Luprops gracilior Fairmaire, 1896

Sabu, Thomas K., Merkl, Ottó & Abhitha, Prabhakar, 2007, A new Luprops species from Western Ghats with redescriptions and identification key to the species of Indian Peninsula and Sri Lanka (Tenebrionidae: Lagriinae: Lupropini), Zootaxa 1636, pp. 47-58 : 54-55

Luprops gracilior Fairmaire, 1896

( Figs 7 , 11 , 15 , 20 )

Lyprops gracilior Fairmaire, 1896: 28 .

Description. Body shining black, with decumbent setae ( Fig. 20 ). Head with slightly emarginated labrum. Fronto-clypeal suture indistinct. Clypeus slightly raised in front. Punctures in centre of clypeus, frons and vertex uniform in size. Punctural interspaces of head without microreticulation. Genae prominent, with anterolateral portion glabrous and shiny. Eyes slightly divided by the genal canthus. In dorsal view, eye diameter longer than length of temple. In lateral view, width at narrowest point of eye equal to 4–5 ommatidia. Gula triangular and smooth without punctures. Antenna extending to middle of prothorax. Second antennomere smallest; terminal antennomere twice as long as wide.

Pronotum cordiform, subequal in length and width, widest immediately before the middle ( Fig. 11 ); Anterior angles slightly prominent, anterior margin slightly concave, posterior angles obtuse. Pronotum with lateral margins distinctly undulate; base slightly convex. Punctures on lateral region larger and more denser than those on disc. Punctures on the pronotal disc sparser, deep and fine. Punctural interspaces shiny, without distinct microreticulation. Scutellum punctured, with broadly rounded apex.

Elytra simple, evenly convex, twice longer than pronotum, widest behind middle. Punctures on the elytra uniform in size.

Prosternal process broad behind coxae, then tapering caudally, with punctures of irregular size ( Fig. 15 ). Epipleura abruptly narrowed beyond metacoxal region, strongly punctured. Posterior border of mesosternum with sharp edged notch. Metasternum with punctures sparser and smaller at centre than laterally. Abdominal ventrites with more punctures than metasternum. Legs long, with nearly half of middle and hind femora extending beyond elytral margin. Aedeagus with apicale twice longer than wide, nearly parallel-sided in basal 2/3, then arcuately tapering, apex pointed ( Fig. 7 ).

Measurements (in mm; n = 13): total length 6.8–8.4, maximum width of elytra 2.4–3.2, maximum length of pronotum 1.1–1.8, maximum width of pronotum 1.7–2.4, maximum length of elytra 4.2–5.5.

Specimens examined (not sexed). INDIA. Assam: Kaziranga, 75 m, 7–9. V. 1976, Wittmer & Baroni Urbani (1, HNHM). Karnataka: Bangalore, 20. IV. 1936, unknown collector (1, HNHM); Shimoga District, Jog Falls, 500 m, singled near river Sharavati, 2. III. 1980, Gy. Topál (1, HNHM). Kerala: Vazhachal, forest litter, 100 m, 23. II. 2006, T. R. Shiju (2. SJC); Kottiyoor, forest litter, 600 m, 3. III. 2004, P. J. Vineesh (3, SJC). Madhya Pradesh: Amarwara, 4. III. 1970, V. D. Srivastava (1, HNHM); hilly area near town, south of Jabalpur, extracted litter, 1. IV. 1967, Gy. Topál (3, HNHM); Jabalpur, town, from under stones, 20. III. 1967, Gy. Topál (1, HNHM). Maharastra: Pune, X. 1984, Pokorny (1, HNHM). West Bengal: Calcutta, unknown collector (1, HNHM); Darjeeling District, Sukna, 180 m, extracted litter of forest, 23–27. V. 1980, Gy. Topál (1, HNHM). – BHUTAN. Phuntsholing, 2–400 m, 25. IV. 1972, Nat. Hist. Museum Basel-Bhutan Expedition (1, HNHM). – PAKISTAN. Kashmir, Kohala, 3000’, 13. VI. 1974, C. Baroni Urbani (1, HNHM)

Distribution. India (Assam, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharastra, West Bengal); Bhutan; Pakistan (Kohala and Rawalpindi area).

Remarks. It is similar to L. tristis with the presence of short and decumbent pubescence, but can be distinguished by distinct undulation along lateral margins of pronotum; much narrower pronotum with indistinct posterior angles; and longer legs, with nearly half of middle and hind femora extending beyond elytral margin.

Figures

FIGURES 4 – 8. Apical part of aedeagus: 4. Luprops rugosissimus Kaszab, 1980; 5. Luprops tristis (Fabricius, 1801); 6. Luprops curticollis Fairmaire, 1896; 7. Luprops gracilior Fairmaire, 1896; 8. Luprops devagiriensis sp. n. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 9 – 12. Head and pronotum, in dorsal view: 9. Luprops tristis (Fabricius, 1801); 10. Luprops curticollis Fairmaire, 1896; 11. Luprops gracilior Fairmaire, 1896; 12. Luprops devagiriensis sp. n. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURES 15 – 16. Prosternal process: 15. Luprops gracilior Fairmaire, 1896; 16. Luprops devagiriensis sp. n. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 17 – 21. Habitus: 17. Luprops rugosissimus Kaszab, 1980; 18. Luprops tristis (Fabricius, 1801); 19. Luprops curticollis Fairmaire, 1896; 20. Luprops gracilior Fairmaire, 1896; 21. Luprops devagiriensis sp. Not scaled.