Cybocephalus skelleyi, Smith, 2022

Smith, Trevor Randall, 2022, Review of the Cybocephalidae (Coleoptera) of North America and the West Indies with descriptions of two new species of Cybocephalus Erichson, Insecta Mundi 2022 (950), pp. 1-35 : 25-28

Cybocephalus skelleyi T. R. Smith, new species

( Fig. 135–143 )

Etymology. This species is named in honor of Dr. Paul Skelley, whose passion for taxonomy, systematics and natural history is second to none. He is the most inspiring scientist and entomologist I have ever met, and it has been my honor to work alongside him in the Florida State Collection of Arthropods for over 20 years.

Diagnosis. Body convex and ovate. Antennae with 11 antennomeres, with an asymmetrical, 3-antennomere club with serrated inner margin and a truncate terminal antennomere ( Fig. 135 ). Head large and wide. Elytron pointed at apex rather than truncate with a very small notch at the tip in both males and females. Hindwings present. Legs, both femora and tibiae not dilated ( Fig. 136 – 138 ). Metaventrite almost the same length in the middle as the lateral margins, only slightly longer at the lateral edge. Metaventrite only slightly longer than mesoventrite. Abdominal ventrite I longer than abdominal ventrites II-IV, combined with a truncate apical projection between the metacoxae. Tarsi with distinctly lobed tarsomeres ( Fig. 136 – 138 ).

Description. Length (excluding head) 1.10 mm, width 0.80 mm.

Male. Body small and ovate. Coloration: head light brown at base and becoming darker brown towards the clypeus. Pronotum, scutellar shield and elytra brown. Antennae light brown. Underside brown and clothed in thick setae, palpi and legs brown. Translucent yellowish border along the lateral lobe of the pronotum. Translucent yellowish border beginning just after the epipleural fold and expanding in width towards the apices of the elytron.

Head wide and produced (width = 0.58 mm; length = 0.43 mm), width 1.3× the length, deflexed; antennal fossae bordered and deeply emarginated, inwardly sloping for reception of scape. Surface alutaceous and impunctate in the posterior half, becoming minutely and sparsely punctate on frons and towards the apical portion of head, interspaces alutaceous. Margin of genae narrowly visible. Antennae with 11 antennomeres, asymmetrical, 3-antennomere club with serrated inner margin and a truncate terminal antennomere. Antennomere III longer than pedicel but shorter than antennomeres IV and V combined. Scape expanded medially and pedicel globular ( Fig. 135 ). Antennal length about 0.87× the width of the head. Clypeus long and produced, extending well beyond apex of eyes, with slightly convex apical margin. Labrum visible from above with apical margin bilobed. Eyes ovate, length 0.19 mm, visible ventrally, with distinct ommatidia. Mandibles heavily built and moderately produced. Maxillary palpi dilated with ultimate palpomere conical and gradually narrowing towards apex and about the same length as the preceding palpomere. Labial palpi dilated with ultimate palpomere cylindrical with a truncate apical margin and about twice the length of preceding palpomere.

Pronotum strongly convex, 1.75× as wide as long; lateral margins in dorsal view arcuate converging anteriorly. Lateral lobe deplanate, anterolateral and lateral margin distinctly bordered; both lateral angles rounded creating an almost rectangular lateral lobe that is slightly explanate; surface alutaceous and minutely punctured with short recumbent sparse setae; interspaces smooth. Scutellar shield large and triangular with slightly convex margins and alutaceous on the surface.

Elytra evenly convex in lateral aspect, combined width wider than long (1.17× as wide as long). Suture distinctly bordered from scutellar shield all the way to the base. Lateral portions strongly deplanate, almost vertical. Epipleural fold narrowly visible and without setae. Punctures of elytral disc larger than on pronotum, generally distinct and evenly distributed with overall surface alutaceous. Apical margins separately arcuate and pointed at apex with a sinuate margin. Hindwings present.

