Pseudopyrochroa inthanonensis Young

Young, Daniel K., 2014, A new species of Pseudopyrochroa Pic, 1906 (Coleoptera: Pyrochroidae: Pyrochroinae) from the Mae Chaem District, Thailand, Zootaxa 3785 (1), pp. 95-100 : 96-98

Pseudopyrochroa inthanonensis Young , sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–5 )

Description. Length (L) = 10.8 mm; humeral width (HW) = 2.4 mm; maximal elytral width (W) = 3.3 mm. Antennae, venter, including ventral-most portions of hypomera, and mouthparts rufopiceous to black; apices of mandibles and palpi yellowish-orange to testaceous; cranium with frontoclypeal region shining, yellowish to yellowish-brown, remainder brownish-orange; pronotum brownish-orange; scutellum and elytra yellowish-orange.

Head: Cranial surface ( Fig. 2 ), exclusive of frontoclypeal region, shallowly, moderately coarsely, densely punctate, cranial neck more coarsely and densely punctate; cranium moderately densely clothed with yellowishgolden setae, vestiture of cranial apparatus region denser, conspicuously longer, partially concealing interocular excavations. Compound eyes finely faceted; intrafacetal setae lacking. Each antenna with scape and pedicel shallowly, coarsely, moderately densely punctate; scape and pedicel somewhat shining, sparsely clothed with pale setae, those along posterior surfaces more dense, elongate and erect; scape elongate, somewhat enlarged distally, approximately 3.1X length of the pedicel; antennal pedicel short, broadest distally ( Figs. 2–3 ). Flagellum densely setose, strongly, delicately pectinate ( Figs. 1, 3 ), setae of flagellomeres decumbent; setae of rami erect, pale yellowish. Interocular cranial apparatus ( Fig. 2 ) broadly and somewhat shallowly excavate between dorso-anterior margins of eyes; frons slightly swollen anterad cranial apparatus, forming a broad, flat, ill-defined antero-mesal face of cranial apparatus, which bears a dense tuft of retrorsely decumbent orange setae medially. Posterior face of cranial apparatus with dense fringe of anteriorly decumbent yellowish-orange setae partially obscuring excavation between eyes; posterior and lateral margins of cranial apparatus sharply defined.

Thorax: Pronotum ( Fig. 4 ) moderately densely, shallowly, coarsely punctate, with well-developed basal pronotal bead; pronotal vestiture consisting of moderately dense, relatively short, erect, yellowish to orange setae. Lateral margins more or less evenly rounded, anterior and posterior margins very slightly rounded, nearly straight, maximal width = 1.6 mm; basal width = 1.4 mm; apical width = 0.7 mm. Scutellum ( Figs. 1, 3–4 ) shield-shaped, slightly longer than wide, apex rounded, moderately densely clothed with retrorsely decumbent yellowish to yellowish-golden setae. Elytra elongate, covering abdomen, subparallel for much of length, slightly wider distally; maximal width (W) 1.36X humeral width (HW); longitudinal elytral costae indistinct. Elytral vestiture consisting of short, dense, somewhat decumbent yellowish-orange to coppery-golden setae; elytral surface appears moderately striped longitudinally by virtue of the indistinct costae and distinct “ribbed” matting of vestiture.

Abdomen: Six visible ventrites; abdominal ventrite 6 with sides tapering distally, apical margin narrowly, conspicuously emarginate ( Fig. 5 ). Genitalia with parameres long, narrow, fused proximally and for much of their length, separate and subparallel distally, with apices each bearing a recurved, dentate process; median lobe elongate with recurved, dentate apex.

Female. Unknown.

Larva. Unknown.

Diagnosis. Since it is presently known solely from the holotype male and secondary sexual characters of the male cranial apparatus and antennae provide the best diagnostic characters, the following diagnosis is limited to a comparison with males of the other Pseudopyrochroa species. The combination of a largely unicolorous yellowishorange head, pronotum, scutellum and elytra, pectinate antennae and pronotal shape (sides more or less evenly rounded)( Figs. 1 , 4 ) separates P. inthanonensis from all but P. cardoni (Fairmaire) and some color morphs of P. basalis (Pic) and P. fainanensis (Pic) . In males of both P. basalis ( Fig. 6 ) and P. c a rd o n i ( Fig. 7 ), the antennal pedicel has the outer apical angle conspicuously acuminate, a condition not seen in P. inthanonensis ( Fig. 3 ). While P. fainanensis most commonly has the head at least partially piceous to black, it can also be unicolorous yellowishorange. However, males of P. fainanensis exhibit a very weakly developed cranial apparatus ( Fig. 8 ), unlike the well-developed apparatus seen in males of P. inthanonensis ( Fig. 2 ).

Type material. HOLOTYPE (♂, NMNS): {First label}: [North THAI] // Maeo Khun Klang // 1350m, Doi Inthanon // 20.X. 1983 M. Sakai; {Second label}: NMNS ENT // 4881-32948; {Third label; pink card stock}: Auto-Montaged // digital image(s) // per D. K. Young; {Fourth label; pink card stock}: HOLOTYPE: // Pseudopyrochroa // inthanonensis // Young.

Distribution. THAILAND

Etymology. The specific epithet, inthanonensis , is derived from the root, “ inthanon -” and the Latin root, “- ensis ” (= “of or belonging to”). The epithet refers to the nearby mountain, Doi Inthanon, named in honor of King Inthawichayanon (1870-1897), the 7th ruler of the last dynasty of Chiang Mai. It has been written that the king was greatly concerned about the forests in what is now the northern region of Thailand, and that he tried to preserve them. The epithet is most fitting for a pyrochroid species in that larvae are subcortical obligates and, thus, entirely dependent upon dead trees and coarse woody debris.

Remarks. As detailed above, the single male of P. inthanonensis was collected near Doi Inthanon in Chiang Mai Province, Mae Chaem District, Thailand, at an elevation of 1350 meters (= 4429 feet). Investigating the locality from the label data via Google Earth, the most likely area with the recorded elevation is 18.648314°N, 98.476525°E. This would place the specific type locality approximately four miles northwest of the Doi Inthanon summit.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 3. Pseudopyrochroa inthanonensis, sp. nov., adult male. (1) Habitus, dorsal view; (2) Head (cranial apparatus), dorso-frontal view; (3) Right antenna, dorso-posterior view.

FIGURES 4 – 5. Pseudopyrochroa inthanonensis, sp. nov., adult male. (4) Pronotum, dorsal view; (5) Abdominal apex and genitalia (distal parameres + penis), ventral view.

FIGURES 6 – 8. Heads of adult, males of Pseudopyrochroa species, dorso-frontal view. (6) P. basalis (Pic); (7) P. cardoni (Fairmaire); (8) P. fainanensis (Pic).