Passalus (Pertinax) gonzalezae, Jimenez-Ferbans, Larry, Reyes-Castillo, Pedro & Schuster, Jack C., 2019

Jimenez-Ferbans, Larry, Reyes-Castillo, Pedro & Schuster, Jack C., 2019, The Passalidae (Coleoptera, Scarabaeoidea) from Bolivia, with the descriptions of three new species, ZooKeys 882, pp. 51-85 : 51

Passalus (Pertinax) gonzalezae sp. nov. Fig. 5

Material examined.

Holotype: female, pinned, BOLIVIA: Yungas, Incachaca, 2800 m, xii.1960, Zischka leg. // Passalus (Pertinax) n. sp. Det.: Jiménez-Ferbans, 2016.

Diagnosis.

Among the brachypterous species of Passalus (Pertinax) , P. gonzalezae sp. nov. is recognizable by the absence of punctures on frontal area (delimited by the frontal ridges), by having anterior border of head with strong (deep) middle indentation, insinuating secondary mediofrontal tubercles, and weak punctures on elytral striae 7-10.

Description.

Habitus: midsize, total length 31.3 mm, brachypterous, body convex, reddish (teneral).

Head: labrum with anterior border almost straight, covered with setae uniformly. Clypeus hidden under the frons, with anterior angles reduced under the mediofrontal tubercles and smaller than mediofrontal tubercles. Frons narrow, anterior frontal edge with strong median indentation, insinuating secondary mediofrontal tubercles. Mediofrontal tubercle projected anteriorly and similar in size to internal tubercle. Internal tubercle midway between mediofrontal tubercles and apex of central tubercle, apex not free, nor joined to mediofrontal tubercles by a ridge. Posterofrontal ridges V-shaped. Area between the frontal ridges without punctures, divided by a longitudinal sulcus from the border of frons to the base of cephalic tumescence (= mamelon sensu Jiménez-Ferbans and Reyes-Castillo 2014). Cephalic tumescence not divided. Mesofrontal structure of the " marginatus " type ( Reyes-Castillo 1970), with central tubercle wide at the base, lacking posterior sulcus, apex not free. Lateroposterior tubercle marked but small, smaller than central tubercle. Lateropostfrontal area glabrous, shiny, and impunctate. Eye reduced, canthus covering 2/3 of eye in lateral view. Left canthus with two setae, right canthus glabrous. Postorbital pit weak. Postfrontal groove semicircular, complete and with small inverted v-shape in central part. Hypostomal process slightly separated from mentum, glabrous and extending anteriorly to superior part of the middle zone of the mentum. Medial basal mentum protruding ventrally, laterally pubescent. Mentum with large lateral fossae, shallow and pubescent. Antennal club tri-lamellate, with lamellae elongate. Internal tooth of left mandible bidentate, simple on right mandible. Dorsal tooth straight in dorsal view and slightly sinuous in lateral view. Dorsal mandibular pubescence covering base of mobile tooth. Mandibular fossae reaching base of mobile tooth. Lacinia apically bidentate. Ligula tridentate, middle tooth slightly longer than lateral teeth. Middle labial palpomere same width as, and 1.1 times longer than, distal palpomere.

Thorax: Pronotum rounded in dorsal view, wider than elytra, with 34 punctures on lateral fossae areas and three punctures restricted to the area of the marginal groove. Marginal groove narrow, visible at anterior angles and extending 1/3 length of anterior margin of pronotum. Longitudinal sulcus and lateral fossa well marked. Inferolateral area of pronotum with sparse pubescence. Prosternellum rhomboidal, shiny. Pre-epimeron (sensu Reyes-Castillo 1970) shiny and glabrous. Mesosternum with mesosternal scar oval, glabrous, lateral area opaque. Posterior corner of the mesepisternum and mesepimere glabrous. Anterolateral part of metasternum smooth and glabrous. Metasternum glabrous anteriorly and in lateral fossa; metasternal disc smooth (without punctures), delimited by numerous punctures posteriorly. Posterior metasternal lateral fossa less wide than epipleura.

Elytron: Shiny, anterior border rounded and glabrous. Humerus and epipleuron glabrous. Striae with rounded punctures, barely perceptible on striae 5-10.

Leg: Femur I with ventral anterior marginal sulcus narrow and complete, reaching the apical pubescence. Tibia I with dorsal sulcus complete. Tibia II with one weak spine and tibia III unarmed.

Abdomen: Marginal grove of posterior-most sternite complete.

Etymology. This species is named in honor of Dr. Dolores Gonzalez from Instituto de Ecología A.C. (Mexico), who has collaborated with the authors in molecular phylogenetic studies of Passalidae .

Taxonomic discussion. Passalus gonzalezae sp. nov. is similar to P. catharinae Gravely, 1918 (31-33 mm) from which it differs by the absence of punctures on frontal area, by having anterior border of head with strong (deep) middle indentation, so strong that it produces the appearance of being flanked by secondary mediofrontal tubercles, apex of central tubercle not free (attached to the frons), the reduced wings, and weak punctures on striae 7-10. From other brachypterous species, P. gonzalezae sp. nov. is similar to P. nudifrons and P. bolivianus sp. nov. However, P. nudifrons has the head with anterior margin shallowly concave, without central excision, while in P. gonzalezae sp. nov. the anterior frontal edge has a strong median indentation, insinuating secondary mediofrontal tubercles. From P. bolivianus sp. nov., P. gonzalezae sp. nov. differs by having weak punctures on striae 7-10 (strong in P. bolivianus sp. nov.) and humeri glabrous.

Figures

Figure 5. Passalus (Pertinax) gonzalezae sp. nov., dorsal view of the head and anterior part of pronotum. Scale bar: 1 mm.