Philippistenia levitemporalis ( Heller, 1924 ) Botero & Vives, 2021

Botero, Juan Pablo & Vives, Eduard, 2021, Philippistenia, a new Disteniini genus from the Philippines (Coleoptera: Disteniidae), Zootaxa 5047 (4), pp. 465-476 : 468-470

Philippistenia levitemporalis ( Heller, 1924) comb. nov.

( Figs 20–33 )

Distenia levitemporalis Heller 1924: 163 ; Villiers 1959: 65.

Distenia lecitemporalis ; Villiers 1958: 264 (misspelling).

Distenia (Distenia) levitemporalis ; Santos-Silva & Hovore 2007a: 21.

Type material examined. Lectotype female ( Fig. 20 ) (present designation): “1924 / 6”, “ Island / Samar / Baker ”, “22409”, “levitemporalis / Typus ”, “Staatl. Museum für / Tierkunde Dresden ” ( SNSD)

Paralectotype male ( Figs 23–26 ): “ Island / Samar / Baker ”, “22409”, “ Distenia / levitemporalis / Hllr ” ( USNM)

Additional material examined. PHILIPPINES, Luzón, Cagayan Valley: Quirino ( Sierra Madre ), female, II.2014, local collector ( PCEV) ; Central Luzon: Aurora ( Sierra Madre ), female, III.2006, local collector, ( PCEV) ; Quezon, Moragondon Real , male, V.2006, J. Dovie leg. ( PCEV) . Luzón is a new island group record.

Remarks: Heller (1924) described D. levitemporalis from Insula [ Island] Samar ( Philippines). In the original description, the author provided specific dimensions, not ranges: “Long. 12 (antennarum c. 22), lat. hum. 2.2. [length 12 mm (antennae 22 mm), humeral width 2.2].” But this fact does not prove that he had only a single specimen. In the same work, Heller described Nemophas subterrubens , also from the Philippines and collected by Baker, also providing specific dimensions: “Long. 28, lat. hum. 9.8 mm.” However, recently was discovered that the type series was composed by at least two specimens, one of them deposited at USNM and the other one at the SNSD; both specimens have identical labels of locality and collection number (see Wallin et al. 2014), and it was designated a lectotype and a paralectotype. In the same work there are some other examples where Heller indistinctly provided dimensions of a single specimen or of more specimens. For example, Isopterus brevior was described based at least on a couple, but he provided only one length and one width; but in the description of Isopterus tesselatus and Artapocyrtus rufipes based at least on a couple, he provided a range of measurements.

Regarding D. levitemporalis , there is at least one specimen at the SNSD ( Fig. 20 ). This specimen has a red label with the name of the species handwritten by Heller, but also with “ typus ” printed ( Fig. 21 ). Furthermore, there is a label by Charles Fuller Baker with the number of the specimen in his collection (22409— Heller (1924) mentioned this number). Additionally, there is also one specimen at the USNM ( Figs 23–26 ), without identification by Heller, with a red label with the name of the species, but also with a label with the number “22409” handwritten by Baker, and a printed label with the place of collection (identical to that in the specimen deposited at the SNSD — Fig. 22 ). As in relation to D. heterotarsalis , probably, this red label was posteriorly added by someone from the USNM who believed to be a type .

We believe that Heller (1924) had more than one specimen when described D. levitemporalis , and that he returned at least one specimen to Baker. Therefore, following ICZN (1999: 72.4.1.1), we are considering the specimen deposited in the USNM as part of the type series. This seems coherent because the specimen has two labels identical to those in the specimen in the SNSD. It is difficult to believe that Baker had more than one specimen and sent only one to Heller. It is important to note that other species described in the same work had more than one specimen sent by Baker. Apparently, Heller (1924) considered the specimen with “Typus” label as the holotype, and retained it to his private collection.

In order to promote nomenclatural stability and facilitate further identifications of this species, a lectotype and paralectotype are herein designated.

Philippistenia levitemporalis can be differentiated by the other species of the genus by the genae with coarse transverse wrinkles; the antennae entirely reddish-brown; humeri finely granulated laterally; scutellum surrounded by dark area; and anterior third of each elytron with a dark area medially.

Figures

FIGURES 20–33. Philippistenia levitemporalis (Heller, 1924). 20–21. Lectotype, female. 20. dorsal view; 21. Labels. 22–26. Paralectotype. 22. Labels; 23. Dorsal view; 24. Ventral view; 25. Lateral view; 26. Frontal view; 27–33. Male terminalia. 27. Tergite VIII; 28–30. Median lobe. 28. Dorsal view; 29. Lateral view; 30. Ventral view. 31–33. Tegmen. 31. Dorsal view; 32. Lateral view; 33. Ventral view. Scale = 1 mm.