Epactus auromaculatus, Colonnelli, 2014

Colonnelli, Enzo, 2014, Apionidae, Nanophyidae, Brachyceridae and Curculionidae except Scolytinae (Coleoptera) from Socotra Island, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 54, pp. 295-422 : 348-349

Epactus auromaculatus sp. nov.

( Figs 55–57 )

Type material. HOLOTYPE: J ( NMPC), ‘ Yemen, Socotra island // Dixam plateau 14-15.vi.2012 // Firmihin, Dracaena woodland // 12°28.6′N, 54°01.1′E, 490 m’, ‘ Socotra expedition 2012 // J. Bezděk, J. Hájek, V. Hula, // P. Kment, I. Malenovský, // J. Niedobová & L. Purchart leg. ’. PARATYPES: 5 JJ 9 ♀♀, same label data as holotype (8 NMPC, 2 BMNH, 4 ECRI).

Description. Male holotype. Body length 2.8 mm. Piceous, scape except apical fifth, funiculus, tarsi, extreme base and apex of tibiae pale ferruginous, apical comb of setae of tibiae rusty-red. Vestiture of recumbent brownish and golden metallic rather thick comma-like scales giving rise to pattern of Fig. 55 . Erect claviform elongate scales are on sides of epifrons, above eyes, on pronotum and are arranged in interrupted row on each elytral interval. Under surface with quite sparse erect comma-like golden scales ( Fig. 55 ).

Head. Rostrum barely wider than long, sides slightly concave from base to hardly protruding pterygia. Epifrons at narrowest point about half as wide as maximum width of rostrum, almost flat, scaled, its surface between antennae alutaceous and bare, sides abruptly declining laterally. Epistome narrowly U-shaped and separated from epifrons by thin carina. Scrobes not very short. Head separated from rostrum by widely V-shaped sulcus, distance between eyes much greater than that between antennae, interocular space slightly depressed and shallowly longitudinally sulcate, vertex quite flat, temples barely shorter than greater diameter of eye, sides converging forward. Eyes quite small, convex with their maximum convexity posterior to middle. Antennae thin; scape moderately curved, slightly clubbed and with erect long claviform elongate scales; funicular antennomeres I and II elongate and about of same length, antennomere I hardly wider than II, antennomere III to VII ones of about same length, not transverse; club fusiform oval, about as long as three preceding antennomeres.

Pronotum 1.08 times wider than long, widest at middle, little convex in lateral view; anterior margin about as wide as basal one; sides slightly rounded; strong punctures on disc almost completely hidden by vestiture. Scutellum indicated by barely visible depression.

Elytra elongate oval, 1.31 times longer than wide, 1.68 times as wide as pronotum, depressed around scutellum, then quite flat on basal two thirds, apical declivity rather abrupt and almost perpendicular; striae formed by rows of elongate punctures; intervals hardly convex and little wider than striae.

Legs quite short; femora slightly clubbed, edentate; tibiae slightly curved in apical quarter, apex with stout internal mucro; tarsi short, tarsomere I hardly longer than wide, tarsomere II and widely bilobed tarsomere III transverse, apical tarsomere almost three times as long as tarsomere III.

Ventral side. Metaventrite and abdominal ventrite I barely depressed together.

Variability. Variation is low. Females have abdomen flat and slightly plumper elytra.

Genitalia. Aedeagus as depicted in Fig. 56 . Spermatheca as depicted in Fig. 57 .

Body length 2.7–3.5 mm.

Differential diagnosis. This new species is at once separated from the two other Socotran Epactus by its small size and peculiar pattern.

Etymology. The species name is a composite Latin adjective auromaculatus (- a, - um), meaning ‘having golden spots’, given in reference to the golden spots of the dorsal surface.

Distribution. Endemic to Socotra Island.

Figures

Figs 53–57. 53–54 – Epactus hispidus sp. nov.: 53 – habitus of the holotype; 54 – aedeagus of a paratype in dorsal view. 55–57 – Epactus auromaculatus sp. nov.: 55 – habitus of the holotype; 56 – aedeagus of a paratype in dorsal view; 57 – spermatheca of a paratype.