Canuschiza skand, Sehnal & Král & Bezděk, 2014

Sehnal, Richard, Král, David & Bezděk, Aleš, 2014, Canuschiza of Socotra Island (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae) Part 1. Canuschiza insularis species group, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 54, pp. 139-171 : 163-168

Canuschiza skand sp. nov.

( Figs 1D , 9A–I , 11D )

Type locality. Yemen, Socotra Island, Hagher Mts., Scand Mt. env., 1450 m a.s.l., 12°34.6′N 54°01.5′E.

Type material (37 specimens). HOLOTYPE: J, labelled: ‘ YEMEN, SOCOTRA Island / Hagher Mts., SCAND Mt. env. / montane evergreen woodland / 16.-18.vi.2012 / 12°34.6′N, 54°01.5′E, 1450 m // SOCOTRA expedition 2012 / J. Bezděk, J. Hájek, V. Hula / P. Kment, I. Malenovský, J. Niedobová & L. Purchart leg. [p] ’. Paratypes: Nos. 1–34 (30 JJ 4 ♀♀), same label data as holotype ; No. 35 (J): ‘ Republic of Yemen / Socotra Isl. / SKANT / Z. Hrubý lgt. 24.6.2009 [p] ’; No. 36 (J): ‘ YEMEN, Socotra Isl. / Hagher Mts., Skant , / N 12°34,557′, E 054°01,514′ / 7.-8. vi.2010 / V. Hula & J. Niedobová leg. [p] ’.

Type depositories. HT and PT Nos. 1–6, 34, 35 in NMPC, PT Nos. 7–14, 31 in RSCV, PT Nos. 15–21, 32, 36 in IECA, PT Nos. 22, 23 in BMNH, PT Nos. 24, 25 in MNHN, PT Nos. 26, 27 in ISNB, PT No. 28 in DKCC, PT No. 29 in MLCP, PT No. 30 in GSCT.

Description of holotype (J). Body elongate, almost parallel, weakly convex. Dorsal and ventral surface moderately shiny, elytra somewhat alutaceous, chestnut brown, macrosetation pale ( Fig. 9A ). Dorsal surface of head, pronotum, scutellar shield and elytra covered with white short recumbent scale-like macrosetae, ventral surface of thorax and abdomen with white recumbent scale-like macrosetae. Head appendages and legs covered with yellowish moderately long macrosetae, mixed with a few white recumbent scale-like macrosetae on metafemora.

Head. Labrum transverse, deeply bilobed, lobes rounded, irregularly and coarsely punctate, covered with long erect macrosetae. Clypeus transverse, anterior margin weakly upturned and shallowly sinuate medially, anterior angles rounded. Fronto-clypeal suture present, forming continuous shallowly bisinuate line. Clypeus and frons densely, irregularly, coarsely punctate, each puncture with short, minute erect macroseta. Occiput sparsely regularly, moderately punctate. Eye-canthus narrow, short, bare. Eyes medium sized (width of both eyes combined approximately the same as maximum width of frons between eyes), distinctly extending beyond eye-canthus. Antenna with ten antennomeres; club with three antennomeres, nearly straight ( Fig. 9D ), distinctly shorter than antennal shaft (antennomeres I–VII combined). Antennomeres I–VII with sparse long macrosetae, club sparsely, shortly macrosetaceous. Terminal maxillary palpomere elongate, apically truncate, approximately as long as palpomeres II and III combined.

Pronotum transverse, moderately convex, widest approximately at midlength. Basal and lateral borders complete, anterior border missing. Lateral outline regularly rounded, margins in anterior half minutely crenate and macrosetaceous ( Fig. 9E ). Anterior margin regularly, broadly sinuate. Anterior angles moderately produced, obtuse-angular; posterior angles weakly produced posteriad, approximately rectangular ( Fig. 9C ). Punctation consisting of coarse, umbilicate, almost regularly spaced punctures becoming somewhat denser laterad; each puncture bearing short, narrow, white scale-like, almost recumbent macroseta.

Scutellar shield large, almost equilaterally triangular, sides and apex rounded; bare.

Elytra weakly convex, parallel-sided, rounded apically, apical angle approximately rectangular. Striae missing, excepting feebly visible sutural stria. Humeral umbones present, vaguely swollen. Surface finely microsculptured (shagreened), alutaceous; punctation coarse, almost regularly spaced, punctures separated by 1–2 their diameter. Each puncture bearing short, narrow, white scale-like, almost recumbent macroseta. Epipleuron distinct, complete, narrow, bare laterally. Macropterous ( Fig. 1D ).

