Ceratophila (Ceratophila) chemnicki Tang, Skelley & Pérez-Farrera, 2018

Tang, William, Skelley, Paul & Pérez-Farrera, Miguel Angel, 2018, Ceratophila, a new genus of erotylid beetles (Erotylidae: Pharaxonothinae) inhabiting male cones of the cycad Ceratozamia (Cycadales: Zamiaceae), Zootaxa 4508 (2), pp. 151-178 : 157-159

Ceratophila (Ceratophila) chemnicki Tang, Skelley & Pérez-Farrera , new species

( Figs. 1B , 2 A–J)

Adult diagnosis. Distinguished from all other Ceratophila spp. by several characters including males with a broad transverse ridge and distinct groove at base of head, but weak in females, ridge interrupting supraocular line in both sexes; head broad, width = 0.74× pronotal width; anterior clypeal margin emarginate; pronotal hypomeron densely punctate; pronotum in dorsal view with middle third of lateral carinae parallel ( Figs. 1B , 2D ); elytra uniformly brown without darkened punctation or dark markings; male genitalia with length of median lobe relative to penile struts ~ 1:1; and female terminal abdominal ventrite with apex flexed inward, giving the appearance of a swollen and concave margin ( Fig. 2J ); and with a known distribution in Mexico, state of Veracruz, on Ceratozamia euryphyllidia .

Adult male description. Length 5.06–5.25 mm, width 1.97–2.12 mm (n = 2). Body in dorsal view elongate, greatest width at middle of elytra; in lateral view slightly flattened dorsally. General body color uniformly redbrown ( Figs. 2 A–F); elytra uniformly brown without darkened punctation or dark markings; dorsal surface punctate, shining and appearing glabrous, ventrally shining and appearing glabrous except mesoventrite and abdomen mostly covered with long procumbent setae.

Head broad, width = 0.74–0.75× pronotal width; dorsal view conical, narrowed anteriorly, surface irregularly convex with distinct depressions on each side along fronto-clypeal suture and a broad transverse groove at base of head just behind a broad weak transverse ridge between the eyes, this ridge interrupts the supraocular line; distinctly punctured ( Figs. 2A, D ), average distance between closest punctures 2× width of puncture; width 1.22– 1.26 mm; dorsal interocular distance 0.65–0.66 mm; head width/dorsal interocular distance ratio 1.85–1.94; ventral interocular distance 0.43–0.47 mm, head width/ventral interocular distance ratio 2.68–2.86, anterior clypeal margin shallowly concave, base of head with broad transverse groove distinct in males. Eye with large black facets. Antennal length 3/4 pronotal width, 1× head width, antennomere I (scape) fairly large, slightly elongate; antennomere II slightly smaller than III; IV–VII small, width equals length; VIII width slightly more than length; club fairly large, IX and X similar in length; XI slightly longer than X, globular with angulate apex. Clypeus emarginate anteriorly and laterally, distinctly punctate. Mentum and submentum with moderate punctation, distance between nearest punctures approximately 1× own diameter on mentum, 2–3× own diameter on submentum, each puncture with a short seta. Gular area smooth, without punctation or setae, border with submentum flattened without punctation, medially with a small impressed circular area ( Fig. 2E ).

Thorax with pronotum quadrate in dorsal view, middle third of lateral margins parallel ( Figs. 1B , 2D ), length/ width ratio 0.79–0.82; with distinct marginal beads laterally and basally, anterior margin with weak bead medially; pronotal disc weakly flattened; anterior and posterior angles weakly developed; lateral carinae in dorsal view with basal ¼ expanding to parallel medial third, then gradually converging in apical ½; posterior margin slightly projecting medially, projection beginning approximately by pair of small, dark pores located 1/7 length of posterior margin from posterior corners just anterior to marginal bead, longitudinal furrows of disc lacking. Prosternum in ventral view convex; anterior margin slightly emarginate, finely denticulate with row of long, anteriorly directed setae, longest setae approximately ¼ length of eye. Hypomeron with lateral ½ distinctly punctate, medially with few weak striations. Elytra together in dorsal view elongate-oval, convex; length/width 1.50–1.60, greatest width near midlength; without marginal line basally; 8 complete striae of moderate puncture size, stria 9 vague on apical 1/3; scutellary striole extending ¼ elytral length, with 10–15 punctures; intervals of striae with fine, shallow punctures; punctures of elytral striae apparently lacking seta. Mesoventrite with moderate to strong punctation, distance between nearest punctures approximately equal to diameter of punctures, puncture depth moderate. Metaventrite entirely glossy, with strong lateral punctation separated by 1–2× own diameter; medial surface smooth, finely punctured, separated by 5–6× own diameter; convex laterally, slightly flattened medially, metathoracic discrimen extending slightly over half metaventrite length. Legs stout, relatively similar in length and shape. Procoxa oval; mesocoxa globular; metacoxa transversely elongate-oval; trochanters obliquely truncate apically; femora robust, moderately compressed laterally; triangular tibiae shorter than femora, dilated to obliquely truncate apices; protibia with disto-lateral tooth ( Figs. 2 A–B), with apical fringe of short, stout spinules of posterior margin narrowly interrupted along concave medial margin, long stout setae on anterior margin medially, anterior margin bare laterally; meso- and metatibia with apical fringe of short, stout spinules on anterior margin, reduced on posterior margins.

