Lasconotus hajeki, Schuh, 2012

Schuh, Rudolf, 2012, Colydiinae (Coleoptera: Zopheridae) of Socotra Island, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 52, pp. 287-294 : 290-294

Lasconotus hajeki sp. nov.

( Figs. 3 , 6, 7 )

Type material. HOLOTYPE: J ( NMPC), “ YEMEN, SOCOTRA Island / Noged plain (sand dunes) / SHARED HALMA vill. env./ 12°21.9′N, 54°05.3′E, 20m / Jiří Hájek leg. 10-11.xi.2010 ” . PARATYPES (275 spec.): 4 spec. ( NMPC, RSCW) same data as holotype ; 4 spec. ( NMPC): same data but “ J. Bezdĕk leg.” ; 2 spec. ( PHCK): same data but “ P. Hlaváč leg.”; 1 spec. ( NMPC): YEMEN, SOCOTRA Island / wadi Ayhaft / 12°36.5′N, 53°58.9′E, 200m / Jiří Hájek leg. 7-8.xi.2010; 7 spec. ( NMPC, RSCW): same data but “ L. Purchart leg. ”; 34 spec. ( PHCK, RSCW): same data but “ P. Hlaváč leg.”; 7 spec. ( NMPC, RSCW): YEMEN, SOCOTRA Island / Dixam plateau / Firmihin ( Dracaena forest) / 12°28.6′N, 54°01.1′E, 490m / Jiří Hájek leg. 15-16.xi.2010; 6 spec. ( NMPC, RSCW): same data but “ J.Bezdĕk leg. ”; 1 spec. ( NMPC): same data but “ L. Purchart leg.”; 3 spec. ( NMPC): YEMEN, Socotra Isl. / Firmihin plato, 400- 500m / 12°28′46″N, 54°00′89″E / 18-19.vi.2010 / V. Hula & J. Niedobová leg. ; 2 spec. ( NMPC, RSCW): YEMEN, SOCOTRA Island / Aloove area , HASSAN vill. env. / 12°31.2′N, 54°07.4′E, 221m / Jiří Hájek leg. 9-10.xi.2010 ; 150 spec. ( PHCK, RSCW): same data but “ P. Hlaváč leg.”; 3 spec. ( NMPC, RSCW): YEMEN, SOCOTRA Island / Zemhon area , 270-300m / 12°20′58″N, 54°06′39″E / 16.- 17.6.2010 / V. Hula leg; 17 spec. ( NMPC, RSCW): Yemen, Soqotra Is., 2003 / 5-6.xii., Noged plain / QAAREH (waterfall), 57m / 12°20′10″N, 53°37′56″E / [GPS], David Král lgt. // YEMEN – SOQOTRA 2003 / Expedition, Jan Farkač, / Petr Kabátek & David Král; 1 spec. ( NMPC): Yemen, Soqotra Is., 2003 / 6-7.xii., Noged plain / WADI IREEH, 95m / 12°23′11″N, 53°59′47″E / [GPS], David Král lgt.; 1 spec. ( NMPC): Yemen, Soqotra Is., 2003 / 3.xii., Dixam plateau / WADI ZEERIQ, 750m / 12°31′08″N, 53°59′09″E / [GPS], David Král lgt.; 3 spec. ( NMPC): Yemen, Soqotra Is., 2003 / 3-4.xii., Dixam plateau / WADI ESGEGO, 300m / 12°28′09″N, 54°00′36″E / [GPS], David Král lgt.; 1 spec. ( NMPC): Yemen, Soqotra Is. / 24-26.xi.2003 / WADI AYHAFT, 190m / 12°36′38″N, 53°58′49″E / [GPS], David Král lgt.; 1 spec. ( NMPC): Yemen, Soqotra Is. / HOMHIL protected area / 28-29.xi. 2003, 364m / 12°34′27″N, 54°18′32″E / [GPS], David Král lgt.; 3 spec. ( NMPC): Yemen, Soqotra Is. / 21.xi.-12.xii.2003 / HADIBOH env., ca. 10-100m / 12°65′02″N, 54°02′04″E / [GPS], David Král lgt .; 20 spec. ( RSCW, PZCW): YEMEN: SOCOTRA / Hadibo 100-300m / leg. Zabranský I.1993 ; 2 spec. ( PPCB): Yemen: Socotra / Shuab 10.3.2000 / leg. V. Bejček & K. Šťastný ; 2 spec. ( PPCB): Yemen: Socotra / Wadi Faar / GPS 12.433N ; 54.195E / 69m 1.4.2001 / leg. V. Bejček & K. Šťastný.

