Promanodes serafini, Kolibáč, Jiří, Schmied, Heiko, Wappler, Torsten & Kubisz, Daniel, 2010

Kolibáč, Jiří, Schmied, Heiko, Wappler, Torsten & Kubisz, Daniel, 2010, A description of Promanodes serafini gen. et sp. nov. from Baltic amber, with a review of related New Zealand Promanus Sharp, 1877 (Coleoptera: Trogossitidae), Zootaxa 2620, pp. 29-44 : 32-35

Promanodes serafini sp. nov.

( Figs 1–9 )

Holotype. Sex unknown, BALTIC AMBER, specimen labeled MP/1/713/188/01. Amber piece is nearly rectangular, approximately 10 × 9 mm. Deposited in the Amber Collection from the Muzeum Przyrodnicze, Instytutu Systematyki I Ewolucji Zwierząt PAN w Krakowie (ex coll. J. Serafin).

Diagnosis. As for genus (see above).

Description. Body flat, unicolorous; lateral margins of pronotum and elytra explanate; head and pronotum with coarse but sparse punctation formed by round and relatively deep punctures (interspaces among punctures as large as or larger than their diameter); punctation of elytra composed of about 15 regular rows of relatively large punctures; elytral carinae very fine, nearly inconspicuous; dorsal surface without conspicuous pubescence – side margins of pronotum and perhaps also head surface with some short hair.

Head prognathous, approximately as wide as long; gular sutures not observed; eyes relatively large and distinctly elevated, very coarsely faceted; space between eyes about five times wider than eye diameter; frontoclypeal suture deep, incurvate backwards. Antennae not complete: scapus robust, pedicellus short, joints 3–5 elongate (other joints missing). Maxilla with elongate galea bearing very long setae; palpi relatively long, minimally 4-segmented; the last joint coniform and elongate (not securiform) – about as long as two previous joints together. Labial palpi shorter than maxillary ones; the last joint narrowly securiform.

Prothorax distinctly transverse; lateral margins of pronotum broadly explanate, very finely denticulate; anterior corners not projecting, therefore, anterior margin of pronotum nearly straight. Prosternal intercoxal process long and slender, probably not dilated at apex. Coxal cavities widely transverse, probably closed in more than half of coxal width but not perfectly closed.

Mesothorax wide and flat; mesepimeron and mesepisternum triangular; coxal cavities weakly transverse, open; mesosternal process slender, narrowed towards apex. Elytral epipleure relatively wide, the widest at humeral portion, than fluently narrowed; elytra widest at 2/3 of length, their humeral portion as wide as pronotal base; ratio length: width (in middle) = 3: 1.

Metathorax wide, flat, smooth; metepisterna relatively wide and nearly parallel-sided. Discriminal line (discrimen) inconspicuous, probably absent. Wing with obliquely situated radial cell and distinct pigmented plate below it.

Abdomen with six visible sternites (ventrites) but only apex of sternite VIII with long pubescence is visible; sternites III–VII without pubescence.

Legs. All pairs of coxae narrowly separated, procoxae flat, wide and strongly transverse, mesocoxae weakly transverse, metacoxae elongate, flat; trochanters very small, triangular; all pairs of femora conspicuously clavate; tibiae slender, with at least one (subtle) apical spur, without distinct hooked apical spur and without conspicuous lateral spines along sides and apical spines at tibial apex (cf. Fig. 22 ). Tarsi elongate, tarsomeres without lobes; the last tarsomere longest of all.

Measurements. Body length 5.06; width of head incl. eyes 1.06; pronotum length/width 0.86/1.97; elytral length/width 3.52/1.27. (All in mm.)

Biology. Considering large elevate eyes and close relation to the extant Promanus , we suppose predaceous way of life which is typical for advanced lophocaterines.

Etymology. The specific epithet is a patronym honoring Jacek Serafin, Piaseczno, Poland, who made the specimen available for study.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Promanodes serafini gen. et sp. nov.: (1) body dorsally; (2) body ventrally; (3) Pro- and mesothorax ventrally; (4) wing; (5) Head ventrally; µCT scans: (6 a) body ventrally; (6 b) body laterally. Scale bar 1 mm. (Photo T. Wappler / A. Bergmann)

FIGURES 7 – 11. 7 – 9 Promanodes serafini gen. et sp. nov.: (7) body ventrally, partial reconstruction; (8) radial cell area of wing; (9) mouth parts ventrally. 10 – 11 Promanus subcostatus Broun: (10) female tergite VIII; (11) female sternite VIII. (J. Kolibáċ del.).

FIGURES 17 – 22. Promanus depressus Sharp: (17) wing; (18) female sternite VIII; (19) female tergite VIII; (20) maxillary palp; (21) labial palp; (22) hind leg. (J. Kolibáċ del.).