Deromecus longitarsis Fuller, 2021

Fuller, E. R., 2021, Two new species of Deromecus Solier from Guatemala (Coleoptera: Elateridae: Pomachiliini), Insecta Mundi 2021 (900), pp. 1-8 : 5-7

Deromecus longitarsis Fuller , new species

Figures 4 , 7

Type material. Holotype male ( FSCA): GUAT. QUETZALTENANGO: 8 km e. Zunil, Fuentes Georginas , 2422m; 16–18.v.2017; E. Fuller // 14° 45.023′N 91° 28.834′W; lt./lt.trap; 17-3 . Paratype male ( ERFC): GUAT. QUET- ZALTENANGO: 8 km e. Zunil, Fuentes Georginas, 2700m ; 17.v.2017; E. Fuller// 14°45.025′N 91°28.834′W; beating: pine-cypress forest; 17-4A.

Diagnosis. Deromecus longitarsis differs from D. georginas by larger size and shinier, less densely punctured pronotum. Specimens of D. longitarsis measured 8.0– 8.5 mm in length, vs. 6.5–7.0 mm for D. georginas . Pronotal punctures are separated by 1–2 times their own diameters along midlength in D. longitarsis exposing smooth, shiny cuticle. In D. georginas , pronotal punctures are contiguous throughout.