Description. TL: 2.4–4.0 mm. Body elongate, parallel-sided (TL/EW: 3.15–3.40), transversely convex, reddish brown, elytra, legs, antennae and apical margin of head yellowish brown; habitus as in Fig. 3 .

Head (HW/HL: 1.30–1.45) weakly transverse, slightly narrowed in front of eyes to broadly rounded frontal angles; clypeus not separated from frons by a groove or suture; anterior margin of clypeus concave. Dorsal surface of head slightly convex between eyes; central part of clypeus also slightly convex; interocular sulci weak, but distinct, interocular carinae fine, remnants of fronto-clypeal suture visible as two short, oblique sulci between antennal insertions. Sculpture of basal part of frons consisting of large punctures, separated by 0.5 times of their diameters, each bearing recumbent, pointed, squamiform seta (0.025 × 0.005 mm), directed towards a point on base of head; sculpture on clypeus consisting of fine punctures separated by twice their diameters, each bearing seta like on frons, directed to midline, their interspaces shiny; dorsum of basal part of head capsule more or less wrinkled, matt. Eyes large, convex, eye length 0.15 mm. Temples absent; head slightly constricted behind eyes for a short distance; basal part parallel-sided. Antenna 0.8 times as long as head width; antennomere 1 visible in dorsal aspect for apical third, 1.3 times as long as wide; antennomere 2 slightly narrower, as long as wide; antennomere 3 narrower (width of antennomere 3 / width of antennomere 2: 0.7 / 1.0), 1.4 times as long as wide; antennomeres 4 to 8 each of similar length but increasing width (length to width ratios: 4: 0.85; 5: 0.80; 6: 0.75; 7: 0.70; 8: 0.65); antennomere 9 to 11 forming broad club 3 times as wide as preceding ones, antennomere 9 1.8 times as wide as long, trapezoidal; antennomere 10 slightly wider, 2.2 times as wide as long; antennomere 11 slightly narrower than 10, 1.5 times as wide as long, transversely oval. Sculpture of ventral surface of head densely punctate, setation very fine, hair-like.

Pronotum almost quadrate (PW/PL: 0.94–1.02), widest at apical third (i.e. 0.3 pronotal length), 1.2 times wider than head, slightly narrower than or of same width as elytra (PW/EW: 0.94–1.02); disc almost flat; lateral declivities steep; lateral explanate portions narrow (half as wide as protibia). Lateral margins weakly convex anteriorly, almost straight from point of maximum width to base; anterior angles acute (approximately 75 degrees), slightly produced with rounded tip; posterior angles rectangular.Anterior margin straight. Pronotal base convex. Pronotal sculpture consisting of fused tubercles, bearing squamiform seta like on frons; in some places tubercles merged tightly without interspaces, giving an aspect like an uneven punctate surface; setation recumbent, directed to midline on lateral declivities, directed basad on anterior half, and apicad on posterior half of disc. Sublateral carina separating disc from lateral declivity almost parallel to lateral pronotal margin, low but conspicuous, accentuated towards disc by a smooth sulcus, curved inwards anteriorly to form weak apical marginal ridge, curved inwards basally to form basal ridge. Disc with four almost parallel, longitudinal sulci; each sulcus originating apically from deep pit at usual position of subapical sulcus, attenuate at mid-length, deepened again basad, ending in a deep pit at usual position of subbasal sulcus; margins of sulci irregularly delimited by more or less isolated tubercles; ridges between sulci flat, narrow basally (of width of one tubercle there), slightly enlarged apically, connected to apical marginal ridge and to basal marginal ridge, in other words, interrupting subapical and subbasal sulci. Edge of lateral margins finely crenulate.

