Orateon praestans, Lackner & Ratto, 2014

Lackner, Tomáš & Ratto, Giovanni, 2014, Orateon praestans, a remarkable new genus and species from Yemen (Coleoptera: Histeridae: Saprininae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 54 (2), pp. 515-527 : 519-524

Orateon praestans sp. nov.

( Figs 1–23 )

Type locality. Yemen, Al Hudaydah governorate, Al Munirah, 15°20މ10ފN 42°50މ12ފE, 21 m a.s.l.

Type material examined. HOLOTYPE: J, side-mounted on a triangular point, genitalia dismembered, glued to the same triangular point as the specimen, with the following labels: “ YEMEN, Al Hudaydah gov. / AL MUNIRAH, / 21m, 31.x–1.xi.2005 / N 15°20’10’’ E 042°50’12’’ / David Král lgt.” (printed); followed by: “ex coll. D. Král / National Museum / Prague, Czech Republic” (printed); followed by: “ Orateon praestans n.sp / HOLOTYPUS / Det.T. Lackner & G. / Ratto, 2013” (red label, printed) ( NMPC) . PARATYPES: data identical to those of the holotype: 5 JJ 9 ♀♀, of which 1 J and 1 ♀ coated with gold ( NMPC), 1 J 3 ♀♀ ( TLAN), 1 ♀ ( CGR).

Description. Body ( Figs 1–2 ) moderately convex, PEL: 2.00– 2.95 mm; APW: 0.75–1.00 mm; PPW: 1.75–2.45 mm; EL: 1.00– 1.75 mm; EW: 1.75–2.50 mm, completely punctate dorsally, punctation much denser on pronotum where punctures are almost confluent than on elytra where the punctures are separated by several times their diameter, cuticle chestnut brown; legs, mouthparts and antennae dark brown; antennal club amber colored. Antennal scape ( Fig. 3 ) dilated and thickened, densely punctate, with several long amber setae; antennal club ( Fig. 4 ) ventrally glabrous, with mohawk-like sensory area on apex; sensory structures of antennal club ( Fig. 5 ) in form of a single stipe-shaped vesicle situated on internal distal part of antennal club attached to circular sensory area visible also from the external view; this sensory area is continued under apex of antennal club onto external proximal part of club; however, external proximal part of club without vesicle. Mandibles ( Fig. 3 ) punctate, with evenly rounded outer margin strongly curved inwardly; acutely pointed; sub-apical tooth on inner margin of both mandibles large, triangular; labrum ( Fig. 3 ) semi-circular, slightly convex with median depression, coarsely and densely punctate; labral pits with two labral setae arising from each; mentum ( Fig. 6 ) with deep median emargination adorned by several long ramose setae, laterally with shorter dense ramose setae, surface of mentum imbricate; cardo of maxilla ( Fig. 7 ) laterally with single long and several shorter ramose setae; stipes ( Fig. 7 ) triangular, with three long ramose setae; terminal maxillary palpomere ( Fig. 7 ) evenly narrowing apically, apex truncate; terminal labial palpomere ( Fig. 7 ) thickened, its width approximately half its length; penultimate labial palpomere with single long ramose seta. Clypeus and frons ( Fig. 3 ) flattened, wholly densely and coarsely punctate, punctures forming wrinkles; frontal and supraorbital striae vaguely present, frontal stria interrupted medially; anterior angles of head projected; eyes flattened, almost invisible from above. Pronotal sides ( Fig. 1 ) strongly narrowing anteriorly; anterior emargination for head deep; apical angles acute and conspicuous, marginal pronotal stria weakly developed, but complete, slightly weakened behind head; disc entirely covered with almost confluent punctation, punctures antero-laterally coarser than medially; pronotal depressions absent; scutellum very small; pronotal hypomeron ( Fig. 2 ) with dense long amber setae. Elytral epipleuron ( Fig. 10 ) with long amber setae; marginal epipleural stria thin, almost unrecognizable under the setae of elytral epipleuron; marginal elytral stria thin, complete, apically attaining complete apical elytral stria. Humeral elytral stria short, impressed only on basal ¿fth; outer (?) subhumeral stria present, originating at elytral base, reaching about half of elytral length apically, occasionally longer, almost complete; ¿rst dorsal elytral stria the longest, almost complete (sometimes shortened apically), carinate on outer margin; second dorsal elytral stria slightly shorter than the ¿rst, curved inwardly near base, also carinate on outer margin; striae 3–4 weakened on their basal halves, impressed as rows of punctures, on apical halves carinate on outer margins (in several studied specimens striae 2–4 longer, almost reaching elytral apex); a vague ¿fth dorsal elytral stria present as a row of punctures; on fourth elytral interval a vague short stria present in several specimens; striae 2–4 and sutural elytral stria basally all joined by basal elytral stria; sutural elytral stria thin, complete, on basal half distanced from elytral suture (in several studied female paratypes joined with fourth dorsal elytral stria). Elytral disc covered by scattered punctation, punctures separated by several times their diameters, becoming denser before the elytral apex.

Propygidium ( Fig. 8 ) almost completely exposed; with large confluent punctures; pygidium ( Fig. 8 ) convex, with shallower confluent punctation.

