Pharaxonotha fortunensis Tang, Skelley and Taylor, 2024

Tang, William, Skelley, Paul E., Taylor B, Alberto S. & Salzman, Shayla, 2024, Review of Pharaxonotha Reitter (Coleoptera: Erotylidae: Pharaxonothinae) inhabiting cones of the cycad Zamia L. (Cycadales) in Panama, with descriptions of five new species, Insecta Mundi 2024 (43), pp. 1-40 : 13-15

Pharaxonotha fortunensis Tang, Skelley and Taylor , new species

Figures 5A–I

Diagnosis. Pharaxonotha fortunensis can only be distinguished from other members of the genus by a combination of characters: Body length 2.94–3.79 mm, on average larger than other Panamanian species found on Zamia ; head width/pronotal width (HW/PW) = 0.66-0.72, on average less than other Panamanian species; elytra length/ width (EL/EW) = 1.78–2.05 (population mean = 1.85), on average larger than other members of the clarkorum species group; fore and middle legs notably more robust than hind leg, protibia broadly triangular, protarsal pads enlarged with dense ventral brush of setae, male protarsal pad width notably> half width of eye in ventral view; male fore legs and tarsi notably more dilated than in female; apical third of spermatheca swollen ( Fig. 5I ); inhabiting Z. lindleyi in northern Chiriqui and southern Boca del Toro at high elevations.

Description. Length 2.94–3.79 mm, width 0.99–1.42 mm (n = 20). Body in dorsal view elongate-oval ( Fig. 5A–C ), greatest width at middle of elytra; in lateral view convex dorsally ( Fig. 5B ). General body color entirely orange-brown; dorsal surface punctate, shining and appearing glabrous, short procumbent hairs associated with punctation on pronotum and elytra, ventrally shining and appearing glabrous except mesosternum and abdomen mostly covered with short procumbent setae.

Head not broad, width = 0.66–0.72× pronotal width; in dorsal view conical, gradually narrowed anteriorly, surface flat to slightly convex, finely, moderately punctured, average distance between closest punctures 2–3× width of puncture; head width 0.58–0.76 mm; dorsal interocular distance 0.35–0.45 mm, head width/dorsal interocular distance ratio 1.61–1.78, ventral interocular distance 0.26–0.37 mm, head width/ventral interocular distance ratio 2.05–2.36. Eye with large black facets, about 3× diameter of head punctures. Antennal length slightly shorter than pronotal width, 1.5× head width; antennomere I (scape) fairly large, slightly elongate; antennomere II slightly shorter than III; IV–VIII small, width equals length; club fairly large, IX and X similar in length; XI enlarged, 1.6× longer than X, globular with rounded apex ( Fig. 5D ). Clypeus weakly concave anteriorly, moderately punctate. Mentum ( Fig. 5E ) finely punctate, submentum more coarsely punctured, 2–3× diameter of those on mentum, distance between nearest punctures approximately 1× own diameter, each puncture with a short seta. Gular area smooth, without punctation or setae, border with submentum marked by change in punctuation and with a shallow transverse depression.

Thorax with pronotum transversely quadrate in dorsal view, length/width ratio 0.70–0.77; with distinct marginal beads laterally and basally, anteriorly with fine marginal bead medially; convex; anterior angles broadly rounded, not projecting forward; posterior angles weakly developed, with small denticle at angle; lateral carina parallel-sided or evenly shallowly arcuate for entire length; posterior margin slightly projecting medially, projection beginning approximately by pair of small, dark pores in margin located 1/4 width from posterior angles, each pore marks base of a distinct sulcus extending anteriorly onto disc 1/4 length of pronotum. Prosternum in ventral view convex, with few scattered punctures; anterior margin slightly emarginate, finely denticulate with row of long, anteriorly directed setae, longest setae approximately 1/3 length of eye; prosternal process expanded apically, truncate and convex at apex. Hypomeron laterally with few minute punctures, medially lacking distinct longitudinal striations. Scutellar shield distinctly transverse pentagonal, posterior margin weakly rounded. Elytra in dorsal view elongate-oval, convex; length/width ratio1.78–2.05, greatest width near midlength; with distinct marginal line basally; 10 complete striae of moderate puncture size; scutellary striole extending 1/4 elytral length, with 10–15 punctures; punctures of elytral striae as large as pronotal punctures, weakly impressed; intervals of striae with fine, shallow punctures, 1.2× size of strial punctures; all punctures of elytra bearing a single short seta; seta only visible in profile, extending slightly out of puncture. Mesoventrite with strong punctation, distance between nearest punctures approximately equal to diameter of punctures, puncture depth moderate. Metaventrite glossy, with strong lateral punctation separated by 2–3× own diameter; medial surface finely punctured, separated by 5–6× own diameter; entire surface convex, metathoracic discrimen extending approximately 3/4 metaventrite length. Legs narrow, fore and middle legs notably more robust than hind leg, protibia broadly triangular, protarsal pads enlarged with dense ventral brush of setae, male protarsal pad width notably> half width of eye in ventral view; male fore legs and tarsi notably more dilated than in female. Procoxa oval; mesocoxa globular; metacoxa transversely elongate-oval; trochanters obliquely truncate apically; femora robust, moderately compressed laterally; tibiae shorter than femora, gradually dilated to obliquely truncate apices; protibia with apical lateral tooth distinct, with apical fringe of short spinules of concave ventral apical margin usually lacking near lateral tooth; meso- and metatibia with apical fringe of short spinules on anterior margin, finer setae on posterior margins.

