Canuschiza croton, 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 : 145-149

Canuschiza croton sp. nov.

( Figs 3A–H , 10B )

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 (9 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. 1–5 (3 JJ 2 ♀♀), same label data as holotype ; No. 6 (J): ‘ Yemen, Soqotra Is., 2003 / 3.xii, Dixam plateau, / WADI

ZEERIQ, 750m, / N 12°31′08″ E 53°59′09″ / [GPS], David Král lgt. [p] // YEMEN – SOQOTRA, 2003 / Expedition: Jan Farkač, / Petr Kabátek & David Král [p] // ex coll. David Král / National Museum / Prague, Czech Republic [p] ’; Nos. 7–8 (J and ♀): ‘ YEMEN, SOCOTRA Island / wadi ES GEGO / 300 m a.s.l. / 12°28′18″N ; 54°00′34″E / 13. V. 2004 lgt. A. REITER [p]’.

Type depositories. HT and PT Nos. 4, 6– 8 in NMPC, PT Nos. 1, 2 in RSCV, PT Nos. 3, 5 in IECA.

Description of holotype (J). Body elongate, almost parallel, weakly convex. Dorsal and ventral surface moderately shiny, elytra somewhat alutaceous, ochre, macrosetation pale ( Fig. 3A ). 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 finely upturned along its whole length, shallowly sinuate medially, anterior angles rounded. Fronto-clypeal suture present, forming continuous almost straight line. Clypeus and frons densely, almost regularly, coarsely punctate, each puncture with short, minute erect macroseta. Occiput sparsely, regularly, moderately punctate. Eye-canthus narrow, short, bare. Eyes considerably large (width of both eyes combined larger than maximum width of frons between eyes), distinctly extending beyond eye-canthus. Antenna with ten antennomeres; club with three antennomeres, almost straight ( Fig. 3D ), 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 not produced posteriad, approximately rectangular ( Fig. 3C ). 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, except for 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. 3B ).

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. 10B ).

Sexual dimorphism. Female differs from male in the following characters: body slightly broadened posteriad ( Fig. 3E ); antennal club straight, considerably shorter ( Fig. 3H ); eyes small (width of both eyes combined shorter than maximum width of frons between eyes) ( Fig. 3H ); metatibia more strongly expanded apically; tarsomeres of all legs shorter ( Fig. 3E ).

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 11.2–14.3 mm (holotype 13.8 mm); ♀♀ 13.2–13.9 mm.

Differential diagnosis. Canuschiza croton 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 ( Figs 3A,D ); antennal club almost straight, shorter than antennal shaft (antennomeres I–VII combined) ( Figs 3A,D ); anterior margin of clypeus finely upturned, shallowly sinuate medially ( Figs 3A,D ); eyes considerably large (width of both eyes combined larger than maximum width of frons between eyes) ( Figs 3A,D ); lateral margins of pronotum bare; posterior angles of pronotum rectangular, sharp, moderately produced posteriad ( Fig. 3C ); elytra densely irregularly punctate, each puncture bearing scale-like macroseta, longer than puncture diameter; scale-like macrosetae of pronotum and elytra narrow ( Figs 3A,C ); macropterous. For tentative differentiation of females refer to the identification keys below.

Etymology. Derived from the Latin generic name of Croton sulcifructus Balf. f. ( Euphorbiaceae ), plant endemic to Socotra; noun in nominative case, in apposition.

Collecting circumstances. All type material was captured attracted to light (J. Hájek, pers. comm. 2014).

Geographical distribution. Type material originates from wadi Zerig and wadi Esgego located in Central Socotra, for details see BEZDĚK et al. (2012).

Figures

Figs 3A–H. Canuschiza croton sp. nov., dorsal view: A–D – male, holotype, body length 13.8 mm; E–H – female, paratype No. 4, body length 13.9 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.