Ceratophila (Ceratophila) picipennis 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 : 162-165

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

( Figs. 4 A–H; photograph 1F in Tang et al. 2018)

Adult diagnosis. Distinguished from other Ceratophila (Ceratophila) species by the elongate pronotum; when present dark elytral markings covering most of disc; male genitalia with length of penile strut relative to median lobe ~ 3:2; and with a known distribution in Mexico, state of Chiapas, on Ceratozamia alvarezii , C. mirandae , C. norstogii , and C. vovidesii .

Adult male description. Length 3.03–4.53 mm, width 1.26–1.79 mm (n = 20). Body in dorsal view elongateoval, greatest width at middle of elytra; in lateral view convex dorsally. General body color brown ( Figs. 4 A–E), head and pronotum concolorous and darker than base of elytra; central portion of elytra usually with black to dark brown coloration fading gradually to light brown at base and apex, some individuals without black markings or with markings confined to elytral margins; 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. 4A, D ), average distance between closest punctures 2× width of puncture; width 0.65–0.93 mm; dorsal interocular distance 0.42–0.59 mm, head width/dorsal interocular distance ratio 1.52–1.69, ventral interocular distance 0.26–0.38 mm, head width/ventral interocular distance ratio 2.32–2.70. Eye with large black facets. Antennal length slightly shorter than pronotal width, 1.3× 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 with a shallow depression without punctation, but usually with a shallowly impressed circular or semicircular border along anterior margin ( Fig. 4E ).

Thorax with pronotum quadrate in dorsal view, length/width ratio 0.83–0.90; with marginal beads laterally and basally, anterior margin lacking distinct bead medially; convex; anterior and posterior angles weakly developed; basal ¼ expanding to parallel lateral carinae, 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 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 1.63– 1.78, 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, 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; tibiae shorter than femora, gradually dilated to obliquely truncate apices; protibia with disto-lateral tooth ( Figs. 4 D–E), 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. 4G 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 = 2.3–2.7; 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 1.36–1.57 (n = 3).

Female similar to male.

Type locality. Mexico, Chiapas State, Municipio de Villaflores , near Champerico, [GPS coord. omitted], 980m.

Range. Sierra Madre de Chiapas, Mexico inhabiting male cones of four species of Ceratozamia .

Material examined. Holotype (by designation) male of C. picipennis with the following labels: 1) [rectangular; white; printed in black ink] “ MEXICO, Chiapas, Champerico, [GPS coord. omitted], ex ♂ Ceratozamia mirandae cone, 20- V-2017, H. Gomez Dominguez & W. Tang”; 2) [rectangular; red; printed in black ink] HOLOTYPE ♂ Ceratophila picipennis Tang, Skelley & Pérez-Farrera 2018 . Deposited in the FSCA. Allotype (FSCA) same data as holotype and 644 adult paratypes: MEXICO: Chiapas, La Sombra, Villa Flores, Ceratozamia mirandae , 1-V-1994, A. Vovides, 31A (3); Ejido La Sombra, Mun. de Villa Flores, Ceratozamia mirandae , 1-V-1994, M.A. Perez-Farrera (4); Mpio Cintalpa, Reserva La Sepaltura, 935m. alt., ex. Ceratozamia nsp., III-1996, M.A.Perez (15); Municipio Cintalpa, Rancho Cafetal, Ceratozamia alvarezii , 4-III-1996, M. A. Perez-Farrera (6); Ocotones, Mpio. De Cintalapa, Ceratozamia norstogii ♂ cone, Feb 2008, M.A. Pérez Farrera (1); Mpo. Cintalapa, Ejido Flor de Chiapas, ex Ceratozamia norstogii ♂ cone; Feb 2010, M.A. Perez Farrera (5); Mpo. Villa Flores, Ejido La Sombra, Ceratozamia mirandae ♂ cone, XI-2010, M.A. Perez Farrera (39); Champerico, [GPS coord. omitted], 980m, Ceratozamia mirandae ♂ cone, 20- V-2017, H. Gomez Dominguez & W. Tang (153); Jaltenango, [GPS coord. omitted], 957m, ex ♂ Ceratozamia vovidesii cone, 21- V-2017, H. Gomez Dominguez & W. Tang (417); La Concordia, Rancho Los Pinos, ex ♂ Ceratozamia vovidesii cone, 1- VI-2017, M.A. Pérez Farrera & H. Gómez Domínguez (2). Paratypes deposited at ANIC, BMNH, FSCA, IEXA, INBio, MNHN, NZAC, UNAM, USNM.

Etymology. The species epithet comes from the Latin ‘piceus’ for black or dark, and ‘pennis’ for wing, in combination referring to the relatively darkened elytra of this species compared to other members of the genus.

Remarks. This beetle has been collected from 4 closely related species of Ceratozamia found in the Sierra Madre de Chiapas in Chiapas State, including C. alvarezii , C. mirandae , C. norstogii and C. vovidesii (Pérez- Farrera et al. 2004, 2007). One other possible host species in this relatively isolated mountain system, Ceratozamia matudae Lundell ( Pérez-Farrera et al. 2000), has not been sampled. The ranges of these host species are in relatively close proximity and all are dwarf species that have small male cones compared with other Ceratozamia species located in nearby, but disjunct regions of Chiapas, Oaxaca and Veracruz. The elongated pronotum of Ceratophila picipennis may be an adaptation to the small cones in which they inhabit. The adults of C. picipennis may occur in male cones by the hundreds, especially in male cones just beginning their elongation and pollen shedding. They typically account for the second highest percentage of adult pharaxonothine beetles on male cones sampled during cone elongation and pollen shed (range 29–42%, mean = 38%, n = 3 populations; Pharaxonotha beetles usually outnumber them), and the most abundant of the two species of Ceratophila typically found in male cones. Ceratophila (Vovidesa) chiapensis coinhabit the same Ceratozamia cones, but usually in smaller numbers.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Photographs of Ceratophila (Ceratophila) picipennis collected from Ceratozamia mirandae (A–E: male holotype): A–C) dorsal, ventral and lateral and habitus; D–F) head, dorsal and ventral views; G) male genital capsule, ventral view; H) median lobe still attached with tegmen, lateral and ventral views; I) close up of parameres of tegmen, ventral view.