Trypheridium nuristanicum ( Wittmer, 1956 )

Zubair, R. M., Maqbool, Amir, Wachkoo, Aijaz Ahmad & Biffi, Gabriel, 2021, A review of the Himalayan genus Trypheridium Brancucci (Coleoptera: Cantharidae: Chauliognathinae with description of a new species, European Journal of Taxonomy 764, pp. 18-36 : 29-33

Trypheridium nuristanicum ( Wittmer, 1956) nom. emend.

Figs 6–7

Trypherus nuristanicus Wittmer, 1956: 158 .

Ichthyurus lopatini Medvedev, 1964: 44 , fig. 1.

Ichthyurus lopatini – Wittmer 1972: 121 (synonym).

Trypherus nuristanicus – Magis & Wittmer 1974: figs 7, 11 (morphology). — Delkeskamp 1977: 479 (catalogue). — Brancucci 1980: 257, fig. 219 (morphology).

Trypheridium nuristanicus – Brancucci 1985a: 246, figs 1–4 (re-description); 1985b: 296 (species list). — Kazantsev 2004: 30 (catalogue); 2012: 403 (catalogue). — Kazantsev & Brancucci 2007: 297 (catalogue).

Diagnosis

Trypheridium nuristanicum differs from T. kashmiricum sp. nov. in the structure of the male and female terminal abdominal segments. In males, the right blade of tergite IX is undivided terminally and tergite X is divided into two short asymmetrical lobes. Sternite VII in females is short, partly exposing sternite VIII, with 2 projections at the distal margin.

Material examined (from photographs)

Paratypes AFGHANISTAN • 1 ♂; Nuristan, Baschgaltal ; 1200 m a.s.l.; 15Apr.1953; Wittmer W. leg.; [Klapperich J., Afghanistan exped.]; “Paratype; CANTHARIDAE, CANTH 00014269, [QR Code label]”; NHMB • 1 ♂, 4 ♀♀, same collection data as for preceding; det. Wittmer W.; “Paratype; Trypherus nuristanicus Wittm.; CANTH00013839 ; [QR Code label]”; NHMB • 1 ♂; Nuristan, Baschgaltal ; 1100 m a.s.l.; 15 Apr.1953; Wittmer W. leg.; “Klapperich J., Afghanistan exped.”; NHMB.

Re-description (partly adapted from Wittmer 1956 and Brancucci 1985a)

Coloration

Head black in the vertex and occipital region, yellow in the frons and clypeus. Antennae dark brown, except the three or four first antennomeres and sometimes the underside of the later, yellow. Palpi light brown, infuscate at distal palpomeres. Pronotum yellow with a transversal black band at posterior half, nearly reaching the lateral and posterior pronotal margins. Elytra sulphur yellow, sometimes lighter at the apex; a triangular dark brown patch from the base of elytra extending posteriorly along the suture up to about posterior third of elytra. Wings, meso- and metaventrite dark brown to black. Legs usually black; fore tibia and base of femur sometimes testaceous to light brown, fore femur rarely completely testaceous; bases of mid femur and tibia sometimes lighter. Abdominal ventrites and tergites dark brown to black at the centre and yellow at the margins; last ventrites and tergites mostly to completely yellow. Coloration in females, especially of the legs, usually a little darker.

Male ( Fig. 6 )

HABITUS. Length 6.5–8.5 mm ( Fig. 6A ).

HEAD. Head (including the eyes) wider than pronotum; vertex flat, frons slightly concave between eyes, with fine longitudinal furrow in middle, which ends in semicircular impression between antennae sockets; integument smooth and lustrous, with very small punctures and densely covered with short and fine setae. Eyes large, bulging; interocular space slightly wider than widest width of eye. Antennae filiform, slender, reaching apex of elytra posteriorly, covered with short and fine setae; antennomere I slender, II more than a third shorter than III, antennomeres IV and V subequal and following decreasing in length.

PRONOTUM. Transverse ( Fig. 6B ) 1.1 times as wide as long, sides narrowed posteriorly, anterior margin regularly arched, anterior angles barely defined, posterior margin projected posteriorly, truncate at middle and concave laterally; disc slightly arched, integument smooth and lustrous, coarsely punctured and densely covered with fine pubescence. Scutellum with sides parallel, apex truncate.

ELYTRA. Short, 1.4 times longer than width of both elytra; sides slightly narrowed at posterior third, sutures parallel anteriorly and dehiscent from posterior third, apex of each elytron rounded and flattened; integument slightly rugose, almost smooth, with fine punctures and densely covered with short and fine setae.

LEGS. Slender, increasing in length from fore to hind, without strong modifications. Apex of fore tibia with pair of tiny spurs ( Fig. 6C ).

