Paulianesthes fouquei, Schawaller & Fricke, 2017

Schawaller, Wolfgang & Fricke, Roman, 2017, Paulianesthes fouquei sp. nov., the second species of the endemic genus from Madagascar (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae: Tentyriini), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae (Acta. Ent. Mus. Natl. Pragae) 57 (2), pp. 345-349 : 346-348

Paulianesthes fouquei sp. nov.

( Figs 2–3 )

Type material. HOLOTYPE: J, ‘SW Madagascar, littoral zone west of Tsimanampetsotsa NP, Efoetse, 14 m asl., 43.713441°/-24.05109499°, 13.–15.III.2013, pitfall traps, leg. R. Fricke’ ( SMNS) . PARATYPES: 5 ♀♀, same data as holotype (4 SMNS, 1 TMSA).

Description. Body length 13.0– 13.5 mm. Dorsal and ventral side of body, as well as antennae and legs unicolourously black without metallic lustre, all surfaces shining. Head on frons with coarse but not confluent punctuation, punctures distinctly smaller but not sparser on clypeus, median lobe of epistome protruding in angle, similar in both sexes. The clypeal sutures forming distinct longitudinal impression extending backwards to ocular area. Labrum in both sexes with long yellow setation. Eyes oval, slightly wider than geneae, not restricted by geneae or tempora; without subocular furrow. Antennae short, reaching middle of pronotum, third antennomere 1.5 times longer than second antennomere, antennomeres regularly becoming wider towards apex, without separated club, penultimate antennomere subtriangular, last antennomere smaller and oval. Pronotum convex, of similar shape in both sexes, widest in middle, lateral margins regularly rounded; anterior corners rounded, posterior corners slightly prominent, all margins completely bordered, basal border broader than lateral border; surface without impressions and without subbasal foveae, with large but not confluent punctuation as on head between eyes. Propleura with same punctuation as on pronotum. Wings lacking. Elytra elongate oval, with 9 punctural rows without striae, third row with about 40 punctures, size of punctures similar to those on pronotum; base with complete and broad marginal carina, humeral angle obtuse; intervals flat in anterior part, becoming more and more convex towards posterior part, intervals with fine irregular punctuation, in posterior part additionally with small granules; without scutellar striolae; lateral margin visible from above only at shoulders and near apex; epipleura smooth without punctuation. Prosternum in males medially with small fovea bearing tuft of erect bristles, prosternal process compressed from sides but not prominent. Ventrites regularly punctured in both sexes, last ventrite unbordered and without modification in males. Legs distinctly different in both sexes. Middle and posterior femora in males in basal part with weak tooth. Anterior tibiae in males fringed with long and dense yellow bristles, in females only with a few short and dark bristles; middle tibiae in males strongly curved, inner sides with a few distinct tubercles and with apical brush of long and yellow bristles, in females middle tibiae straight but also with apical brush of long and yellow bristles. Posterior tibiae in males also strongly curved, inner sides with a few distinct tubercles and with apical brush of long and yellow bristles, in females posterior tibiae straight but also with apical brush of long and yellow bristles. All tarsi in both sexes with long and dense yellow setation. Aedeagus as in Fig. 3 .

Comparative diagnosis. Paulianesthes fouquei sp. nov. ( Fig. 2 ) shares with P. amplipennis ( Fig. 1 ) the general shape of the antennae, median lobe of epistome protruding in an angle, labrum in both sexes with long yellow setation, convex pronotum with broadly bordered basal margin, elytral base with a complete and broad marginal carina, prosternum in males medially with a small fovea bearing a tuft of erect bristles, prosternal process compressed from sides but not prominent, tarsi in both sexes with long and dense yellow setation, and strikingly modified male tibiae. Paulianesthes fouquei can be separated by a larger body size (10–11 mm in P. amplipennis ), more elongate elytra, not confluent punctuation on frons, slightly convex elytral intervals, and by the existence of small granules on the posterior part of the elytra (completely flat elytral intervals without any granules in P. amplipennis ), and by middle and posterior femora in males before middle with a weak tooth (only middle femur in males behind middle with a sharply pointed tooth in P. amplipennis ). The aedeagi can not be compared, because aedeagus is unknown in P. amplipennis (see remarks under P. amplipennis ). Etymology. Named in honour of the late (1980–2016) René Fouquè (Liberec, Czech Republic), a friend and a specialist in the tenebrionid tribe Stenosini , who passed away tragically so early.

Figures

Figs 1–3. Dorsal view of the males and aedeagus of Paulianesthes. 1 – P. amplipennis Koch, 1962, holotype TMSA; 2 – P. fouquei sp. nov., holotype SMNS; 3 – P. fouquei sp. nov., aedeagus of holotype dorsal and lateral. Scale bars: 4.0 mm (1–2), 1.0 mm (3).