Nycterilampus lifuanus Montrouzier, 1860

Costa, Cleide, Rosa, Simone Policena & Chassain, Jacques, 2009, A taxonomic revision and revalidation of Nycterilampus Montrouzier (Coleoptera: Elateridae, Agrypninae), Zootaxa 2017, pp. 47-57 : 50-55

Nycterilampus lifuanus Montrouzier, 1860

( Figs. 4–6, 8–25 , 27–30 )

Nycterilampus lifuanus Montrouzier, 1860: 258 (type –locality: Lifu Island, New Caledonia); Candèze, 1863: 74; Fauvel, 1904: 132; Schenkling, 1927: 478; Van Zwaluwenburg, 1932: 23

Nycterolampus lifuanus Fleutiaux, 1891: 392 (misspelling); Schenkling, 1927: 478 (cat.)

Ochosternus gigas Candèze, 1881: 105 (type-locality: New Caledonia); Schenkling, 1927: 478 (cat.)

Nycterolampus gigas ; Fleutiaux, 1891: 393 (misspelling); Schenkling, 1927: 478 (cat.)

Redescription. Male. Length 25.0–32.0 mm. Integument black, except for: red-brown sublateral stripes on the pronotum; hypomera red-brown with lateral margin darker; legs and antennae brown. Head length 2.1 mm, prothorax length: 6.0 mm, prothorax width: 6.5 mm, elytral length: 16.5 mm, humeral width: 6.0 mm.

Head ( Fig. 6, 8 ) punctation fine, dense and umbilicate; gena well developed with a groove for reception of the scape. Index of eye prominence 0.4. Antenna 11-segmented ( Fig. 4 ), short, not exceeding the posterior angles of pronotum; serrate from antennomere IV, antennomeres II and III very short and subequal, antennomere IV 7.0 times longer than antennomere III. Labrum semi-elliptic, narrow (4.7 times wider than long). Mandibles each with a subcircular pit on external border. Frontoclypeal region raised, then declivous to base of labrum, 4.6 times wider than long.

Prothorax ( Figs. 8–9 ) 0.97 times as long as wide. Pronotal punctation medium and moderately dense on disc; fine, dense and umbilicate on sublateral, anterior and posterior margins; strong, dense and umbilicate close to lateral carina. Prosternum elongate, marginate around procoxae, prosternal sutures straight, apex shortly open, punctures strong and sparse on median line, dense on posterior and lateral margins. Prosternal process ( Fig. 9 ) horizontal, with subapical tooth and 4.6 times as long as the procoxal cavity width; prosternal process with fine and sparse punctation between procoxae, almost glabrous posteriorly. Anterior margin of hypomera obliquely truncate, entirely punctate except for the femur rest area, punctation fine, dense and umbilicate. Scutellum ( Figs. 10–11 ) pentagonal.

Elytra 2.8 times longer than pronotal length. Elytral striae weakly impressed; interestriae with punctation very fine, dense and rasp-like; apices acuminate and divergent with a small sutural spine. Epipleura tapering to metacoxal plate.

Mesoventrite ( Figs. 12–14 ) finely, densely punctate. Metaventrite ( Figs. 14–15 ): with punctation fine, dense, rasp-like, except for the median line with punctation larger and dense; discrimen extending along all metaventrite length. Metacoxal plate oblique (about 32o to the body transversal axis), its inner half about 2 times wider than outer half; posterior outer angle rounded. Metanotum ( Fig. 18 ) with a longitudinal apodema at the median posterior area.

Abdomen ( Fig. 23 ) with punctation fine, dense, rasp-like, except for the median line with punctation larger and dense. Ventrites I–IV with a pair of polished, shiny and subquadrangular lateral spots near the anterior angles; ventrite V with a very small one. First sternite membranous, more sclerotized at middle, forming a small sclerite produced and compressed laterally. Tergite VIII ( Fig. 22 ) evenly weakly sclerotized, semielliptical, almost straight at base, clothed with fine and short setae, longer on posterior and latero–distal borders; sternite VIII ( Fig. 21 ) partially membranous with posterior margin bilobate, each lobe slightly emarginate postero-laterally and bearing short setae; sternite IX and tergite IX ( Fig. 20 ) fused basally, sternite IX ( Fig. 19 ) elongate, marginate at base and pointed to apex, basal third with two elongated lateral areas and posterior margin more sclerotized, apex bearing short setae. Tergites IX and X ( Fig. 20 ) partially fused, tergite IX with anterior margin sinuous, sides rounded and posterior margin bilobate; tergite X ( Fig. 20 ) subtriangular, with anterior margin emarginate.

