Pseudomicrocara hieroglyphica, Libonatti, María Laura & Ruta, Rafał, 2013

Libonatti, María Laura & Ruta, Rafał, 2013, Review of the Argentinean species of Pseudomicrocara Armstrong (Coleoptera: Scirtidae), Zootaxa 3718 (2), pp. 137-157 : 177-179

Pseudomicrocara hieroglyphica sp. nov.

( Figs. 3 , 14, 15 , 29 , 38, 39 , 48 , 52, 53 , 72–77 )

Type material. Holotype, male (MLP): Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi, Mallín La Heladera, 41° 00’ 56” S 71° 49’ 45.4” W, 878 m, 7.i–4.ii.2007, Malaise, leg. Analía Garré & Fernanda Montes de Oca.

Paratypes. 1 ex. (NHM, female): same data as holotype. 1 ex. (ZMUC, male): Rio Negro 8, Lago Nahuel Huapi, Puerto Blest, 770 m, 1.i.1979, Misión Científica Danesa. 1 ex. (ZMUC, male): Rio Negro 22, Lago Nahuel Huapi, Puerto Blest, 770 m, 22–31.xii. 1981, Nielsen & Karsholt.

Description. Habitus. Elongate-oval, elytral lateral margins rounded, maximum width at the middle of elytral length, TL/EW: 2.00, EL/PL: 5.41.

Head. 1.60 times as wide as interocular space; pale testaceous; with a pair of foveae; with a brown macula composed of three fused triangular spots: one located posteriorly with basal edge along basal part of head, united to a pair of symmetrical ones ending between antennal bases; clypeus 2.67 times as wide as long, 1.14 times as wide as labrum, with a transversely elongate brownish macula, margin straight. Punctation fine, punctures separated by a single diameter. Head covered with yellowish setae. Labrum 2.00 times as wide as long, margins rounded, pale testaceous with a transversely elongate brownish macula. Antennae filiform, segment 1 brownish testaceous, segments 2–3 testaceous, segments 4–11 brown with testaceous bases, approximate ratio of antennal segments: 2.3: 1.0: 1.0: 3.5: 3.0: 3.5: 3.5: 3.5: 3.5: 3.3: 3.5, L/W ratio of antennal segments: 1.5, 1.0, 1.3, 3.5, 2.7, 3.1, 3.5, 3.5, 4.5, 4.3, 4.7. Segment 1 subcylindrical, with small ridge near apex, margins curved, internal margin more curved than external one; segment 2 subspherical, approximately as long as wide; segment 3 subconical; segments 4–11 subcylindrical, segment 4 3.5 times as long as segment 3. Mandibles asymmetrical, right mandible with one tooth, left mandible without teeth, incisivus developed, testaceous. Maxillary palpi with segments 1–2 brown, apex testaceous, segment 3 testaceous.

Thorax. Pronotum 2.12 times as wide as long, trapezoidal, anterolateral angles rounded, maximum width at the base, testaceous, with a brown macula seeming to be composed of a central V-shaped macula fused to a transversely elongate posterior macula, plus two rounded maculae on each side, at the level of the former one. Punctation coarser than that on head, punctures separated by a single diameter. Pronotum completely covered with yellowish setae. Hypomeron pale testaceous, outer branch of carina reaching front edge of procoxal cavity. Scutellum triangular, apex pointed, pale testaceous, punctation similar to pronotal punctation. Prosternum pale testaceous; remaining ventral structures pale testaceous with brown edges. Legs pale testaceous, apex of femur, apex of tibia and tarsus brownish. Basal half of posterior coxae brown. Prosternal process laminar, widened laterally at the tip. Mesoventrite with a rhomboidal fossa. Mesoventral process elongate, separating middle coxae, apex simple, rounded. Each elytron with a pale testaceous stripe along suture and four pale testaceous longitudinaloblique stripes interspersed with five wider brown stripes. Each of the four testaceous stripes, except for the sutural one, is on a costula. Sutural stripe branching near anterior margin resulting in a stripe reaching scutellum and a short oblique stripe. First stripe (closer to the sutural stripe) beginning at the anterior elytral margin, continuing obliquely and ending in the middle third. Second to fourth stripes beginning together from a testaceous area on the humerus. Second stripe ending before apex. Third stripe ending at elytral apex. Fourth stripe going along external margin about one fourth of elytral length, then separating from the margin, going parallel to third stripe and ending at the same level of second stripe touching external margin. Brown stripes transversely interrupted by three groups of irregular pale maculae, resulting in approximately rectangular maculae. In second, third and fourth stripe, between the first two groups of pale maculae, rectangular brown maculae bearing a paler rectangular macula inside are present. Elytra completely covered with setae, setae yellowish on pale areas, brownish on brown areas; punctation coarser than that on head, pronotum and scutellum, punctures separated by 2.0 diameters.

