Arabotroglops longantennatus, Tshernyshev, 2022

Tshernyshev, Sergei E., 2022, Soft-winged flower beetles (Coleoptera: Malachiidae) of the United Arab Emirates, European Journal of Taxonomy 817, pp. 58-77 : 72-74

Arabotroglops longantennatus gen. et sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:C82EB1BB-BAA2-456A-A4AA-8DE7F5CD63E9

Figs 25–34

Material examined

Holotype UNITED ARAB EMIRATES • ♂; Sharjah Desert Park ; 25.17° N, 55.42° E; 17–24 Mar. 2007; A. van Harten leg. (9043 UAE); light trap; SCH_ISEA_000164 .

Etymology

The specific epithet reflects its typical character, the elongate antennae.

Description

Holotype, male ( Figs 25–26 )

BODY. Subparallel, twice compressed at the base of pronotum, and below the base at near the middle of elytra, slightly expanded posteriorly.

COLOURATION. Body brown, antennae, legs, commissure of abdominal ventrites, underside of head yellow, spots on elytra pale-yellow. Vesicles pale, thoracic mesepimera light-brown.

HEAD ( Fig. 27 ). Small, wider than pronotum, interocular area slightly impressed in the middle with U-shaped carina between antennae; eyes simple, not large, slightly protruding; frons flat; genae short and straight; clypeus narrow and short, transverse, straight, impressed in middle; labrum short and transverse; palpi thin, conic, simple. Surface of head shiny, with smoothed punctures, sparsely covered with light adpressed pubescence.

ANTENNAE. Filiform ( Fig. 28 ), 1.5 mm in length, extending over apices of elytra, 1 st segment sub-conic, 2 nd oval, 3 rd triangular, 4 th cylindrical, 5 th –10 th elongate, narrow with stretched outer edge at the apical fourth, apical antennomere longest, oval, 1.2 × as long as 10 th, 6 th –10 th antennomeres of same length, 5 th 1.2 × as long as 4 th, 4 th 1.1 × as long as 3 rd, 1 st, and 2 nd and 3 rd almost of equal length; surface covered with fine short, pale erect pubescence, clearly visible on outer edges of antennomeres.

PRONOTUM ( Figs 26–27 ). Longitudinal, trapezoid, strongly sinuate at base, with evenly rounded angles, straight anteriorly and posteriorly; sides narrowly marginate; disc swollen anteriorly and strongly depressed at base, with posterior margin, elevate and narrow; surface with smoothed punctures, shiny, sparsely covered with short fine depressed pale pubescence. Scutellum distinct, subquadrate, with sharp angles at apex; sparse indistinct punctures and covered with sparse pale adpressed pubescence.

ELYTRA. Subparallel, with margination visible on lateral sides and on suture, compressed near middle, slightly expanded posteriorly ( Fig. 25 ), sparsely and finely punctured, with small, distinct and weakly protruding shoulders; apices evenly rounded, simple; surface evenly finely punctured, covered with short white adpressed hairs.

HIND WINGS. Normally developed.

LEGS. Thin and long; posterior femora extend over elytral apices; anterior tarsi 5-segmented ( Figs 29– 30 ), lacking comb above 2 nd segment, but 3 rd segment depressed at base, 1 st –4 th tarsomeres equal in length individually, 5 th segment longest, narrow, twice as long as previous tarsomere, claws thin, slightly curved, sharp, slightly widened at base; all femora and tibiae thin and straight, simple, flattened; surface covered with short light semi-erect fine pubescence.

VENTRAL BODY. Surface with invisible punctures, dull, sparsely covered with fine, depressed light pubescence; metathorax weakly swollen, transverse, lacking appendages or tuft of hairs, slightly bituberculate, with longitudinal stria in middle. Pygidium ( Fig. 31 ) undivided, wide and transverse, evenly rounded and weakly narrowed distally, lacking emargination in distal side; 8 th ultimate abdominal ventrite ( Fig. 32 ) undivided, wide and strongly narrow, weakly rounded distally, with triangular emargination in middle; aedeagus ( Fig. 33 ) slightly curved dorsally, widened in middle, with elongate flat and straight lamella; two parallel groups of three black-brown curved and strong bristles visible in inner sac at both sides of aedeagus; tegmen ( Fig. 34 ) elongate, with short parameres and protruding lobe between them.

MEASUREMENTS. Length 1.3 mm, width (at elytral base) 0.4 mm.

Female

Unknown.

Distribution

Known only from the type locality, United Arab Emirates.

Figures

Figs 25–34. Arabotroglops longantennatus gen. et sp. nov., holotype (SCH_ISEA_000164), ♂. 25. External appearance, dorsal view. 26. External appearance, lateral view. 27. Head and pronotum, dorsal view. 28. Right antenna. 29. Right anterior tarsus. 30. Left anterior tarsus. 31. Pygidium. 32. Ultimate abdominal ventrite. 33. Aedeagus, dorsal view. 34. Tegmen. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.