Cycadophila (Cycadophila) convexa Skelley, Xu & Tang

Skelley, Paul, Xu, Guang, Tang, William, Lindström, Anders J., Marler, Thomas, Khuraijam, Jibankumar Singh, Singh, Rita & Rich, Stephen, 2017, Review of Cycadophila Xu, Tang & Skelley (Coleoptera: Erotylidae: Pharaxonothinae) inhabiting Cycas (Cycadaceae) in Asia, with descriptions of a new subgenus and thirteen new species, Zootaxa 4267 (1), pp. 1-63 : 25-27

Cycadophila (Cycadophila) convexa Skelley, Xu & Tang , new species

Figs. 7 A–G

Adult diagnosis. A member of Cycadophila (Cycadophila) nigra species group as discussed above distinguished by the narrow protibia lacking stout setae apically, short supraocular stria, pronotum with anterior margin straight and disc evenly convex to lateral margins, elytra with distinct color pattern, and male with enlarged metafemur and curved metatibia.

Adult description. Length 3.04–3.46 mm, width 1.15–1.31 mm. Body in dorsal view elongate, sides arcuate, greatest width at middle of elytra; in lateral view convex dorsally. General body and appendage color dark brown, appendages paler; elytra primarily yellow-brown with dark maculation along suture from basal to 2/3 length, notably wider along middle, and with dark mark near base of lateral margin; dorsal surface distinctly punctate, surface shiny, dorsally appearing glabrous, with short procumbent hairs associated with punctation behind eyes, elytral setae very short, ventrally mostly covered with short procumbent setae.

Head in dorsal view conical, gradually narrowed apically, surface convex, distinctly punctured; width 0.60– 0.67 mm; dorsal interocular distance 0.40–0.44 mm, head width/dorsal interocular distance ratio 1.52–1.53, ventral interocular distance 0.28–0.30 mm, head width/ventral interocular distance ratio 2.17–2.23. Eye globular; bordered dorsally with short supraocular stria at basal 1/3 of eye; projected laterally, with large black facets and short, inconspicuous interfacetal setae. Frons with short, dark, subcuticular suture on each side, approximately 1/4 width of frons in length, extending obliquely to lateral margin above and anterior to antennal insertion. Antennal length about 3/4 pronotal width, and slightly longer than head width, antennomere relative lengths from base to end approximately 18:14:15:10:10:10:10:10:15:15:22; antennomere I (scape) fairly large, slightly elongate, antennomere II slightly smaller than III; IV–VIII small, width equals length; club fairly large, IX–XI similar in length, XI globular. Clypeus truncate anteriorly, anterior margin with long setae; densely punctate; somewhat emarginate, with narrow margin. Maxillary palpomeres II, III slightly longer than wide; IV elongate oval, apex densely papillate; relative lengths of II–IV approximately 4:3:7. Labium with mentum pentagonal with carina forming triangular plate projecting medially, with distinct lateral pockets; labial palpomere III elongate-oval. Mentum and submentum with moderate punctation and setation, setae short. Gular area smooth, without setae or punctation, except near suture with submentum where a small depression is present with setose punctures.

Thorax with pronotum transverse in dorsal view, with marginal beads on all sides; length/width ratio 0.75– 0.76, surface convex to lateral carinae; anterior angles rounded; lateral carina arched anteriorly, straight basally, with thin marginal bead, bead bearing row of minutely setose punctures; posterior angle exteriorly angulate; posterior margin straight laterally, weakly lobed medially; with narrow, short longitudinal furrow posterolaterally, beginning at pore on posterior margin, extending forward and ending abruptly, length of furrows relative to pronotal length 0.20–0.21. Prosternum with anterior margin slightly emarginate, finely denticulate with fringe of long, anteriorly directed setae; posterior prosternal process truncate and flat in lateral view, weakly projecting. Hypomeron with few punctures laterally, medially without longitudinal striations. Scutellar shield transverse, posterior margin rounded, somewhat pentagonal. Elytra elongate, evenly arcuate along sides, convex; length/width 3.33–3.35, greatest width near midlength; with marginal bead basally, scutellary striole with 10–12 punctures; intervals of striae with fine, distinct punctures. Punctation on meso- and metaventrite distinct. Metaventrite long, convex laterally, metathoracic discrimen indistinct, extending slightly over half metaventrite length. Legs narrow, similar in length; femora compressed laterally, enlarged with curved sides; tibiae shorter than femora, narrow at apex. Protibia narrow, weakly angled on lateral apex, apex fringed with small, hair-like spinules, lateral margin lacking spinules, couple stout spinules present on apical-lateral angle. Meso- and metatibia narrowed, obliquely angled at lateral apex. Male metafemur enlarged, club-like with distinctly curved posterior margin; metatibia curved with slight rounded swelling on inner apical half.

Abdomen with 5 ventrites bearing fine punctures; anterior margin with intercoxal process narrow, with triangular point anteromedially, lateral edges slightly projected, lateral and posterior margins arcuate, converging posteriorly; anterior and posterior margins of ventrites more or less straight; ventrite I lacking subcoxal line, slightly longer medially than II; I–IV apparently lacking erect sensory hairs located on either side of the middle; II– IV subequal in length; V slightly longer than IV with lateral margins converging posteriorly to a rounded apex.

Male genitalia (tegmen and median lobe of aedeagus) twisted approximately 45o toward the left side of animal and resting on side. Tegmen sclerotized, triangular, gently twisted; with anterior region ring-like, posterior region sheath-like, posterior margin slightly arcuate; lateral margins gradually converging posteriorly; dorsally with 2 large, elongate, somewhat coniform parameres. Parameres short, with long setae apically; length/width ratio 2.00. Aedeagus with median lobe short, slender, highly sclerotized, apex long and acuminate. Ratio of median lobe length to penile strut length 1:4. Female similar to male except legs narrower, metafemur not as enlarged, metatibia not curved.

Type locality. Thailand, Kaen Municipality.

Range. Thailand, Kaen Municipality. The word for municipality in Thai is “Muang” and “Muang Kaen” is the name widely used in Thailand for Kanchanaburi province, so Kanchanaburi province is the probable origin. During this study, populations of three species of Cycas were surveyed in Kanchanaburi province, including C. siamensis , C. pectinata and a third undescribed species. None yielded specimens matching Cycadophila convexa . Another possible locality is Khon Kaen, which is known to contain one Cycas species, C. siamensis .

Material examined. Holotype (by designation) male with the following labels: 1) [rectangular; white; printed in black ink] “ THAILAND: Kaen Municipality, 9-V-1954, R. E. Elbel ”; 2) [rectangular; red; printed in black ink] “ HOLOTYPE ♂ Cycadophila convexa P. Skelley, G. Xu & W. Tang 2017 ”. Deposited in the USNM . Allotype female and 3 male paratypes: THAILAND: Kaen Municipality , 9-V-1954, R. E. Elbel (holotype & allotype, USNM, 3) ; 8-V-1954 (1); 12-V-1954 (1). Paratypes deposited in USNM, FSCA.

Etymology. The species is named for the unique pronotal disc which is completely convex all the way to the lateral margins.

Remarks. The straight anterior pronotal margin of C. convexa is similar only with that of C. torquata . Despite surveys in likely localities and hosts (see comments under “Range” above), this species has not been collected with Cycas , suggesting that it does not have an association with cycads.

Figures

FIGURE 7. Cycadophila (Cycadophila) convexa, male paratype: A) dorsal habitus; B) ventral habitus; C) lateral habitus; D) head and prosternum, ventral; E) head and pronotum, antero-lateral; F) hind leg, ventral; G) male genitalia.