Hexacylloepus grandis, Polizei & Barclay & Bispo, 2020

Polizei, Thiago T. S., Barclay, Maxwell V. L. & Bispo, Pitágoras C., 2020, Hexacylloepus Hinton, 1940 rises again; 18 new species of a neglected genus (Coleoptera: Byrrhoidea: Elmidae), Zootaxa 4819 (1), pp. 6-48 : 18-20

Hexacylloepus grandis sp. nov.

( Fig. 6 A–B)

Type locality: Brazil, São Paulo State, São Luís do Paraitinga .

Diagnosis: Antenna with a few long and thin setae at apex of each antennomere. Frontoclypeal suture straight. Pronotum with a longitudinal impression, very narrow and shallow, reaching the anterior and posterior margins on disc. Hypomera with a complete belt of tomentum covering almost the entire anterior half portion. Epipleura with tomentum. Profemora with a row of setae on distal half and mesotibiae each with a row of spines on distal half portion. Abdomen with the disc of the first ventrite without tomentum; fifth ventrite with lateral margins slightly produced posterolaterad; the apex rounded and glabrous with a groove on disc.

Description: Male. Body elongated, subparallel. Black colour. Total length: 3.99 mm. Greatest width: 2.18 mm.

Head: surface with micropunctures separated from each other by their diameter. Antenna inserted between the anterior margin of the eyes and the frontoclypeal suture, filiform, with 11 antennomeres each one with a few long and thin setae at apex. Frontoclypeal suture straight. Clypeus 3x as wide as long; anterior margin straight, posterior sinuous and antero-lateral angles rounded; surface similar to that of head. Labrum twice as wide as long; anterolateral angles rounded and alutaceous surface with short and thin setae. Maxillary palpus 4-segmented; terminal palpomere truncated apically. Labial palpus 3-segmented. Mentum wide and flat, submentum rectangular. Gula squared. Genae covered with tomentum.

Thorax: Pronotum as long as wide, arcuate anteriorly; sides sinuate and serrate, posterior margin smooth with two prescutellar foveae ( Fig. 6A ). Surface with micropunctures separated from each other by their diameter and with setae. Sublateral carinae complete, sinuous and raised. Longitudinal impression very narrow and shallow, reaching the anterior and posterior margins ( Fig. 6A ).

Elytra twice as long as wide; anterior margin arcuate, lateral margin moderately arcuate and serrate; rounded apex ( Fig. 6A ). Humeri rounded and prominent. Surface with puncture rows and granulations. Elytral suture moderately elevated. Carina short and elevated on interval IV, extending from base to 1/4 of the elytral length; sublateral carinae on intervals VI and VIII, extending from base to 3/4 of the elytral length. Epipleura broad and with tomentum ( Fig. 6B ). Hind wings macropterous. Scutellum shield-like.

Prosternum squared, surface with micropunctures; anterior margin arcuate; and lateral margin covered with tomentum. Prosternal process narrow, and beyond the procoxae; lateral margin strongly elevated; rounded apex; disc deep. Notosternal suture sinuous. Hypomera wider posteriorly than anteriorly, lateral margin slightly serrate, surface with micropunctures, with a complete belt of tomentum covering almost the entire anterior half portion ( Fig. 6B ).

Mesoventrite with a moderate groove to receive the prosternal process. Mesepimeron and mesepisternum covered with tomentum. Metaventrite broad with a longitudinal medial depression; surface with micropunctures, sides covered with tomentum.

Legs (except tarsi) covered with punctures and tomentum ( Fig. 6B ). Coxae rounded; trochanter elongated; femora robust, 4x as long as wide, 1/3 of the length of the elytra; tibiae very long and thin, 10x as long as wide, 1/3 of the length of the elytra, and with a row of setae on distal half. Profemora each with a row of setae on distal half. Mesotibiae each with a row of spines on distal half. Tarsi elongate, with setae; apical tarsomere longer than the basal four combined. Claws long and thin.

Abdomen ( Fig. 6B ): five ventrites; as long as wide. Anterior and posterior margins straight on the first and second ventrites and arcuate on the subsequent ventrites; lateral margins rounded. Surface densely covered with tomentum (excepted for disc of first ventrite). Disc of the first ventrite with the anterior margin raised. Fifth ventrite with lateral margins slightly produced posterolaterad; apex rounded and glabrous and with a groove on disc.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 6C ): (Greatest width: 0.46 mm). [The male genitalia of this species is a little damaged. From the type series the only male specimen is the holotype, and in the dissection part of the penis has broken. For this reason, the penis is not completely described]. Phallobase very long, approximately 4x as long as wide, strongly narrowed towards the base. Parameres 3x as long as wide, with the apex moderately sharp, slight curved towards the penis; strongly covered by short spines on ventral and dorsal view. Penis strongly constricted in the “middle”, lateral margins slightly sinuous, strongly covered by short spines on dorsal view.

Female: External morphology similar to male.

Material examined: 6 specimens.

Distribution: Brazil: São Paulo State.

Male holotype: ♂ | Holo- / type | BRASIL. São Paulo. São Luís / do Paraitinga. Parque Estadual / Serra do Mar—Núcleo Santa / Virgínia. 14.IX.2006 Riacho Pau / de Bala. Márcia Spies leg. | MZSP 31180 (MZSP) .

Paratypes: 5 specimens: ♀ | Para- / type | BR-SP-Cunha / P.E.S.M núcleo Cunha / 25.VII.2012 / T.T.S.Polizei & / L.S.M.Costa leg. (2 MZSP; 2 NHMUK) (MZSP 35714-35715) . ♀ | Para- / type | BRASIL. São Paulo. Cunha / Parque Estadual Serra do Mar. / Nucleo Cunha. 25.VII.2012 / 1030m. Polizei, T. & Costa, L. leg. / 23°15’74,8”S 45°03’33,9’W | MZSP 31343 (MZSP) .

Etymology: grandis, in Latin meaning large, referring to the body size of the species, which is the largest known member of the genus.

Comparative notes: Hexacylloepus grandis sp. nov. can be confused with other large species that have the same coloration, such as H. froehlichi sp. nov. and H. tibialis sp. nov. Hexacylloepus grandis sp. nov. can be easily differentiated from H. froehlichi sp. nov. by the very wide epipleura completely covered with tomentum, while in H. froehlichi sp. nov. the epipleura has tomentum only on the internal margin. H. tibialis sp. nov. differs by having no carinae on the elytra.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Hexacylloepus grandis sp. nov.. Male. Holotype. (A–B) Habitus. (A) Dorsal view. (B) Ventral view. (C) Ventral view of male genitalia. Scale bars: (A–B) = 0.5mm. (C) = 0.1mm.