Anthrenus (Helocerus) cechovskyi, Háva, Jiří & Kadej, Marcin, 2015

Háva, Jiří & Kadej, Marcin, 2015, Description of a new species of Anthrenus Geoffroy 1762, with a key to species from Nepal, Zootaxa 3920 (3), pp. 488-492 : 489-490

Anthrenus (Helocerus) cechovskyi sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–11 )

Type locality. Nepal, Rasuwa District.

Material examined. Holotype (male), deposited in NMPC: Nepal centr., Bagmati Zone, Rasuwa Distr., Langtang N.P., Dhunche-Bharkhu-Syabru, 2000–2800 m, 6–13.v.1996, on flowers, P. Čechovský lgt. To this, a red, printed label with the following text was added: “ HOLOTYPE [ALLOTYPE/ PARATYPE respectively] Anthrenus (Helocerus) cechovskyi sp. n. Háva & Kadej det. 2014”. Allotype: the same data as holotype ( NMPC); paratypes: 24 exx. the same data as holotype (2 exx., DIBEC; 22 exx., JHAC).

Etymology. The epithet is a patronym honoring Peter Čechovský ( Czech Republic), the collector of the type series.

Diagnosis. The new species closely resembles Anthrenus (Helocerus) fuscus Olivier, 1789 , Anthrenus (H.) minutus Erichson, 1846 , A. (Florilinus) museorum (L., 1761) (cosmopolitan), A. (F.) nepalensis Kadej & Háva, 2012 ( Nepal) , A. (F.) zhantievi Háva & Kadej, 2006 ( India) and A. (Nathrenus) schawalleri Háva & Kadej, 2006 ( China) . However, it can be easily be distinguished from these species by the following unique combination of characters:

1) Antennae of A. cechovskyi sp. nov. 5-segmented (in females six), whereas the antennae of A. nepalensis and A. museorum are 8-segmented and those of A. schawalleri are 11-segmented.

2) Abdominal ventrites I–V of A. cechovskyi sp. nov. have dark–brown and light-brown scales covering lateral margins, while in A. nepalensis the dark–brown scales cover only the posterior margin, in A. museorum the dark–brown scales cover posterior margins of ventrites II–V and the middle section of ventrite V. In A. zhantievi ventrites I–V covered with gray scales only, and in A. schawalleri ventrites I–V covered with yellowish scales only. In A. fuscus and A. minutus , abdominal ventrites I–V covered with whitish scales only.

3) Male genitalia with apices of parameres erect in A. cechovskyi sp. nov., whereas in A. fuscus and A. minutus they are curved inward.

Description. Body: convex, slightly rounded laterally; measurements: body length from anterior margin of pronotum to apex of elytron 2.1–2.9 mm, median pronotal length 0.4–0.6 mm, maximum width of pronotum 1.00– 1.25 mm, maximum width of elytron 1.20–1.55 mm, median length of visible abdominal ventrites I–V 1.0– 1.3 mm, maximum width of visible abdominal ventrites I–V 1.15–1.55 mm. Body surface with triangular or subtriangular scales ( Figs. 1–5 ; dorsal patterns incomplete in 1–3].

Head: visible when viewed dorsally; eyes large, convex, oval. Median ocellus present. Frons and clypeus covered with mixed white, light-brown, dark–brown scales. Clypeus light-brown. Labrum light-brown, with short tan setae on dorsal surface. Galea and lacinia as in Fig. 11 , lacinia sclerotized, apex only slightly curved. Antennae light–brown, with five antennomeres in male ( Fig. 6 ) and six antennomeres in female ( Fig. 7 ); antennal club 1-segmented in male and two thirds length of entire antenna (much longer than the flagellum), whereas antennal club 2-segmented in female and nearly half length of entire antenna (subequal to the flagellum). Antennae completely fill the antennal fossae, ratio of lengths of antennal fossa to lateral margin of pronotum 0.7:1.0.

Thorax: Dorsal surface dark–brown, sparsely punctured, covered by scales ( Figs. 1–3 ). Pronotum covered by dark–brown, light–brown, and white scales; lateral declivity with white scales along margin and medially; disc with dark brown scales with only few white scales mixed on central part of pronotum. Lateral margins of pronotum dilated above antennal fossa, visible from above. Pronotal disc raised relative to lateral margins, shallow pit present along posterior margin. Scutellum small and poorly marked. Elytron covered by mixed white, light–brown and dark brown scales, white and light brown scales forming irregular bands of variable width and shape.

Legs: Brown, femora darker than tibia and tarsi and covered with mixed white and light-brown scales dorsally, tibial spines absent, claws slightly curved.

Abdomen: Ventral surface of the body whitish, abdominal ventrites I–V covered with white, light–brown and dark–brown scales, dark–brown scales especially prominent along lateral margins ( Figs. 4–5 ). Abdominal ventrite I without distinct postcoxal lines, sulcus without scales ( Figs. 4–5 ). Pygidium brown, transverse basally, carina absent ( Fig. 10 ).

Male genitalia: Parameres ( Fig. 9 ) shallowly u-shaped, covered with short setae along lateral and medial margins, longer setae present apically and along medial margins of parameres. Penis (median lobe) with distal end curved dorsally (lateral view). Ninth abdominal segment with apex distinctly indented medially, lateral margins rounded ( Fig. 8 ). Setae present dorsally and laterally, but only anteriorly.

Distribution. Nepal.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 11. Anthrenus (Helocerus) cechovskyi sp. n.: 1. habitus of male (dorsal, holotype); 2 – 3. habitus of females (dorsal, paratypes); 4. abdominal ventrites I – V (holotype); 5. abdominal ventrites I – V (paratype); 6. male antenna (left, holotype); 7. female antenna (left, paratype); 8. abdominal segment IX (holotype); 9. male genitalia (ventral, holotype); 10. pygiudium (holotype); 11. galea with lacinia (holotype).