Stenidius bezdeki, Kejval, 2006

Kejval, Zbyněk, 2006, Two new species of Stenidius (Coleptera: Anthicidae) from India and Laos, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 46, pp. 127-132 : 128-130

Stenidius bezdeki sp. nov.

( Figs. 1 , 3-7 )

Type locality. India, Maharashtra, 4 km S of Lonavala, environs of Bhushi dam.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: J, ‘W-INDIA, Maharashtra, 4 km S of LONAVALA, Bhushi dam env., 500 m a.s.l., 24.- 28.ix.2005, J. Bezděk leg.’ ( NMPC) . PARATYPES: 1 ♀, same data as holotype ( ZKDC) ; 3 JJ 1 ♀, ‘ INDIA, Maharashtra Pune Distr., Amba Vall. 16 km S Lonavla, 27 IX 05 catch., leg. L. Borowiec // India Expedition 2005 Dept. of Biodiversity and Evol. Taxonomy Wrocław University’ ( DBET) ; 1 J 2 ♀♀, ‘ INDIA, Maharashtra Pune Distr., Lonavla Bhushi Dam, 13 X 05 catch., leg. L. Borowiec // India Expedition 2005 Dept. of Biodiversity and Evol. Taxonomy Wrocław University’ ( DBET, ZKDC) ; 23 JJ 39 ♀♀, ‘ INDIA, Maharashtra, ca 30 km W of Pune , MULSHI env., 18°29′N 73°30′E, ca 700 m, 13.-16.vi.2006, Z. Kejval lgt.’ ( ZKDC, 2 specimens each in BMNH, DCDC, GUPC, HNHM, MHNG, MNHN, NHMB, NHMW, NMPC, SMNS) .

Description (male, holotype). Head brown black, pronotum dark brown with paler rufous brown base, elytra brown with two paler bands, interconnected on suture, anterior band somewhat vague, transverse, narrowing mediad, posterior band evenly wide, moderately oblique from lateral sides antero-mediad; tibiae and tarsi yellowish brown, femora rather brownish, especially distally; antennae yellowish rufous, unicoloured.

Head 1.1 times as long as wide, widely rounded posteriorly; posterior temporal angles rounded but distinct. Eyes small, moderately convex. Surface nearly dull, owing to dense punctation and setation; punctation rather evenly coarse and dense. Setation subdecumbent to appressed, erect setae quite inconspicuous. Antennae distinctly exceeding base of pronotum, moderately enlarged in apical third; antennomere X as long as wide, antennomere XI 1.9 times as long as wide.

Pronotum widely rounded anteriorly, rather moderately narrowing posteriad, at most slightly impressed postero-laterally in dorsal view. Dorsal outline moderately convex, somewhat flattened posteriorly in lateral view. Dorsal surface nearly evenly shaped. Surface less glossy, similarly as head; punctation and setation as on head.

Elytra ovoid, 1.7 times as long as wide, convex, subtruncate posteriorly; humeri entirely obsolete; postscutellar impression absent. Surface at most moderately glossy, rather densely punctured; punctation finer and sparser than on head and pronotum, especially posteriorly. Setation as on head, erect setae inconspicuous. Metathoracic wings strongly reduced.

Legs. Penultimate tarsomere narrow, with terminal tarsomere articulated apically in middle and hind tarsi; fore femora distinctly swollen, their inner margin with sharp edge in distal half ( Fig. 3 ); fore tibiae with minute apical protuberance on inner side.

Abdomen. Sternum VII ( Fig. 4 ) moderately produced medially into rounded apex, with indication of an obtuse postero-lateral angle on each side. Tergum VII evenly rounded posteriorly. Paired prongs of sternite VIII ( Fig. 5 ) simply shaped, rather strong, narrowing towards blunt apex, with numerous long setae along lateral margin in apical half. Tergite VIII evenly rounded posteriorly.

Aedeagus ( Figs. 6 and 7 ). Apical portion of tegmen 1.25 times as long as basal piece, narrowing towards rounded apex in nearly straight line, with a pair of small, lobe-like, lateral protrusions shortly before apex.

Female. Externally identical with male but differing as follows: fore femora slender and simply shaped, lacking inner edge; fore tibiae simple, lacking apical protuberance; sternum VII evenly rounded posteriorly.

Body length (J ♀). 1.8-2.2 mm (holotype 2.1 mm).

Variability. Insignificant.

Differential diagnosis. Stenidius bezdeki sp. nov. resembles the western-Palaearctic S. vittatus (Lucas, 1843) by its colouration, widely rounded base of the head, characters of punctation and setation, simple form of sternite VIII, as well as by the presence of subapical protrusions of the tegmen of the aedeagus (cf. Figs. 213, 214 and 216 by BUCCIARELLI (1980)). It differs from the latter species by the somewhat more robust appearance, more convex, posteriorly subtruncate elytra with entirely obsolete humeri (indicating aptery), distinctly more slender antennae, slightly modified fore legs in males, and numerous details in the morphology of male sternite VIII and aedeagus.

Etymology. Dedicated to Jan Bezděk (Brno), collector of the holotype specimen.

Bionomics. Large numbers of specimens were observed when turning over stones at the top of a hill in a pasture while collecting Tetramorium spp. ants (L. BOROWIEC pers. comm.). In Mulshi, I found the species to be quite common at a small, flattened place without stones, among fields of rather agricultural land, on moist clayey soil with sparse, mostly grazed growth of a tufted grass. I first took it by sweeping and then also collected individually on the ground as I rooted in plant debris near tufts of the grass. Of the ants present at the locality, the specimens of Tapinoma sp. were common and somewhat resembled the beetles by their appearance and movements. However, I could observe no closer relations between this ant and S. bezdeki sp. nov.

Distribution. India (Maharashtra).

Figures

Figs. 1-2. 1 – Stenidius bezdeki sp. nov., holotype. 2 – S. elegans sp. nov., holotype.

Figs. 3-9. 3-7 – Stenidius bezdeki sp. nov., holotype. 3 – fore femur; 4 – male sternum VII; 5 – male sternite VIII; 6 – aedeagus in ventral view; 7 – apex of aedeagus in lateral view. 8-9 – S. elegans sp. nov., holotype. 8 – male sternite VIII; 9 – aedeagus in ventral view. Scale = 0.2 mm: A – Figs. 5-9, B – Figs. 3, 4.