Lamellipalpus longipalpis, Brancucci, Michel & Geiser, Michael, 2009

Brancucci, Michel & Geiser, Michael, 2009, A revision of the genus Lamellipalpus Maulik, 1921 (Coleoptera, Lampyridae), Zootaxa 2080, pp. 1-20 : 15-16

Lamellipalpus longipalpis sp. nov.

( Fig. 13 )

Type locality: Nepal, Bagmati, Dhad Khola.

Description. 3. Habitus: Body elongate-oblong, completely testaceous brown, except for the antennae from the 2nd joint onwards and for an incomplete oblique stripe on apical two-thirds of the elytra which are dark brown, the latter covering the outer part of the 2nd costa. Underside completely testaceous.

Head: Very large, testaceous brown, only slightly depressed, broad; the distance from eye to pronotum equal to 3 times eye diameter. Interocular space very large, 3.2 times as large as eye diameter. Anterior margin of frons almost evenly curved, distinctly concave; head strongly depressed on antero-median part. Surface shining, covered with fine and long yellow setae. Mandibles long, almost straight and suddenly curved just before apex. Last segments of maxillary and labial palpi dark brown, slender, 4 times as long as broad, flattened; last joints of maxillary palpi broadly rounded distally, labial palpi narrowly rounded. Antennae dark brown, short, 1st and 3rd joints elongate, 2nd joint very small, globose, 4th–8th joints subequal, 1.3 times as long as broad, except the last three joints which are short, almost globular.

Pronotum: Testaceous, strongly transverse, trapezoidal, depressed posteriorly before angles. Anterior margin broadly rounded. Anterior angles broadly rounded. Posterior angles with an obsolete oblique ridge. Entire surface shining with small punctures, each with a long and very fine seta. Scutellum testaceous, somewhat elongate and triangular.

Elytra: Testaceous with a dark brown band, starting at posterior third and ending at apex, with 3 distinct costae, coarsely punctured; punctures, large and close together but superficially impressed and so not individually discernible. Pubescence dense; setae yellow, fine and long. Elytral margins distinctly bordered at sides and apex.

Underside: Completely testaceous.

Aedeagus: Lateral lobes narrow, angular posteriorly ending in a ridge and a sharp point dorsally. median lobe with a sharp ridge dorsally.

Female: Unknown.

Measurements: TL: 6.4–8.0 mm; TL-H: 5.3–6.6 mm; HL: 1.0– 1.3 mm; HW: 1.7–2.1 mm; LP: 1.6–2.1 mm.

Type material: Holotype 3 ( NHMB): “Dhad Khola, Kabre, 600 m, 31.V.1989 / Nepal, Bagmati, M. Brancucci” [white printed label]. “ Holotype Lamellipalpus longipalpis n.sp. Brancucci & Geiser 08” [red printed label]. 13 paratype ( NHMB): “Chivo Busty, 21.IV.1985, India, Darjeeling D., Narayan B. 13 paratype ( NHMB): “Umg. Kalimpong, Darjeeling Distr., India, Bhakta B., 11.IV.1979 ”. Both paratypes labelled as follows: “ Paratype Lamellipalpus longipalpis n.sp. Brancucci & Geiser 08” [red printed label].

Etymology: The name was selected for this species because of the remarkably long palpi.

Remarks: The 2 paratypes differ in some minute features from the holotype. The specimen from Umg. Kalimpong has the same head configuration and similar long palpi, whilst the specimen from Chivo Busty has shorter palpi and a larger head with more widely separated eyes. Furthermore, both specimens are of smaller size, 6.5 mm against 8.0 mm, but the colour of the elytra is almost identical to that of the holotype.

Affinities: This species can be distinguished from all other known species by the testaceous brown elytra with an oblique dark brown band, by the suparallel body, and by the larger head and extremely long maxillary and labial palpi.

Distribution: Nepal (Bagmati Zone) and India (Darjeeling District).

Figures

FIGURES 11 – 14. Habitus of: 11, Lamellipalpus flavomarginatus sp. nov.; 12, L. atripalpis sp. nov.; 13, L. longipalpis sp. nov.; 14, L. sinuaticollis sp. nov.