Canuschiza dracaena, 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 : 149-151

Canuschiza dracaena sp. nov.

( Figs 4A–H , 10C )

Type locality. Yemen, Socotra Island, Dixam [= Diksam], Firmihin, 490 m a.s.l., 12°28.6′N, 54°01.1′E.

Type material (23 specimens). HOLOTYPE: J, labelled: ‘ 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] ’. PARATYPES: NOS. 1–10 (3 JJ 7 ♀♀), same label data as holotype ; Nos. 11–16 (6 JJ): ‘ YEMEN, Socotra isl. / Firmihin, x. 2000 / V. Bejček & K. Šťastný lgt. [p] ’; Nos. 17–19 (3 ♀♀): ‘ Republic of Yemen, Socotra Isl. / Firmihin plato - Dracena tree forest / N12°28′465″, E54°00′89830″ / V. Hula lgt. 22.- 25.6.2009 [p] ’; Nos. 20–22 (3 ♀♀): ‘ 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] ’.

Type depositories. HT and PT Nos. 1, 2, 4–7 in NMPC, PT Nos. 3, 11, 20–22 in RSCV, PT Nos. 12, 13, 17–19 in IECA, PT Nos. 8, 14 in BMNH, PT Nos. 9, 15 in MNHN, PT Nos. 10, 16 in ISNB.

Description of holotype (J). Body elongate, almost parallel, weakly convex. Dorsal and ventral surface moderately shiny, elytra somewhat alutaceous, chestnut brown, macrosetation pale ( Fig. 4A ). 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, anterior angles rounded. Fronto-clypeal suture present, forming continuous shallowly bisinuate line. Clypeus and frons densely (to confluent), 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. 4D ), 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. 4C ). 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. 4B ).

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. 10C ).

Sexual dimorphism. Female differs from male in the following characters: body slightly broadened posteriad ( Fig. 4E ); antennal club straight, considerably shorter ( Figs 4E, H ), eyes small (width of both eyes combined shorter than maximum width of frons between eyes) ( Figs 4E, H ); metatibia more strongly expanded apically; tarsomeres of all legs shorter ( Fig. 4E ).

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 12.9–16.4 mm (holotype 14.0 mm); ♀♀ 13.2–17.2 mm.

Differential diagnosis. Canuschiza dracaena 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. 4D ); antennal club almost straight, shorter than antennal shaft (antennomeres I–VII combined) ( Figs 4A D ); anterior margin of clypeus weakly upturned, almost straight medially ( Figs 4A,D ); eyes medium sized (width of both eyes combined approximately the same as maximum width of frons between eyes) ( Figs 4A, D ); lateral margins of pronotum bare; posterior angles of pronotum rectangular, sharp, moderately produced posteriad ( Figs 4A,C ); elytra densely irregularly punctate, each puncture bearing scale-like macroseta, longer than puncture diameter; scale-like macrosetae of pronotum and elytra, short, narrow ( Figs 4A,C ); macropterous. For tentative differentiation of females refer to the identification keys below.

Etymology. Derived from the Latin generic name of the Dragon blood tree, Dracaena cinnabari Balf. f. ( Asparagaceae ), native to Socotra; noun in nominative case, in apposition.

Collecting circumstances. Majority of type material was captured attracted to light (J. Hájek and V. Hula, pers. comm. 2014).

Geographical distribution. Type material originates all from the mountainous parts of Central Socotra (Diksam plateau, Firmihin plateau and environs of the Zerig cave), for details see BEZDĚK et al. (2012).

Figures

Figs 4A–H. Canuschiza dracaena sp. nov., dorsal view:A–D – male, holotype, body length 14.0 mm; E–H – female, paratype No. 5, body length 16.5 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 10A–D.Aedeagus in dorsal (left) and lateral (right) view:A – Canuschiza adah sp. nov., holotype; B – C. croton sp. nov., holotype; C – C. dracaena sp. nov., holotype; D – C. firmihin sp. nov., holotype. Scale bar: 1.0 mm.