Philharmostes ornatulus, 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 : 255-256

Philharmostes ornatulus sp. nov.

( Figs 84 a-d, 85 l, 89) http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:5AEFB0BE-95A9-4433-9A6B-20ED667673E3

Type series. Holotype, sex unstated, deposited in the collection of the California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA, USA, labelled as follows: / CASTYPE 20294 / Madagascar: Toamasina Prov., Reserve Betampona Camp Vohitsivalana 37.1 km 338° Toamasina el. 520 m 1-3 December 2005 / 17° 53’ 12” S 049° 12’ 09” E California Acad. of Sciences coll. Brian L. Fisher et al. sifted litter, rainforest collection code: BLF 13242 / Philharmostes ornatulus n. sp. det. A. Ballerio 2020 Holotypus / [rolled up, glued on card].

Diagnosis. Philharmostes ornatulus sp. nov. can be differentiated from all other species of Philharmostes by the following combination of characters: a) flightlessness, b) dorsal ocular area small, c) dorsum with dark colour, without metallic sheen, d) pronotal fore angles broadly truncate, e) pronotum with disc raised with respect to sides, f) pronotal disc covered by simple impressed punctation, g) elytral lateral carina interrupted twice, h) elytral base with a parasutural short longitudinal raised carina ( Fig. 84 d ). The only other known Philharmostes with such a raised parasutural short carina is Philharmostes ornatus Ballerio, 2004 from Tanzania, which however has a large dorsal ocular area and a completely different pattern of dorsal punctation (dense and larger horseshoe-shaped punctures on elytra and pronotum)

Description. HL: 0.9 mm; HW: 1.2 mm; PL: 1.1 mm; PW: 2.1 mm; EL: 2.3 mm; EW 2.1; overall morphology as in generic diagnosis. Small flightless Ceratocanthinae . Body moderately convex. Black, dorsum glabrous (40×), underside, tarsi and antennae reddish-brown. Head: W/L ratio = 1.33; clypeus triangular with angle blunt and obtuse and sides weakly curved; genae weakly produced outwards, acute; genal canthus complete, fused with the occipital portion of head; dorsal ocular small, interocular distance about 12 times the maximum width of dorsal ocular area, disc uniformly covered by strongly impressed simple punctation, fore margin with a few irregular impressed transverse short lines. Interpunctural distance of simple punctures less than once or once as long as punctural diameter. Pronotum: short and transverse (W/L ratio = 1.83), convex, surface irregular with disc embossed; base and sides broadly rounded (dorsal view), base raised and thick, forming an irregular broad furrow; fore margin thick and limited to the median portion, not reaching the fore angles, fore angles truncate; disc covered by impressed sparse medium-sized simple punctures, interpunctural distance once or twice as long as punctural diameter, sides with surface completely covered by dense large impressed comma-shaped punctures, with opening oriented centripetally. Each puncture bearing in the middle a very short simple seta, interpunctural distance shorter than punctural diameter. Scutellum : covered by few impressed short horseshoe-shaped. Elytra: longer than wide (W/L ratio = 0.90); sides subparallel (dorsal view) with maximum width at the middle of elytral length; base of each elytron with a longitudinal short strongly raised carina (parasutural short longitudinal raised carina), humeral callus distinct and cariniform marking the starting point of lateral carina; elytral surface convex, covered by dense (interpunctural distance shorter than punctural diameter) impressed punctation. Punctures on proximal third short comma-shaped with opening directed backwards near elytral sutura and ouwards at sides, remaining surface covered by dense larger comma-shaped punctures with opening directed ouwards. Lateral carina distinct, thick, sharp, interrupted twice, irregularly S-shaped (lateral view). Pseudoepileura covered by dense impressed comma-shaped punctures with a broad opening directed towards lateral carina.

Wings: flightless.

Etymology. Latin adjective in the nominative singular, meaning “little adorned”, because of the presence of the humeral longitudinal carina.

Distribution and habitat. Known only from the type locality in Eastern Madagascar. The type series was collected by sifting leaf litter in rainforest. For details on the type locality see under Synarmostes compactus sp. nov.

Figures

Fig. 84 – Philharmostes ornatulus sp. nov., holotype, a, pronotum; b, ventral view of rolled up specimen; c, dorsal view of rolled up specimen; d,, lateral view of rolled up specimen (prc: parasutural longitudinal raised carina); Philharmostes nelsoni sp. nov., paratype from Col de Tanatana, e, dorsal view of distended specimen; f, ventral view of rolled up specimen; g, dorsal view of rolled up specimen; h, lateral view of rolled up specimen.