Ctenoplus rufoantennatus, Fuller & Platia, 2006

Fuller, E. & Platia, G., 2006, A revision of the click beetle genus Ctenoplus Candèze, 1863 (Coleoptera: Elateridae, Synaptina), Zootaxa 1217 (1), pp. 1-76 : 46-48

Ctenoplus rufoantennatus n. sp.

Figures 6, 8 , 23 , 35 , 75 , 96 , 109

Diagnosis

Small to medium­sized red and black Ctenoplus with unicoloured yellowish­brown antennae and a well developed ventral lobe on tarsomere 4 ( Fig. 8 ). C. rufoantennatus is similar in size and colour to C. siamensis n. sp. which lacks a well developed lobe on tarsomere 4. Distribution can also be used to distinguish these species; C. rufoantennatus is known from India, while C. siamensis is known from Thailand.

Description

Body fusiform, tapered posteriorly. Head, elytra, ventral surface of meso­ and metathorax, and abdomen reddish­black; prothorax yellowish­red; antenna, legs and palpi yellowish­brown; setae opaque yellowish­white. Length: male, 6.5–7.5 mm; female, 7.5–8.5 mm; width: 1.5–2.0 mm.

Head. Punctures relatively deep, almost contiguous throughout; punctures adjacent to eye forming shallow groove along margin of eye. Eyes relatively small: ocular index, male 68–73, female 71–76. Antenna, Fig. 23 ; segment 1 not carinate anteriorly; male antennomeres 4–11 with fine, moderately long, erect setae along anterior margin; antenna extending to or slightly posterad apex of pronotal hind angles in male, not reaching apex of pronotal hind angles by less than length of antennomere 11 in female. Left mandible with variably developed pit on lateral surface at level of anterior margin of dorsal expansion, cuticle of pit as in adjacent lateral surface; apex of terminal palpomeres slightly recurved.

Prothorax. Pronotum ( Fig. 35 ): carina of hind angles not obscuring lateral carina of pronotum in dorsal aspect; punctures subequal in size to head punctures, moderately deep, simple, separated from nearest neighbour by less than 1/2 own diameters in most specimens, but separated by about own diameter in one paratype and variable in another. Hypomeron: carina of anterior concavity meeting lateral pronotal carina posterad anterior pronotal margin; mesal margin with linear row of 5–6 punctures; mesal margin adjacent to procoxa with short, wide, rounded projection; punctures as on pronotum anteriorly, grading into glabrous area in posterior 1/4; posterolateral angle varying from not projecting posterad posterior margin to projecting by up to 1/2 basal width. Prosternum: punctures as on hypomeron, but separated by about own diameters posteriorly; prosternal spine: elongate, length from procoxae to posterior concavity about twice width of spine immediately posterad procoxae; ventrolateral carinae remaining separate to ventral apex, continued anteriorly on prosternum just anterad margin of procoxal cavities; ventral surface narrowed posterad procoxa, thus ventral surface narrower than dorsal surface in ventral aspect; dorsal apex somewhat nipple­like.

Mesothorax. Scutellum concave, about 2.5X as long as broad, anterior margin convex. Mesosternum not raised above level of mesocoxae posteriorly, only slightly raised above metasternum along posterior margin, posterior margin almost straight; margin between mesocoxae sloping anterodorsally, beaded declivous margin angled at ca. 45°. Mesepisternum with pronounced diagonal carina in anterolateral groove; posterior 1/3 of mesepisternum glabrous with 0–2 punctures. Elytra elongate but not attenuated; apex broadly rounded to subtruncate, with very small tooth at apex of sutural interval; apices of elytra slightly dehiscent; striae variably but shallowly impressed, more pronounced basally and on sutural stria; punctures of intervals relatively large, up to 1/2 diameter of strial punctures; posterior margin of epipleura subtruncate.

Metathorax. Metasternum without lateral marginal ridge and submarginal groove except at anterolateral angle; carina posterad mesocoxae about 3–5X as long as basal width; punctures grading from almost contiguous, subequal in size to median hypomeral punctures laterally to about 1/2 that size, slightly more widely spaced along midline. Metepimeron subtruncate posteriorly; punctures closely spaced, about 1/3 size of lateral metasternal punctures.

Legs. Profemur with black microspines on anterior margin of groove, cuticle microrugose; protibia with cuticle as in profemur; tarsomere 4 with well developed ventral lobe ( Fig. 8 ), dorsal surface with V­shaped incision; claws robust, apical tine ca. 1.5X as long as subapical tines ( Fig. 6 ).

Abdomen. Terga heavily sclerotized, spiracles enclosed on terga 2–6, spiracle on segment 2 2X size of those on segments 3–6. Punctures of ventrites 1–4 as on metasternum. Ventrite 5 with basal width greater than median length; apex broadly rounded to bluntly pointed at midline; dorsal submarginal carina very broadly V­shaped; punctures almost contiguous throughout. Male genitalia, Fig. 75 ; parameres at anterior end separated ventrally by about maximum width of median lobe. Female genitalia, Fig. 96 ; spermatophore present in bursa and almost all of tubular extension in specimen illustrated; bursal plates attenuated posteriorly; band of free spines on bursa incomplete ventrally; bursa with patch of unspined cuticle anterad base of tubular extension; length of band of bursal spines almost 1/2 length of bursa, posterior margin of band of spines linear; tubular extension: long, irregularly coiled basally; with single band of spines, spines grading from subequal in size and length to bursal spines basally to short, stout, thorn­like spines with large bases distally; sac­like spermatheca at base; spermathecal gland with reservoir.

