Ranomafana pollocki, Escalona, Hermes E. & Ślipiński, Adam, 2008

Escalona, Hermes E. & Ślipiński, Adam, 2008, A new species of Ranomafana from Madagascar (Coleoptera: Pyrochroidae: Pilipalpinae), Zootaxa 1895, pp. 59-65 : 61-65

Ranomafana pollocki sp. n.

(Figs. 3–20)

Holotype: %, Madagascar, Tamatave prov., Andasibe (Maromizaha), 21–24–xi–1995, Ivo Jenis leg. / Holotype, Ranomafana pollocki ( MHNG).

Paratypes: 15 (9 %%, 6 ΨΨ): same data as holotype, 2 %%, 1 Ψ (1 % disarticulated on slide), ANIC; 1 %, 1 Ψ, DAPC; 5 %%, 3 ΨΨ, MHNG; 1 %, 1 Ψ NMNH.

Etymology: Dedicated to Darren A. Pollock, renowned coleopterist and friend, for his substantial contributions to the systematics of Tenebrionoidea.

Diagnosis: Ranomafana pollocki (Fig. 3a) readily differs from the uniformly rufotestaceous R. steineri (Fig. 1) in having a bicoloured body, with antennomeres 5–11, most of head, scutellum and central part of pronotum black. Additionally, R. pollocki possesses a distinctly transverse pronotum with six lateral tubercles (Fig. 2 vs. Fig. 9 ) and male genitalia with subcylindrical tegminal accessory lobes (Figs. 19–20 vs. Fig. 21).

Description: Length 4.8–6.6 mm.

Colour (Figs. 3–4) rufotestaceous with pronotum along the middle, antennomeres 5–11, most of the head behind the anterior border of eyes (excluding the gular area), mesothorax (including scutellum but excluding part of the mesoventral disc), and metaventrite dark piceous to black. Body (Fig. 3a) slightly convex, elongate, 2.3–2.6 times as long as wide; dorsal surfaces covered with homogeneous, generally dense adpressed and few erect, yellowish setae.

Head ( Fig. 8 ) about 0.8 times as long as wide, moderately constricted behind the eyes; covered (Figs. 3b, 8) with coarse, subcontiguous, umbilicated punctures (see Pollock 1995), the punctures sparser ventrally, near posterior margin, and much less coarse in the gular area. Eyes entire, about 0.4 times as long as head, strongly protuberant, coarsely facetted with fine interfacetal setae. Frons broad, in some specimens slightly depressed at the centre behind the frontoclypeal suture, lateral ridges slightly elevated. Clypeus wider than long; frontoclypeal suture curved and very weakly indicated; apex bordered by a membrane. Gular sutures well developed (Fig. 4) and separated; gula longer than wide. Antennae (Figs. 3a, 4) extending at least to the base of the pronotum; antennomeres 1–5 filiform, subequal in length, 6–10 submoniliform; 11 conical. Labrum wider than long, broadly rounded, slightly convex; tormae converging posteriorly. Mandible ( Fig. 5 ) about 1.4 times as long as wide, apex bidentate; ventral surface fringed with an oblique row of fine microtrichia; mola 0.30 times as long as the mandible, with small, basal membranous lobe; prostheca hyaline, slightly shorter than the mola. Maxilla ( Fig. 6 ) with galea robust and longer than lacinia, densely setose in apical half; lacinia with fine dense setae, apex narrow and blunt; apical maxillary palpomere securiform. Labium ( Fig. 7 ) with mentum transverse, subtruncated apically, with sparse fine punctures; prementum broadly emarginated and covered with fine dense setae; apical palpomere cylindrical; hypopharynx mostly membranous.

Pronotum ( Fig. 9 ) about 0.70 times as long as wide, widest at anterior third; sides sinuate; base narrower than combined elytral bases; lateral sides ( Fig. 9 ), each with 6 setiferous tubercles, the two anterior considerably smaller; anterior angles obtuse; posterior angles tuberculate basally; anterior edge slightly and broadly emarginated; posterior edge slightly emarginated, with narrow or inconspicuous bead at centre; disc convex with multiple somewhat irregular depressions medially and laterally; surface with umbilicated punctures similar in size and separation to those on head. Prosternum (Fig. 4) in front of coxae 0.9 times longer than the transverse diameter of the coxal cavity, moderately convex; prosternal process acute; notosternal suture complete; procoxae conical, projecting well below prosternum, trochantin clearly visible on slide mounted specimens; coxal cavities transverse, broadly open internally and externally.

