Exochomoscirtes klausnitzeri, Ruta & Yoshitomi, 2010

Ruta, Rafał & Yoshitomi, Hiroyuki, 2010, Revision of the genus Exochomoscirtes Pic (Coleoptera: Scirtidae: Scirtinae) 2598, Zootaxa 2598 (1), pp. 1-80 : 39-41

Exochomoscirtes klausnitzeri sp. nov.

( Figs. 5D , 7, 8 , 12E–G , 30 , 31 )

Type material. Holotype, male ( NMPC): “S Thailand, 28.4.1992 / BETONG / J.Horák lgt.” [printed label].

Paratypes. Male ( MNHN): “MUSEUM PARIS / Sumatra / Palembang / H. DONCKIER 1901” [printedlabel]; “Palembang / Sumatra” [printed label]. Female ( NMW): “S-THAIL., Betong 1993 / Gunung Cang dun vill / Yala distr., 25.3.-22.4. / leg. Horak & Strnad” [printed label]. Male ( HNHM): “ THAILAND, pr. Trang. / Kao Chong / Botanical Garden.” [printed label]; “at light at staff center, / 21.XI.2003, No. 13, / A. Orosz & Gy. Sziráki ” [printed label]. Female ( MNHG): “Thailand, 12.2.1991 / Huay Yang Nat. Park / Huay Yang Waterfall / Thap Sake Dist. 50m / P. Schwendinger ”. Female ( HNHM): “ LAOS, Bolikhamsay Prov. / Phou Khao Kouay NBCA / Tad Leuk Waterfall, 280m. ” [printed label]; “at light, No.46, / 11–12.IV.1998, / leg. O. Merkl & G. Csorba ” [printed label]. Female ( NMW): “SARAWAK (Borneo), / cz 40 km SE KAPIT / 03.1994, J. Kodada leg.” [printed label]. Female ( NMW): “ MALAYSIA: Sarawak / 25 km E Kapit / III. 1994 / leg. Kodada ” [printed label]. 2 males ( EUM): “Kebun Raya, / Bogor, Indonesia / C. H. S. Watts / April 2000 ” [printed label], one male genitalia on slide no. HY 896. Male ( NMW): “NE-INDIA: Meghalaya / W Garo Hills / Balphakram NP” [printed label]; “25°11’N, 90°51’E / 300–500 m / 22.– 27.5.1996 / leg. Jendek & Sausa” [printed label] .

Additional specimens studied. 1 male ( NMW): “NE-INDIA: Meghalaya / W Garo Hills / Balphakram NP” [printed label]; “25°11’N, 90°51’E / 300–500 m / 22.– 27.5.1996 / leg. Jendek & Sausa” [printed label] .

Larval specimens studied. 22 exx. (see remarks below), Kebun Raya, Bogor, Ind. C. H. Watts April 2000; 1 larva mounted on slide no. HY 1125.

Diagnosis. The species is readily distinguishable thanks to the peculiar dorsal pattern ( Fig. 12E–G ) and unmodified metatibial spurs. Genitalia are similar to that of E. retusus (Champion) and E. ruforotundus (Watts) , differing in the regularly rounded parameroids of the penis.

Description. Holotype, male. Body oval, TL/EW 1.2, somewhat flattened, covered with suberect dark brown and yellow (on orange portions of elytra) hairs. Head brown; pronotum darker than head, dark brown; scutellum brown, elytra dark brown with five orange oval areas. Orange elytral maculation consists of a circular area in basal portion, extending to the basal margin of elytra, reaching neither suture, nor lateral margin, and large oval apical spot, half of which is situated on each elytron. Antennae and mouthparts brownish, legs brown.

Head with distinct punctation, punctures separated by ca. 1.0 diameter. Eyes big, protuberant; head 1.9 X wider than interocular space. Antennae filiform, reaching basal 1/3 of elytra. Antennomeres 2 and 3 of subequal lengths, antennomeres 4–11 a bit shorter than antennomeres 2 and 3 combined, slightly dilated, subtriangular. Palpomeres of maxillary palpi moderately wide.

Pronotum slightly convex, covered with distinct punctation, punctures separated by 1.0–2.0 diameters, anterolateral corners somewhat obtuse, projecting anteriorly; lateral margins straight; posterolateral corners acute; base of pronotum subtrapezoidal, with complete margination along basal margin; PW/PL 3.0. Scutellum relatively big, punctured as on pronotum, equilaterally triangular. Angle between pronotum and elytra not marked in dorsal outline.

Elytra oval, more strongly converging in posterior half, than in anterior portion, with slightly explanate lateral margins, widest slightly before the middle, punctation stronger and denser than on pronotum, punctures separated by ca. 1.0 diameter; humeri well marked; EL/EW 1.1; EL/PL 4.5; EW/PW 1.4.

Legs moderately long. Hind tibial spurs well developed, dorsal one elongated, as long as tarsomere 1 and about 2 X longer than ventral one, almost straight; ventral one is slightly curved.

Ventrites 1 and 2 with sparse setation in mesal portions, ventrite 2 with basal row of a few big punctures. Apex of tergite 7 with a very narrow rectangular outgrowth. Apex of ventrite 5 very shallowly emarginated.

