Philharmostes scapulatus, 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 : 256-270

Philharmostes scapulatus sp. nov.

( Figs 3 a-d, 6 h, 8 e, 78 a-h, 83 a-d, 85 r, 88 g-i, 89) http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:BB6D8353-BF24-47F6-A546-B877BD6362F3

Type series. Holotype, ♂, deposited in the collection of the California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA, USA, labelled as follows: / CASTYPE 20296 / Madagascar: Antsiranana Makirovana Forest elev. 225 m, 4-6 May 2011 14° 10’ 14” S 049° 57’ 15” E / California Acad. of Sciences , collectors: B.L. Fisher et al. sifted leaf litter, rainforest, collection code: BLF 27044 / Philharmostes scapulatus n. sp. det. A. Ballerio 2020 Holotypus /. Paratypes: 67 exx. (sex unstated) (50 in CASC and 17 in ABCB) same collecting data as holotype. 10 exx. (sex unstated) (8 in CASC and 2 in ABCB): Madagascar: Antsiranana Makirovana Forest 28-29 April 2011 14° 10’ 14” S 049° 57’ 15” E / California Acad. of Sciences, collectors: B.L. Fisher et al. sifted leaf litter, rainforest elev. 415 m, collection code: BLF 26523 /. 1 ex. (in CASC): Madagascar: Antsiranana Makirovana Forest elev. 550 m 1-2 May 2011 14° 09’ 38” S 049° 57’ 08” E / California Acad. of Sciences , collectors: B.L. Fisher et al. rainforest, sifted leaf litter, collection code: BLF 26937 /.

Diagnosis. Philharmostes scapulatus sp. nov. can be differentiated from all other species of Philharmostes by the following combination of characters: a) flightlessness, b) dorsal ocular area extremely reduced (vestigial), c) dorsum with brown colour, without metallic sheen, d) pronotal fore angles broadly truncate, e) pronotum with disc not raised with respect to sides, f) pronotal disc covered by transverse comma-shaped impressed punctation, g) elytral lateral carina almost complete: weakly interrupted once, near humeral area, h) elytral lateral carina sharp, i) portion of elytral lateral carina, in correspondence with humeral area, forming a distinctly raised carina strongly protruding outwards ( Fig. 83 b-c).

Description. HL: 0.6 mm; HW: 1.2 mm; PL: 1.2 mm; PW: 2.2 mm; EL: 2.4 mm; EW 2.3; overall morphology as in generic diagnosis. Small flightless Ceratocanthinae . Body convex. Brown, shiny, dorsum with setigerous punctures bearing a relatively long seta (40×), underside, tarsi and antennae reddish-brown, setation yellowish. Head: W/L ratio = 1.42; apical margin triangular with angle blunt and obtuse and sides weakly curved; genae distinctly produced outwards, acute; genal canthus complete, fused with the occipital portion of head; dorsal ocular area small-sized, probably vestigial ( Fig. 3 a, d ), interocular distance about 36 times the maximum width of dorsal ocular area, head dorsal surface covered by dense strongly impressed simple punctation becoming comma-shaped only towards fore margin. Each simple puncture bearing a seta in the middle. Interpunctural distance shorter than or equal to punctural diameter. Pronotum: short and transverse (W/L ratio = 1.89). Pronotal surface irregular with one shallow basal transverse impression at each side generating a thick raised basal bead sporgente e bisinuato; base and sides broadly rounded (dorsal view); fore margin complete, fore angles truncate, surface completely covered by dense medium-sized impressed comma-shaped punctures becoming horseshoe-shaped at sides. Each puncture bearing in the middle a long fine seta. Interpunctural distance shorter than punctural width. Scutellum : covered by several large comma-shaped punctures with opening directed backwards. Elytra: almost as long as wide (W/L ratio = 0.98); subsquared (dorsal view), humeral callus visible; elytral surface convex, covered by dense (interpunctural distance much shorter than punctural diameter) impressed punctation. Punctures horseshoe-shaped with a broad opening directed backwards, each puncture bearing a long fine seta. Lateral carina broadly S-shaped (lateral view), distinct, thick, sharp and almost complete (although with irregular profile in dorsal view), having a short interruption before humeral carina, then strongly raised outwards ( Fig. 83 b-c), pseudoepipleura covered by dense horseshoe-shaped impressed punctures with a broad opening directed towards lateral carina. Wings: flightless. Male genitalia: aedeagus (L = 0.7 mm) with parameres as in Figs 10 a-b, spiculum gastrale (L = 0.8 mm) as in Fig. 10 c .

Etymology. Latin adjective in the nominative singular, meaning “with shoulder blades”, because of the distinctive shape of humeral carinae.

Distribution and habitat. Known only from the type locality. Collected by sifting litter in rainforest. For details on the collecting locality see under Synarmostes makirovanae sp. nov..

Philharmostes schweikerti sp. nov.

( Figs 82 a-d, 85 j, 88 a-c, 89) http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:65AA774C-97EF-4D68-8835-65E76E00969B

Type series. Holotype, ♂, deposited in the collection of the California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA, USA, labelled as follows: / CASTYPE 20297 / CASENT 8135345 / Madagascar: Fianarantsoa Parc National Befotaka-Midongy, Papango 28.5 km S Midongy-Sud Mount Papango 17-19 Nov. 2006 / 23° 50’ 27” S 046° 57’ 27” E California Academy of Sciences coll. Brian L. Fisher et al. el. 1250 montane rainforest sifted litter, BLF14946 / Philharmostes schweikerti n. sp. det. A. Ballerio 2020 Holotypus /. Paratypes: 5 exx. (sex unstated) (3 in CASC and 2 in ABCB), same collecting data as holotype. 5 exx. (sex unstated) (4 in CASC and 1 in ABCB): / Madagascar: Fianarantsoa Parc National Befotaka-Midongy, Papango 28.5 km S Midongy-Sud Mount Papango 13-15 Nov. 2006 / 23° 50’ 07” S 046° 57’ 49” E California Academy of Sciences coll. Brian L. Fisher et al. el. 940 sifted litter rainforest BLF14776 /.