FIGURES 17–21. Figs. 17–20, Ranomafana pollocki sp. n., %: Fig. 17, ventrites 4-5, Fig. 18, spiculum gastrale; Fig. 19, aedeagus, tegmen; Fig. 20, aedeagus, accessory lobes. Fig. 21, R. steineri Pollock , holotype, aedeagus, apicale.

Elytra about 1.80–1.90 times as long as wide and about 3.50–3.70 times as long as pronotum; sides subparallel, narrowed at posterior fourth and broadly rounded at apex, covered with dense punctures (Fig. 3d); epipleuron gradually narrowed apically, extending to ventrite 5. Scutellum ( Fig. 10 ) not abruptly elevated, broad, rounded laterally, covered with punctures similar to those of pronotum. Secondary setae (see Pollock 1995) absent.

Mesoventrite subtriangular, separated by complete sutures from mesepisterna; mesepisterna narrowly separated anteriorly, disc with oblique carina, procoxal rest well developed; mesoventral process moderately long, extending well beyond middle of mesocoxal cavities, joined to mesoventral projection with single knob; mesocoxa projecting, narrowly separated; mesocoxal cavities open laterally, mesotrochantin exposed. Metaventrite about 0.60 times as long as wide, convex; discrimen 0.3 times as long as the metaventrite; exposed portion of metepisternum about 4.60 times as long as wide; metacoxae subcontiguous and transverse. Metendosternite ( Fig. 11 ) with long stalk and lateral arms; laminae well developed; anterior tendons widely separated on lateral arms. Metathoracic wings well developed, veins similar to those in R. steineri ( Pollock, 1995, Fig. 28).

Tibiae ( Figs. 12–14 ) covered with dense fine setae; protibia ( Fig. 12 ) slightly expanded at apex; mesotibia ( Fig. 13 ) cylindrical and uniform; metatibia ( Fig. 14 ) longer than the others and slightly expanded at apex. Tibial spurs paired, well developed. Tarsal formula 5–5–4; mesotarsomere 1 ( Fig. 15 ) subequal to 2+3, tarsomeres 2 and 3 similar in shape, 4 lobed below, 5 as long as 1+2. Claws ( Fig. 16 ) with long basal tooth.

Abdomen about 1.5 times as long as wide; intercoxal process narrowly acute; ventrites 1–4 subequal; ventrites pubescent and free; pygidium, broadly rounded apically, covered with fine setae, with binding patches in posterior part; sexual dimorphism present in ventrite 5 (Fig. 17).

Male genitalia: spiculum gastrale with separated branches (Fig. 18). Aedeagus (Figs. 19–20), as long as ventrites 4–5 combined; tegmen gradually narrowed to apex; basale glabrous; apicale 0.85 times as long as basale with few apical setae; accessory lobes apical (Fig. 20), subcylindrical, 0.5 times as long as apicale, with dense conspicuous setae from basal third; penis well sclerotised, as long as tegmen and accessory lobes, somewhat dorsoventrally compressed, broader at base, narrow from apical third, apex acute, dorsal apical third with two membranous areas, basal struts short.

Female genitalia: spiculum ventrale, as long as ventrites 1–5; ovipositor as long as ventrites 2–5; coxites pubescent, slightly sclerotised, each coxite divided into 3 parts; styli apical, well developed. Spermatheca 3- branched, bursa membranous.

Sexual dimorphism: apex of ventrite 5 slightly emarginated in male (Fig. 17) and rounded in female; this form of sexual dimorphism had not been previously recorded in Pilipalpinae ( Pollock 1995) .

Figures

FIGURES 9 – 11. Ranomafana pollocki sp. n.: Fig. 9, pronotum; Fig. 10, scutellum; Fig. 11, metendosternite.

FIGURES 5 – 8. Ranomafana pollocki sp. n.: Fig. 5, mandible; Fig. 6, maxilla; Fig. 7, labium; Fig. 8, head.

FIGURES 12 – 16. Ranomafana pollocki sp. n.: Fig. 12, anterior leg; Fig. 13, middle leg; Fig. 14, posterior leg; Fig. 15, middle leg, apex of tibia and tarsus; Fig. 16, mesotarsal claw.