ABDOMEN. Weakly sclerotised; tergite VIII globose ( Fig. 6D ), longer and wider than preceding ones, distal margin arcuate, concave, posterior angles with conspicuous glandular openings; tergite IX modified into capsule with two elongate, asymmetrical and protruding lamellae (blades) that converge towards apex ( Fig. 6E–F ): left blade curved ventrally and posteriorly, long, flattened, weakly sclerotised, apex broadly rounded; right blade shorter, more strongly curved ventrally, apex rounded, undivided; tergite X strongly narrowed ( Fig. 6F ), longer than wide, split at base into two asymmetrical lobes projected posteriorly, one of lobes slightly shorter than other. Sternite VIII asymmetrical, distal margin deeply notched, sinuous, with sides projected posteriorly; sternite IX lamellar ( Fig. 6F ), weakly sclerotised, concealed underneath tergites VII and VIII.

AEDEAGUS. Elongate, weakly sclerotised ( Fig. 6G–I ); left paramere absent, right paramere and prolongation of tegmen directed posteriorly. Right paramere elongated, ventral face with row of setae, apex flattened, forming rounded lobe; left prolongation of tegmen broad and lamellar, margins sinuous, apex truncate with tip pointing laterally, outer margin with fringe of setae. Median lobe membranous, short, not twisted, opening broad, located apically.

Female ( Fig. 7 )

Similar to males, except for eyes smaller, less protruding, interocular space 1.4 times larger than widest diameter of eye; antennae shorter, not reaching apex of elytra posteriorly. Sternite VII strongly and variably modified, elongate, projected distally into pair of forked lamellar projections, parallel to slightly divergent, apices rounded, sides of projections angulate at base or near mid length ( Fig. 7B ); sternite VIII subquadrate, broad and long, partly concealed by sternite VII, lateral margins arched, distal margin with rounded projecting lobe in middle tergite VIII convex, lateral margins slightly arched, distal margin broadly arched, concave, distal angles projected posteriorly, with glandular openings; tergite IX short and broad, distal margins slightly arched, concave ( Fig. 7C ). Genitalia membranous ( Fig. 7D ); vagina long and broad; bursa copulatrix elongate, wrinkled, spiralling; spermatheca formed by two tubular projections; accessory gland large, connected by long winding duct to the postero-dorsal part of bursa copulatrix.

Remarks

Brancucci (1985a) proposed Trypheridium nuristanicus (sic) as a new combination in his description of the neuter genus Trypheridium , of which it is the type species. He omitted to adjust the gender of the species name to agree with Trypheridium . The gender of nuristanicus (an adjective formed from the name of the type locality Nuristan in Afghanistan) is emended to nuristanicum to agree with the neuter Latin suffix -idium of Trypheridium ( ICZN 1999, Art. 34.2). When proposing the genus, LeConte (1851)

did not give an etymology for Trypherus , but Gemminger & Harold (1869) defined the name as meaning “ debilis ” (week, feeble, fragile, etc). “ Trypheridium ” is a diminutive, a ‘little Trypherus ’.

Distribution

Tajikistan; Afghanistan (Nuristan); Pakistan (Swat) ( Fig. 8A ).

Figures

Fig. 6. Trypheridium nuristanicum (Wittmer, 1956) nom. emend., paratype, ♂ (CANTH00014269, NHMB). A. Dorsal habitus. B. Pronotum. C. Apex of fore tibia showing a pair of tiny spurs (arrow). D. Terminal segments, dorsal view. E. Terminal segments, ventral view. F. Terminal segments, lateral view. G–H. Aedeagus, lateral view. I. Aedeagus, ventral view. J. Paratype label. Abbreviations: IX St =sternite IX; IX Tg Lt =left blade of tergite IX; IX Tg Rt =right blade of tergite IX; X Tg =Tergite X; Pr Tg =prolongation of tegmen; Rt Pr =right paramere. Scale bars:A–B, D–F = 0.5 mm; C, G–I =0.1 mm. Line drawings (F, H) adapted from Magis & Wittmer (1974).

Fig. 7. Trypheridium nuristanicum (Wittmer, 1956) nom. emend., paratype, ♀ (CANTH00013839, NHMB). A. Habitus, dorsal view.B. Terminal segments, ventral view.C. Terminal segments, dorsal view. D. Genitalia. E. Paratype label. Abbreviations: VII St =sternite VII; IX Tg =tergite IX; Agl=accessory gland; Bc=bursa copulatrix; Ov= oviduct; Sp =spermatheca; Vg=vagina. Scale bars: 0.5 mm. Line drawing (D) adapted from Brancucci (1985a).

Fig. 8. A. Global distribution of species of Trypheridium Brancucci, 1985. B. Sampling site of Trypheridium kashmiricum sp. nov.