Sternite 9 (L 0.55, W 0.22) oblong oval, moderately sclerotized, bearing few apical setae, deeply emarginated at apex. Tergite 8 (L 0.75, W 0.40) large, moderately sclerotized, apical portion subtrapezoidal, bearing row of relatively long setae on apical margin, apodemes moderately long, slightly diverging basally; tergite 9 (L 0.45, W 0.24) moderately sclerotized, apical portion of moderate size, with a row of short setae at apex, with a pair of short subparallel apodemes. Tegmen (L 0.45, W 0.20) well sclerotized, parameres straight, slightly widened at apices, each paramere in the middle with a small denticle pointing inwards, mesal process moderately wide, longer than half length of parameres. Penis (L 0.35, W 0.13) of moderate size, moderately sclerotized, pala narrow, elongate, paired parameroids much shorter than pala.

Female. Punctation of pronotum and scutellum stronger, punctures separated by 1.0 diameter. Elytra with indistinct longitudinal ridges. Elytral apices subtly triangularly explanate. Palpomeres of maxillary palpi wide. Ventrite 5 shallowly emarginated at apex, with a pair of small foveae, ventrite 2 with dense setae in mesal portion, tergite 7 unmodified. Prehensor very long (L 1.1) and narrow, connected with bursal sclerite by a long accordion-shaped duct, bursal sclerite small, elongated (L 0.27).

Variability. Males: TL/EW 1.3–1.4 (1.3); females: TL/EW 1.3–1.4 (1.3). Orange macula in basal portion of elytra variable: in some specimens (Sumatra, Sarawak) interrupted in mesal portion; black portion of humeri can be narrowed, triangular ( Sarawak, Thailand) or wide and subrectangular ( Thailand, Laos, Laos, India). No correlation was found between dorsal pattern and sex of specimens.

Measurements. Males (n = 4): TL 3.35–4.05 (3.74), PL 0.60–0.75 (0.69), PW 1.73–2.25 (2.01), EL 2.80– 3.55 (3.28), EW 2.39–3.18 (2.80). Females (n = 5): TL 3.80–4.28 (3.93), PL 0.62–0.85 (0.70), PW 1.83–2.15 (1.99), EL 3.20–3.65 (3.45), EW 2.80–3.18 (2.93).

Larva. See the redescription of the genus.

Distribution. Sumatra, Borneo: Sarawak, Thailand: northern part of Malayan Peninsula, Laos: Xaisomboun, India: Meghalaya (see remarks below). Widely distributed in SE Asia.

Biology. The larvae were collected from bamboo phytotelmata in Bogor (Watts pers. com.) together with larvae of E. discoidalis (Pic) .

Etymology. Dedicated to Prof. Bernhard Klausnitzer (Dresden, Germany), an outstanding specialist in Scirtidae .

Remarks. A male specimen from NE India (not included in the type series) with modified (elongated: L 1.50, W 0.68, Fig. 30C ) tergite 8 is known (deposited in NMW). It was collected together with a specimen with typical tergite 8, therefore it is possible that elongation of tergite 8 may be due to intraspecific variability. A relatively small (TL 3.50) specimen ( Fig. 12H ) from NW Thailand (Chiang Mai) with uniformly brown dorsum and genitalia indistinguishable from that of E. klausnitzeri was found in the collection of NMW. The identity of this specimen is uncertain. It is plausible that E. klausnitzeri is in fact a complex of cryptic species, which may explain its unusually broad geographical range. More specimens will need to be studied to verify this hypothesis. Ch. Watts reared larvae of Exochomoscirtes , which produced imagines of E. klausnitzeri and E. discoidalis . Specimens used in the larval description were identified (by HY) by the comparison with exuvia properly identified by association with the adult.

Figures

FIGURE 5. Abdominal details in Exochomoscirtes. A) E. dilaticornis sp. nov., ventrite 5; B) E. discoidalis (Pic), ventrite 5; C) E. jaechi sp. nov., tergite 7; D) E. klausnitzeri sp. nov., tergite 7; E) E. luteosuturalis sp. nov., tergite 7; F) E. luteosuturaloides sp. nov., tergite 7; G) E. maculatus (Waterhouse), abdomen; H) E. maculatus (Waterhouse), ventrites 3–5; I) E. nigromarginatus sp. nov., ventrite 5; J) E. quadripartitus sp. nov., tergite 7.; K) E. ruforotundus (Watts) (Australia), tergite 7; L) E. takizawai sp. nov., ventrite 5.

FIGURE 8. Exochomoscirtes klausnitzeri sp. nov., details of larval morphology. A) habitus; B) maxillary palpus, dorsal view; C) maxillary palpus, lateral view; D) mandible; E) hypopharynx; F) labrum; G) epipharynx; H) foreleg; I) tergite 8; J) tergite 9; K) sternite 8; L) sternite 9. Scale bars = 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 12. Habitus illustrations of Exochomoscirtes. A) E. maculatus (Waterhouse); B)–C) E. ceylonicus sp. nov.; D) E. decemguttatus (Champion); E)–G) E. klausnitzeri sp. nov., color forms F – S Thailand, male, E and G – Sarawak, females; H) E. cf. klausnitzeri (NW Thailand); I) E. luteosuturalis sp. nov.; J) E. cf. luteosuturalis sp. nov., female, Sulawesi; K) E. cf. luteosuturalis, female, Vietnam; L) E. luteosuturaloides sp. nov.; M) E. jaechi sp. nov.; N) E. ruforotundus (Watts); O) E. ruforotundus (Watts), Bali. Scale bar = 2.0 mm.

FIGURE 30. Exochomoscirtes klausnitzeri sp. nov., male. A) sternite 9; B) tergite 8; C) tergite 8, specimen from NE India; D) tergite 9; E) tegmen; F) penis. Scale bar = 0.5 mm (A–B, D–F), 1.0 mm (C).

FIGURE 31. Exochomoscirtes klausnitzeri sp. nov., female. A) bursal sclerite; B) prehensor and bursal sclerite.