Anthelephila semistrigosa, Kejval & Mz & Ch-, 2018

Kejval, Zbyněk, Mz, Leica & Ch-, Olympus, 2018, Review of the Anthelephila maindroni complex, and description of four new species from the Indian subcontinent (Coleoptera: Anthicidae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 58 (1), pp. 1-10 : 7-8

Anthelephila semistrigosa sp. nov.

( Figs 20–25 , 36 )

Type locality. India, Tamil Nadu, Vellore district, Kottur.

Type material. HOLOTYPE:, ‘ Kottur, 3700, Vellore dist, F.R.I. Sandal Insect Survey 24.VI.31 [p+h] // Plot 28 [p] // coll. Heberdey [p] // semistrigosus Hbdy det. Dr.R.F.Heberdey [p+h]’ ( NHMW) . PARATYPES: IN- DIA: TAMIL NADU: 1 ♀, ‘Kottur, 3700, Vellore dist, F.R.I. Sandal Insect Survey 14.IV.31 [p+h] // Plot 22 [p] // coll. Heberdey [p] // Formicomus maindroni Pic subsp. strigosus Hbdy N.C. Chatterjee det. [p+h] // semistrigosus Hbdy det.Dr.R.F.Heberdey [p+h]’ ( NHMW) ; 1, ‘Kottur, 3700, Vellore dist [p] // 1282 [p; number of slide] // F.R.I. Sandal Insect Survey. [p] // 14.IV.31 [p+h] // Plot 22 [p] // coll. Heberdey [p] // semistrigosus Hbdy det. Dr.R.F.Heberdey [p+h] // semistrigosus nov. [h; ochraceous label, black frame]’ ( NHMW) .

Description. Male (holotype). Body length 3.8 mm. Head and pronotum reddish; elytra largely reddish-brown, with somewhat paler base and vaguely outlined, transverse, yellowish posthumeral spots, narrowly separated medially on suture; legs and antennae reddish.

Head 1.2 times as long as wide, oval, its base somewhat produced but differentiated from short neck; tempora rather strongly narrowing posteriad, temporal angles absent. Eyes medium sized, rather convex and protruding. Dorsal surface glossy, distinctly punctate and somewhat uneven/ corrugated; punctures distinctly separated. Setation short, subdecumbent, with few decumbent setae. Antennae moderately enlarged in terminal third; antennomere X 1.4 times, XI about twice as long as wide, asymmetric.

Pronotum 1.5 times as long as wide, distinctly narrower than head including eyes, somewhat unevenly rounded anteriorly, narrowed and strongly impressed (constricted) postero-laterally in dorsal view; pronotal disc convex, somewhat flattened posteriorly in lateral view (slight indication of posterior bulge). Dorsal surface distinctly, longitudinally corrugated in median portion, with some transverse wrinkles before smooth and glossy antebasal area; antero-lateral convex sides rather glossy, minutely and sparsely punctate, impunctate near procoxal cavities; postero-lateral impression finely wrinkled and adjacent basal area rugose dorso-laterally; dorsal median punctation concealed by corrugation. Setation as on head.

Mesoventrite with flat median longitudinal bulge, welldelimited by carinate lateral margins, and merging into short, setose median carina posteriorly. Metaventrite with distinct paired submedian projections posteriorly.

Elytra elongate, 1.9 times as long as wide, somewhat tapering apically; humeri distinct; postscutellar impression moderate but distinct. Surface glossy, distinctly punctate; punctation double, setiferous punctures rather widely spaced. Setation evenly developed, sparse, distinctly longer and more raised than on head, decumbent, with scattered erect setae.

Metathoracic wings fully developed.

Fore legs modified ( Fig. 20 ); profemora with rather strong, apically subtruncate process; protibiae moderately widened and flatly impressed, with slight angulation of lateral margin in distal half; mesotibiae with slight denticle apically on inner side; penultimate tarsomere widened/ flattened distally, with terminal tarsomere articulated dorsally near base in all tarsi.

Abdominal sternum VII ( Fig. 21 ) moderately emarginate posteriorly, and with conspicuous median process of posterior margin. Tergum VII produced and rather deeply incised apically ( Fig. 22 ). Sternite VIII with simple paired prongs ( Fig. 23 ). Tergite VIII ( Fig. 24 ); paired sclerites narrowly connected medially, subtruncate, with distinct postero-lateral projections. Aedeagus ( Fig. 25 ); apical portion of tegmen 0.6 times as long as basal-piece, simple, somewhat unevenly rounded apically.

Female. In most external characters identical with male, differing by simple legs and sternum VII, tergum VII subtriangular, moderately produced and narrowly rounded apically.

Variation. Body length (♀) 3.8–4.0 mm; longitudinal corrugation of pronotal disc distinct to vaguely indicated medially.

Differential diagnosis. Externally Anthelephila semistrigosa sp. nov. can be easily confused with A. maindroni , showing only a somewhat more conical base of the head, asymmetric terminal antennomeres, and more produced elytral apices (lateral margins straight subapically). On the other hand, it differs clearly from the latter species in all male characters. For its separation from the generally very close A. nandi sp. nov. see the differential diagnosis under this species.

Etymology. The specific epithet is a Latin adjective composed from the prefix semi- (= half) and rugosus (= wrinkled).

Distribution. India (Tamil Nadu).

Remarks. The type specimens of Anthelephila semistrigosa bear an identification label ‘ Formicomus semistrigosus ’ by R. F. Heberdey, which is, in my opinion, a manuscript name that was never published for this species. They probably originate from additional material compiled by N. C. Chatterjee and later identified by R. F. Heberdey judging from the label data and his comments ( HEBERDEY 1934).

Figures

Figs 20–25. Anthelephila semistrigosa sp. nov., male, holotype: 20 – front leg; 21 – sternum VII; 22 – tergum VII; 23 – prong of sternite VIII; 24 – tergite VIII; 25 – apical portion of tegmen. Scale (0.5 mm): A – Fig. 12; B – Figs 20, 22; C – Figs 21. (0.2 mm): B – Figs 23, 25.

Figs 33–38. 33–36 – habitus: 33 – Anthelephila feminea sp. nov. (holotype); 34 – A. maindroni (Pic, 1903), Pondicherry (NHMW); 35 – A. sahyadrica sp. nov. (holotype); 36 – A. semistrigosa sp. nov. (holotype). 37–38 – antenna of females: 37 – A. feminea sp. nov. (holotype); 38 – A. maindroni, Hambantota (ZKDC). Scale (0.5 mm): Figs 37, 38.