Olibrosoma eudaimonarabiana, Gimmel, 2012

Gimmel, Matthew L., 2012, Phalacridae of Socotra Island (Coleoptera: Cucujoidea), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 52, pp. 233-240 : 234-236

Olibrosoma eudaimonarabiana sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–5 )

Type locality. Yemen, Socotra Island, Zerik.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: J ( NMPC), point mounted, genitalia removed and placed in DMHF on acetate card with specimen, abdomen removed and remounted on point, with label data ‘ Yemen; Socotra Isl. / Zerik, 25.-27.iii.2001 / V. Bejček & K. Šťastný leg. // HOLOTYPE J / Olibrosoma / eudaimonarabiana Gimmel / des. M.L. Gimmel 2012 [red label]’. PARATYPES (N =41): YEMEN: SOCOTRA: Noged Plain, Qaareh (waterfall), 12°20′10″N, 53°37′56″E, 57m, 05–06.xii.2003, J. Farkač leg. (5, CULS); same data except D. Král leg. (2, NMPC); Wadi Ayhaft, 12°36.5′N, 53°58.9′E, 200 m, 07–08.xi.2010, J. Hájek leg. (1, NMPC); same except J. Bezděk leg. (1, NMPC); Wadi Ayhaft, 12°36′38″N, 53°58′49″E, 190 m, 24–26.xi.2003, D. Král leg. (1, NMPC); Firmihin, 12°28′27″N, 54°00′54″E, 400–500 m, 06–07.ii.2010, L. Purchart & J. Vybíral leg., at light (4, NMPC; 1, MLGC); Dixam Plateau, Wadi Esgego, 12°28′09″N, 54°00′36″E, 300 m, 02–03.xii.2003, J. Farkač leg. (1, NMPC); same except P.Kabátek leg. (2, NMPC); Zemhon area, 12°20′58″N, 54°06′39″E, 270–300 m, 16–17.vi.2010, V. Hula leg. (1, NMPC); Zemhon area, 12°30′58″N, 54°06′39″E, 270–350 m, 03–04.ii.2010, L. Purchart & J. Vybíral leg. (1, NMPC); Homhil protected area, 12°34′27″N, 54°18′32″E, 364 m, 28–29.xi.2003, P. Kabátek leg. (1, NMPC); Hadiboh environs, 12°65′02″N, 54°02′04″E, 10–100 m, 21.xi–12.xii.2003, P. Kabátek leg. (3, NMPC); Kesa environs, 12°39′37″N, 53°26′42″E, 220–300m, 28–29.i.2010, L. Purchart leg. (1, NMPC); Qualentiah environs, slopes 5 km SE from Quaysoh, 12°39.691′N, 53°26.658′E, 04–05.vi.2010, V. Hula & J. Niedobová leg. (8, NMPC; 1, MLGC). HADRAMAUT: Wada Daw’an, NW of Al Mukalla, 15°09′N, 48°26′E, 946 m, 20.x.2005, S. Kadlec leg. (1, NMPC); Kushum al Ain, 50 km SE of Hisn al Abr, 15°52′N, 47°40′E, 745 m, 09.x.2005, S. Kadlec leg. (1, NMPC). TA’ IZZ: Suq ad Dabab, WSW of Ta’izz, 13°32′N, 43°57′E, 1208 m, 26.x.2005, S. Kadlec leg. (1, NMPC); MA’ RIB: Wadi as-Sudd, 10 km W of Ma’rib, 15°24′N, 45°16′E, 1117 m, 08.x.2005, S. Kadlec leg. (1, NMPC). SANA’ A: Wadi Anis, 60 km SW of Sana’a, 15°00′N, 44°09′E, 1522 m, 07.x.2005, S. Kadlec leg. (1, NMPC). AL MAHRAH: Jabal al Fatk, Hawf, NE of Al Ghaydah, 16°39′N, 53°04′E, 477 m, 31.iii.2007, S. Kadlec leg.(1, NMPC).Each paratype with label ‘ PARATYPE / Olibrosoma / eudaimonarabiana Gimmel / det. M.L. Gimmel 2012 [yellow label]’.