Anterior margin of median portion of prosternum ( Fig. 9 ) rounded; marginal prosternal stria intermittent; prosternal foveae absent; prosternal process compressed laterally; carinal prosternal striae divergent on prosternal apophysis, thence running very approximate along entire prosternal process; lateral prosternal striae ( Fig. 9 ) well impressed, on their basal half running parallel, thence abruptly curved towards apex, their apical ends curved inwardly.

Anterior margin of mesoventrite ( Fig. 9 ) medially straight; discal marginal mesoventral stria well impressed, thin, complete; disc of mesoventrite with sparse punctures separated by several times their diameters; meso-metaventral suture impressed as a row of sparse large punctures.

Intercoxal disc of metaventrite with shallow longitudinal median excavation in male, forming two vague tubercles near suture with ¿rst visible abdominal ventrite (in female this median excavation as well as tubercles absent), punctation of metaventrite even sparser than that of mesoventrite, punctures becoming larger and denser apically; lateral metaventral stria well impressed, apically curved outwardly, stopping short of metacoxa; lateral disc of metaventrite excavated, with long amber setae; metepisternum ( Fig. 10 ) with large dense punctures furnished with long amber setae, smooth apically.

Intercoxal disc of ¿rst abdominal ventrite ( Fig. 2 ) almost completely striate laterally, with scattered microscopic punctation.

Protibia ( Fig. 11 ) on outer margin with three triangular teeth topped by moderately large denticle (worn off and blunt in some specimens) followed by three low teeth topped by minuscule denticle diminishing in size in proximal direction; setae of outer row sparse and rather short; protarsal groove deep; protibial stria shortened apically; setae of median row longer and thicker than those of outer row; protibial spur large, thick and bent, growing out from near the protarsal base; apical margin of protibia ventrally with two short denticles; outer part of protibial surface covered with longitudinal rib-like wrinkles well separated from median part of ventral protibial surface by a carinate stria; median part of ventral protibial surface almost smooth, only with scattered microscopic punctation; posterior protibial stria complete, terminating in two short inner posterior denticles; setae of inner row along inner protibial margin on basal half short and ramose, on apical half almost twice as long and thick as on basal half, lamellate; tarsal claws of all tibiae as long or slightly longer than terminal tarsomere, slightly bent. Mesotibia ( Fig. 13 ) on outer margin with two dense rows of approximate denticles growing in size in apical direction; setae of outer (?) row dense and long; posterior mesotibial stria shifted near mesotibial margin, shortened apically; mesotibial spur long and thick, straight. Anterior mesotibial stria carinate on outer margin, shortened apically; anterior surface of protibia with scattered microscopic punctures; inner row of setae of mesotibia rather thin and short. Meso- and metatarsomeres thickened, telescopically falling into each-other, diminishing in thickness apically. Metatibia ( Fig. 14 ) more slender than mesotibia, however generally similar to it; denticles on outer margin of metatibia shorter than those of mesotibia, on posterior surface of metatibia two differently long rows of setae well discernible (indistinguishable on mesotibia, which appears to bear only a single row of setae); setae of inner row denser and longer than those of mesotibia.

Male genitalia. Eighth sternite ( Figs 15–16 ) divided longitudinally; vela present, laterally with several pores furnished by setae with more pseudo-pores mesally; eighth tergite and eighth sternite fused laterally ( Fig. 19 ). Ninth tergite ( Figs 20–21 ) longitudinally fused medially; spiculum gastrale ( Figs 22–23 ) gradually dilated from middle toward both ends. Aedeagus ( Figs 17–18 ) slender, slightly bisinuate; parameres fused along their basal 3/4; basal piece of aedeagus rather long, ratio of its length: length of parameres 1: 1.5; aedeagus curved ventrad, apex of aedeagus with pores and pseudo-pores ( Fig. 17 ).

Sexual dimorphism. Females are devoid of shallow longitudinal metaventral depression as well as two vague tubercles near the suture with ¿rst abdominal ventrite.

Etymology. The speci¿c epithet of the newly described taxon, Latin participle “ praestans ”, means “outstanding”.

Figures

Figs 1–4. Orateon praestans gen. & sp. nov. 1 – habitus, dorsal view; 2 – same, ventral view; 3 – head, frontal view; 4 – antennal club, ventral view.

Fig. 5. Orateon praestans, gen. & sp. nov., sensory structures of the antennal club.

Figs 6–10. Orateon praestans gen. & sp. nov. 6 – mentum, ventral view; 7 – head, ventral view; 8 – propygydium + pygidium; 9 – prosternum + mesoventrite; 10 – metepisternum + elytral epipleuron.

Figs 11–14. Orateon praestans gen. & sp. nov. 11 – protibia, dorsal view; 12 – same, ventral view; 13 – mesotibia, dorsal view; 14 – metatibia, dorsal view.

Figs 15–23. Orateon praestans gen. & sp. nov., male genitalia.15 – 8th sternite, ventral view; 16 – same, dorsal view; 17 – aedeagus, dorsal view; 18 – same, lateral view; 19 – 8th sternite and tergite, lateral view; 20 – 9th+10th tergites, dorsal view; 21 – same, lateral view; 22 – spiculum gastrale, ventral view; 23 – same, lateral view.