Synarmostes parrilloi, Ballerio, 2021

Ballerio, Alberto, 2021, The Ceratocanthinae of Madagascar and Comoro Islands: a revision of the genera Synarmostes and Goudotostes, and of the flightless Philharmostes, with description of 64 new species (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea, Hybosoridae), Fragmenta entomologica 53 (2), pp. 105-282 : 162-164

Synarmostes parrilloi sp. nov.

( Figs 23 e-f, 32 f-h, 35, 34 a-b) http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:FB6BABED-9718-43DB-9965-DE533908C692

Type series. Holotype, ♂, deposited in the collection of the Field Museum of Natural History , Chicago, IL, USA, labelled as follows: / Madagascar: Enakara (11 km NW), Rés. Andohahela 24° 34’ S 46° 49’ E, 800 m, rainforest, 17.XI.1992 / FMHD #92-163, Winkler extraction of sifted litter (leaf mold, rotten wood9 B. L. Fisher #492 (1-50) Field Mus. Nat. Hist. / Synarmostes parrilloi n. sp. det. A. Ballerio 2020 Holotypus ♂ / [distended, glued on card, dissected, male genitalia glued on a separate card, same pin]. Paratypes: 1 ♀ ( FMNH), same collecting data as holotype . Further material examined (excluded from the type series): 1 ♀ ( CASC): / CASENT 5504202 / Madagascar: Toliara Prov. Parc National d’Andohahela, Col du Sedro, 3.8 km 113° ESE Mahamavo, 37.6 km 341° NNW Tolagnaro, 21-25.I.2002 / 24° 45’ 50” S 046° 45’ 6” E coll: Fisher, Griswold et al., California Acad. of Sciences sifted litter montane rainforest elev. 900 m code: BLF 5010 /.

Diagnosis. Synarmostes parrilloi sp. nov. can be differentiated from all other species of Synarmostes by the following combination of characters: a) medium size, b) ventral ocular area medium-sized, c) dorsal ocular area present, d) dorsal setation absent (20×), e) flightlessness, f) pronotum without callosities on disc, g) pronotum slightly saddle-shaped in lateral view, h) elytral punctation small (punctures on basal third with an average width of about 1/50 the maximum width of each elytron) and shallow, i) carinae of elytral apical third irregular (with some weak tubercles or other irregularities), j) parameres inverted L-shaped in lateral view. Synarmostes parrilloi sp. nov. belongs to the tibialis group of species and can be differentiated from the other species of the group by the combination of characters b), c), g), h) and j).

Description. Size: HL = 0.7 mm; HW = 1.6 mm; PL = 1.3 mm; PW = 2.6 mm; EL = 2.7 mm; EW = 2.6 mm. Overall morphology as in generic description. Medium-sized flightless Synarmostes . Body moderately convex. Black, shiny, dorsum glabrous (20×), underside, tarsi and antennae reddish-brown, setation yellowish. Head: W/L ratio = 1.30; clypeal apex obtuse, apical projection protruding and sharp; dorsal ocular area small, interocular distance about 12 times the maximum width of dorsal ocular area, ventral ocular area medium; head dorsal surface covered by dense strongly impressed large simple punctation, less dense on disc (almost impunctate). Fore margin with some irregular transverse lines. Interpunctural distance of simple impressed punctures irregular: once or twice larger than the punctural diameter. Vertex smooth with one continuous transverse impressed irregular line. Pronotum: subrectangular (W/L ratio = 1.87), irregularly convex, slightly depressed anteromedially with fore margin distinctly raised, base and sides with sparse punctation, disc covered by dense short transverse impressed comma-shaped punctures, sides of disc covered by dense impressed large simple punctures. Interpunctural distance shorter than punctural diameter. Scutellum : base smooth, distal third covered by dense transverse small comma-shaped punctures. Elytra: longer than wide (W/L ratio = 0.92); subrectangular (dorsal view); inferior sutural stria reaching humeral area; humeral callus absent; elytral surface regularly strongly convex, covered by small (larger near elytral suture) dense horseshoe-shaped punctures with opening directed backward becoming larger and shallower on distal third. Interpunctural distance irregular: equal or smaller than punctural diameter. Elytral distal third with at least eight raised longitudinal irregular carinae. Wings: flightless. Male genitalia: aedeagus (L = 1.0 mm) with parameres as in Figs 32 f-g, spiculum gastrale (L = 0.9 mm) as in Fig. 32 h .

