Pelecium balli, Orsetti & Lopes-Andrade, 2024

Orsetti, Artur & Lopes-Andrade, Cristiano, 2024, A contribution to the taxonomy of the genus Pelecium Kirby (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Peleciini), European Journal of Taxonomy 922, pp. 1-61 : 10-11

Pelecium balli sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:FC546130-65BD-48EC-9988-FFE154C52C74

Figs 2A–H , 25

Diagnosis

A medium-sized species (10 mm), distinguishable among other congeners by the combination of the following features. Body elongate. Head frontal fovea punctiform ( Fig. 2B ). Pronotum median line fine and shallow. Each elytron with striae 1–5 deeply impressed and 6 shallow. Adults of P. balli sp. nov. and P. paulae are quite similar, but in the former the pronotum posterior impression is shallow and line-shaped toward the disc, resembling a channel, while in the latter the posterior impression is also shallow, but rounded.

Etymology

The specific epithet ‘ balli ’ is an eponym in honor of the American entomologist George Eugene Ball (1926–2019), an expert in ground beetles ( Carabidae ).

Type material

Holotype

BRAZIL • ♀; Paraná, Balsa Nova, São Luiz do Purunã , Faz. Monjolo; 15 Dec. 2006 – 20 Jan. 2007; P. Löwenberg Neto leg.; pitfall; “\\ Pelecium balli Orsetti & Lopes-Andrade HOLOTYPUS ” [printed on red paper]; CERPE.

Paratypes

BRAZIL • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; “\\ Pelecium balli Orsetti & Lopes-Andrade PARATYPE ” [printed on yellow paper]; CERPE .

Description

Female (holotype, fully pigmented adult)

MEASUREMENTS (in mm). AL1 0.8, AL2 0.4, EL 6.0, EW 4.0, PL 3.3, PW 3.3, HL 1.5, HW 2.1, TL 10.8, TL/EW 2.7, lp2L 0.5, lp3L 0.6, lp3 W 0.2, mp3L 0.3, mp4L 0.6, mp4 W 0.3.

BODY. Elongate, flat; disc of head, pronotum and elytra shiny black in dorsal view; glabrous ( Fig. 2A ). Ventral surface shiny black; sternite V with mesh of short yellowish setae in posterior portion.

HEAD. Microreticulate; frontal fovea punctiform ( Fig. 2B ). Antennae reddish brown, moderately long, almost reaching posterior margin of pronotum; antennomeres 1–3 with few long, sparse yellowish setae on apical portion; antennomeres 4–11 fully covered with small yellowish setae. Apical labial and maxillary palpomeres with long, sparse yellowish setae; broadly ovate, with apex obliquely truncated; reddish brown, with apicalmost portion lighter.

PRONOTUM. Sides rounded, each with a pair of long setae; posterior fourth oblique; median line narrow, shallow; posterior impressions shallow, line-shaped toward disc.

ELYTRA. Ovate; humeral projections evident; five striae deeply impressed; fifth stria short, sixth and seventh shallowly impressed, in between striae shiny and impunctate.

LEGS. Dark reddish brown; protarsomere 1–4 expanded, ventrally with vestiture of adhesive setae; protibiae expanded at apex, with few long yellowish setae ventrally and around antennal cleaner; mesotibiae slender, with few long yellowish setae throughout inner margin; metatibiae slender, with few long yellowish setae ventrally on apical half.

GONOCOXITE 1 ( Fig. 2H ). With outer and inner sides arcuate; inner side forming acute projection on posterior margin; anterior margin dull.

GONOCOXITE 2 ( Fig. 2H ). Subtriangular; basal lobe bearing ensiform setae on each side; ensiform setae long, with half to one third the length of gonocoxite 2; slender setae at apex.

Male

MEASUREMENTS. AL1 0.6, AL2 damaged, EL 5.6, EW 3.7, PL 3.3, PW 3.1, HL 1.5, HW 2.0, TL 10.4, TL/ EW 2.8, lp2L 0.6, lp3L 0.6, lp3 W 0.3, mp3L 0.3, mp4L 0.6, mp4 W 0.3. Similar to females but devoid of mesh of short yellowish setae on sternite V. Apical labial and maxillary palpomeres triangular.

ABDOMINAL TERGITE IX ( Fig. 2E ). Oval, asymmetrical; anterior portion angulating toward left; inner anterior angle rounded; posterior portion rounded, with small projections on each side in apical portion.

AEDEAGUS ( Fig. 2C–D, F–G ). With median lobe ( Fig. 2C–D ) cylindrical, slender, asymmetrical; ostium reaching middle area of median lobe; apical lamella not evenly narrowed, bending a bit to the right; apical edges narrow; basal bulb thin; parameres ( Fig. 2F–G ) asymmetrical, left paramere ( Fig. 2F ) longer and thinner than right paramere ( Fig. 2G ).

Variation

Among all specimens examined, the one in the best condition was chosen as the holotype.

MEASUREMENTS (in mm). Females (n = 2): AL1 0.7–0.8 (0.75 ±0.07), AL2 0.3–0.4 (0.35 ± 0.07), EL 5.1– 6.0 (5.55± 0.64), EW 3.3–4.0 (3.65± 049), PL 2.8–3.3 (3.05 ± 0.42), PW 2.8–3.3 (3.0± 0.42), HL 1.4–1.5 (2.9 ± 0.07), HW 1.8–2.1 (1.95± 0.21), TL 9.3–10.8 (10.05 ± 1.06), TL/EW 2.7–2.8 (2.76 ±0.08), lp2L 0.5–0.5 (0.50 ± 0.0), lp3L 0.5–0.6 (0.55 ± 0.07), lp3 W 0.2 –0.2 (0.2± 0.0), mp3L 0.2–0.3 (0.25± 0.07), mp4L 0.5–0.6 (0.55± 0.07), mp4 W 0.2 –0.3 (0.25 ±0.07).

Remarks

We include P. balli sp. nov. in the P. rotundipenne species group due to the following features: head frontal impressions punctiform, at least five elytral striae deeply impressed and fifth tarsomere without ventro-lateral setae.

Figures

Fig. 2. Habitus and dissected parts of some new species of Pelecium Kirby, 1817. A–H. Pelecium balli sp. nov., female holotype from São Luiz do Purunã, Paraná, Brazil (A–B, H) (CERPE) and male paratype from Balsa Nova, Paraná, Brazil (C–G) (CERPE). A. Dorsal view. B. Detail of head. C–D. Median lobe. E. Tergite IX. F. Left paramere. G. Right paramere. H. Female genitalia. – I–K. Pelecium belloi sp. nov., female holotype from São Luiz do Paraitinga, São Paulo, Brazil (CAMB). I. Dorsal view. J. Detail of head. K. Dissected genitalia. Scale bars: A–B, I–J = 1 mm; C–H, K = 0.5 mm.

Fig. 25. Map of Brazil highlighting the Southeast and South Region and part of the Central-West Region, showing the type localities of Pelecium balli sp. nov., P. belloi sp. nov., P. buckupi sp. nov., P. chrissquirei sp. nov., P. fistulosus sp. nov., P. grossii sp. nov., P. straneoi sp. nov., P. zaguryi sp. nov. and P. zophos sp. nov.