Aethina (Circopes) subquadrata ( Motschulsky, 1858 )

Dasgupta, Jhikmik & Pal, Tarun Kumar, 2022, On Aethina Erichson of Northeast India (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae: Nitidulinae), Zootaxa 5124 (5), pp. 533-550 : 538

1. Aethina (Circopes) subquadrata ( Motschulsky, 1858)

Pocadius subquadratus Motschulsky, 1858: 43 .

Circopes subquadratus: Grouvelle, 1913b: 365 ; Grouvelle, 1913a: 175.

Circopes kraatzi Grouvelle, 1910: 247 . (Synonymised by Kirejtshuk, 1986)

Aethina (Circopes) subquadrata: Kirejtshuk, 1986: 68 .

Diagnosis: Body ( Figs. 23, 24 ) oval, yellowish brown to reddish brown, concolorous. Apex of pygidium truncate and basal margin undulated. Dorsum covered with dense, rather long, thick, golden, decumbent setae.

Head transverse, about as broad as long; punctation on frons round, distinct, diameter about the size of the eye facets, separated by about 1–2 diameter of punctures; punctures on vertex coarse and round, about 2× of eye facets; setae on frons moderately long and dense, decumbent; eyes large and moderately projected, about 0.3× as long as head, outer margin rounded, finely facetted. Antenna about 1.1× as long as head; antennal club about 1.4× as long as broad, about 0.3× as long as antenna.

Prothorax transverse (l.0: 1.9), anterior margin deeply emarginate; sides arcuate, posterior margin bisinuate, anterior angle sharply obtuse, posterior angle somewhat pointed. Pronotum rather convex, surface punctate, punctures separated on top of pronotal disc by 0.5–1 diameter; moderately long, decumbent setae present on disc.

Scutellar shield transverse, about 1.9× as broad as long, boat-shaped with rounded apex, corners rounded; punctures finer than those on pronotum, separated by 2–5 diameters of puncture, setae short, thick, decumbent, posteriorly directed.

Elytra together about 1.1× as broad as long, anterior margin somewhat loosely fitting with posterior margin of prothorax, humeral angles nearly right-angled with corners somewhat rounded, sides uniformly arcuate, apices separately rounded; punctures shallow, indistinct; setae rather long, dense, semi-erect and posteriorly directed.

Exposed portion of abdominal tergites about 3.1× as broad as long, anal sclerite in males usually not visible from underneath the pygidium; surface punctate-pubescent with setae short, closely appressed to the surface of the abdomen, posteriorly directed.

Ventral side testaceous-brown with meso-metaventrite and abdominal ventrite I somewhat darker than the rest of the ventral surface; gular region of head with subparallel antennal grooves running posterad. A median longitudinal carina present on mesoventrite; metaventrite densely punctate, mesocoxal lines reaching almost up to the length of the metaventral-metanepisternal suture from base, thereby making a distinct axillary space.

Aedeagus ( Figs. 26, 28–29 ): Parameres U-shaped, with sub-parallel sides and rounded apex, setae of varying length present from posterior fourth and apical margin, setae on apical margin longer. Median lobe broadly elongate with nipple-shaped apex and rounded basal margin.

Ovipositor ( Fig. 27 ) with distinct paraprocts, valvifers, coxites and styli. Styli arise from sides of apices of coxites.

Measurements (in mm): Total length 1.48–1.91, width of head across eyes 0.33–0.35, length of antenna 0.35– 0.44, length and width of prothorax 0.68–0.70 and 1.12–1.17, length and width of elytra together 1.01–1.11 and 1.12–1.14.

Material examined: INDIA: Assam, Lumding (25.76688 ° N, 93.16460 ° S), 2 ex., 04.iii.2014, J. Dasgupta, ex. flower of flat beans .

Distribution: INDIA: Assam (New Record), Tamil Nadu; SRI LANKA; LAOS; THAILAND; VIETNAM; INDONESIA: Sulawesi; BRUNEI.

Figures

FIGURES 19–24. 19, 21, 23, (dorsal habitus): 19, Aethina (Idaethina) orientalis (Nietner, 1856); 21, Aethina (Idaethina) subrugosa (Grouvelle, 1894); 23, Aethina (Circopes) subquadrata (Motschulsky, 1858); 20, 22, 24, (ventral habitus): 20, Aethina (Idaethina) orientalis (Nietner, 1856); 22, Aethina (Idaethina) subrugosa (Grouvelle, 1894); 24, Aethina (Circopes) subquadrata (Motschulsky, 1858).

FIGURES 25–39. Aethina (Circopes) subquadrata (Motschulsky, 1858): 25–29: 25, abdomen with pygidium, dorsal view, photograph; 26, male genitalia with tegmen and median lobe, microphotograph; 27, ovipositor, microphotograph; 28, male genitalia: tegmen, line drawing; 29, male genitalia: median lobe, line drawing; Aethina (Aethina) vicina Grouvelle, 1894: 30–31, 34–35: 30, male genitalia: tegmen, line drawing (derived from Kirejtshuk, 1986); 31, male genitalia: median lobe, line drawing (derived from Kirejtshuk, 1986); 34, dorsal habitus; 35, ventral habitus. Aethina (Aethina) nigrocastanea Grouvelle, 1903: 32–33, 36–39; 32, male genitalia: tegmen, line drawing; 33, male genitalia: median lobe, line drawing; 36, ventral habitus, photograph; 37, dorsal habitus; 38, male genitalia: tegmen, microphotograph; 39, male genitalia: median lobe, microphotograph.