Etymology. Noun in the genitive case. Named after Philip P. Parrillo, former curatorial assistant at FMNH.

Distribution and habitat. Known from the type locality in southern Madagascar, at the southern foothills of the Anosyenne Mountains. The holotype was collected by sifting leaf litter in rainforest. The vegetation cover of the area, located in a sharp transition zone between the climate of the east and the sub-arid climate of the southwest, consists of patches of “moist evergreen forest” with weak seasonal variation ( Goodman et al. 2018), also known as “humid forest” ( Moat & Smith 2007). The collecting locality of the holotype falls within the protected area “Réserve Spéciale de Ambatotsirongorongo”.

Remarks. The female from Col du Sedro ( Fig. 34 a-b) is attributed to S. parrilloi sp. nov. but excluded from type series due to some slight differences in elytral punctation on distal third (more horseshoe-shaped punctures) and colour (slightly metallic blue).

Synarmostes separatus sp. nov.

( Figs 6 f , 13 c-d, 14 e-h, 30 d-f, 35) http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:5E68E635-73A1-409E-93E6-B8196B97072D

Type series. Holotype, ♂, deposited in the collection of the California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA, USA, labelled as follows: / CASTYPE 20259 / CASENT 8135305 / Madagascar: Toliara Prov. Parc National de Zombitse 19.8 km 84° E Sakaraha elev. 770 m 5-9 Feb. 2003 22° 50’ 36” S 044° 42’ 36” E / coll. Fisher, Griswold et al. California Acad. of Sciences sifted litter (leaf mold, rotten wood) in tropical dry forest collection code: BLF7510 / Synarmostes separatus n. sp. det. A. Ballerio 2020 Holotypus ♂ / [distended, glued on card, dissected, male genitalia glued on a separate card, same pin]. Paratypes: 1 ♀ ( CASC), same collecting data as holotype .

Diagnosis. Synarmostes aes sp. nov. can be differentiated from all other species of Synarmostes by the following combination of characters: a) large size, b) ventral ocular area medium-sized, c) dorsal ocular area present, d) dorsal setation absent (20×), e) flightlessness, f) pronotum without callosities on disc, g) sides of pronotum with a narrow longitudinal area with spars- er punctation with respect to paradiscal punctation, h) elytral punctation consisting of irregular rows of small transverse comma-shaped punctures, i) carinae of elytral apical third irregular (with some weak tubercles or oth- er irregularities), j) elytra with the most external apical carina strongly bisinuate apically, k) parameres in lateral view regularly curved apically. Synarmostes separatus sp. nov. belongs to the tibialis group of species. The habitus, mainly because of the pattern of pronotal and elytral punctation, recalls the one of the volant species, such as S. tibialis and S. niger , from which, however, it differs in being flightless and having medium-sized ventral ocular areas. It is very similar to S. aes sp. nov. from which differs because of characters g) and j).

Description. Size: HL = 1.2 mm; HW = 1.7 mm; PL = 1.6 mm; PW = 1.8 mm; EL = 2.8 mm; EW = 2.7 mm. Overall morphology as in generic diagnosis. Large-sized flightless Synarmostes . Body moderately convex. Dark bronze with metallic hints, shiny, dorsum with setigerous punctures bearing an extremely short simple seta (50×), underside, tarsi and antennae reddish-brown, setation yellowish. Head: W/L ratio = 1.41; clypeal apex obtuse; apical projection hardly appreciable; dorsal ocular area small, interocular distance about 16 times the maximum width of dorsal ocular area, ventral ocular area medium-sized; head dorsal surface with disc covered by dense strongly impressed large simple punctation becoming comma-shaped distad. Fore margin with some transverse large comma-shaped punctures. Interpunctural distance of simple and comma-shaped punctures once or less than once the punctural diameter. Vertex with an impressed transverse line shortly interrupted multiple times. Pronotum: subrectangular (W/L ratio = 1.88), regularly convex, disc covered by dense transverse comma-shaped punctures, sides covered by small horseshoe-shaped punctures with opening directed outwards. Interpunctural distance shorter than punctural diameter. Scutellum : covered by several small impressed transverse comma-shaped punctures. Elytra: longer than wide (W/L ratio = 0.94); subrectangular (dorsal view); inferior sutural stria reaching humeral area; humeral callus indistinct; elytral surface regularly convex, covered by dense punctation. Punctures small, transverse comma-shaped. Distal third raised and cariniform, at least eight irregular carinae visible Elytral distal third with at least eight raised longitudinal irregular carinae. Wings: flightless (brachypterous). Male genitalia: aedeagus (L = 1.2 mm) with parameres as in Figs 30 d-e, spiculum gastrale (L = 1.0 mm) as in Fig. 30 f .