Prosternum and proepisterna matt, granulate; granules round or transversely wrinkled, bearing white hair-like seta.

Scutellum, pentagonal, matt.

Elytra parallel-sided (EL/EW: 1.85–2.00), transversely convex, apically jointly rounded in semicircular outline; outline in lateral aspect straight; apical declivity beginning at 0.8 elytral length; basal margin concave; lateral margins not explanate, slightly crenulate near humerus, otherwise almost smooth. Each elytron with nine striae. Scutellar striola present. Striae regular. Strial punctures round, separated longitudinally by less than their diameters. Intervals 1 to 9 flat, as wide as strial punctures; each interval with one row of very closely set fine punctures, bearing seta; setae white, recumbent, squamiform, of same shape, but smaller than those on pronotum, each reaching base of the following one, giving an aspect of a white line. Epipleuron inclined, smooth, bordered along inner margin near base, narrowing apicad, not reaching elytral apex. Wings present.

Mesoventrite and metaventrite matt, densely punctured; punctures partly confluent; midline at posterior half impressed. Relative length of ventrites: 1: 2.8; 2: 1.5; 3: 1.2; 4: 1.0; 5: 1.2. Ventrites matt, granulate, with white, hair-like setation.

Legs short; femora shortly protruding over lateral margins of body; tibiae oval in crosssection, enlarged apically, set with fine hair-like setae; outer apical angle with two to four small spines. Tarsomeres 1 to 3 longer than wide, similar in length, tarsomere 4 1.1 times as long as 1 to 3 combined. Claws simple, dilated at base.

Male: Apical margins of apical sternite and tergite regularly rounded. Tegmen ( Figs. 6, 7 ) short, parallel-sided (length 0.5 mm; length to width ratio: 3.2). Parameres 0.8 times as long, and slightly wider than phallobase, fused for more than half of their length, each narrowed towards pointed and setose apex, broad in lateral aspect. Penis long, 1.3 times of total length of tegmen, constricted in middle; its tip arrowhead-shaped, bent ventrad.

Female: Apical margin of terminal sternite with omega-shaped (ω) excision and terminal tergite angulate apically, its tip produced and densely pubescent.

Differential diagnosis. Lasconotus saudicus Ślipiński, 1985 is known from the Arabian Peninsula. It differs from L. hajeki sp. nov. in its smaller size (TL: 2.2–2.5 mm); absence of sulcus along margin of eye; pronotal sculpture without sulci or deep pits between sublateral carinae, rather smooth with granules reduced to punctures; anterior pronotal angles rectangular, posterior ones blunt; broader elytral intervals and finer strial punctures (see also ŚLIPIŃSKI 1985). The absence of the sulcus along the margin of the eye was not recorded in the species description, but was recognized by examination of the holotype (NHMB).

Etymology. Dedicated to Jiří Hájek (NMPC), collector of this new species.

Collection circumstances. Lasconotus hajeki sp. nov. was frequently found under bark of dead Boswellia elongata Balf. f. tree ( Burseraceae ); several specimens were also attracted to light trap (J. Hájek, pers. comm.).

Figures

Figs. 1–3. Socotran Colydinae. 1–2. Sprecodes socotrensis sp. nov. (1 – habitus in dorsal view; 2 – same in ventral aspect). 3 – Lasconotus hajeki sp. nov., habitus in dorsal view.

Figs. 4–7. Aedeagi: 4–5 – Sprecodes socotrensis sp. nov.: 4 – aedeagus, dorsal aspect, 5 – aedeagus, lateral aspect. 6–7 – Lasconotus hajeki sp. –nov.: 6 – aedeagus, dorsal aspect, 7 – aedeagus, lateral aspect. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.