Ptilophorus purcharti, Batelka, 2012

Batelka, Jan, 2012, Ptilophorus purcharti sp. nov., the first ripiphorid from Socotra Island, with an account of the biogeography of the Ptilophorini (Coleoptera: Ripiphoridae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 52, pp. 269-285 : 272-275

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.5354455
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03984129-1B4C-FFA0-C3FA-8C75FBB6FB90
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Ptilophorus purcharti
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Ptilophorus purcharti sp. nov.

( Figs. 1 – 5 View Figs , 13 View Figs )

Type locality. Yemen, Socotra Island, Hagghier Mts., Skant [= Skand, Skent] Mt. env., 1450 m a.s.l., 12°34′33″N, 54°01′31″E.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: J, ‘YEMEN, SOCOTRA Island / Skant area, 1300-1500 m / N 12°34’33’’, E 54°01’31’’ / 31.i.-1.ii.2010, L. Purchart lgt. [printed label]’. PARATYPES: YEMEN, SOCOTRA ISLAND: same data as the holotype, 1 J; ‘YEMEN, Socotra Isl. / Hagher [sic!] Mts, Skant, / N 12°34,557’, E 54°01,514’ / 7.-8.vi.2010, / V. Hula & J. Niedobová leg. // collected on / Cephalocroton / socotranus [printed labels]’, 1 J; ‘ SOCOTRA Is. (YE) / Al Haghier Mts. / wadi Madar, 1180-1230 m / 12°33.2’N, 54°00.4’E, / Jan Batelka leg. 12.xi.2010 [printed label]’, 1 J; ‘ SOCOTRA Is. (YE) / Al Haghier Mts. / wadi Madar, 1180-1230 m / 12°33.2’N, 54°00.4’E, / Luboš Purchart leg. 13.xi.2010 [printed label]’, 1 J (all JBCP); ‘ SOCOTRA : / Kishin. / 700 m. / 18.iv.1967 / K. Guichard. [printed] / B.M. 1967 – 455 [handwritten]’, 1 J ( BMNH). Specimens of the newly described species are provided with one red printed label: ‘ Ptilophorus purcharti sp. nov. / HOLOTYPE [or PARATYPE] / Jan Batelka det. 2012’.

Diagnosis (male). Antennae distinctly uniflabellate, scapus long, widening apically, covered by long semi-erect setae, pedicel lenticular, covered by short sparse setae, antennomeres 3–10 compressed, bearing each one long ramus, antennomere 11 prolonged and fused basally with antennomere 10, equal in length and shape to ramus of antennomere 10. Antennal rami long, distinctly curved outward in their posterior third, covered with long erect setae. Pronotum without lateral carina. Elytra long, 2.25 × longer than wide at the base, without epipleuron, setae on elytra arranged outward and backward along suture, not combed into separate rows. Pretarsal claws each with 6–9 teeth depending on the size of specimen. Body length 5.5–9.0 mm.

Ptilophorus purcharti sp. nov. differs from all other members of the genus by the antennal rami curved outward in their posterior third and by the highest length ratio between antennal rami and the antennal club among all Ptilophorini . From all African species it differs by its antennal rami covered by long erect setae (probable synapomorphy with all Asiatic species). At least from Afrotropical P. atricornis (Pic, 1923) , P. rufomarginatus ( Pic, 1945) (types examined in Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, coll. M. Pic, Paris), P. capensis Gerstaecker, 1855 and P. pygmaeus Schilder, 1923 the newly described species differs by the absence of elytral epipleura (a fifth Afrotropical species P. herero Schilder, 1923 from Namibia was not examined). In the density, protrusion and length of setae on the antennal rami it is similar to Ptilophorus species from Central Asia, from which it further differs by shape and ratio between length and width of the pronotal disc (cf. IABLOKOFF- KHNZORIAN 1975).

Description (male holotype). Body brown, covered by long semi-erect golden pubescence, all appendages dark brown.

