Notoxus ravana, Kejval, 2011

Kejval, Zbyněk, 2011, Taxonomic revision of the Oriental species of Notoxus (Coleoptera: Anthicidae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 51 (2), pp. 627-673 : 665-666

Notoxus ravana sp. nov.

( Figs. 49–51 , 69, 70 )

Type locality. Sri Lanka, environs of Anuradhapura.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: J, ‘ Ceylon Umg.Anuradhapura G. Frey III.53 // Notoxus brinckianus Bonadona det. G. Uhmann 2006’ ( ZSMC) . PARATYPES: 1 ♀, ‘S Sri Lanka, 13.III. KATARAGAMA – bank of Menik Ganga river 100 km NE of Matara Z. Kejval lgt. 1994’ ( ZKDC).

Description. Male (holotype). Body length 2.6 mm. Body dark brown, at places with reddish tinge. Legs and antennae reddish; femora and distal half of antennae moderately darker.

Head and pronotum and elytra rather glossy, finely, moderately densely punctured. Pronotal disc with distinct longitudinal median wrinkle. Punctures of elytra rather fine, shallow, their margins with fine sculpture (not smooth). Body setation rather distinct, mostly subdecumbent; pronotum with numerous conspicuously long, suberect to erect setae, especially antero-laterally; setation of elytra subdecumbent, with numerous, moderately longer, suberect setae. Antebasal setose band of pronotum conspicuous, widely interrupted dorso-medially.

Head with medium-sized eyes. Antennae moderately long, distinctly enlarged in terminal third. Pronotum slightly wider than head across eyes, rather globose in dorsal view; pronotal disc distinctly bulging posteriorly just before antebasal transverse sulcus. Pronotal horn moderately long, very slender, subparallel, with continuously fringed apical margin and 2 small lateral lobules on each side; horn crest only moderately raised, evenly lowering towards horn apex, its lateral margins very feebly marked by series of somewhat coarser, distinctly spaced lobules / rugules; dorsal surface evenly and rather densely covered with distinct rounded rugules. Elytra 1.8 times as long as wide; humeri distinctly protruding; omoplates and postbasal impression moderately indicated; elytra somewhat flattened laterally in apical third and more tapered apically, their lateral subapical margin slightly angled and with rounded gland opening at angle (rather distant from apex; Fig. 70 , marked by arrow). Legs simple. Abdominal sternum VII simple, evenly rounded posteriorly. Tergum VIII forming simple, evenly arched sclerite, its membranous part mesally with patch of fine spines ( Fig. 50 ). Aedeagus as figured ( Fig. 51 ).

Female. Externally nearly identical with male, differing only by the even lateral subapical margin of elytra (lacking opening of gland).

Variation. Body length (J ♀) 2.5–2.6 mm.

Differential diagnosis. Notoxus ravana sp. nov. is undoubtedly very close to N. brinckianus , as suggested by the shared pronotal characters (narrow horn, median longitudinal wrinkle, posteriorly bulging disc). It differs clearly from the latter species in the male characters.

Etymology. Named after Ravana, the demon king of Lanka and one of the major figures in the classic Hindu legend Ramayana. Noun in apposition.

Distribution. Sri Lanka.

Figures

Figs. 48–51. 48 – Notoxus variabilis Krekich-Strassoldo, 1913 (Mulshi), aedeagus. 49–51 – N. ravana sp. nov.: 49 – pronotum in lateral view, 50 – male tergum VIII, 51 – aedeagus. Scale (0.5 mm).

Figs. 61–75. 61–64 – elytra: 61–62 – Notoxus noctivagus Krekich-Strassoldo, 1916 (61 – Karadj, 62 – Punjab); 63–64 – N. variabilis Krekich-Strassoldo, 1913 (63 – syntype, 64 – Mulshi). 65–67 – elytral apices: 65 – N. peguensis Pic, 1914 (Myitkyina); 66 – N. psammophilus Telnov, 2007 (Cam Ranh Bay); 67 – N. variabilis (Mulshi). 68 – N. ales Telnov, 2007 (Ban Nape), laterobasal fovea of sternum III; 69–70 – N. ravana sp. nov.: 69 – laterobasal fovea of sternum III; 70 – apex of elytron. 71–72 – N. ales (Ban Nape): 71 – male sternum VII; 72 – punctation of elytra (basal half). 73 – N. impavidus sp. nov., the same. 74 – N. donckieri Pic, 1908 (Phuyen Binh), male protibia. 75 – N. hilaris sp. nov., the same.