Diagnosis. Philharmostes schweikerti 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) head with clypeal disc covered by large impressed simple punctation, d) dorsum with brown colour, without metallic sheen, e) pronotal fore angles broadly truncate, f) pronotum with disc slightly raised with respect to sides, g) pronotal disc covered by large horseshoe-shaped punctation mixed to some large comma-shaped punctation, h) elytral lateral carina complete, h) elytral lateral carina sharp, i) elytral lateral carina strongly sinuate in lateral view, j) elytral parasutural area with large comma-shaped punctures longitudinally orient- ed and with opening inwards or outwards, l) elytral fore angles distinct but gentle, m) head with vertex having two or three irregular transverse rows of small impressed simple punctures.

Description. HL: 0.8 mm; HW: 1.1 mm; PL: 0.9 mm; PW: 1.8 mm; EL: 1.9 mm; EW 1.8; overall morphology as in generic diagnosis. Small flightless Ceratocanthinae . Body strongly convex. Dark brown, shiny, dorsum glabrous (40×), underside, tarsi and antennae reddish-brown. Head: W/L ratio = 1.38; clypeus with angle blunt and obtuse and sides weakly curved; genae produced outwards, acute; genal canthus complete, fused with the occipital portion of head; dorsal ocular area small-sized, interocular distance about 22 times the maximum width of dorsal ocular area, vertex covered by dense small simple punctation, disc uniformly covered by large impressed simple punctation, distally becoming short comma-shaped punctures and fore margin with some irregular impressed transverse short lines. Interpunctural distance of simple punctures on disc once to three times larger than punctural diameter. Pronotum: short and transverse (W/L ratio = 1.71), convex, surface irregular, with discal area slightly raised with respect to sides; base and sides broadly rounded (dorsal view); fore margin thick, distinct along median portion only, fore angles gently truncate, disc covered by impressed comma-shaped punctures, sides covered by dense medium-sized relatively shallow horseshoe-shaped punctures, with broad opening oriented outwards. Each puncture bearing in the middle a very short simple seta. Interpunctural distance shorter than punctural diameter. Scutellum : covered by several small impressed horseshoe-shaped. Elytra: longer than wide (W/L ratio =0.92); subrectangular (dorsal view); humeral callus indistinct but marked by the thick starting point of lateral carina forming a sharp angle (dorsal view); elytral surface convex, covered by dense (interpunctural distance much shorter than punctural diameter) relatively shallow punctation. Punctures on proximal and median third comma-shaped with opening directed inwards mixed to comma-shaped punctures with opening directed outwards, distal third covered by dense larger horseshoe-shaped punctures with opening directed backwards. Lateral carina distinct, thick, sharp and complete, distinctly sinuate (lateral view). Pseudoepileura covered by dense broad horseshoe-shaped shallow punctures with a broad opening directed towards lateral carina. Wings: flightless. Male genitalia: aedeagus (L = 0.8 mm) with parameres as in Figs 88 a-b, spiculum gastrale (L = 0.7 mm) as in Fig. 88 c .

Etymology. Noun in the genitive case. Named after Jere Schweikert, research associate of CAS.

Distribution and habitat. Known only from the type locality in Eastern Madagascar. The type series was collected by sifting leaf litter in montane rainforest. The vegetation cover consists of humid forest” ( Moat & Smith 2007) also known as medium altitude “moist evergreen forest” ( Goodman et al. 2018). The collecting locality falls within the protected area “Parc National de Befotaka-Midongy du Sud”.

Figures

Fig. 3 – a, Philharmostes scapulatus sp. nov., SEM of head (doa: dorsal ocular area); b, detail of circled area of Fig. 3 a; c, detail of circled area of Fig. 3 b, showing micropores; d, photo of head (doa: dorsal ocular area); e, Acanthocerodes sp., head. f, Germarostes sp., head; g, Pterorthochaetes sp., head; h, Pseudosynarmostes mitsinjo, head.

Fig. 83 – Philharmostes scapulatus sp. nov.. a, dorsal view of distended paratype; b, ventral view of rolled up paratype (rhc: raised humeral carina strongly protruding outwards); c, dorsal view of rolled up paratype (rhc: raised humeral carina strongly protruding outwards); d, lateral view of rolled up paratype; Philharmostes rotundatus sp. nov., holotype, 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.

Fig. 10 – Wings. a, Synarmostes tibialis; b, Synarmostes occidentalis sp. nov.; c, Synarmostes sp. C; d, Philharmostes metallicus sp. nov.; e, Synarmostes makirovanae sp. nov.; f, Goudotostes laevis sp. nov..

Fig. 82 – Philharmostes schweikerti sp. nov., a, dorsal view of distended paratype; b, ventral view of rolled up paratype; c, dorsal view of rolled up paratype; d, lateral view of rolled up paratype; Philharmostes acutus sp. nov., e, dorsal view of distended paratype; f, ventral view of rolled up paratype; g, dorsal view of rolled up paratype; h, lateral view of rolled up paratype.

Fig. 88– Aedeagi and spicula gastrales, a–c, Philharmostes schweikerti sp. nov.; d–f, Philharmostes metallicus sp. nov.; g–i, Philharmostes scapulatus sp. nov.