Anthelephila paucula, Kejval, 2017

Kejval, Zbyněk, 2017, Studies of the genus Anthelephila Hope (Coleoptera: Anthicidae) 14. Twenty-four new species from Asia and new records of A. fossicollis Kejval, Zootaxa 4306 (1), pp. 1-52 : 42-44

Anthelephila paucula sp. nov.

Figs 89–92

Description. Male (holotype). Body length 4.3 mm. Head and pronotum reddish; elytra dark brown, with reddish base and slight bluish reflection; legs and antennae reddish to brown, hind legs largely brownish, with paler base of femora and tarsi, distal antennomeres distinctly darker.

Head 1.1 times as long as wide, weakly differentiated from short neck; tempora strongly narrowing posteriad, posterior angles absent. Eyes medium-sized, rather convex. Dorsal surface moderately glossy, distinctly punctate and largely corrugated (especially medially to eyes) except for basal portion; punctures distinctly separated. Setation short, subdecumbent; few tactile setae. Antennae only moderately enlarged in terminal third; antennomere X nearly 1.7 times, XI 2.5 times as long as wide.

Pronotum 1.5 times as long as wide, distinctly narrower than head including eyes, nearly evenly rounded anteriorly, strongly narrowed and distinctly impressed (constricted) postero-laterally in dorsal view; pronotal disc evenly convex. Surface rather glossy; antero-lateral sides mostly minutely and sparsely punctate, nearly impunctate near procoxal cavities; disc more distinctly punctate, especially dorso-laterally in posterior half, unwrinkled, lacking any distinct transverse wrinkles before base; postero-lateral impressions rather coarsely, longitudinally wrinkled, and adjacent dorso-lateral area rugose. Setation as on head.

Mesosternum moderately bulging and with medial longitudinal carina, more prominent in posterior half. Metasternum simple.

Elytra 1.8 times as long as wide, conjointly rounded apically; humeri distinct; postscutellar impression absent. Surface glossy, distinctly punctate; punctation double, setiferous punctures rather widely separated. Setation nearly evenly developed, sparser near base, generally longer and more raised than on head, decumbent; numerous tactile setae.

Metathoracic wings fully developed.

Fore legs modified ( Fig. 89 ); profemora with short tooth-like process, rounded apically, with short fringe of stiff setae subapically; protibiae nearly simple, moderately swollen and with distinct, blunt protrusion on inner side at about mid-length; penultimate tarsomere widened/flattened distally, with terminal tarsomere articulated dorsally near base in all tarsi. Setation normally developed; tibiae with two equal terminal spurs.

Abdominal sternum IV with small paired, submedian patches of minute, robust setae; sternum VII with small median process projecting from dorsal side, coarsely setose on posterior margin ( Fig. 90 ). Tergum VII simple, widely rounded posteriorly. Sternite VIII ( Fig. 91 ); paired prongs trilobed. Tergite VIII with paired sclerites simple, somewhat angular apically, narrowly connected medially. Terminal sclerite of segment IX (spiculum) rounded and setose apically. Aedeagus ( Fig. 92 ); apical portion of tegmen 0.6 times as long as basal-piece, trilobed apically.

Female. Externally differing from male as follows: fore legs and abdominal sterna IV, VII simple; tergum VII subtriangular, rounded apically.

Variation. Body length (♂ ♀) 4.2–4.3 mm. Both male specimens from Ban Na Lam are aberrant in having strongly reduced profemoral processes (abdominal characters are identical).

Type material. Holotype, ♂: LAOS north, 5.–11.v.1997 20 km NW of Louang Namtha, 21°09.2 N, 101°18.7 E, alt. 900± 100 m, E. Jendek & O. Šausa leg. [p] ( NMPC).

Paratypes: 1 ♂, THAILAND, Nan prov. Doi Phuka Nat. Park, 28.iv.–12.v.2002 P. Průdek lgt. [p] ( ZKDC).

Additional specimens. Laos: 2 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀, Xieng Khouang prov., 19°37–8′N 103°20–1′E, 30 km NE Phonsavan, Ban Na Lam + Phou Sane Mt. , 1300–1700 m, 10.–30.v.2009, M. Geiser leg. ( NHMB, ZKDC); 1 ♀, Hua Phan prov. , Ban Saluei , Phou Pan Mt. , 20°12′N 104°01′E, 1300–1900 m, 11.iv.–15.v.2012, C. Holzschuh leg. ( BMNH). Thailand: 1 ♀, Nan prov., Doi Phuka National Park, 28.iv.–12.v.2002, P. Průdek & M. Obořil leg. ( ADBC).

Differential diagnosis. Anthelephila paucula sp. nov. belongs to the A. fossicollis species-group. It is conspicuous in having a modified male sternum IV (paired bunches of robust spines) instead of sternum III, and differs clearly by morphology of the paired prongs of male sternite VIII.

Etymology. From Latin pauculus (few, meager number), refering to the few specimens examined.

Distribution. Laos.

Figures

FIGURES 89 – 92. Anthelephila paucula sp. nov. (holotype ♂). Profemur and tibia (89); abdominal sternum VII (90); sternite VIII, dorsal view (91); apical portion of aedeagus (92). Scale (0.5 mm): A—Fig. 89; (0.3 mm): B—Fig. 90, C—Fig. 92, D— Fig. 91.