Description. Holotype male ( Fig. 4 ). Length 8.5 mm, width across humeri 2.0 mm. Head black, pronotum and elytra dark brown, ventral surface dark brown grading on abdomen to yellowish-brown on ventrite 5, antennal scape yellowish brown, other articles dark brown; trochanter, femur and tibia yellowish brown, coxae and tarsi dark brown; setae yellow. Head. Frons convex, slightly flattened anterad eyes, frontoclypeal carina incomplete, separated by one puncture at midlength, curved ventrally, separated from anterior margin at midlength by two punctures; punctures small, umbilicate, almost contiguous, interspaces smooth and shiny; setae semierect, about three puncture diameters long, directed away from midpoint of frons; clypeus densely contiguously punctured; anterior tentorial pits elongate, oblique; periocular space shallowly grooved; gena projecting anterad ventral mandibular condyle, anterior apex acute. Eyes convex, not protruding laterad pronotum. Antenna long, extending to metacoxa; secondary sexual setae present on antennomeres 4–11; antennomeres 2 and 3 subequal in length, subglobular, flattened, slightly longer than distal width, punctures minute; antennomeres 4–10 narrowly subtriangular, slightly widened distally, about three times as long as distal width, antennomere 4 slightly longer than each of antennomeres 5–10, punctures minute, interspaces roughened, subshiny; antennomere 11 subelliptical, about three times as long as maximum width, apex bluntly pointed, somewhat constricted in apical third. Mandibles asymmetrical, left mandible overlying right, right mandible grooved for reception of left with low oblique carina at base of groove; lateral surface shallowly concave, ventral margin carinate, projecting. Prothorax. Pronotum, in dorsal aspect, with lateral margins parallel anterad hind angles, anterior curvature absent, anterolateral angles not projecting; hind angles divergent, relatively narrow, apex truncate, without dorsal carina, mesal and lateral margins carinate, dorsal surface flat; posterior margin without basal sublateral incisures; punctures umbilicate, about same size as frontal punctures laterally, slightly smaller along midlength, almost contiguous laterally, separated by own diameters along midlength, interspaces smooth and shiny; setae as on head except directed posteriorly; lateral carina not visible in anterior half of pronotum; pronotum in lateral aspect shallowly convex, gradually declivous from anterior margin; lateral carina complete, directed anteroventrally, slightly sinuate. Hypomeron: mesal margin broadly curved mesally with wide, minutely punctured and setose border and submarginal groove, anteromesal angle flat, neither excavated nor raised, mesal margin and lateral pronotal carina meeting anterior margin at same point; punctures about same size as lateral pronotal punctures anteriorly, grading to minute at level of procoxa, absent posterad procoxa except laterally; setae about same length as pronotal setae, appressed, directed away from procoxa; posterolateral angle projecting, slightly longer than basal width, apex truncate. Prosternum convex, flattened along midlength, flat between procoxae; anterior lobe directed anteroventrally, anterior margin evenly convex with narrow, smooth and shiny margin; punctures small, almost contiguous throughout; setae as on pronotum; mucro elongate; in lateral aspect, curved posterodorsally, ventral margin to ventral apex about 2/3 length of dorsal margin to apex; ventral margin with Y-shaped carina to apex of ventral tooth, arms of carina reaching level of posterior margin of procoxa, ventral tooth with apex acute; dorsal margin wider than ventral margin, apex broadly rounded, setose. Pterothorax. Scutellum flat; declivous at same angle as adjacent elytra; shield-shaped, lateral margins subparallel, posterior margin broadly convex, anterior margin shallowly convex, thickened, not raised; punctures minute, interspaces smooth and shiny; setae as on pronotum. Elytra elongate, 6.5 times as long as wide, wider at base than pronotum, anterior margin convex, lateral margins subparallel in anterior 2/3, apex broadly truncate with small posterolateral and sutural teeth, teeth smaller on left elytron; elytra slightly convex, broadly flattened, intervals flat; punctate, shallowly striate, 3 rd and 4 th striae not reaching apex of elytron, strial punctures about same size as pronotal punctures, unevenly separated by up to own diameters; intervals minutely punctured; setae as on pronotum. Mesosternum flat, declivous laterally with anterolateral marginal pit; anterior articulating surface ventral with anterolateral angle projecting, acute; margins of cavity raised and beaded; anterior margin at cavity notched, lateral angles of notch extended posterolaterally as a high carina to anterior end of cavity; in ventral aspect, margins of cavity subparallel, carinate, carina not meeting anterior oblique carina; posterior margin between mesocoxae truncate, about same width as ventral surface of mesocoxa, overhanging grooved mesosternal-metasternal suture; posterior margin of cavity U-shaped, without projections; punctures minute, shallow; setae as on pronotum. Mesepisternum shallowly concave with anteromesal and anterolateral pits; anterior margin raised and thickened, smooth and shiny laterally, transversely striate mesally; interspaces rugose in anterior half, posterior half with interspaces smooth and shiny, punctures minute and sparse; sclerite at most forming a very short part of margin of mesocoxal cavity. Mesepimeron shallowly concave; mesepimeral-mesepisternal suture raised, carinate; anterolateral projection about as long as basal width, apex bluntly pointed. Metasternum convex; median sulcus in posterior ¾, sulcus grooved in posterior half; marginal ridge and submarginal groove present only on lateral margin; punctures minute, dense; setae as on prosternum. Metepisternum subrectangular, narrow, tapered posteriorly, anterior and posterior margins obliquely truncate; punctures and setae as on metasternum. Legs. Prothorax: Tibia with two tibial spurs. Tarsus: tarsomeres 1 and 5 subequal in length, tarsomeres 2–4 each slightly shorter than preceding tarsomere. Mesothorax: Trochantin visible, subrectangular, transverse. Otherwise as on prothorax except tibia and tarsus longer, and tibia with surface opposing femur with rows of stout spines. Metathorax: Metacoxal plate gradually narrowing in lateral half until almost absent laterally, posterior margin adjacent to femur-trochanter joint shallowly convex; punctures and setae as on pronotum. Femur longer than mesothoracic femur, at rest extends about 1/3 length laterad elytral margin. Tibia as on mesothorax except longer. Tarsus: tarsomere 1 longer than tarsomere 5, tarsomere 2 subequal in length to tarsomere 5, tarsomere 3 slightly shorter than tarsomere 2, tarsomere 4 about 2/3 length of tarsomere 3. Abdomen. Ventrites 1–4 shallowly convex, about three times as wide as long, punctures and setae as on pronotum; ventrite 5 subtriangular, slightly longer than wide, posterior margin broadly rounded and not recurved, punctures and setae in anterior half as on ventrite 4, grading to dense, almost contiguous, minute punctures and long setae in posterior half. Male genitalia ( Fig. 7 ); basal piece about as long as lobes, posterior margin with V-shaped notch in posterior half; endothecal sclerite needle-like; median lobe with posteroventral elliptical carina.

Variation. The paratype measured 8.0 mm in length. The pronotal punctures are smaller than on the holotype and separated by 1–2 times own diameter along midlength.

Female. Unknown.

Immature stages. Unknown.

Etymology. From the Latin longus (long) and Greek tarsos (foot), in reference to the relatively elongate metatarsi.

Figures

Figures 1–4. Habitus, dorsal, Deromecus species. 1) D. georginas, male. 2) D. georginas, female. 3) D. trivittatus, male. 4) D. longitarsis, male.

Figures 5–9. Genitalia and wing venation, Deromecus species. 5) D. georginas, male genitalia, dorsal. 6) D. trivittatus, male genitalia, dorsal (unpigmented apex of lateral lobes not shown). 7) D. longitarsis, male genitalia, dorsal. 8) D. georginas, female genitalia. 9) D. georginas, male wing venation. Abbreviations. cg: colleterial gland; csc: circular spine cluster; d: diverticulum; frc: frond-shaped spine cluster; fsc: fan-shaped spine cluster; sgd: spermathecal gland duct. Scale bar = 0.25 mm.