Legs. Femora narrow, shiny, irregularly punctate, macrosetaceous. Protibia narrow, distinctly tridentate, terminal calcar inserted against medial dent. Meso- and metatibia slightly expanded apicad, with two macrosetiferous longitudinal carinae. Upper terminal calcar of metatibia flattened, slightly curved, acute apically, almost two times as long as lower, apically trunctate chisel-shaped metatibial calcar. Claws bifid, with ventrobasal teeth ( Fig. 9B ).

Ventral surface covered with mixture of short, recumbent, white scale-like macrosetae and long, semierect yellowish macrosetae. Pygidium slightly transverse, convex, all around bordered, apically broadly rounded, irregularly covered with coarse macrosetiferous punctures.

Male genitalia. Parameres symmetrical, shorter than phallobasis, regularly curved in lateral aspect, rounded apically in dorsal aspect; apex with tuft of long yellowish macrosetae ( Fig. 11D ).

Sexual dimorphism. Female differs from male in the following characters: body slightly broadened posteriad ( Fig. 9F ); antennal club straight, distinctly shorter ( Figs 9F,I ); eyes small (width of both eyes combined shorter than maximum width of frons between eyes) ( Figs 9F, I ); scale-like macrosetae of pronotum and elytra short, narrow ( Figs 9F,H ); metatibia more strongly expanded apically; tarsomeres of all legs shorter ( Fig. 9F ).

Variability. Paratypes only slightly vary in length (see measurements), colour and punctation of dorsal surface, length and distribution of scale-like macrosetation of pronotum and elytra.

Measurements. Total body length: JJ 12.2–14.7 mm (holotype 12.5 mm); ♀♀ 11.7– 14.2 mm.

Differential diagnosis. Canuschiza skand sp. nov. can be differentiated from all species of the C. insularis species group mainly by combination of the following diagnostic characters in males: antennae with ten antennomeres ( Fig. 9D ); antennal club almost straight, as long as antennal shaft (antennomeres I–VII combined) ( Figs 9A,D ); anterior margin of clypeus weakly upturned, almost straight medially ( Figs 9A,D ); eyes medium sized (width of both eyes combined approximately the same as maximum width of frons between eyes) ( Figs 9A,D ); lateral margins of pronotum in anterior half minutely crenate and macrosetaceous ( Fig. 9E ); posterior angles of pronotum rectangular, moderately produced posteriad ( Figs 9A,C ); elytra densely irregularly punctate, each puncture bearing scale-like macroseta, longer than puncture diameter; scale-like macrosetae of pronotum and elytra considerably short, broad ( Figs 9A,C ); macropterous. For tentative differentiation of females refer to the identification keys below.

Etymology. Derived from the area of origin of the new species, vicinity of the Skand Mt. , Socotra ( Yemen); noun in nominative case, in apposition.

Collecting circumstances. All type material was captured attracted to light trap placed on clearing in evergreen montane woodland (J. Hájek, pers. comm. 2014).

Geographical distribution. Type material originates from the vicinity of the Skand Mt. , the highest area of the Hagher Mts and whole Socotra, for details see BEZDĚK et al. (2012).

Figures

Figs 1A–D. Canuschiza Lacroix, 1999:A–B – head, dorsal view; C–D – metathoracic wing.A – Canuschiza insularis Lacroix, 1999, holotype; B – C. minuta Lacroix, 1999, holotype; C – C. hagher sp. nov., holotype; D – C. skand sp. nov., holotype. Scale bar: 2.0 mm. Figs A, B not to scale.

Figs 9A–I. Canuschiza skand sp. nov., dorsal view: A–E – male, holotype, body length 12.5 mm; F–I – female, paratype No. 33, body length 14.2 mm. A, F – habitus; B, G – protarsal claw; C, H – detail of laterobasal area of pronotum and elytron; D, I – head; E – detail of lateroapical area of pronotum. Not to scale.

Figs 11A–D. Aedeagus in dorsal (left) and lateral (right) view: A – Canuschiza hagher sp. nov., holotype; B – C. insularis Lacroix, 1999, holotype; C – C. jatropha sp. nov., holotype; D – C. skand sp. nov., holotype. Scale bar: 1.0 mm.