Material examined and range

5♂, 4f. INDIA: Holotype male: “INDIA. Karnataka, Bangalore , 916m, 19.ii.1976, KD Ghorpade A280” [ BMNH]. 2♂, 4♀ paratypes, same data as holotype [ UASM, ROME, CPG, ERFC]; 2♂ paratypes: “INDIA. ASSAM: 8 km. W. Bokakhat, 100m, 29.iv.1985,

K.Ghorpade”[ERFC]. C. rufoantennatus is known from southwestern and northeastern India ( Fig. 109 ).

Etymology

The species epithet is derived from ‘rufo­’ + ‘antennatus’, denoting the reddish antennae.

Natural history

Specimens were collected on 19 February in southern India and 29 April in northern India, at elevations of 916m and 100m respectively.

Figures

FIGURE 109. Distribution of Ctenoplus species.

FIGURES 1–10. 1–4, head capsule, lateral. 5–6, tarsal claw. 7–8, tarsus. 9, venter of prothorax. Fig. 10: venter of mesothorax, lateral. 1, 5, 7, 9, 10, Ctenoplus balli n. sp.; 2, Silesis hilaris Cand.; 3, Synaptus filiformis (L.); 4, Glyphonyx sp.; 6, 8, Ctenoplus rufoantennatus n. sp. Abbreviations: a, antennal socket; ag, anterior groove of mesepisternum; as, anterior articulating surface of mesosternum; bm, beaded margin of mesosternal cavity; c, mesocoxa; d, lateral depression of mesosternum; da, dorsal apex of prosternal spine; dp, dorsal periocular pit; g, gena; hc, anteromesal concavity of hypomeron; l, ventral lobe of tarsomere 4; lb, lateral border of prosternum; lp, anterolateral projection of mesepimeron; mb, mesal border of hypomeron; mc, mandibular condyle; mm, mesepimeron; ms, mesepisternum; pr, projection of mesal border of hypomeron; sc, supra­antennal carina; tp, anterior tentorial pit; va, ventral apex of prosternal spine; vp, ventral periocular pit.

FIGURES 15–30. Antenna of Ctenoplus species. 15, C. javanensis Cand.; 16, C. sumatrensis n. sp.; 17, C. sanguinolentus (Cand.); 18, C. sanguinolentoides n. sp.; 19, C. nitidipennis Schwarz; 20, C. indicus n. sp.; 21, C. neosiamensis n. sp.; 22, C. siamensis n. sp.; 23, C. rufoantennatus n. sp.; 24, C. castaneus (Fleut.); 25, C. coomani Fleut.; 26, C. divergens n. sp.; 27, C. alutaceus n. sp.; 28, C. semialutaceus n. sp.; 29, C. cateianus n. sp.; 30, C. dorsalis n. sp. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 31–43. Pronotal outline of Ctenoplus species, dorsal. 31, C. javanensis Cand.; 32, C. sumatrensis n. sp.; 33, C. sanguinolentoides n. sp.; 34, C. indicus n. sp.; 35, C. rufoantennatus n. sp.; 36, C. castaneus (Fleut.); 37, C. coomani Fleut.; 38, C. divergens n. sp., a: male, b: female; 39, C. alutaceus n. sp.; 40, C. semialutaceus n. sp.; 41, C. gigas n. sp.; 42, C. cateianus n. sp.; 43, C. dorsalis n. sp. Abbreviation: bf, sublateral longitudinal incision. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 66–85. Male genitalia of Ctenoplus species, dorsal aspect unless otherwise specified. 66, C. javanensis Cand.; 67, C. sumatrensis n. sp.; 68, C. sanguinolentoides n. sp.; 69, C. nitidipennis Schwarz; 70, C. indicus n. sp.; 71, C. collaris Cand., a, dorsal, b, ventral; 72, C. pseudocollaris n. sp.; 73, C. neosiamensis n. sp.; 74, C. siamensis n. sp.; 75, C. rufoantennatus n. sp.; 76, C. castaneus (Fleut.), a, dorsal, b, lateral; 77, C. coomani Fleut.; 78, C. divergens n. sp.; 79, C. alutaceus n. sp., a, dorsal, b, lateral; 80, C. semialutaceus n. sp.; 81, C. balli n. sp.; 82, C. girardianus n. sp.; 83, C. gigas n. sp.; 84, C. cateianus n. sp.; 85, C. deceptus n. sp. Abbreviations: st, median struts; pa, parameres; ph, phallobase. Scale bar = 0.25 mm.

FIGURES 89–97. Female genitalia of Ctenoplus species. 89, C. sumatrensis n. sp.; 90, C. sanguinolentus Cand.; 91, C. sanguinolentoides n. sp.; 92, C. nitidipennis Schwarz; 93, C. indicus n. sp.; 94, C. collaris (Cand.); 95, C. neosiamensis n. sp.; 96, C. rufoantennatus n. sp.; 97, C. castaneus (Fleut.). Scale bar = 0.5 mm.