Clavicornaltica longipenis, Damaška & Aston, 2019

Damaška, Albert F. & Aston, Paul, 2019, Leaf litter and moss-inhabiting flea beetles of Hong Kong (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Alticini), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae (Acta. Ent. Mus. Natl. Pragae) 59 (1), pp. 151-161 : 156-159

Clavicornaltica longipenis sp. nov.

( Figs 4 A–H, 5B, C, E)

Type locality. China, Hong Kong, Hong Kong Island, Lung Fu Shan.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: ♁ ‘ China: Hong Kong – Hong Kong isl. Lung Fu Shan 18. xii.2014 B. Guénard leg.’ ( NMPC) . PARATYPES: 3♁♁, 4♀♀, same labels as holotype (1 ♁ 1 ♀ AFCD, 1♁ 1 ♀ SYSU, 1 ♁ 1 ♀ PCPA, 1 ♀ NMPC); 2 ♀♀, ‘ China: Hong Kong – Hong Kong isl., Lung Fu Shan 19. xi. 2014, Winkler, B. Guénard leg.’ (1 ♀ PCPA, 1 ♀ NMPC); 1 ♁ ‘ China: Hong Kong – New Territories, Tai Mo Shan, pitfall trap; 9. – 12. vii. 2015, R. H. Lee & Y. Luo lgt. // VOUCHER SPECIMEN no. AFD-008 DNA isolated 2017 ex coll. A. F. Damaška’ ( ADPC); 1 ♀ ‘ China: Hong Kong – New Territories, Tai Mo Shan, pitfall trap; 9. – 12. vii. 2015, R. H. Lee & Y. Luo lgt. // VOUCHER SPECIMEN no. AFD-025 DNA isolated 2017 ex coll. A. F. Damaška’ ( ADPC).

Differential diagnosis. The new species is similar to the Taiwanese Clavicornaltica mizusawai Suenaga & Yoshida, 2016 . It resembles it in having (1) a short, projecting, U-shaped spermathecal duct (in C. mizusawai , the duct follows closely the receptacle and exceeds ½ of the receptacle length), and (2) aedeagus slender, very long, strongly curved and pointed apically, orificium basale extremely long and slender, forming 2/3 of the total length of the aedeagus (in C. mizusawai , the aedeagus is short and robust, not very curved apically, with orificium basale wide and a round, dull apex). The spermatheca of C. longipenis is also somewhat similar to spermatheca of C. takizawai Döberl, 2009 , but in C. takizawai , the duct is very simple, following parallel to the receptacle (in C. longipenis , the duct is shorter and U-shaped). Clavicornaltica longipenis also conspicuously differs from C. takizawai in having an impunctate frons ( C. takizawai has a strongly punctate frons) and by the morphology of the aedeagus (in C. takizawai , aedeagus is shorter and broad, similarly to C. mizusawai in proportions and not curved apically). Externally, the new species resembles sympatrically living C. doeberli sp. nov., see the diagnosis of the latter species. The species also resembles C. dali Konstantinov & Duckett, 2005 in having flightless males and an extremely long orificium basale of aedeagus, but in C. dali , the aedeagus is robust and strongly widened before apex (in C. longipenis , aedeagus is only slightly widened, nearly paralell-sided, and very slender).

Description. Habitus ( Figs 4 A–C). Body round, very convex in lateral view, 1.1 mm long, 0.8 mm wide in maximum, 0.6 mm of maximum height. Color of dorsal surface dark reddish brown, ventral parts of thorax darkened, appendages yellowish to reddish brown.

Head hypognathous, triangular. Vertex and frons impunctate, frons with extremely feebly visible small frontal calli. Eyes small, eye diameter equal to or smaller than interantennal distance. Eyes connected to antennal insertions by deep groove, frons bare, frontal groove disappearing between antennal insertions. Clypeus feebly narrowed with groups of setae between antennal insertions and margin of clypeus. Labrum incised, with two pairs of long setae. Antennae forming club, yellowish brown. Antennomere I triangular, bulbose, antennomere II long, triangular, narrowing apically, antennomere III equally long or slightly shorter than II, slender, slightly curved, antennomere IV extremely short and nearly reduced, antennomeres V and VI short and small, antennomere VII slightly broader than VI, antennomeres VIII and IX short and strongly widening, antennomere X broad, but shorter and longer than IX, antennomere XI round triangular, incised apically. Antennomeres VII–XI forming antennal club. Antennomeres I–III covered with few scattered setae, antennal club densely pilose by white setae. Clypeus feebly narrowed with groups of some setae between antennal insertions and margin of clypeus. Labrum incised, with two pairs of long setae.

Thorax. Pronotum convex, 2.1× as wide as long. Elytra convex, slightly punctate, punctures arranged in 11 regular rows, puncture size gradually decreases towards elytral apex. Epipleura wide, reaching 4/5 of elytra. Tibiae slightly curved, widened apically. Metatibia with apical spur with one, two or none wide teeth. Metaventrite flat. Metaventral process long, rounded, wide, reaching beyond mesocoxae and covering entire surface of mesoventrite, flat with shallow marginal row, forming small punctures basally, and with developed marginal edge, surface shining with some scattered setae. Males brachypterous with wing reduced to small winglets ( Fig. 5C ), females wingless.

Abdomen with five ventrites ( Fig. 5B ). Intercoxal process of ventrite I with short, wide apex. Anterior margins of ventrite I with row of deep punctures. Carina of ventrite I surrounded by deep punctures at base of intercoxal process, intercoxal process impunctate.

Genitalia. Aedeagus ( Figs 4 G–H) extremely long, orificium basale reaching thorax, slender, curved apically, orificium basale extremely long and slender, forming 1/2 to 2/3 of the total length of aedeagus.Apex of aedeagus pointed. Spermatheca ( Fig. 4D ) small, with slender pump and bulbose receptacle, duct short, very robust, U-shaped. Vaginal palpi ( Fig. 4F ) connected basally, long, slender, bearing 3 long setae apically. Tignum ( Fig. 4E ) strong, long.

Etymology. The name of the species is inferred from the latin adjective longus meaning ‘long’ and noun penis, referring to the unusually long aedeagus of the species. The name is a noun in apposition.

Figures

Fig. 4. Morphology of Clavicornaltica longipenis sp. nov.. A – habitus in dorsal view; B – habitus in lateral view; C – habitus in ventral view; D – spermatheca; E – tignum; F – vaginal palpi; G –aedeagus in dorsal view; H – aedeagus in lateral view.

Fig. 5. Morphological differences between Clavicornaltica doeberli sp. nov. and C. longipenis sp. nov. A – abdomen of C. doeberli in ventral view; B – abdomen of C; longipenis in ventral view; C – reduced wing of C. longipenis; D – antenna of C. doeberli; E – antenna of C. longipenis.