Cyphon ovalis Motschulsky, 1858 : 62

Ruta, Rafał, 2009, Revision of Scirtidae (Insecta: Coleoptera) described by Victor Ivanovitsch Motschulsky, Zootaxa 2210, pp. 26-50 : 31-32

Cyphon ovalis Motschulsky, 1858: 62

( Figs. 2 , 23–27 )

= Hydrocyphon ovalis: Motschulsky 1863: 486 ; 1869: 73 Type material. Holotype, male: [small red square label]; [small round yellow label]; “ Type ” [small rectangular label, handwritten]; [rectangular red label]; “ Hydrocyphon / ovalis / Motsch. / Ind. or. Ceyl. Mt. N.” [yellow rectangular label]; deposited in ZMUM.

Additional material studied. 2 males: Sri Lanka c., Idalgashinna, 1400 m., 25 km SW of Badulla, 6–9 IV 1994, leg. Z. Kejval, coll. R. Ruta.

Diagnosis. Externally, S. ovalis is similar to many other yellowish-brown Cyphon Payk. Certain identification is based on the penis having a pair of inwardly hooked projections and a pair of lateral outgrowths.

Redescription. Holotype, male. Measurements: TL 2.15, EW 1.40, EL 1.80, PW 0.95, PL 0.42, HW 0.70, HL 0.40, interocular space 0.50, greatest depth of body 0.80.

Body small, oval, convex, covered with yellow setae. Entire body yellowish-brown, antennae darkened apically. Body length 1.5X width.

Head transverse, width 1.8X length, 1.4X width of interocular space, with a subtle granulate punctation, eyes of moderate size, slightly protuberant. Antennae filiform (only right antenna present in the holotype), antennomere 1 subglobular with sharp anterior edge, antennomere 2 subcylindrical, 3 of similar length like 2, but narrower, 4 slightly longer and broader than 3; length ratios of antennomeres 1.7: 1.0: 1.0: 1.3: 1.0: 1.0: 1.0: 1.0: 1.0: 1.0: 1.7; L/W ratios of antennomeres 1.7, 1.5, 2.0, 2.0, 1.5, 1.5, 1.5, 1.5, 1.5, 1.5, 2.5. Anterior clypeal margin straight, labrum narrow, with rounded anterolateral angles and small emargination in apical part. Mandibles with sharp edges, left mandible with a small denticle on mesal edge.

Pronotal width 2.3X length, widest at base. Pronotal disc with granulate punctation similar to that on head. Posterior margin of pronotum subtly bisinuate. Anterior angles slightly explanate, posterior angles more or less straight. Lateral margins narrowing anteriorly. Pronotum distinctly narrower than elytra. Scutellum subtriangular, with subtle punctation.

Elytra oval, without distinct longitudinal ridges, length 1.3X width and 4.3X length of pronotum, broadest in the middle of its length. Sides regularly converging to apex in posterior half. Humeri clearly evident. Punctation distinct, granulate, distance between punctures ca. 1.0–2.0 diameters. Epipleura abruptly narrowed behind metaventrite, present till apex. Hind wings fully developed.

Prosternal process broad, length ca. 1.5X width, rhomboidal, basal part elongated. Mesocoxae separated by a relatively broad process (as long as wide) slightly emarginate at apex, metaventral discrimen present in posterior half. A rudimentary transverse groove subparallel to metafemora is present on metaventrite. Metaventrite short, ratio of abdominal ventrites’ lengths 1.0: 2.2: 2.2: 2.0: 1.5.

Male genitalia. Penis (L 0.28, W 0.23) plate-like, with two long, inwardly hooked, apical projections, pair of mesal tuberculiform outgrowths, and a pair of straight outward lateral projections; tegmen (L 0.25, W 0.21) U-shaped, relatively broad; tergites 8 and 9 in consisting of hemitergites (L 0.50), hemitergites of tergite 8 with membranous apical portions, hemitergites of tergite 9 sharply pointed, tempered.

Variability. TL varies in examined specimens from 2.12 to 2.20.

Remarks. The species was reported under the name Hydrocyphon ovatus in Motschulsky 1863, and Motschulsky 1869, without any further comments.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 8. Habitus illustrations. 1) Cyphon atratus; 2) Cyphon ovalis; 3) Cyphon flavescens, male; 4) Cyphon flavescens, female; 5) Hydrocyphon rufithorax, male; 6) Hydrocyphon rufithorax, female; 7) Mescirtes gagatinus; 8) Mescirtes gagatunus, close-up. Scale bar = 1.0.

FIGURES 23 – 27. Cyphon ovalis, male. 23) penis; 24) tegmen; 25) tergite 8; 26) tergite 9; 27) male genitalia. Scale bar = 0.1.