Abdomen. Ventrite I with intercoxal process narrow, with triangular point anteromedially; lateral edges slightly projected, lateral and posterior margins arcuate, converging posteriorly; anterior and posterior margins of ventrites more or less straight; ventrite I longer medially than II; II–IV subequal in length; V slightly longer than IV with lateral margins converging posteriorly to a rounded apex; apical margin bearing short, dense setae; ventrite surface with punctures bearing reclining setae; nearly coalescing apical punctures of ventrite V with setae length approximately 4× diameter of puncture; ventrites I–IV bearing evenly distributed punctation from side to side, coarse punctures laterally separated by 1× diameter, finer medially separated by 3-4× diameter, I–IV each with 2 or more median pairs of longer, semi-erect sensory hairs (often abraded). Male genital capsule fringed with fine setae. Male genitalia (tegmen and median lobe) oriented upside down (displayed right side up in Fig. 2G to facilitate comparisons). Tegmen sclerotized, triangular, laterally compressed; with anterior region ring-like, posterior region sheath-like; lateral margins gradually converging posteriorly; apically with 2 elongate, somewhat bar-shaped parameres. Parameres dorso-ventrally compressed, height approximately 1/2 its own width, in dorso-ventral view length/width ratio = 2.24–2.53; apically with setae, length of longest setae> width of paramere in dorso-ventral view. Aedeagus with median lobe laterally compressed, sclerotized, in lateral view strongly curved, apex tapering to rounded point. Ratio of penile strut length to median lobe length 1.15 (n = 1).

Female similar to male, legs not sexually dimorphic. Base of head with broad transverse ridge and groove weak. The female notably differs from the male, and other species in the genus, by the modified terminal abdominal ventrite with the medial apex strongly flexed inward, giving the appearance of a swollen and concave margin ( Fig. 2J ); surface of apical margin and inflexion densely punctate and setose; terminal abdominal tergite sclerotized, with small medial tooth on margin.

Type locality. Mexico, Veracruz, El Luchador .

Range. Only known from El Luchador, Veracruz inhabiting cones of C. euryphyllidia .

Material examined. Holotype (by designation) male of C. chemnicki with the following labels: 1) [rectangular; white; printed in black ink] “ MEX., V.C., El Luchador , ex ♂ cone Ceratozamia euryphyllidia , 10-V- 2012, M. A. Perez Farrera ”; 2) [rectangular; red; printed in black ink] HOLOTYPE ♂ Ceratophila chemnicki Tang, Skelley & Pérez-Farrera 2018 . Deposited in the FSCA . Allotype ( FSCA) and three adult paratypes (same label data as holotype) deposited at FSCA and IEXA .

Etymology. The species is named in honor of Jeff Chemnick, who assisted in the collection of the type specimens of this species and others studied in this paper and for his contributions to the taxonomy, ecology and conservation of Mexican cycads.

Remarks. While C. chemnicki possesses the primary characters which place it in C. ( Ceratophila ), it is has many other unique characters. Placement in this subgenus is considered tentative pending further molecular and phylogenetic analysis. The structure of the female terminal abdominal ventrite and tergite are unique. The single collection of this species from one male cone of Ceratozamia euryphyllidia , contained only 6 adults, accounting for 4% of the 162 adult beetles present in the sample. An undescribed species of Pharaxonotha accounted for the remaining 96%.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Key characters of adults: base of head, pronotum and base of elytra, dorsal view: A) Pharaxonotha sp. collected from Ceratozamia tenuis; B) Ceratophila (C.) chemnicki; pronotal left lateral margins: C) Pharaxonotha sp. from Ceratozamia tenuis; D) Ceratophila (C.) sanchezae; E) Ceratophila (Uovidesa) chiapensis from Ceratozamia vovidesii; right metatibiae of male individuals, posterior view: F) Ceratophila (C.) gregoryi; G) C. (U.) mixeorum; b: basal bead of elytra; s: stridulatory files.

FIGURE 2. Photographs of Ceratophila (Ceratophila) chemnicki (A–I: male holotype): A–C) dorsal, ventral and lateral habitus; D–F) head, dorsal, ventral and lateral views; G) median lobe still attached with tegmen, lateral and ventral views; H) male genital capsule, dorsal view; I) close up of parameres of tegmen, ventral view; J) terminal abdominal ventrite, female.