Canuschiza jatropha, 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 : 161-163

Canuschiza jatropha sp. nov.

( Figs 8A–H , 11C )

Type locality. Yemen, Socotra Island, Dixam [= Diksam plateau], wadi Zerig, 655 m a.s.l., 12°29.6′N 53°59.5′E.

Type material (34 specimens). HOLOTYPE: J, labelled: ‘ YEMEN, SOCOTRA Island / Dixam plateau, wadi ZERIG / pools, Juncus marsh ; Dracaena trees ; cave 13.-14.vi.2012 / 12°29.6′N, 53°59.5′E, 655 m // SOCOTRA expedition 2012 / J. Bezděk, J. Hájek, V. Hula / P. Kment, I. Malenovský, J. Niedobová & L. Purchart leg. [p] ’. PARATYPES: Nos. 1–20 (10 JJ 10 ♀♀), same label data as holotype ; Nos. 21–33 (6 JJ 7 ♀♀): ‘ YEMEN, SOCOTRA Island / Dixam plateau 14.-15.vi.2012 / FIRMIHIN, Dracaena woodland / 12°28.6′N, 54°01.1′E, 490 m // SOCOTRA expedition 2012 / J. Bezděk, J. Hájek, V. Hula / P. Kment, I. Malenovský, J. Niedobová & L. Purchart leg. [p] ’.

Type depositories. HT and PT Nos. 1–3, 27– 30 in NMPC, PT Nos. 4–6, 11–13, 21 in RSCV, PT Nos. 7, 8, 20, 24, 31–33 in IECA, PT Nos. 9, 14 in DKCC, PT Nos. 10, 15 in MLCP, PT Nos. 16, 22 in GSCT, PT Nos. 17, 23 in ISNB, PT Nos. 18, 26 in BMNH, PT Nos. 19, 25 in MNHN.

Description of holotype (J). Body elongate, almost parallel, weakly convex. Dorsal and ventral surface moderately shiny, elytra somewhat alutaceous, chestnut brown, macrosetation pale ( Fig. 8A ). 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 distinctly straight 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, almost straight ( Fig. 8D ), 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 not crenate, bare. Anterior margin regularly, broadly sinuate. Anterior angles moderately produced, obtuse-angular; posterior angles weakly produced posteriad, approximately rectangular ( Fig. 8C ). 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; disc punctate, each puncture bearing short, narrow, white scale-like, almost recumbent macroseta.

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.

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. 8B ).

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. 11C ).

Sexual dimorphism. Female differs from male in the following characters: body slightly broadened posteriad ( Fig. 8E ); antennal club straight, distinctly shorter ( Figs 8E,H ); eyes medium sized (width of both eyes combined approximately the same as maximum width of frons between eyes) ( Figs 8E,H ); metatibia more strongly expanded apically; tarsomeres of all legs shorter ( Fig. 8E ).

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 12.5–14.8 mm (holotype 14.4 mm); ♀♀ 12.7–15.8 mm.

Differential diagnosis. Canuschiza jatropha 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. 8D ); antennal club almost straight, shorter than antennal shaft (antennomeres I–VII combined) ( Figs 8A,D ); anterior margin of clypeus weakly upturned, distinctly straight medially ( Figs 8A,D ); eyes medium sized (width of both eyes combined approximately the same as maximum width of frons between eyes) ( Figs 8A,D ); lateral margins of pronotum bare; posterior angles of pronotum rectangular, moderately produced posteriad ( Figs 8A,C ); elytra densely irregularly punctate, each puncture bearing scale-like macroseta, approximately as long as puncture diameter; scale-like macrosetae of pronotum and elytra considerably short, narrow ( Figs 8A,C ); macropterous. For tentative differentiation of females refer to the identification keys below.

Etymology. Derived from the Latin generic name of the Sibru (in Suqutri language) plant, Jatropha unicostata Balf. f. ( Euphorbiaceae ), plant endemic to Socotra; noun in nominative case, in apposition.

Collecting circumstances. Majority of type specimens were captured attracted to light, some specimens from Firmihin were found after the dark feeding on Jatropha leaves (J. Bezděk and J. Hájek, pers. comm. 2014).

Geographical distribution. Type material originates from the Diksam plateau, for details see BEZDĚK et al. (2012).

Figures

Figs 8A–H. Canuschiza jatropha sp. nov., dorsal view:A–D – male, holotype, body length 14.4 mm; E–H – female, paratype No. 27, body length 14.0 mm. A, E – habitus; B, F – protarsal claw; C, G – detail of laterobasal area of pronotum and elytron; D, H – head. 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.