Cylloepus mazzai, Monte, Cinzia & Mascagni, Alessandro, 2012

Monte, Cinzia & Mascagni, Alessandro, 2012, Review of the Elmidae of Ecuador with the description of ten new species (Coleoptera: Elmidae), Zootaxa 3342, pp. 1-38 : 13-16

Cylloepus mazzai sp. nov.

( Figs. 18–21 )

Diagnosis. Head granulated, with round and coarse granules; anterior half of the labrum covered with short fine hairs. Pronotum strongly convex in its posterior half, well distinct in lateral view. Body dorsal surface with dense, large, flat granules mainly on the pronotum and on the third, sixth and eighth intervals, each granule with a strong, long golden seta emerging from a lateral point. Elytral apices slightly protruding and obliquely truncated.

Description. Holotype: Male ( Figs. 18–21 ). Total length 3.7 mm, greatest width 1.4 mm. Body elongate, with sub-parallel sides, moderately convex.

Color: Cuticle glossy, dark-brown with mouth-parts, antennae and tarsi yellowish-brown.

Head: Partly retractable, without distinct impressions. Surface with dense, round, coarse granules, each one with a strong and long golden seta. Eyes protruding laterally; separated by a distance about one and half times the eye-width. Antennae 11-segmented, filiform; first two basal articles thicker than the following six; articles 8–11 with setae on distal lateral margin; apical article long with cluster of apical setae. Clypeus sub-rectangular and short, with the front-clypeal suture superficial; surface granulated like the head. Labrum sub-rectangular, short, glossy with anterior half covered with short fine hairs and anterolateral portions with dense long golden setae.

Thorax: Pronotum slightly longer than wide (1.1 mm and 1.0 mm, respectively), anterior width less than posterior width; anterior margin convex; sides slightly convex in the posterior half, lateral margin slightly but fairly regularly crenate with anterior angles produced and acute, posterior ones almost right-angled; base tri-sinuate. Sublateral carinae extending from base to anterior margin, more elevated and sinuate under half of pronotum. Disc with median longitudinal groove extending from distal third to the base; groove deeper and broader in the middle, narrower and less deep towards the base. Disc in front of scutellum on basal third with sides of median groove forming two large, convex, prominent median ridges, very distinct mainly in lateral view, becoming acute at the base of pronotum. Surface towards the base between the sublateral carinae and the median ridges with a slightly oblique depression followed by a small transversal elevation. Surface of disc with very dense, large, flat granules, each one with a strong long golden seta emerging from a lateral point, while the internal margin of the sublateral carinae, the transversal elevations and the pronotal base are glossy with sparse granules. Elytra ( Fig. 19 ) more than twice as long as pronotum; nearly parallel-sided; anterior margin convex; humeral angles broadly rounded; apices slightly produced and obliquely truncated. Each elytra with ten coarse sub-parallel striae formed by a row of well separated punctuations diminishing in size towards apex. Sublateral carinae on the sixth and eighth interstria, both reaching the declivity of elytra. Intervals almost flat except the third one which is strongly carinate in the basal third; interstria 2 much larger than others at the basal third. Elytral surface with dense round granules, each one with a long golden seta directed bachward. Scutellum sub-circular, flat and glossy. Prosternum distinctly produced anteriorly, in lateral view with the anterior two-thirds moderately bent downwards; sublateral carinae short but evident; surface with granules, each one with a long golden seta; prosternal process longer than wide, with lateral margin slightly elevated and sub-acute apex; surface as prosternum. Hypomera granulated. Mesoventrite deeply grooved medially for the reception of the prosternal process; narrower anteriorly, largely rounded behind. Metaventrite with the medial longitudinal groove, deeper and broader at its posterior edge; surface of disc with sparse granules with golden setae directed backwards; sides of metaventrite smooth and tomentose. Legs thin, covered by dense round granules. Pro-, meso- and metatibiae with a single lateral fringe of tomentum extending from slightly beyond mid-tibia to nearly the tip.

Abdomen: First ventrite slightly depressed medially, surface of this depressed area with few coarse granules; sublateral carinae more elevated in the anterior part, extending nearly to posterior margin; rest of ventrite entirely tomentose. Second ventrite with a slight depression and sparse granules on the anterior half, rest of ventrite entirely tomentose. Disc of ventrites three to five with fine golden setae, very dense and long on the last ventrite, surface tomentose; ventrites 4–5 with lateral margins slightly produced.

Genitalia: Parameres longer than median lobe. Parameres in dorsal view ( Fig. 20 ) gradually narrow towards apex; base oblique and largely rounded with internal angle rounded; apex slightly bent inwards. Parameres in lateral view ( Fig. 21 ) gradually narrow towards acute apex, which is bent downwards. Median lobe in dorsal view ( Fig. 20 ) shorter than parameres with sub-acute apex; wider in the basal half, slightly narrower in the apical half; basal lateral apophyses short. Median lobe in lateral view ( Fig. 21 ) slightly wider at base, almost aligned until apex, apex slightly bent downwards. Phallobase ( Figs. 20, 21 ) asymmetrical, nearly as long as parameres.

Female. Morphology like the male.

Intraspecific variation. Size range (n = 20): total length 3.5–3.7 mm, greatest width 1.3–1.4 mm. The specimens examined do not show significant morphological variability.

Type locality. Ecuador: Napo, Yasuní National Park, PUCE (Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador) Scientific Station.

Type series. Holotype: Male, Ecuador, Napo, Yasuní National Park, PUCE Scientific Station, 300 m, G. Onore leg., 1.IV.1997 ( MZUF Collection number 15628). Paratypes: 2 specimens, same data as holotype ( MZUF); 2 specimens, same data as holotype ( MSNM); 2 specimens, same data as holotype ( QCAZ); 1 specimen, same data as holotype (CMF); 1 specimen, same data as holotype ( CMS). Paratypes: 4 specimens, Ecuador, Napo, Yasuní National Park, 300 m, G. Onore leg., 29.III.1997 ( MZUF); 2 specimens, same data ( MSNM); 2 specimens, same data ( QCAZ); 2 specimens, same data (CMF); 1 specimen, same data ( CMS).

Etymology. Dedicated to our friend and colleague Giuseppe Mazza (MZUF) for his enthusiastic help during the entomological research.

Comparative notes. Cylloepus mazzai sp. nov. differs from all other described members of the genus by its labrum with the anterior half covered with short fine hairs, by the strong convexity of pronotum in its posterior half, well distinct in lateral view, by the body dorsal surface which has dense, large, flat granules mainly on the pronotum and on the third, sixth and eighth intervals, each granule with a strong, long golden seta emerging from a lateral point, by the elytral apices which are slightly produced and obliquely truncated and by the shape of the male genitalia.

Figures

FIGURES 18 – 21. Cylloepus mazzai sp. nov. 18) Holotype, dorsal habitus (total length: 3.7 mm). 19) Detail of the anterior portion of elytra, x 35, scale bar 500 µm. 20) Male genitalia, dorsal view. 21) Male genitalia, lateral view (total length of the male genitalia: 0.85 mm).