Tropicis sexcarinatus ( Waterhouse, 1876 )

Lopes-Andrade, Cristiano, 2008, An essay on the tribe Xylographellini (Coleoptera: Tenebrionoidea: Ciidae), Zootaxa 1832 (1), pp. 1-110 : 44-45

Tropicis sexcarinatus ( Waterhouse, 1876) ( Figs 8 , 12 , 149–151 , 153 , 154B, 155B, 157–158 )

Diagnosis and comments

It differs from the other Tropicis by the six longitudinal keels at elytra, most conspicuous at the apical half, and the coarse pronotal punctation with coalescent punctures. It most resembles Trop. flexicarinatus , but do not co-occur with it (see Fig. 158 ). The species is variable morphologically and may be a complex of close related species.

Lesne (1917) reported Cis sexcarinatus Waterhouse from Mauritius, La Reunión, Madagascar and Seychelles, before Scott (1926) erected the genus Tropicis based on this species and other two species from Seychelles. The specimens of Lesne (1917) from La Reunión were collected in Microporus affinis (cited as Polyporus microloma ), being the unique record of host-fungus for Trop. sexcarinatus . The record of the species from Seychelles should be considered with care: it may refer to Trop. flexicarinatus , a morphologically similar species described by Scott (1926). The record from Madagascar may be correct, as that is very close to Mauritius and La Reunión, but it should be checked.

Specimens examined

Mauritius: Total of 40 specimens (5 LAPC; 35 MHNG) . 12 specimens labeled / Ile Maurice Y. Gomy [printed] Macabe Forest 13.i.70 tronc mort [handwritten] /; 7 specimens / Ile Maurice Y. Gomy [printed] Macabe Forest 22.i.66 Champignon [handwritten] /; 12 specimens labeled / Ile Maurice Y. Gomy [printed] Maré Lonque 19.i.71 tamisage tronc [handwritten] /; 9 specimens / Ile Maurice Y. Gomy [printed] Macabe Forest 19.i.71 tamisage tronc [handwritten]/. Rodrigues : 1 specimen ( MHNG) labeled / Ile Rodrigue Y. Gomy [printed] Mont Limon 396m-8.5.72 tamisage dans hampe d’Alôes [handwritten] /. Réunion: Total of 48 specimens (5 LAPC; 43 MHNG) . 9 specimens labeled / La Réunion Y. Gomy [printed] Cilaos Grand Matarum tamisage i.xi.69 [handwritten] /; 12 specimens /La Réunion Y. Gomy [printed] Bras de la Plaine 22.8.65 dans champignon [handwritten]/; 1 specimen / La Réunion Y. Gomy [printed] Roche Ecrite 8.10. 65 – 2200m au fauchoir [handwritten] /; 2 specimens /Cilaos Grand Matarum 6.8.67 dans champignon Y. Gomy [handwritten]/; 1 specimen / La Réunion Y. Gomy [printed] Hell Bourq 6.11.65 s. ecorces [handwritten] /; 1 specimen / La Réunion Y. Gomy [printed] Cirque de Salazie Piton Marmite 1800m 14.i.72 tamisage tronc pourri [handwritten] /; 2 specimens / La Réunion J. David [printed] Foret Bebour aout 1973 [handwritten] /; 3 specimens /La Réunion Y. Gomy [printed] La Petite Plaine 20.3.66 champignon arborie [handwritten]/; 1 specimen / La Réunion Y. Gomy [printed] La Petite Plaine Pl. des Palmistes 25.v. 69-1300m [handwritten] /; 1 specimen / La Réunion Y. Gomy [printed] Ste Philippe-Alt. 100m 15.2.71 tamisage souche [handwritten] ; 3 specimens / La Réunion Y. Gomy [printed] Plaine des Chicots 1730m-10.10.66 Champignon [handwritten] /; 1 specimen / La Réunion Y. Gomy [printed] Cilaos Grand Matarum 7.xi.69 tamisage [handwritten] /; 5 specimens / La Réunion Y. Gomy [printed] Pl. des Chicots Gite 1850m-19.4.73 tamisage terreau [handwritten] /; 1 specimen / La Réunion Y. Gomy [printed] Pl. des Chicots Gite 21.4.73 1800m fauchoir [handwritten] /; 1 specimen / La Réunion Y. Gomy [printed] Pl. des Chicots 21.4.73- 1800m fauchage [handwritten] /; 1 specimen / La Réunion Y. Gomy [printed] Pl. des Chicots Gite 1800m-21.4.73 s. calumets mort [handwritten] /; 1 specimen / La Réunion Y. Gomy [printed] Hts. de Sta. Rose 25.10.70 tamisage [handwritten] /; 1 specimen / La Réunion Y. Gomy [printed] Pl. des Makes 15.xi.70 tamisage troncset humus [handwritten] /.

Host-fungi Microporus affinis (Polyporaceae) , based in a record by Lesne (1917; see comments above).

Distribution

Mascarene Islands ( La Réunion, Mauritius and Rodrigues; Fig. 158 ) and probably Madagascar ( Fig. 158 , question mark).

Figures

FIGURE 158. Distribution map of Tropicis Scott in the Western Indian Ocean, showing the known distributions of Tropicis brevicarinatus Scott (double circles), Trop. cuccodoroi sp. nov. (open stars), Trop. flexicarinatus Scott (“X” symbols) and Trop. sexcarinatus (Waterhouse) (plus symbol). The question mark indicates a doubtful record of Trop. sexcarinatus from Madagascar.

FIGURES 5–8. Prementum (pm) with labial palpi (l.p). Note that the apical labial palpomeres are enlarged (small arrows), and that the apex of prementum is acute in Xylographella and Scolytocis, and rounded in Syncosmetus and Tropicis (see big arrows). 5. Xyl. punctata Miyatake, lateral view. 6. Scol. paschoali sp. nov. 7. Sync. reticulatus Miyatake. 8. Trop. sexcarinatus (Waterhouse).

FIGURES 9–12. Female terminalia, showing the gonostyli (gs), gonocoxites (gc), baculi of basal gonocoxites (small arrows), paraprocts (pp), baculi of paraprocts (b.pp), proctiger (pt), and spiculum ventrale (sv). The baculi of proctiger are barely sclerotized, so they are not indicated. 9. Xylographella punctata Miyatake. 10. Scolytocis furieriae sp. nov. 11. Syncosmetus japonicus Sharp. 12. Tropicis sexcarinatus (Waterhouse).

FIGURES 149–151. Tropicis sexcarinatus (Waterhouse). 149. Dorsal view. 150. Lateral view. 151. Ventral view.

FIGURES 152–153. Hindwings of two species of Tropicis Scott. 152. Trop. cuccodoroi sp. nov. 153. Trop. sexcarinatus (Waterhouse).

FIGURES 154–157. Tropicis Scott. 154. Antennae of Trop. cuccodoroi sp. nov. (A) and Trop. sexcarinatus (B). Note that the first antennomere is not shown in the former (asterisk). 155. Metatibiae of Trop. cuccodoroi sp. nov. (A) and Trop. sexcarinatus (B). Note the distribution of small spines in the outer margin of each tibia (small arrows). 156–157. Male genitalia, showing the ninth segment (ix-seg), tegmen (teg) and penis (pen). 156. Trop. cuccodoroi sp. nov. 157. Trop. sexcarinatus (Waterhouse) showing the tegmen and penis (A) and the ninth segment (B).