Sharon, Arias-Bohart & Elgueta, 2015

Arias-Bohart, Elizabeth T. & Elgueta, Mario, 2015, Description of Sharon gen. nov. for the Chilean species Asaphes amoenus Philippi, 1861 (Coleoptera: Elateridae), European Journal of Taxonomy 142, pp. 1-15 : 2-4

Sharon gen. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:A9250D0D-9E9D-4A12-B1E7-3C55FE9D8592

Type species: Asaphes ? amoenus Philippi 1861: 743 , here designated.

Diagnosis

This genus differs from all other elaterid genera by the following combination of characters: strongly serrate antennae from antennomere 4; frontoclypeal carena over antenna distinctive, diffuse at middle; frontoclypeal region advanced forward, concealing labrum at base; pronotum longer than wide, sides carinate and visible from above in almost all its enterity; in males pronotal sides straight, except at posterior angles; broad, protruding posterior angles, apices upwards; mesocoxa open to mesepimeron and mesepisternum; apical field of wing with one oblique, long narrow plate, reaching border of the wing. Sexual dimorphism present. Morphological characters of Sharon gen. nov. ( Figs 1 A–B, 2) are further discussed with Hemicrepidius ( Fig. 3 ), where the species amoenus was last placed by Blackwelder (1944).

Etymology

This generic name honors Sharon P. Lawler of Davis, California, a long time friend.

Description

Female

Body about 4.27–4.97 times as long as wide; pronotal sides narrower than elytral sides; elytral maximum width at anterior third; elytral apices softly rounded, not meeting at mid-line ( Fig. 1 A–B. Holotype of type species MNNC).

Head s lightly declined at base, transverse, ratio of median length to greatest postocular width 0.14–0.22; eyes medium size, protuberant in both sexes, facetted, without interfacetal hairs; supra-antennal ridges raised above, each antennal fossa with deep curved invagination between antennal insertion and eye; antennomeres 2 and 3 significantly smaller that remaining antenomeres; 4–11 serrate, tubular-shaped. Female antennae shorter than male antennae ( Fig. 2 ); frontoclypeal carena over antenna distinctive, slightly curved, diffuse at middle; frontoclypeal region advanced forward; labrum small, 1.6 times as long as wide; mandibles unidentate ( Fig. 4A ).

Prothorax elongate, about 1.19–1.30 times as long as greatest width; sides sinuate narrower anteriorly, carinate and emarginate; strongly convex medially; posterior angles broad, produced posterolateraly, apices upwards; base of pronotum without incisions; hypomera simple, basally non excavate; prosternum strongly combed; notosternal suture marginate, sinuated at procoxae, open at anterior end; prosternal process slightly narrower near base, then gradually expanded posteriorly, following procoxae in lateral view, extending well behind procoxae; hypomeron basally impressed to accomodate leg (femur), enlarged, covering epipleura; procoxae subglobular.

Scutellar shield convex, elongate, parallel-sided, anterior border diffuse, posteriorly with a small notch; elytra striate, about 2.34–3.16 times as long at midline as greatest width and 2.63–2.9 times as long as pronotum; parallel-sided at anterior third, narrowing towards posterior third, converging posteriorly, apices rounded, not meeting at central midline; humeri well developed; disc with 10 defined striae, each stria strongly punctate, deep punctures separated by less than one own diameter; mesoventrite not on same plane as metaventrite; articulating lobes of mesosternite rugose; anterior articulating surfaces of mesosternite almost perpendicular to median body line; mesocoxae projecting, mesocoxal cavities narrowly separated, open laterally to mesepimeron and mesepisternum; mesocoxal distance 0.25 times mesocoxal diameter; mesosternal posterior region sinuated, length 0.25 times mesocoxal diameter; mesosternal cavity sides mostly parallel, except at base ( Fig. 5A ); metacoxae obliquely oriented, with plates extending towards body side; posterior region of mesosternite with length 0.25 times mesocoxal diameter; metasternum between metacoxae elevated.

Hind wing about 2.46–3.0 times as long as wide; apical field about 0.17 times as long as total wing length, apical field with one oblique long, narrow plate, reaching border of the wing; radial cell well developed, elongate, length 5.0 times as long as wide; cross-vein r 3 long, length about 4.16 times length of radial cell, horizontal and arising away from r 4; base of RP very long, extending to wing base; R-M loop forming narrowly acute angle; MP 3+4 branching in 2 straight long veins (arrow); wedge cell legth about 2.7 times its width ( Fig. 7A ).

Genitalia: Bursa copulatrix elongate, at base with two globular glands, posterior area of bursa with more than 10 long spinules, anterior area of bursa with small sclerotized spicules ( Fig. 8A , globular glands not visible on figure).

Tarsomeres 1–3 narrow at base, distally wider; tarsomeres 1–4 with lamellae ( Fig. 10 ); tarsomere 4 significatly smaller than precedents; pretarsal claws simple; empodium short, not extending between claws.

Male

Same characters as female unless indicated as follows.

Body about 4.45–4.73 times as long as wide; pronotal sides straight; elytral length about 3.11–3.42 times pronotal length; antennomere 11 reaching posterior angles, antennomere 11 elongate, similar in size to antennomeres 4–8 ( Fig. 2 ).

Prothorax elongated dorso-ventrally, somewhat flattened, except slightly combed medially, pronotal sides strongly emarginate, about 1.04–1.47 times as long as greatest width.

Genitalia: aedeagus symmetrical. Median lobe attached to parameres ( Fig. 11 ).

Distribution

Southern Chile, provinces Arauco, Malleco, Cautín, Valdivia and Coihaique.

Figures

Fig. 1. Holotype of Sharon amoenus (Philippi, 1861) comb. nov., ♀, adult (MNNC). A. Dorsal view. B. Lateral view. Body length: 14.47 mm. Photo by Cristian Becker (MNNC).

Fig. 3. Adult of Hemicrepidius memnonius Herbst, 1806 [=Asaphes thomasi Germar, 1839, holotype, approximate body length = 18 mm]. Photo by Helena Maratheftis (BMNH).

Fig. 2. Adult of Sharon amoenus (Philippi, 1861) comb. nov., ♂. Valdivia. Scale bar = 1 mm.

Fig. 4. SEM photographs of head, frontal view. A. Sharon amoenus (Philippi, 1861) comb. nov. B. Hemicrepidius memnonius Herbst, 1806. Scale bars = 0.5 mm.

Fig. 5. SEM photographs of mesoventral cavity. A. Sharon amoenus (Philippi, 1861) comb. nov. B. Hemi-

Fig. 7. Wing. A. Sharon amoenus (Philippi, 1861) comb. nov. B. Hemicrepidius memnonius Herbst, 1806. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Fig. 8. Female genitalia. A. Sharon amoenus (Philippi, 1861) comb. nov. B. Hemicrepidius memnonius Herbst, 1806. Scale bars = 0.5 mm.

Fig. 10. Tarsomere 3 of Sharon amoenus (Philippi, 1861) comb. nov. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.

Fig. 11. Male genitalia of Sharon amoenus (Philippi, 1861) comb. nov. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.