Ctenoplus gigas, Fuller & Platia, 2006

Fuller, E. & Platia, G., 2006, A revision of the click beetle genus Ctenoplus Candèze, 1863 (Coleoptera: Elateridae, Synaptina), Zootaxa 1217 (1), pp. 1-76 : 67-69

Ctenoplus gigas n. sp.

Figures 41 , 54 , 83 , 104 , 112 , 114

Diagnosis

Large unicoloured brown Ctenoplus ( Fig. 114 ) with a relatively short, wide prosternal spine, a distinctly lobed tarsomere 4 and relatively fine tarsal claws. C. gigas is similar to C. balli n. sp.; for a comparison, see C. balli .

Description

As in Ctenoplus and C. balli except as noted.

Body and elytra dark brownish­red; antennae, legs and palpi yellowish­brown; setae opaque pale yellow. Length: 12.5–15.0 mm; width 3.0–4.0 mm.

Head. Punctures coarse, shallow to moderately deep. Eyes relatively large, ocular index, males 58–60, females 57–63. Antennae reaching to or slightly posterad apex of pronotal hind angles; antennomere 2 elongate, subcylindrical, antennomere 3 elongate, subcylindrical to subtriangular, antennomeres 4–10 elongate, about 2X as long as distal width.

Prothorax. Pronotum ( Fig. 41 ): carina of hind angles about 1/3 pronotal length in lateral aspect. Hypomeron: mesal smooth border bearing 7–8 punctures and variably developed lateral projection adjacent to procoxa. Prosternum densely punctured from anterior margin to procoxae, punctures subequal to hypomeral punctures anteriorly, slightly smaller posteriorly; prosternal spine ( Fig. 54 ): ventral apex slightly produced, forming ventral surface of U­shaped ridge around posterior vertical margin, U­shaped ridge accentuating medial ridge on posterior surface.

Mesothorax. Scutellum flat to slightly convex. Mesosternum: declivous beaded margin of cavity almost vertical; raised margin between mesocoxae robust. Mesepisternum punctured and setose in anterior 1/2 like mesosternum. Elytra: striae weakly impressed; apices with small, variably developed tooth, otherwise broadly rounded to subtruncate; left elytron slightly longer than right elytron in most specimens.

Metathorax. Metasternum: carina posterad mesocoxa about 2.5X as long as basal width.

Legs. Tarsomere 4 with small but distinct lobe; claw with apical tine about 2X length of other tines.

Abdomen. Terga relatively lightly sclerotized; spiracles partially enclosed on terga 2–6. Ventrites with punctures almost contiguous throughout; ventrite 5 about as long as basal width, bearing scattered longer and slightly thicker setae. Male genitalia, Fig. 83 ; parameres converging anteriorly on ventral surface, separated at base by about width of ejaculatory duct; parameres with 2 dorsal and 1–3 ventral subapical setae; size of basal piece variable (see Variation); slope of mesal margin of parameres variable in dorsal aspect; articulation between basal piece and parameres darkly pigmented and conspicuous. Female genitalia, Fig. 104 ; bursal plates subreniform, symmetrical; tubular extension: very long, in situ coiled irregularly dorsad bursa; spines grading from short and fine at base, to longer, thicker and denser about mid­length, to thinner, sparser and less pigmented at apex; spermatheca absent.

Variation. The size of the basal piece of the male genitalia is variable. In a paratype from Cuc Phuong, the basal piece is about 1/4 longer and ventral posterior emargination shallower and more rounded anteriorly than the illustrated paratype from Tam Dao.