Aedeagus ( Figs. 24–25 ) with phallobase narrow, connected to parameres by a transparent membrane; parameres shorter than penis, with ventral surface almost 2 times longer than dorsal one, partially fused ventrally at base, articulated to penis dorsally, apices short and securiform, bearing setae of various size, longer on dorsal surface; ventral sclerite of penis elongate, very narrow, parallel–sided; dorsal sclerite tapering to apex, with basal struts 0.4 times total length of dorsal sclerite.

Female (total length 38.0 mm) dark brown, pronotum evenly colored, dorsal and shine spots less distinct. Antennomere IV 2.9 times longer than III ( Fig. 5 ). Tergite VIII ( Fig. 27 ) subtriangular, with base deeply emarginate and sides rounded up to the apex, more sclerotized at middle, clothed with short setae, longer at latero–posterior margins; sternite VIII ( Fig. 28 ) with spiculum 0.7 time total length of sternite, clothed with fine and short setae, longer at lateral and posterior margins. Ovipositor ( Figs. 29, 30 ) long and narrow with paraprocts and proctiger 1.5 times longer than coxites. Coxites without styli, partially membranous, apices irregularly sclerotized, sclerotizations predominantly around strong and elongate setae, baculi 3.7 times longer than coxites; vulva membranous, except for a narrow and longitudinal line. Vagina membranous, widened anteriorly, separate from the bursa copulatrix by a constriction; colleterial glands indistinct; bursa copulatrix with posterior region more sclerotized, spermathecae well sclerotized and spiraled.

Examined material. NEW CALEDONIA. Prov. Sud, Col d’ Amieu, 1 male, 30–01–1993, M. Boulard leg. ( MZSP); same locality, 1 ex., 08–02–1993 (coll. J. Chassain); Mont Koghi, 1 female 13–02–1990, M. Boulard col ( MZSP); Parc Riviere Bleue, 1 male, 19–02–1990, M. Boulard col (Coll. J. Chassain). Lifou, 1 male and 1 female ( IRSNB). VANUATU (“ New Hebrides ”). Fry Coll. 1905–100, Brazier, 1 female ( BMNH).

Discussion. Successive attempts to locate the Montrouzier type-material had been unfruitful. For this reason we work with specimens from New Caledonia of sufficient trustworthy identification.

Figures

FIGURES 2 – 9. Nycterilampus velutinus Fleutiaux, 1891. 2, 3, antennae (male, female); 7, head and pronotum (female). N. lifuanus Montrouzier, 1860. 4, 5, antennae (male, female); 6, head; 8, head and pronotum (dorsal); 9 prothorax (ventral).

FIGURES 10 – 18. Nycterilampus lifuanus Montrouzier, 1860 (male). 10, 11, mesoscutum and scutellum (dorsal, lateral); 12, 13, mesoventrite (ventral, lateral); 14, 15, pterothorax (ventral, ventro – lateral); 16, tarsal claw; 17, hind wing; 18, metanotum.

FIGURES 19 – 26. Nycterilampus lifuanus Montrouzier, 1860 (male). 19, sternite IX; 20, tergites IX – X; 21, sternite VIII; 22, tergite VIII; 23, abdomen (ventral); 24, 25, aedeagus (dorsal, ventral). N. velutinus Fleutiaux, 1891 (male). 26, aedeagus (ventral).

FIGURES 27 – 30. Nycterilampus lifuanus Montrouzier, 1860 (female). 27, tergite VIII; 28, sternite VIII; 29, ovipositor (ventral); 30, ovipositor and reproductive organs (dorsal).