Pediacus bhutanicus Sen Gupta

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 : 37-39

Pediacus bhutanicus Sen Gupta

Figs. 3 A–D.

Pediacus bhutanicus Sen Gupta, 1978: 221 .

Diagnosis. Recognisable by the combination of the following characters: large size (length 4.5 mm), head and pronotum densely and deeply punctured, pronotum with acute anterior, postero-medial and posterior denticles, elytra with sides broadly curved. This species is similar to Pediacus pendleburyi sp. nov., but the sides of the pronotum are subparallel anteriorly and the anteromedial denticle is weakly produced to obsolete.

Redescription. Body length 4.5 mm (n=1), moderately elongate, 2.74× longer than wide; colour red-brown, head darker; pubescence long, pale, appressed and moderately conspicuous; surface moderately dull. Head transverse, 1.91× wider than long; puncturation deeply impressed and dense medially, increasing in size and density laterally with punctures separated by less than their diameter; setae long and appressed, conspicuous; microsculpture granulate, surface dull; eyes small, moderately projecting, ocular index 0.71, finely faceted, postocular denticle absent; antennae as in Fig. 3 C, antennomere VII larger than VI and VIII. Pronotum transverse, 1.30× wider than long, widest at about anterior 1/3, sides weakly rounded; lateral margins explanate, strongly reflexed with anterior, postero-medial and posterior denticles prominent and acute, antero-medial denticle weakly produced to obsolete; disc moderately impressed with a distinct pair of anterior depressions; puncturation, setation and microsculpture as for head, impunctate median strip faintly visible in basal 1/3. Elytra elongate,1.91× longer than wide, sides broadly curved; epipleura moderately explanate; puncturation moderately dense but weakly impressed basally, becoming more dense and deeply impressed laterally, puncturation faint on disc; setation moderately long, appressed and conspicuous; microsculpture granulate. Genitalia for male as in Fig. 3 D, parameres elongate, rounded apically; internal sac with microspinules basally and lacking a sclerotized apical section.

Type material. Holotype (male): “[ Bhutan] km 87 von 2215 [or 22/5] Phuntsholing // Nat. - Hist. Museum Basel Bhutan Expedition 1972 // HOLOTYPE [red lettering] // Pediacus bhutanicus T. Sen Gupta ♂ [Handwritten]” ( NHMB).

Distribution. Bhutan.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Pediacus species: (A – D) Pediacus bhutanicus Sen Gupta, holotype; P. carinatus sp. nov. (E, H, I) specimen from Sumatra; (F, G) specimen from Thailand. (A, E, F) Head and pronotum; (B, I) dorsal habitus; (C, G) antenna; (D, H) aedeagus.