Material examined and range

11♂, 6♀, 1 undetermined sex. VIETNAM: Holotype female, “Vietnam N., TamDao ­ 900m, 16–23.v.1991, Strnad Jan lgt”/ “ Coll. Strnad ”/ “Cate Coll.” [ CCW]. Paratypes : 3♂, 2♀, with same data as holotype [ CRG, CPG, CCW, ERFC] ; 3♂, 2♀, 1 undetermined sex, from same locality as holotype, collected “27.5– 2.6.1986 "(1), “3.6– 11.6. 1985 "(4), “ 3–10. VI .1989" (1) collected by Jan Visa, V. Svinhlo, A. Olexa and J. Pioka [ CBP] ; 1♂, “Vietnam, Cuc­Phuong , prov. Ninh Binh, 6.vi.1966, leg. R. Bielawski et B. Pisarski ”/ “ Inst. Zool. P.A.N. Warszawa, 52/66" [ ZMPA]. LAOS : 3♂, 1♀, “NE Laos ­ Hua Phan Prov., 25 km SE Vieng Xai, Ban Kang Prabang , 14.18.v.01, D. Hauck ” [ CRG, ERFC] ; 1♀, “NE Laos ­ Huan Phan Prov. , Ban Saluei, Phu Phan Mt., m 1500– 2000, 26.IV. –11. V.01, D. Hauck ” [ CRG]. C. gigas is known from northern Vietnam and eastern Laos ( Fig. 112 ) .

Etymology The species epithet refers to the relatively large size of this species.

Natural history

Specimens have been collected between 26 April and 11 June, from 900–2000 m in elevation.

Figures

FIGURE 112. Distribution of Ctenoplus species.

FIGURES 31–43. Pronotal outline of Ctenoplus species, dorsal. 31, C. javanensis Cand.; 32, C. sumatrensis n. sp.; 33, C. sanguinolentoides n. sp.; 34, C. indicus n. sp.; 35, C. rufoantennatus n. sp.; 36, C. castaneus (Fleut.); 37, C. coomani Fleut.; 38, C. divergens n. sp., a: male, b: female; 39, C. alutaceus n. sp.; 40, C. semialutaceus n. sp.; 41, C. gigas n. sp.; 42, C. cateianus n. sp.; 43, C. dorsalis n. sp. Abbreviation: bf, sublateral longitudinal incision. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 50–57. Prosternal spine of Ctenoplus and Silesis species. 50–57, lateral; 58, 59, ventral. 50, C. sanguinolentus (Cand.); 51, C. sanguinolentoides n. sp.; 52a, b, C. coomani Fleut.; 53, C. balli n. sp.; 54, C. gigas n. sp.; 55, C. divergens n. sp.; 56, C. alutaceus n. sp.; 57, C. dorsalis n. sp.; 58, C. brunneus Fleut.; 59, S. fulvus Fleut.; Abbreviations: da, dorsal apex; va, ventral apex. Scale bar = 0.25 mm.

FIGURES 66–85. Male genitalia of Ctenoplus species, dorsal aspect unless otherwise specified. 66, C. javanensis Cand.; 67, C. sumatrensis n. sp.; 68, C. sanguinolentoides n. sp.; 69, C. nitidipennis Schwarz; 70, C. indicus n. sp.; 71, C. collaris Cand., a, dorsal, b, ventral; 72, C. pseudocollaris n. sp.; 73, C. neosiamensis n. sp.; 74, C. siamensis n. sp.; 75, C. rufoantennatus n. sp.; 76, C. castaneus (Fleut.), a, dorsal, b, lateral; 77, C. coomani Fleut.; 78, C. divergens n. sp.; 79, C. alutaceus n. sp., a, dorsal, b, lateral; 80, C. semialutaceus n. sp.; 81, C. balli n. sp.; 82, C. girardianus n. sp.; 83, C. gigas n. sp.; 84, C. cateianus n. sp.; 85, C. deceptus n. sp. Abbreviations: st, median struts; pa, parameres; ph, phallobase. Scale bar = 0.25 mm.

FIGURES 98–106. Female genitalia of Ctenoplus species. 98, C. coomani Fleut.; 99, C. brunneus Fleut.; 100, C. divergens n. sp.; 101, C. alutaceus n. sp.; 102, C. balli n. sp.; 103, C. girardianus n. sp.; 104, C. gigas n. sp.; 105, C. cateianus n. sp.; 106, C. deceptus n. sp. Abbreviations: sd, tubular extension. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 113–116. Ctenoplus species, habitus. 113, C. cateianus, n. sp.; 114, C. gigas n. sp.; 115, C. neosiamensis n. sp.; 116, C. sanguinolentoides n. sp.