini.

FIGURES 9 – 16. Osphyoplesius colacurcioi n. sp.: male, holotype: (9 – 10) aedeagus in ventral and lateral view; (11) internal sclerite. (12) female, paratype: ovipositor; (13) sclerites associated with the stylomeres; (14) spiculum. Osphyoplesius loebli, holotype: (15) aedeagus in ventral view; (16) labels. Photos P. Magrini.