Abdomen. Ventrite I with intercoxal process narrow, with triangular point anteromedially; lateral edges slightly projected, lateral and posterior margins arcuate, converging posteriorly; anterior and posterior margins of ventrites more or less straight; ventrite I longer medially than II; II–IV subequal in length; V slightly longer than IV with lateral margins converging posteriorly to a rounded apex; apical margin bearing short, sparse setae; all ventrites bearing moderate, shallow punctation across surface, distance to nearest puncture approximately 2× diameter of puncture, punctures bearing mostly reclining setae; ventrite V with setae length nearly uniformly approximately 2× diameter of puncture; I–IV each with 2 or more median pairs of longer, semi-erect sensory hairs (difficult to see in poor lighting, often abraded). Male genitalia similar to all others in the genus ( Fig. 5F–G ), with dorsoventrally flattened tegmen, elongate cylindrical median lobe, and long coiled flagellum.

Female. Similar to male, no sexual dimorphism observed. Genitalia elongate ( Fig. 5H ); gonostylus set apically on gonocoxite, gonostylus length = 4–5× width. Spermatheca with basal third narrow, length> 7× maximum width of basal third, apical third swollen, nearly 2× maximum width of basal third ( Fig. 5I ).

Type locality. Panama, Chiriquí Province, Fortuna Dam.

Range. Known from the watershed of Fortuna Dam in Chiriquí province in cloud forest and montane forest. Its host, Zamia lindleyi , ranges into the neighboring Province of Bocas del Toro ( Stevenson 1993) and this beetle likely extends there as well.

Materials examined. Holotype (by designation) male of Pharaxonotha fortunensis with the following labels: 1) [rectangular; white; printed in black ink] “ PANAMA: Chiriquí Prov., Fortuna Dam , ♂ cone Zamia lindleyi , 30-IX-2010, C. Espinoza ”. 2) [rectangular; red; printed in black ink] “ HOLOTYPE ♂ fortunensis Tang, Skelley and A.S. Taylor 2024 ”. Deposited in the FSCA.

Additional paratypes (37). Allotype ( FSCA) and 36 paratypes same label data as holotype, to be deposited in: ANIC, FSCA, NHMUK, NZAC, RHTC, SEMC, STRI, MIUP, TAMU, USNM.

Etymology. This beetle was collected in the watershed of Fortuna Dam, in the Reserva Forestal Fortuna. The adjectival species epithet means “from Fortuna”.

Remarks. Pharaxonotha fortunensis belongs in the “recent radiation” of Pharaxonotha based on analysis of the 16S rRNA gene ( Tang et al. 2018b, 2020). As a member of the clarkorum species group it appears most similar to P. pseudoparasitica and P. clarkorum , based on the swollen apical third of the spermatheca. Unlike P. pseudoparasitica and like most members of the confusa species group, it does not co-occur with Notorhopalotria weevils. It appears to be the sole beetle pollinator of Z. lindleyi .

Figures

Figure 5. Pharaxonotha fortunensis (A–E: male holotype). A–C) Dorsal, lateral and ventral habitus. D–E) Head, dorsal and ventral views. F) Male genital capsule, ventral view. G) Tegmen attached to median lobe, (top to bottom) ventral and lateral views. H) Retracted female genitalia, ventral view. I) Spermatheca.