Anthelephila feminea, 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 : 2

Anthelephila feminea sp. nov.

( Fig. 33, 37 )

Type locality. India, Karnataka, Shimoga district, Jog Falls.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: ♀, ‘INDIA: Karnataka Jog Falls ( Shimoga District ) 26.9.1991 leg. R. SCHUH [p] // Formicomus topali Uhmann det. G. Uhmann 1993 [p+h]’ ( NMPC) . PARATYPE: INDIA: MAHARASHTRA: 1 ♀, ‘INDIA occ., Maharashtra st. 4 km S of Lonavala, Bhushi Dam env., 500 m, 12.-15.x.2005, J. Bezděk lgt. [p]’ ( ZKDC).

Description. Female (holotype). Body length 4.1 mm. Head and pronotum reddish brown; elytra largely brown- -black, with reddish-brown base, darker humeri and pale reddish transverse band; legs and antennae reddish-brown.

Head 1.2 times as long as wide, its base semioval, well-differentiated from short neck; tempora distinctly narrowing posteriad, temporal angles absent. Eyes medium sized and rather convex. Dorsal surface moderately glossy, rather evenly coarsely corrugate; punctures concealed by corrugations. Setation short, appressed to subdecumbent; scattered longer tactile setae. Antennae moderately enlarged in terminal third; antennomere X 1.2 times, XI 1.9 times as long as wide.

Pronotum 1.3 times as long as wide, distinctly narrower than head including eyes, evenly rounded anteriorly, strongly narrowed and impressed (constricted) postero- -laterally in dorsal view; pronotal disc convex, somewhat flattened posteriorly in lateral view. Dorsal surface largely, distinctly, longitudinally corrugated, with some slight, 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 punctation largely concealed by corrugation. Setation as on head.

Mesoventrite with slight indication of rounded, median longitudinal bulge (no median carina posteriorly); several long, coarse setae on basal part of intercoxal process.

Elytra elongate, 1.8 times as long as wide; humeri distinct; postscutellar impression slightly indicated. Surface glossy, distinctly punctate; punctation double, setiferous punctures rather widely spaced. Setation evenly developed, sparse, distinctly longer and more raised than on head, decumbent; scattered tactile setae.

Metathoracic wings fully developed.

Legs simple; penultimate tarsomere widened/flattened distally, with terminal tarsomere articulated dorsally near base in all tarsi.

Abdominal sternum VII simple; tergum VII simple, subtriangular, narrowly rounded apically.

Male. Unknown.

Differential diagnosis. Anthelephila feminea sp. nov. can be easily confused with A. maindroni or A. strigosa , but differs by the dark reddish brown, unicolorous, and somewhat shorter antennae, with antennomere X 1.2 times as long as wide (1.4 times in females of A. maindroni , cf. Figs 37, 38 ). It may also resemble the sympatric A. topali (Uhmann, 1983), but this species differs clearly by the apically narrowly produced and bluntly pointed apex of tergum VII in females, and by the contrastingly bicoloured antennae (largely pale reddish, terminal three antennomeres brownish). Finally, A. maharani Kejval, 2010 from Maharashtra displays similar colouration (transverse postbasal band of elytra), but differs by the wider head and pronotum, semicircular head base, and smaller, only moderately convex eyes.

Etymology. Latin adjective femineus (womanly, feminine); named in reference to the lack of male specimens.

Distribution. India (Maharashtra, Karnataka).

Remarks. The holotype of Anthelephila feminea was originally identified as Formicomus topali Uhmann, 1983 and recorded as such by UHMANN (1994).

Figures

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.