Prosternum strongly carinate in middle. Mesoventrite asetose, depressed and slightly shorter than metaventrite. Metaventrite longer than mesoventrite and 2.6× wider than long. Metaventrite slightly convex, uniformly punctate and setose; setae long and numerous on lateral half becoming smaller and less numerous in the center. Inter-metacoxal distance wide, 2× as wide as inter-mesocoxal distance. Inter-mesocoxal distance narrow with the apical process of metaventrite coming to a rounded point and separating the coxae. Abdominal ventrites covered with long, brownish setae; anterior process of abdominal ventrite I wide, truncate; femoral lines strongly expressed beyond anterior margin of abdominal ventrite I. Abdominal ventrite I longer than abdominal ventrites II-IV combined. Pygidium broadly rounded at apex and covered in setae.

Femora wider than tibiae but only slightly expanded. Tibiae with curved margin and expanding slightly towards apex. Tarsomeres lobed, claws simple. Terminal tarsomere longest and longer than tarsomeres II – III combined ( Fig. 136–138 ).

Median lobe: Sides parallel and curving into a rounded point, apical curve slightly convex (Fig. 139,142). In profile, slightly curved from middle ( Fig. 140, 143 ). Median plate on surface elevated. Basal plate: Sides parallel and curving into a sharp point with crenulate margins along the pointed apex and long setae along the curved apical margin ( Fig. 141 ).

Female. Similar to male but with abdominal ventrite V longer than in male with a more tapered shape to the lateral margins of the pygidium.

Distribution. Mexico (Baja California Sur).

Hosts. Diaspididae : Diaspis echinocacti (Bouch é)?

Type material examined. The holotype, deposited in the UCRC, is a disarticulated male specimen glued to a card with the following labels: Mex. Baja Cal. Sur, Las Barracas, 2-V-1986 (printed) [white rectangular label] / Coll. P. DeBach (printed) [white rectangular label] / Ex. cactus scale on Opuntia cholla (handwritten) [white rectangular label] / HOLOTYPE Cybocephalus skelleyi T. R. Smith Det: Trevor Smith (printed) [red rectangular label]. The allotype, deposited in the UCRC, is a female specimen glued to a card with the following labels: Mex. Baja Cal. Sur, Las Barracas, 2-V-1986 (printed) [white rectangular label] / Coll. P. DeBach (printed) [white rectangular label] / Ex. cactus scale on Opuntia cholla (handwritten) [white rectangular label] / ALLOTYPE Cybocephalus skelleyi T. R. Smith Det: Trevor Smith (printed) [blue rectangular label]. Paratypes: MEXICO: Mexico, Baja California Sur, Las Barracas; 2-V-1986; Coll. P. DeBach; Ex. cactus scale on Opuntia cholla (4♀, UCRC; 2♀, FSCA; 1♀, USNM).

Remarks. The aedeagus of the holotype, the only known male, was slightly damaged. Therefore, the author illustrated the median lobe as it actually appears and has been preserved ( Fig. 139-140 ) but also provided illustrations of the median lobe as it most likely looks undamaged ( Fig. 142-143 ). These hypothetical reconstructions are based on the author’s extensive experience with the anatomy and morphology of this beetle family.

This species was collected feeding on scale insects labeled as “cactus scale” infesting opuntia cholla . The common name opuntia cholla refers to a group of over 20 species in the genus Opuntia Mill .. Diaspis echinocacti (Bouch é) is commonly referred to as the cactus scale and is most likely what the collector was referring to. Diaspis echinocacti is a known host of C. californicus and C. championi , also occurring in Mexico.

Figures

Figures 135–143. Cybocephalus skelleyi T. R. Smith. 135) Antenna. 136) Proleg. 137) Mesoleg. 138) Metaleg. 139) Median lobe, as it appears in holotype. 140) Median lobe, lateral view, as it appears in the holotype. 141) Basal plate. 142) Median lobe, hypothetical reconstruction. 143) Median lobe, lateral view, hypothetical reconstruction.