Etymology. Latin adjective in the nominative singular, meaning “separate”, due to the extreme similarity with S. aes sp. nov. and at the same time the great geographical and ecological separation between the two species.

Distribution and habitat. Known only from the type locality in western Madagascar. The type series was collected by sifting litter (leaf mold, rotten wood) in tropical dry forest. The vegetation cover of the area is classified as “Dry deciduous forest” ( Goodman et al. 2018), also known as “Western dry forest” ( Moat & Smith 2007). The area falls within the protected area “Parc National de Zombitse-Vohibasia”.

Figures

Fig. 23 – Synarmostes lavasoae sp. nov., holotype, a, dorsal view of distended specimen; paratype, b, ventral view of rolled up specimen; c, dorsal view of rolled up specimen; d, lateral view of rolled up specimen; Synarmostes parrilloi sp. nov., holotype, e, dorsal view of distended specimen; f, lateral view of distended specimen.

Fig. 32 – Aedeagi and spicula gastrales, a–c, Synarmostes annamariae sp. nov., paratype; d–e, Synarmostes eugenii sp. nov., holotype; f–h, Synarmostes parrilloi sp. nov., holotype; i–j, Synarmostes occidentalis sp. nov., holotype; k–m, Synarmostes zahamenae sp. nov., holotype; n–p, Synarmostes niger, paratype.

Fig. 34 – a–b, Synarmostes parrilloi sp. nov. (Col du Sedro); c, d, g, Synarmostes sp. A from Antsiranana, Réserve Spéciale de l’Ankarana; e–f, Synarmostes sp. B from Parc National de Zombitse; h–i, Synarmostes sp. C from Toamasina, Montagne d’Akirindro; j–k, Synarmostes sp. D from Fianarantsoa, forêt de Vevembe.

Fig. 6 – Posterior view of elytral apex. a, Goudotostes antsahabensis sp. nov.; b, Goudotostes randrianirinai sp. nov.; c, Goudotostes phantasticus sp. nov.; d, Synarmostes sp.; e, Synarmostes sp.; f, Synarmostes separatus sp. nov.; g, Synarmostes tibialis; h, Philharmostes scapulatus sp. nov.; i, Pseudosynarmostes mitsinjo.

Fig. 13 – a, Synarmoste aes sp. nov., lateral view showing smooth area on pronotal side (ps: pronotal side); b, Synarmoste aes sp. nov., view of distal third of elytra showing the weak sinuation of apical carina (cp: carina profile); c, Synarmoste separatus sp. nov., lateral view showing punctate area on pronotal side (ps: pronotal side); d, Synarmoste separatus sp. nov., view of distal third of elytra showing the strong sinuation of apical carina (cp: carina profile); e, Synarmostes benaraensis sp. nov., ventral side of elytron showing the presence of three mites (arrow indicates the mites); f, detail of another elytron of Synarmostes benaraensis sp. nov. showing two mites.

Fig. 30 – Aedeagi and spicula gastrales, a–c, Synarmostes aes sp. nov., holotype; d–f, Synarmostes separatus sp. nov., holotype; g–i, Synarmostes compactus sp. nov., holotype; j–l, Synarmostes fortis sp. nov., holotype; m–o, Synarmostes makirovanae sp. nov., holotype; p–r, Synarmostes lavasoae sp. nov., holotype.