Phaedis choui, Ruzzier & Ando, 2021

Ruzzier, Enrico & Ando, Kiyoshi, 2021, Seven new species of the genus Phaedis Pascoe, 1866 (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae Cnodalonini) from Borneo, Zootaxa 4999 (5), pp. 439-455 : 440-441

Phaedis choui sp. nov.

( Figs 1–6 , 20 )

Type specimen. Holotype: ♂, Mt. Trus Madi , Sabah, Borneo, Malaysia, 1200 m, 21-26.IV.1996. Wen-I Chou leg. ( EUMJ).

Description. Male. Body length: 8.0 mm. Oblong-oval, distinctly convex above, shiny. Colour dark reddish brown; head, pronotum brilliant metallic green; elytra iridescent, each elytron with a violet basal, a reddish purple apical fasciae, and with a bluish green transverse band between the fasciae; the basal fascia large and quadrate, contacting elytral margin, neither undulate nor bordered posteriorly, bearing a greenish spot at middle and bordered brassy posteriorly; the apical fascia triangular, violet purple and brassy, bordered metallic green anteriorly; mouthparts paler.

Head transversely trapezoidal, weakly convex posteriorly, finely microsculptured, with punctures minute, dense on epistoma and genae, sparse and slightly larger on frons; punctures not bearing setae; mCG slightly sinuate; epistoma weakly convex, weakly emarginate at apex in median two-thirds; frontoclypeal suture weakly impressed, rounded at posterior corners; eyes large and moderately convex, with inner ocular sulci deep, narrow, running posteriorly; frons weakly depressed, not elevated along eyes; IE/TD 2.00; tempora short, roundly convergent posteriorly, not produced. Antennae short, robust, not reaching middle of pronotum; distal five antennomeres distinctly dilated, forming a club; 11th oblong-oval. Ultimate maxillary palpomere right-angled, triangular, with both apical corners acute. Mentum linguiform ( Fig. 1 ), rounded at apex, broadly convex in middle, narrowly depressed at sides, with distinct lateral beads.

Pronotum transversely quadrate, widest after midpoint, finely microsculptured; PW/PL 1.56; disc weakly convex, gradually declivous laterally, slightly narrowly depressed along lateral margins, with punctures dense and very irregular in size, mingled with minute to very large, each not setiferous; anterior margin slightly emarginate, finely beaded though not beaded in median fifth; lateral margins evenly rounded, faintly sinuate before base, moderately beaded; posterior margins weakly bisinuate, thickly beaded; anterior corners obtusely angulate, not produced, posterior angles obtuse, faintly pointed laterad. Scutellum depressed, with microscopic punctures.

Elytra short, oval, strongly convex above, moderately divergent posteriorly, widest at apical third, not microsculptured, with long scutellary striole; EL/EW 1.49; striae weakly impressed or vestigial in part, 9th striae fully contacting lateral margins; strial punctures large, sparse, slightly denser on first stria, nearly as large as large pronotal punctures; intervals unevenly flat though slightly convex in outer intervals from 6th to 9th, finely and rather densely punctate; humeral callus weakly humped; epipleura weakly depressed, densely microsculptured, finely punctate along outer margins.

Venter with punctures piligerous. Prothoracic hypomera gradually convex, compactly microsculptured, with sparse, microscopic punctures. Prosternum short, rugulose, weakly beaded at apex; prosternal process cuneiform ( Fig. 2 ), strongly hooked behind coxae, deeply excavate in middle, acute at apex. Mesoventral ridge V-shaped, slightly sloping forwards, finely rugulose; anterior angles obtusely angulate in lateral view. Metaventrite distinctly convex at the middle, with fine and sparse punctures. Abdomen short, weakly convex, densely, finely punctate, longitudinally rugose in basal three ventrites; 5th ventrite presenting one rounded depression at the middle.

Aedeagus weakly incurved ( Fig. 6 ); basal piece 2.06 times as long as parameres, moderately convex; parameres strongly depressed dorsally, densely punctate, gently tapering towards apical two-sevenths, then subparallel-sided to rounded apices.

Legs rather short and robust ( Figs 3–5 ). Profemoral teeth large, flattened, directed anteriorly at apex. Protibiae gently incurved, with inner margin distinctly bent at basal third; mesotibiae slightly incurved, with inner margin densely hairy; metatibiae almost straight, with inner margin weakly excavate in basal two-thirds.

Female. Unknown.

Distribution. Borneo (Sabah).

Etymology. The specific epithet is cordially dedicated to Mr. Wen-I Chou, Taiwan, collector of the type specimen.

Differential diagnosis. The new species resembles Phaedis robustipennis Ando, 2018 from Borneo (Kalimantan) in having strongly hooked prosternal process, similar form of pronotum and of elytral fasciae, but is readily separable from the latter by the characters mentioned in the following key.

- Head and pronotum metallic brilliant green; each elytron with a violet-purple basal and reddish-purple apical fasciae, and with a bluish green transverse band between the fasciae; head with punctures neither oblong nor piligerous; epistoma weakly convex, weakly emarginate at apex in median two-thirds; frons weakly depressed, not elevated along eyes; ultimate maxillary palpomere right-angled triangular. Pronotum with punctures dense and very irregular in size mingled with minute to very large ones, each not setiferous; posterior corners obtusely angulate, faintly pointed laterad; prothoracic hypomera gently convex. Parameres constricted behind apices and subparallel-sided in apical two-sevenths. Protibiae with inner margin distinctly bent at basal third; mesotibiae slightly incurved, with inner margin densely hairy........................... P. choui sp. nov.

- Head and pronotum blue, although the colour shifts to violet purple depending on the viewing angle; each elytron with a yellow basal and a purplish yellow apical fasciae, and with a dark purple transverse band between the fasciae; head with punctures piligerous, oblong on frons; epistoma distinctly convex, rounded but shallowly sinuate at apex in median third; frons strongly depressed, weakly elevated along eyes; ultimate maxillary palpomere moderately securiform. Pronotum with punctures fine and dense, setiferous; posterior corners rectangular, not produced; prothoracic hypomera distinctly depressed. Parameres gently tapering towards apices. Protibiae with inner margin weakly emarginate between middle and basal ninth; mesotibiae simple, with inner margin sparsely covered with long pubescence in apical half.................... P. robustipennis Ando, 2018

Figures

FIGURES 1–6. Phaedis choui sp. nov.—1, mentum; 2, prosternal process; 3, protibia; 4, mesotibia; 5, metatibia; 6, aedeagus (right: in lateral view; left: in dorsal view). Scale bars: 0.3 mm for fig. 1; 0.5 mm for Figs 2–5.

FIGURES 17–23. Phaedis spp., habitus.—17, Phaedis nagaii sp. nov.; 18, Phaedis tenuifasciatus sp. nov.; 19, Phaedis fusivittatus sp. nov.; 20, Phaedis choui sp. nov.; 21, Phaedis amabilis sp. nov.; 22, Phaedis minusculus sp. nov.; 23, Phaedis dilatitarsalis sp. nov.