Telephanus serratus Nevermann

Thomas, Michael C., 2011, Two new Neotropical species of Telephanus Erichson near T. serratus Nevermann (Coleoptera: Silvanidae) Michael C. Thomas, Insecta Mundi 2011 (197), pp. 1-11 : 2-3

Telephanus serratus Nevermann

Figure 1 , 4-8

Telephanus serratus Nevermann, 1931:161

Diagnosis. The combination of eight lateral pronotal spines situated on prominent teeth, small eyes located far in advance of the base of the head, and an antennal scape broader basally than apically separates this species from all other Mesoamerican species except for the two described below. From them it can be distinguished by its testaceous coloration with an m-shaped dark mark on the elytra, its dual form of elytral pubescence, and shape of the parameres.

Nevermann’s 1931 detailed description is translated as follows (paragraph indents have been added for clarity):

Telephanus serratus sp.n. Taf. V, fig.4.

Yellow to brown yellow, antennae, head and thorax usually darker than elytra and legs, mouth parts yellow, Elytra almost always with m-shaped black markings just behind the middle. Very flat, wide shape, eyes wide in front, thorax and elytra on the edge with large, serrated bristle teeth.

Antennae monochrome, slender, 2/3 as long as the insect, the last 5-6 segments thickened slightly. Due to compact segmentation, the antennae are almost thread-like. Scape at the end thinner than at the base, apical segment very fine; segment 2 notably shorter than 3, both together equal to 2/3 of the 1st, 4th half as long as 1; 5 and 6 shorter than 4, about equal to each other; 7 -10. each of these a little shorter than his previous one, until the 10th equal to 1/3 of the 1st is, the final segment ♂ equal to half 1, the ♀ slightly longer and slimmer.

Head width across oval, as long, very flat, finely hairy. Eyes small, coarsely faceted, slightly protruding, arranged far to the front to 1 1/4 of its length from the thorax. Temples rounded very wide neck half as wide as the head. Frontal suture straight, weak, Antennal insertions flat. Punc- tures oblong, coarse, dense and flat, often running together. At the underside next to the eyes are some coarse punctures. The final member of the labial palpi is wide and very short.

Thorax wider than the head, quadrate, in the central axis roof shaped, front and rear edge is straight, parallel side edges inflected, just before the posterior angles slightly. At the anterior edge of each side are in addition to the three angles strong bristle teeth at the side edges 7 are inclined forward directed, saw-like, strong bristle teeth. Under the 2nd tooth stands yet a smaller. The marginal groove is just visible between the point-like teeth. The strong brown bristles are short, more than 1/4 the length of the thoracic width. The punctuation is coarse, moderately deep, often confluent. Scutellum is small, slightly triangular, coarsely punctured, the transverse furrow glossy, wide at the rear edge.

Elytra oval, almost flat, 3 1/2 times as long as the thorax and 2 times as long as wide, broadest just behind the middle. Rounded shoulders, short, wide, rounded, apically truncate, suture slightly gaping. Punctate striae irregular, coarse, slightly weak towards the end, the intervals, therefore, very narrow, slightly convex. The front edge of the elytra is sharp; saw-like, rearwardly directed bristle teeth are on the shoulder and the front half of the side edge that are alternately tipped with a long and a short bristle. follow behind these little teeth, regularly and the close texture with a reception obliquely rearward bristle. The margin expansion in the middle is very broad. On the last interval finer vertical bristles are from the shoulder to the end where they are slightly longer. On each interval is a series of regularly arranged, fine upright tactile bristles, while the fine hair is rooted in the punctate striae.

The prothorax is, adjacent to the center, sparsely punctate; the mesothorax and the metathorax coarsely at the sides, as the first two abdominal segments and the 3rd on the sides. The median groove of the metathorax is deep, closed at the rear narrow. The sex differences at the anal segment are slight, the ♂ has the trailing edge more distended than the ♀. Legs are short and strong. The wings are transparent with yellow midribs, only the radius is smoke colored. They are relatively short, 2.5 to 2.6 mm long and 0.9 mm wide.

Size: Length 3.1 to 3.7 mm, width 1-1.2 mm.

Locations: Costa Rica, Bananito, Hamburg Farm, Farm Iberia, Ramal Parismina. Panamá, Porte Bello (February 1911, EA Schwarz coll), Museum of Washington.

Types and cotypes in my collection. I have also given cotypes to the Hamburg Museum and to the British Museum. The specimens in the Washington Museum from Panamá are cotypes.

T. serratus is unique because of its peculiar bristle teeth and is also immediately recognized by the large flat head. ( T. 4-punctatus Schauf. and cubanus Nev. i. litt. have similar shape of the head and thorax.) The 92 specimens from Costa Rica, I found all at the Atlantic side from sea level to 300 m high. Only in March and December were not yet found specimens. In August and October were the most ; newly hatched specimens and were found in copula pairs also most common in these months. This species is not common, the biggest catch of a day was 16 specimens in October and only 8 in February. In 3 specimens that lack the dark markings of the elytra, it may not yet be fully colored. The beetle is mostly dependent on the withered leaves of banana (Musa sapientum), rarely on the Platanus (Musa paradisiaca) and at the Manila banana (Musa textilis). Furthermore, in palm leaves (Acanthorhiza sp. and Elaeis melanococca), on Heliconia imbricata dead leaves and other plants unknown to me. A specimen on dry bark and one from the bark of a dying cocoa tree .

Additional descriptive notes. Parameres relatively slender, apex strongly produced beyond insertion of large latero-apical seta ( Fig. 8 ). Body length 2.88 - 3.12mm.

Specimens examined. 30, in USNM, from: Costa Rica: Limón, Reventazón, Hamburg Farm ; Panama: Porto Bello ; Barro Colorado Is .; USA: New York, intercepted on bananas from Panama. Thirteen of the specimens from Costa Rica are labelled by Nevermann as co-types ; one Schwarz specimen from Panama is labelled as a co-type ; the other five Schwarz specimens bear red paper triangles. Nevermann (1931) noted (see above) that the Schwarz specimens from Panama were all co-types. I have not seen Nevermann specimens from the other museums in which he deposited material .

Figures

Figure 1. Telephanus serratus Nevermann, habitus.

Figure 4-7. Telephanus serratus. 4) Lateral edge of pronotum. 5) Lateral edge of elytron. 6) Pronotal punctation. 7) Elytral pubescence.

Figure 8-10. Parameres. 8) Telephanus serratus. 9) Telephanus bellus. 10) Telephanus monstrosus.