Abdomen. Pale testaceous with brown maculae: ventrites 1–4 with a macula on each side, ventrites 2–4 with a pair of central maculae, ventrites 1–3 with an additional macula near posterior margin. Ventrites completely covered with short yellowish setae.

Male terminalia. Tergite 8 with a pair of sinusoidal sclerotized apodemes, without sclerotized cross-piece, posterior margin rounded, with setae. Tergite 9 with a pair of sclerotized apodemes converging posteriorly, with a sclerotized cross-piece, posterior margin trapezoidal, with setae. Sternite 8 U-shaped, anterior margin rounded, posterior apices widened, diverging posteriorly, with setae. Sternite 9 bilobed, with a pair of sclerotized apodemes widening posteriorly, posterior margin with setae.

Male genitalia. Tegmen with lateral margins slightly diverging posteriorly, basal margin rounded, parameres broad, styli present. Penis with basal piece with lateral margins converging posteriorly to the middle of basal piece and then continuing parallel, basal margin almost straight, trigonium bifid, parameroids widened at middle, apex bird-head-shaped.

Female genitalia. Prehensor composed of two sclerites, internal margin with minute spines. Bursella with pores producing into finger-like spiny projections.

Sexual dimorphism. Female with patch of setae on ventrite 4. Maxillary palpi wider in female than in male; last segment of maxillary palpi conical in female, cylindrical in male.

Measurements. Male (n = 1): TL 5.21, PL 0.83, PW 1.75, EL 4.48, EW 2.48. Female (n = 1): TL 5.65, PL 0.87, PW 2.05, EL 5.02, EW 2.82.

Etymology. This species is named hieroglyphica in reference to its elytral color pattern resembling the Egyptian writing.

Distribution. The specimens belonging to this species have been found in the following localities: Nahuel Huapi National Park, Mallín La Heladera (Neuquén Province); Nahuel Huapi Lake, Puerto Blest (Río Negro Province).

Remarks. Due to peculiar coloration of dorsum, the species cannot be confused with any other Argentinean Pseudomicrocara .

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 8. Habitus illustrations of Argentinean species of Pseudomicrocara, dorsal view. 1) P. angusta sp. nov.; 2) P. antarctica; 3) P. hieroglyphica sp. nov.; 4) P. inflexipenis sp. nov.; 5) P. livida.; 6 – 7) P. obliquata; 8) P. patagonica. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURES 9 – 15. Mouthparts and heads of Pseudomicrocara. 9 – 10) P. angusta sp. nov., mandible and labium; 11 – 13) P. antarctica, mandibles and labium; 14) P. hieroglyphica sp. nov., male head; 15) P. hieroglyphica sp. nov., female head.

FIGURES 27 – 33. Pronota of Pseudomicrocara. 27) P. angusta sp. nov.; 28) P. antarctica; 29) P. hieroglyphica sp. nov.; 30) P. inflexipenis sp. nov.; 31) P. livida; 32) P. obliquata; 33) P. patagonica.

FIGURES 34 – 42. Sexual dimorphism in abdominal segments of Pseudomicrocara. 34) P. angusta sp. nov., female, abdomen; 35) P. angusta sp. nov., female, detail of patch of setae on ventrite 4; 36) P. antarctica, female, abdomen; 37) P. antarctica, female, detail of patch of setae on ventrite 4; 38) P. hieroglyphica sp. nov., female, abdomen; 39) P. hieroglyphica sp. nov., detail of patch of setae on ventrite 4; 40) P. inflexipenis sp. nov., female, abdomen; 41) P. inflexipenis sp. nov., detail of patch of setae on ventrite 4; 42) P. inflexipenis sp. nov., detail of posterior margin of ventrite 5.

FIGURES 43 – 51. Female genital morphology of Pseudomicrocara. 43 – 46) P. antarctica: 43) sternite 8, 44) tergite 8, 45) ovipositor + genital tract (ovaries excluded) (scale bar = 0.5 mm), 46) prehensor; 47) P. angusta sp. nov., prehensor; 48) P. hieroglyphica sp. nov., prehensor; 49) P. inflexipenis sp. nov., prehensor; 50) P. livida, prehensor; 51) P. patagonica, prehensor. Abbreviations: bsa: bursa, bsl: bursella, bslp: bursella pores, ovc: common oviduct, prh: prehensor.

FIGURES 52 – 59. Bursella pores of Pseudomicrocara. 52 – 53) P. hieroglyphica sp. nov.; 54 – 55) P. antarctica; 56) P. patagonica; 57 – 58) P. livida; 59) P. angusta sp. nov.

FIGURES 72 – 77. Male terminalia and genitalia of P. hieroglyphica sp. nov. 72) Sternite 8; 73) sternite 9; 74) tergite 8; 75) tergite 9; 76) tegmen; 77) penis. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.