Chileanthicus improvidus, Kejval, 2009

Kejval, Zbyněk, 2009, Taxonomic revision of the genus Chileanthicus Werner (Coleoptera: Anthicidae) 2180, Zootaxa 2180 (1), pp. 1-82 : 49-50

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.2180.1.1
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5321608
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/3949251E-FF9D-7756-FF63-DDBBFD54FD63
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Chileanthicus improvidus
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Chileanthicus improvidus sp. nov.

( Figs 123–128 View FIGURES 123–134 , 234 View FIGURES 232–241 )

Type locality. Australia, Western Australia, Cape Range Nat. Park , 22°09'S 113°59'E GoogleMaps .

Description (male, holotype). Head largely brown black; pronotum dark rufous brown; elytra dark brown, with brown black base, and with two paler transverse bands, widened and interconnected along lateral margins ( Fig. 123 View FIGURES 123–134 ); the anterior band rufous brown, wider, uneven (extending dorso-laterally towards suture), and fused with rufous suture, the posterior one rather yellowish, narrower, rather straight and sharply outlined, interrupted medially (separated from narrowly rufous suture); legs, antennae and palpi rufous brown.

Head 1.3 times as long as wide, widely rounded to angulate posteriorly; tempora parallel, posterior temporal angles rather distinct. Eyes small, convex. Dorsal surface nearly matte, densely punctured; punctation distinctly double ( Fig. 123 View FIGURES 123–134 ), somewhat sparser medially, glossy median longitudinal line indicated. Setation very short and fine, nearly appressed, with a few, short, inconspicuous erect setae. Antennae moderately enlarged in terminal third; antennomere III 2.2 times as long s wide, about as long as IV, antennomere X 1.5 times, XI 2.1 times as long as wide.

Pronotum about as long as wide, 1.2 times as wide as head including eyes; widely rounded anteriorly in dorsal view. Pronotal disc moderately convex, its lateral margins forming obtuse edge, lateral outlines nearly straightly narrowing towards base in dorsal view. Dorsal surface nearly matte, very densely, rather evenly punctured; punctation similar to that on head, distinctly double, coarse punctures rather oval. Setation as on head.

Elytra 1.7 times as long as wide, conjointly rounded apically (nearly subtruncate in dorso-caudal view). Surface slightly glossy, densely punctured to somewhat uneven, finely corrugated ( Fig. 123 View FIGURES 123–134 ); basal half punctation double, coarse punctures smaller and much sparser than those on head. Setation more distinct than on head, moderately longer and bicoloured, subdecumbent setae mostly dark and rather evenly directed posteriad, silvery setae forming two transverse bands and distinctly obliquely directed, swirled ( Fig. 123 View FIGURES 123–134 ); silvery setose bands widened and interconnected laterally, the anterior band extending dorso-laterally towards base, the posterior one simple, denser and more conspicuous; erect setae very short and sparsely scattered, inconspicuous.

Metafemora unidentate ( Fig. 124 View FIGURES 123–134 ); subapical process narrowed and pointed apically, moderately obliquely projecting, facing inner side of tibia. Setation rather uniformly short and fine.

Abdominal sternum VII and tergum VII simple. Sternite VIII ( Fig. 125 View FIGURES 123–134 ); paired prongs dorso-ventrally flattened, scissors-like shaped in ventral view, their narrow basal portion abruptly dilated mediad, apical portion evenly narrowing towards blunt apex; setation of prongs short, fine and sparse, except for some short, more stiff setae, densely arranged on outer apical margin. Tergite VIII simple, with posterior margin moderately emarginate apically. Segment IX (spiculum) as in Fig. 126 View FIGURES 123–134 .

Aedeagus ( Figs 127, 128 View FIGURES 123–134 ); apical portion of tegmen moderately longer, 1.2 times as long as basal-piece, strongly bent in lateral view, narrowed and pointed apically, with a pair of distinct, membranous lobes and a small, paired, lateral dilatation subapically. Median lobe of aedeagus with simple, membranous apex.

Female. Externally identical to male.

Body length (♂ ♀). 3.1–4.7 mm (holotype 3.6 mm).

Variation. Rather variable in colouration; pronotum may be rufous brown, or more or less darkened to largely brown black. Elytra dark brown in two small paratypes, with suture narrowly yellowish rufous, both transverse bands conspicuous, rather sharply outlined, narrowly separated from suture ( Fig. 234 View FIGURES 232–241 ). In two other paratypes the paler marking of the elytra are less developed, the posterior band is narrow and nearly indistinct, and is only set off by silvery setation. The specimen from Mullewa is conspicuously large (4.7 mm), with the head and pronotum brown black, the elytra somewhat less densely punctured and thus more glossy, brightly coloured, with a conspicuous posterior yellowish band. In some specimens the tempora are slightly narrowing posteriad, and the pronotum is narrower, nearly as wide as the head. However, the male characters are rather stable within the examined specimens (two paratypes dissected, including the one from Mullewa).

Type material. Holotype: ♂, 22.08S 114.05E WA N-W Cape Penin. Site TL-10 21May-5 June 1990 J.M.Waldock CR’90 #18 pitfall traps ( ANIC) GoogleMaps ; Paratypes: 1 ♀, same data as holotype ( ANIC) GoogleMaps ; 1 ♀, same data, except: #39 ( ANIC) GoogleMaps ; 1 ♂, WA N-W Cape Penin. 4m outs. Cave C 118 E.C.Pryor CR’89 #3088 pitfall traps ( ANIC) ; 1 ♂, 22.09S 113.59E WA Cape Range NP B. Vine 16Aug. 1989 #258 cave 0 pitfall traps ( ANIC) GoogleMaps ; 1 ♂, Mullewa W. A. 1931 // Australia, Harvard Exp. , Darlington ( ANIC) .

Differential diagnosis. C. improvidus sp. nov. differs from most species by the combination of the unidentate metafemora, generally rather short body setation (erect setae inconspicuous), and the elytra with double punctation in the basal half/third, and with paler markings and setose bands. It shares these external characters with C. latibasis , C. melasomus , and C. insignis sp. nov. (characters of the body punctation are variable in the latter two species). It differs from these species by the denser punctation of the elytra (surface usually nearly matt), form of elytral markings (the anterior band extending towards base), and by the male characters.

Etymology. From Latin improvidus (incautious, rash); named in reference to collecting circumstances, since nearly all specimens were trapped.

Distribution. Australia (Western Australia).