Pediacus pendleburyi Marris & Ślipiński, 2014

Marris, John W. M. & Ślipiński, Adam, 2014, A revision of the Pediacus Shuckard 1839 (Coleoptera: Cucujidae) of Asia and Australasia, Zootaxa 3754 (1), pp. 32-58 : 49-50

Pediacus pendleburyi Marris & Ślipiński , sp. nov.

Figs. 8 A–D.

Diagnosis. Recognisable by the combination of the following characters: body form relatively broad, head and pronotum with puncturation deeply impressed and more or less evenly dense, eyes strongly projecting, pronotum with sides weakly convergent anteriorly, elytra with epipleura strongly explanate. This species is similar to P. bhutanicus but the sides of the pronotum are more strongly convergent anteriorly and the anteromedial denticle is more strongly produced.

Description. Body length 4.1–4.6 mm (n=2), moderately elongate, 2.75× longer than wide; colour unifrom red-brown, legs slightly paler; pubescence short, pale, appressed and inconspicuous; surface dull. Head transverse, 1.79× wider than long; puncturation deeply impressed and more or less evenly dense with punctures separated by distinctly less than their diameter; setae short and appressed, inconspicuous; microsculpture faintly reticulate, surface dull; eyes moderately large, strongly projecting, ocular index 0.69, finely faceted, postocular denticle absent; antennae as in Fig. 8 D, antennomere VII and VIII distinctly larger than VI. Pronotum transverse, 1.30× wider than long, widest at about midpoint, sides weakly convergent anteriorly; lateral margins moderately explanate, anterior denticle prominent and acute, antero-medial and postero-medial denticles weakly produced and narrowly obtuse to acute, posterior denticle small and acute; disc weakly impressed; puncturation as for head with impunctate median strip present in basal 1/2, faint; setation very short, slightly longer than puncture diameter, microsculpture as for head. Elytra elongate, 1.86× longer than wide, sides subparallel, epipleura strongly explanate; puncturation dense and moderately impressed basally and laterally, puncturation weak on disc; setation short, appressed and inconspicuous; microsculpture reticulate-coriaceous to coriaceous on disc. Genitalia for male as in Fig. 8 C, parameres weakly elongate, narrowed basally and rounded apically; internal sac with weak tooth-like projections basally and a moderately sclerotized apical section.

Type material. Holotype (male): “[ Malaysia] Perak, 1100m, Gounong–Boubou W. Doherty [White card with black border] // Museum Paris ex Coll. Oberthur [Yellow card with black border] // HOLOTYPE Pediacus pendleburyi Marris & Ślipiński 2013 ”. Specimen on card point with genitalia mounted in DHMF on card below; deposited in MNHN.

Paratypes. MALAYSIA: PAHANG, F. M. S. [ Federated Malay States] Cameron's Highlands 4800–5500 ft. 8–6–1935 H. M. Pendlebury (1, BMNH); PAHANG F. M. S. Cameron's Highlands 4800 ft. 6–6–1935 H. M. Pendlebury (1, BMNH).

Distribution. Malaysia.

Etymology. This species is named in honour of Henry Maurice Pendlebury (1893–1945) for his contribution to Malaysian entomology. Pendlebury spent his entomological career based at the Selangor Museum in Kuala Lumpur, reaching the position of Director of Museums in 1938. His efforts to remove the entomological collections to a safer location in late 1941, shortly before the arrival of the Japanese forces during World War II, saved them from probable destruction from subsequent bombing. He was later captured in Singapore by the Japanese and held as a prisoner of war there for three years. Having survived that ordeal, he tragically died a few weeks after his release. Carpenter (1946) and Ivie (2011) give more detailed accounts of his life.

Figures

FIGURE 8. Pediacus species: (A – D) P. pendelburyi sp. nov.; (E – G) P. rufipes Grouvelle, holotype. (A, E) Head and pronotum; (B, G) dorsal habitus; (C) aedeagus; (D, F) antenna.