Description. Total length 2.3–3.2 mm. Color uniform rufotestaceous dorsally ( Fig. 1 ) and ventrally, appendages usually somewhat lighter; diffraction grating evident on elytra.

Head finely, densely punctate; frontoclypeus with shallow emargination above antennal insertion; eye large, distinctly emarginate at level of frontoclypeal shelf, eyes separated by slightly more than one eye width in frontal view; with weak periocular groove along margin of posterior half of eye. Mandible unidentate; maxillary palp with palpomere IV subequal to II and III combined; labial palpomere III broad, fusiform. Antenna ( Fig. 5 ) short, not reaching posterior corner of pronotum; antennomeres VIII–XI distinctly expanded into club, antennomere VII slighly expanded, causing club to appear 4- to 5-segmented. Pronotum with hind angle sharp, about right; scutellar lobe moderately developed. Pronotal lateral bead coarse, distinctly thickened at front angle; pronotum lacking border along posterior margin; punctation as fine as that of head but less dense, especially sparse medially; pronotum completely lacking microsculpture. Elytron with a single stria near suture, evident in apical three-fourths; elytral surface smooth, with trace of additional longitudinal striae represented by rows of exceedingly weak punctures; weak transverse strigae evident laterally in apical two-thirds of elytron; elytron sparsely micropunctulate over entire surface, microsculpture not evident at 60× magnification. Prosternum with a few very short, ventrally directed setae; prosternal process apex with margin indistinct; protibia with ctenidium long, extending about three-fourths of length of tibia. Metaventral process extending slightly anterior of mesocoxae, not forming a shelf over mesoventrite; metaventral postcoxal line smoothly arcuate, enclosing area about one-fifth longitudinal distance between meso- and metacoxae; metaventrite weakly punctate; metatarsus about as long as metatibia, with four tarsomeres in both sexes; dorsal (longest) metatibial spur about one-third length of metatarsomere I ( Fig. 4 ); metatarsomere I longer than remaining tarsomeres combined; metatarsomere II as long as III and IV combined.

Aedeagus with fused parameres of tegmen ( Fig. 2 ) acuminately pointed apically, with three pairs of setae (two pairs ventrally, one pair dorsally, the latter positioned more apically); penis ( Fig. 3 ) broadly pointed and minutely tripartite at apex, internal sac with paired, weakly sclerotized, rounded spicules, based of penis broadly rounded.

Differential diagnosis. Distinguished from other Socotran phalacrids by the single elytral sutural stria, long metatarsi ( Fig. 4 ), and rufotestaceous coloration ( Fig. 1 ). It differs from other species of Olibrosoma by the uniform rufotestaceous coloration and details of the aedeagus, especially the three pairs of setae on the parameres ( Fig. 2 ) and lack of an X-shaped sclerite in the penis ( Fig. 3 ).

Distribution. Collected from multiple localities on the island of Socotra and mainland Yemen.

Etymology. The specific epithet derives from Eudaimon Arabia (‘Happy Arabia’), the name given to the region of present-day Yemen by the ancient Greek geographer Ptolemy.

Notes. Only one other species of Olibrosoma has been illustrated previously, O. testacea Tournier, 1889 , which occurs in the Saharan and Arabian deserts (illustrated in ŠVEC 2010). Another species, O. strigosus (Reitter, 1899) , was placed in the genus tentatively by GIMMEL (in press). At least two additional, undescribed species occur in eastern and southern Africa. One form occurring in the Horn of Africa is similar externally to O. eudaimonarabiana sp. nov. but differs significantly with regard to the male genitalia.

Figures

Figs. 1-5. Olibrosoma eudaimonarabiana sp. nov. 1 – dorsal habitus; 2 – tegmen, ventral; 3 – penis, ventral; 4 – metatibia and tarsus, ventral; 5 – antenna. Scale bars = 0.3 mm.