Head. Eyes finely faceted, deeply incised by projections of the convex densely pilose genae, dorsal and ventral eye-lobes completely disconnected. Frons broad, with medial brush of short erect setae between antennae insertion. Tempora large, with long dense golden setae. Vertex upraised. Labrum transverse, with slightly incised anterior margin, slightly concealed beneath clypeus. Mandibles prolonged, triangular in section, with several semi-erect setae along posterior half of its outer margin and with convex ridge along outer margin; incisor edge with distinct tooth. Maxillae with very long and large lacinia bearing brush of long dense cilia and without galea. Maxillary palps with apical palpomere narrowly obovate. Labium bears long labial palps.

Antennae with 11 antennomeres, inserted near margins of eyes in deep sockets, antennal club (i.e. antennomeres 3–10 combined) is strongly arched ventrally, antennal rami about 5.25 × longer than length of antennal club, covered with long erect setae, in average 2–3 main setae in the line segment of 100 μm, almost all setae semi-erect in about 40°–80° angle, protrusion of setae on inner side of antennal rami reach about 1.5 of the thickness of ramus.

Prothorax. Pronotum more or less bell-shaped, lateral pronotal carinae absent, pronotal disc 1.2 × wider than long, with doubly notched posterior margin. Setae on pronotal disc combed mainly toward posterior margin, without clusters or partings. Prosternal process narrow and acute.

Mesothorax. Mesoscutellar shield posteriorly truncate.

Elytra rugose, concealing entire abdomen, conjointly rounded apically, densely pilose, with golden setae directed obliquely outward and backward along suture, 2.25× longer than wide at base and 1.15× wider than posterior margin of pronotum, with protruding humeral tubercles, elytral epipleura absent.

Legs long, metatibial apex spread outwards, tibial spurs formula 2–2–2, spurs spatulate, outer posterior spur widely rounded apically, tarsi 5–5–4, length ratios as follows: protarsi 3.0–1.2–1.2–1.0–3.2 / mesotarsi 3.3–1.3–1.2–1.0–2.8 / metatarsi 2.7–1.4–1.0–2.2, pretarsal claws dentate, each claw with one long seta basally.

Abdomen narrow, with five ventrites (i.e. sternites 3–7). Tergite 8 weakly sclerotised, consisting of two longitudinal plates connected medially by membraneous cuticle, each plate with some 20 long erect setae apically. Sternite 8 wider than longer, simple, slightly trapeziform, with short golden pubescence.Abdominal segment 9 reduced, spiculum gastrale long, straight and simple.

Aedeagus narrow and tubular, parameres bare, fused along middle, drawn into long processes at both ends, slightly curved inward apically. Medial lobe wider than parameres, extended just before sharp apex.

Female. Unknown, sexual dimorphism is expected.

Etymology. The newly described species is dedicated to Luboš Purchart (Mendel University, Brno), specialist in beetles of the family Tenebrionidae and leader of our Socotra expedition.

Habitat. All specimens were collected in Al Hagghier mountain range on three different sites. The localities of Scant Mt. at 1,450 m a.s.l. and Wadi Madar at 1,180 – 1,230 m a.s.l. are covered by Afromontane forest. The locality of Scant (see BATELKA 2012: Fig. 14 View Figs ) belongs to Leucado hagghierensi-Pittosporetum viridiflorum association, and that of Wadi Madar (see BATELKA 2012: Fig. 15 View Figs ) to Trichodesmo scotii-Cephalocrotonetum socotrani association ( KÜRSCHNER et al. 2006). According to HABROVA et al. (2007) the site at 1,450 m is the coldest place in Socotra (lowest recorded temperature is 8.2°C in 30 th January 2005). Although the timing of the monsoons and their influence on different habitats of Socotra has been recently evaluated ( SCHOLTE & DE GEEST 2010), I am not able to provide conclusions about the seasonality of Ptilophorus purcharti sp. nov. based on limited available data and owing to climatic anomalies caused by the 2010 El Niño event worldwide.

Collecting circumstances. Males collected by L. Purchart were swept from the vegetation, V. Hula and J. Niedobová collected their male on Cephalocroton (= Cephalocrotonopsis ) socotranus Balf. f., and the specimen collected by myself was captured by hand in the late afternoon, sitting on inflorescence of an unidentified Lamiaceae about 0.5 m above the ground.