Epactus hispidus, 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 : 347-348

Epactus hispidus sp. nov.

( Figs 53–54 )

Type material. HOLOTYPE: J ( NMPC), ‘ Yemen, Socotra island // Homhil, protected area // open woodland with Boswellia & // Dracaena trees; 10-11.vi.2012 // 12°34.5′N, 54°18.5′E, 360-500 m’, ‘ Socotra expedition 2012 // J. Bezděk, J. Hájek, V. Hula, // P. Kment, I. Malenovský, // J. Niedobová & L. Purchart leg.’. PARATYPES: 2 JJ 12 ♀♀, same label data as holotype (8 NMPC, 1 BMNH, 4 ECRI).

Description. Male holotype. Body length 4.5 mm. Pitchy-brown, antennae, tarsi, extreme base and distal half of tibiae dark ferruginous, apical comb of setae of tibiae golden-yellowish. Vestiture of moderately dense recumbent comma-like brownish and golden scales; trace of middle and two lateral golden stripes is on pronotum, and elytra show irregular golden patches on upper side. Erect claviform elongate scales are on sides of epifrons, above eyes, on pronotum and are arranged in row on each elytral interval. Under surface with quite sparse almost recumbent metallic seta-like scales ( Fig. 53 ).

Head. Rostrum as long as wide, sides subparallel. Epifrons at narrowest point more than half as wide as maximum width of rostrum, quite flat, parallel side, rather coarsely punctured, scaled and with trace of middle carina, its surface between antennae bare except for few erect setae, sides quite abruptly declining towards sides. Epistome U-shaped and separated from epifrons by thin carina. Scrobes short. Head separated from rostrum by transverse impression, distance between eyes slightly greater than that between antennae, interocular space slightly depressed and with shallow elongate pit continuing on quite flat vertex, temples shorter than greater diameter of eye, sides converging forward. Eyes moderate in size, slightly subconical with their maximum convexity just posterior to middle. Antennae rather thin; scape slightly curved and widening towards apex, with erect long claviform elongate scales longer on its anterior margin; funicular antennomeres I and II elongate and about of same length, antennomere I slightly wider than II, antennomeres III to VII of about same length, not transverse; club fusiform oval, slightly shorter than three preceding antennomeres.

Prothorax 1.06 times wider than long, widest at middle, little convex; anterior margin hardly narrower than basal one; sides moderately rounded; punctures on disc large and deep and partly hidden by vestiture. Scutellum indicated by small depression.

Elytra elongate oval, 1.41 times longer than wide, 1.72 times as wide as pronotum, flat around scutellum, and slightly convex flat on basal two thirds, apical declivity quite abrupt and almost perpendicular; striae formed by rows of subquadrate punctures; intervals slightly convex and little wider than striae.

Legs quite short; femora clubbed, edentate; tibiae slightly curved in apical third, meso- and particularly metatibiae granulate on inner margin, apex with stout acute internal mucro; tarsi short, tarsomere I little longer than wide, tarsomere II and widely bilobed tarsomere III transverse, apical tarsomere twice as long as tarsomere III.

Ventral side. Metaventrite and base of abdominal ventrite I with common weak depression. Variability. Other specimens are similar to the holotype. Females have plumper elytra, smaller tibial mucros and the abdomen slightly convex. Punctures of the upper side can be hidden by an earthy crust and the above mentioned pattern can be more or less evident depending on freshness of the specimen.

Male genitalia. Aedeagus as depicted in Fig. 54 .

Body length 4.4–5.3 mm.

Differential diagnosis. Very similar to Epactus hirticornis sp. nov., from which differs by its subparallel sided rostrum, larger and less convex eyes, elytra of females quite uniformly convex, shorter apex of aedeagus and on average larger size. Much smaller size and different scale pattern make it impossible to confuse this new species with E. auromaculatus sp. nov.

Etymology. The species name, Latin adjective hispidus (- a, - um), meaning bristly, is given in reference to the hirsute appearance of the new species.

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.