Ceratophila (Ceratophila) gregoryi 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 : 159-162

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

( Figs. 1F , 3 A–H)

Adult diagnosis. Distinguished from other Ceratophila (Ceratophila) species by the pronotum narrowing anteriorly; dark marks on the elytra absent or faint; male genitalia with length of penile strut relative to median lobe ~ 3:2; setae at apex of parameres with greatest length ± dorsal width of parameres; and with a known distribution in Mexico, state of Oaxaca, on Ceratozamia mixeorum .

Adult male description. Length 4.03–5.11 mm, width 1.59–2.04 mm (n = 10). Body in dorsal view elongateoval, greatest width at middle of elytra; in lateral view convex dorsally. General body color red-brown ( Figs. 3 A– E), pronotum contrasting with light brown of elytra; dorsal surface punctate, shining and appearing glabrous, short procumbent hairs associated with punctation along lateral sides and declivity of elytra, ventrally shining and appearing glabrous except mesoventrite and abdomen mostly covered with long procumbent setae.

Head not broad, width = 0.66–0.68× pronotal width; in dorsal view conical, gradually narrowed anteriorly, surface flat to slightly convex, finely, moderately punctured ( Figs. 3A, D ), average distance between closest punctures 2× width of puncture; width 0.86–1.05 mm; dorsal interocular distance 0.57–0.63 mm, head width/dorsal interocular distance ratio 1.54–1.67, ventral interocular distance 0.34–0.41 mm, head width/ventral interocular distance ratio 2.43–2.67. Eye with large black facets. Antennal length ¾ pronotal width, 1.2× 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, globular with angulate apex. Clypeus truncate anteriorly, moderately punctate; somewhat emarginate, with narrow margin. Mentum and submentum with moderate punctation, distance between nearest punctures approximately 1× own diameter, each puncture with a short seta. Gular area smooth, without punctation or setae, border with submentum usually without punctation, with a shallowly impressed circular dimple medially ( Fig. 3E ).

Thorax with pronotum somewhat quadrate in dorsal view narrowing anteriorly, length/width ratio 0.78–0.82; with marginal beads laterally and basally, anterior margin lacking distinct bead medially; convex; anterior angle weakly developed, posterior angles rounded; medial ½ of lateral carinae weakly converging anteriorly, then gradually converging in apical 1/4; posterior margin slightly projecting medially, projection beginning approximately by pair of small, dark pores located 1/7 length of posterior margin from posterior corners and touching and just anterior to marginal bead, longitudinal furrows lacking. Prosternum in ventral view convex; anterior margin slightly emarginate, finely denticulate with row of long, anteriorly directed setae, longest setae approximately ½ length of eye. Hypomeron laterally with few minute punctures, medially with longitudinal striations. Elytra in dorsal view elongate-oval, convex; length/width 1.61–1.73, greatest width near midlength; without marginal line basally; 10 complete striae of moderate puncture size; scutellary striole extending ¼ elytral length, with 10–15 punctures; intervals of striae with fine, shallow punctures. All punctures of elytral striae bearing a single short seta; seta only visible in profile, extending slightly out of puncture. Mesoventrite with moderate to strong punctation, distance between nearest punctures approximately equal to diameter of punctures, puncture depth moderate. Metaventrite dulled laterally, with strong lateral punctation separated by 2–3× own diameter; medial surface smooth, glossy, finely punctured, punctation separated by 5–6× own diameter; convex laterally, slightly impressed 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, gradually dilated to obliquely truncate apices; protibia with disto-lateral tooth ( Figs. 3 B–C), with apical fringe of short, stout spinules of posterior margin lacking along concave medial margin (row broken) and long stout setae on anterior margin; meso- and metatibia with apical fringe of short, stout spinules on anterior margin, longer setae 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; all ventrites bearing moderate, shallow punctation, distance to nearest puncture approximately 1× diameter of puncture, punctures bearing mostly reclining setae; ventrite V with setae length nearly uniformly approximately 2× diameter of puncture; ventrites I–IV with punctation and setae confined to median band, setae length approximately 1× diameter of puncture along anterior edge of band increasing to approximately 3× diameter along posterior edge; I–IV each with 2 or more median pairs of longer, semi-erect sensory hairs (often abraded), V with 2–3 pairs of long semi-erect hairs located postero-laterally. Male genital capsule fringed with fine setae. Male genitalia (tegmen and median lobe) oriented upside down (displayed right side up in Fig. 3G ). 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 dorsoventrally compressed, height approximately 1/2 its own width, in dorso-ventral view length/width ratio = 2.72– 3.30; 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 1.54–1.66 (n = 2).

Female similar to male.

Type locality. Mexico, Oaxaca State, Sierra Mixe , [GPS coord. omitted], 1918m .

Range. Oaxaca, Mexico in the Sierra Mixe, known to inhabit only male cones of Ceratozamia mixeorum .

Material examined. Holotype (by designation) male of C. gregoryi with the following labels: 1) [rectangular; white; printed in black ink] “ MEXICO, Oax., Sierra Mixe , ex Ceratozamia mixeorum ♂ cone, [GPS coord. omitted], 4-IV-2016, W. Tang ”; 2) [rectangular; red; printed in black ink] HOLOTYPE ♂ Ceratophila gregoryi Tang, Skelley & Pérez-Farrera 2018 . Deposited in the FSCA . Allotype ( FSCA) and 227 adult paratypes (same label data as holotype) deposited at ANIC, BMNH, FSCA, IEXA, INBio, MNHN, NZAC, UNAM, USNM .

Etymology. The species is named in honor of Dr. Timothy Gregory for his contributions to the taxonomy, ecology and conservation of Mexican cycads.

Remarks. Species lacking dark marks on the elytra superficially resemble C. gregoryi . Male genitalia are diagnostic, but unassociated females will be difficult to assign. Pronotal shapes are characteristic also ( C. sanchezae more quadrate, C. picipennis more elongate, C. gregoryi more anteriorly narrowing), but vary enough to be problematic on individual specimens. In all of these species, knowing where it was captured or the host cycad, will help identify them. Molecular work is currently underway to test these species hypotheses, but names need to be made available for current natural history and ecological work on both beetles and cycads. The only known host of this beetle is Ceratozamia mixeorum . This cycad is reported to inhabit tropical cloud forest in the extreme eastern Sierra Norte de Oaxaca (Sierra Mixe) at elevations from 1440–1895m ( Chemnick et al. 1997). The specimens used in this study were collected at a slightly higher elevation of 1918m. This habitat appears isolated and is wetter, higher and cooler than surrounding lowlands and relatively distant from other known Ceratozamia populations. Unlike other Ceratozamia in the region, our sample of beetles suggests C. mixeorum hosts only two species of Pharaxonothinae , Ceratophila (Vovidesa) mixeorum and C. (C.) gregoryi . Pharaxonotha species, typically found on male cones of other Ceratozamia species, were absent in our sample. In two cones sampled C. (C.) gregoryi accounted for 84% of 273 adult Pharaxonothinae collected, while C. (Vovidesa) mixeorum accounted for 16%.

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 3. Photographs of Ceratophila (Ceratophila) gregoryi (B–E: female allotype): A) dorsal habitus, female; B–C) ventral and lateral and habitus; D–E) head, dorsal and ventral views; F) male genital capsule, ventral view; G) median lobe still attached with tegmen, lateral and ventral views; H) close up of parameres of tegmen, ventral view.