Phytocerum crenatoStriatum ( Redtenbacher, 1868 ), 2017

Jäch, Manfred, 2017, Ptilodactyla crenatostriata Redtenbacher, 1868 (Coleoptera: Ptilodactylidae) transferred to Phytocerum Costa, Vanin, Lawrence & Ide, 2003 (Coleoptera: Cerophytidae), Zootaxa 4324 (2), pp. 371-377 : 372-374

Phytocerum crenatoStriatum ( Redtenbacher, 1868) comb. nov.

( Figs 1–9 )

Ptilodactyla crenatostriata Redtenbacher, 1868: 99 [as P. crenato-striata]; Pic 1914: 47. Ptilodactyla crenuatostriata, Stribling 1986: 103 [incorrect spelling].

Type material. Holotype, male, BRAZIL: “ Novara , Bras., Crenato-striata Redt.” ( NHMW).

Differential diagnosis. This species differs from its congeners in the following combination of characters: body 5.5 mm long ( Fig. 1 ), frontal anterior carina present, posterior carina absent, antennae strongly pectinate ( Figs 1–2, 4 ), terminal maxillary palpomere securiform, about 1.1 times as long as wide ( Fig. 5 ), pronotum subtrapezoidal, widest at about 2/3 from base ( Figs 1, 3 ), additional row of elytral punctures not surpassing posterior margin of metacoxae, penis about 3.4 times as long as wide, constricted at middle, with mucronate apex, parameres with inner lobe larger, outer lobe narrowed apically, phallobase about as long as wide, with posterior process subapically widened, apically only weakly sclerotized and narrowly rounded ( Figs 7–9 ).

In habitus, shape of pronotum and ultimate antennomere this species is most similar to P. birai Costa, Vanin, Lawrence & Ide, 2003, which differs in the shape of frons (posterior carina absent in P. crenatostriatum , present in P. birai ), antennae (relatively longer antennal branches in P. crenatostriatum ; Fig. 4 ), terminal maxillary palpomere (longer than wide in P. crenatostriatum , shorter than wide in P. birai ; Fig. 5 ), and in the male genitalia (more robust, with relatively wider penis in P. crenatostriatum ; Figs 7–9 ). Phytocerum cayennense (Bonvouloir, 1870) is similar to P. crenatostriatum in habitus, shape of antennae and maxillary palpi but differs in the presence of a posterior carina on head, and in the subtrapezoidal pronotum. Both species share the general shape of the male genitalia, but in P. crenatostriatum the median part of the penis is constricted (subparallel-sided in P. cayennense ), the hook-like structures of the parameres are more acute, and the posterior process of the phallobase is widened subapically (subparallel-sided in P. cayennense ) ( Figs 7–9 ).

Redescription. Male. Body length 5.5 mm, body width 2.1 mm. Body yellowish to reddish brown, head and pronotum slightly darker, abdomen paler; body covered by yellowish pubescence ( Figs 1–2 ). Minimum interocular distance/head width ratio 0.4. Frons convex, frontal median puncture deep, V-shaped ( Fig. 3 ); anterior carina present, reaching frontal median puncture; posterior carina absent. Eyes large; minimum interocular distance 0.9 times maximum eye diameter. Antenna with 11 antennomeres; scape robust, long, pedicel minute, short, simple, antennomeres III–X pectinate, subequal in length, antennomere III about as long as wide, antennomere XI about 3.5 times as long as wide, with slight median emargination at internal margin ( Fig. 4 ). Labrum sclerotized, strongly transverse, covered by long setae ( Fig. 2 ). Mandibles narrow, strongly curved. Galea and lacinia densely setose apically, terminal maxillary palpomere securiform, about 1.1 times as long as wide ( Fig. 5 ).

Pronotum convex, subrectangular, about 0.7 times as long as wide, sides rounded, widest at about 3/5 from base, strongly converging anteriorly and gradually converging posteriorly, anterior margin rounded, weakly produced medially, posterior angles obtuse, not produced laterally; punctation denser on disc, punctures large, shallow, partly contiguous ( Figs 1, 3 ). Prosternum convex, chin piece truncate; prosternal process rather broad, considerably curved dorsally, at middle laterally expanded, then narrowed toward apex, apically acute. Scutellum subtriangular, about as long as wide, apex rounded ( Fig. 3 ). Mesoventrite with large deep median cavity. Elytra 0.7 times as long as body length, each elytron about 3.6 times as long as wide, with nine distinct rows of punctures ( Fig. 1 ), with additional subhumeral row of punctures between striae 8 and 9, additional row not surpassing posterior margin of metacoxae, interstria IX convex. Legs moderately long, slender; tibiae longer than femora, with short, paired tibial spurs; tarsomere 1 about as long as tarsomere 5, tarsomere 2 slightly shorter than tarsomere 1, tarsomeres 3–4 short, subequal in length, latter with ventral lobe; claws pectinate ( Fig. 6 ).

Abdomen convex; ventrite 1 shorter than ventrite 2, with minute acute intercoxal process, ventrites 2–4 subequal in length, ventrite 5 apically broadly rounded ( Fig. 2 ). Aedeagus trilobate, about 2.3 times as long as wide; penis flattened, about 3.4 times as long as wide, constricted at middle, widest at 2/3 of length, apex mucronate; parameres fused dorsally at base, rounded basally, bilobate at apex, sclerotized hook-like structures formed by two lobes, inner lobe larger, outer lobe narrowed apically; phallobase (excluding posterior process) about as long as wide, basally with deep emargination, posterior process about 3.5 times as long as wide, about 1.2 times as long as medial length of phallobase excluding posterior process, narrow basally, widened subapically, apex only weakly sclerotized, narrowly rounded apically ( Figs 7–9 ).

Female and immature stages unknown.

Distribution. Brazil, Rio de Janeiro ( Redtenbacher 1868).

Taxonomic note. Based on the morphology described above and illustrated in Figs 1–9 , Ptilodactyla crenatostriata Redtenbacher, 1868 is here transferred from Ptilodactylidae to Cerophytidae as Phytocerum crenatostriatum ( Redtenbacher, 1868) comb. nov.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Phytocerum crenatostriatum Redtenbacher, 1868. 1, dorsal habitus; 2, ventral habitus; 3, head and pronotum; 4, antenna; 5, last maxillary palpomeres; 6, hind tarsus. Scale bars = 2.0 mm (Figs 1 – 2), 1.0 mm (Figs 3 – 4), 0.25 mm (Figs 5 – 6).

FIGURES 7 – 9. Phytocerum crenatostriatum Redtenbacher, 1868, male genitalia. 7, dorsal view; 8, lateral view; 9, ventral view. Scale bars = 0.5 mm.