Malthodes aphroditae, Švihla, 2009

Švihla, Vladimír, 2009, New species of the subfamily Malthininae (Coleoptera: Cantharidae) from the western Palaearctic Region, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 49 (1), pp. 191-216 : 204-205

Malthodes aphroditae sp. nov.

( Figs. 11 , 25–27 )

Type locality. Northwestern Cyprus, 10 km south of Polis, north of Tera, northern slope, 500 m a.s.l.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: J, ‘ CYPRUS W., 53, Polis , 10 km S, Tera N, 500 m, NE-Hang [= northern slope], 19.iv.2006, Fritzlar leg. [white label, printed]’ ( NMEG) . PARATYPES: 2 ♀♀, same data as holotype ( AKKG) ; 4 JJ, ‘ Cyprus, Paphos distr., Polis 10 km W, Aphrodite Bay footpath, 35°04´N 32°18´E, 158 m, 21.iv.1999, R. Constantin [lgt.] [white label, printed]’ ( RCSF) ; 10JJ 13 ♀♀, ‘ Cyprus, Limassol district, Pissouri , 1 km SE, 34°40´N 32°43´E, 100 m, flowering hills, 19.iv.1999, R. Constantin [lgt.] [white label, printed]’ ( RCSF, NMPC) .

Description. Coloration. Head black, antennae sepia, mouthparts rusty to sepia. Prothorax sepia, posterior corners widely and posterior margin very narrowly bordered with egg-yolk yellow; in female, pronotum orange with anterior corners more or less widely and irregular median longitudinal spot sepia. Meso- and metasternum and legs sepia; ventral part of abdomen sepia to chestnut brown, sternites narrowly bordered with yellow. Scutellum and elytra sepia, each elytron with egg-yolk yellow apical spot.

Male. Head elongate; eyes small, very slightly protruding; head across eyes slightly narrower than pronotum; temporal margins of head anteriorly nearly parallel, posteriorly arcuately narrowing; surface of head very finely punctate and yellow pubescent, semilustrous. Antenna slightly exceeding elytral apex. Pronotum very slightly wider than long, its anterior margin widely rounded, anterior corners obtusely rounded, lateral margins moderately concave, posterior corners obtusely rounded, posterior margin slightly protruding apicad, widely rounded; surface of pronotum sculptured and pubescent similarly to head, semilustrous. Elytra very finely rugulose-lacunose and yellow pubescent, semilustrous. Last abdominal segments as in Figs. 25–27 ; last sternite in ventral view nearly parallel-sided. Aedeagus as in Fig. 11 .

Female. Antenna shorter than in male, not reaching elytral apex.

Length (J ♀): 3.2–3.8 mm.

Differential diagnosis. Malthodes aphroditae sp. nov. is similar to M. zurcheri Pic, 1911 ( Cyprus) and M. malickyi Wittmer, 1980 ( Cyprus) but differs from both species by the long and apically emarginate last tergite, more slender last sternite and narrow, apically tapering ventral part of the aedeagus (cf. WITTMER 1971b, 1980).

Etymology. Named after Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love of ancient Grecians, who according to the myth was born from sea spum on the coast of Cyprus.

Distribution. Cyprus.

Figures

Figs.9–12.Aedeagus, dorsal view.9 – Malthodes zdeneki sp. nov.(holotype); 10 – M.flagellatus sp. nov. (paratype); 11 – M. aphroditae sp. nov. (holotype); 12 – M. fritzlari sp. nov. (paratype). Scale bars = 0.1 mm.

Figs. 21–27. 21 – Malthinus peyerimhoffi Constantin, 1979, hind tibia of male. 22–24 – last abdominal segments of male, ventral view: 22 – Malthodes malinkorum sp. nov. (paratype); 23 – M. zdeneki sp. nov. (holotype); 24 – M. flagellatus sp. nov. (holotype). 25–27 – M. aphroditae sp. nov. (holotype): 25 – last abdominal segments of male, lateral view; 26 – last tergite of male, dorsal view; 27 – apical part of last sternite of male, oblique caudal view.