Pharaxonotha manicatae Tang, Skelley and Taylor, 2024

Tang, William, Skelley, Paul E., Taylor B, Alberto S. & Salzman, Shayla, 2024, Review of Pharaxonotha Reitter (Coleoptera: Erotylidae: Pharaxonothinae) inhabiting cones of the cycad Zamia L. (Cycadales) in Panama, with descriptions of five new species, Insecta Mundi 2024 (43), pp. 1-40 : 28-30

Pharaxonotha manicatae Tang, Skelley and Taylor , new species

Figures 10A–J

Adult diagnosis. Pharaxonotha manicatae is the second smallest member of the genus in Panama, length 2.03– 2.31 mm (mean = 2.19 mm, n = 17). Other distinguishing characters include the relatively long pronotum, with pronotal width/pronotal length = (0.77) 0.80–0.88 mm (mean = 0.83 mm, n = 17); and known distribution in eastern Darien province on Zamia manicata . Host and thus very likely this beetle extends into neighboring Antioquia and Chocó departments of Colombia .

Description. Type series length 2.03–2.31 mm, width 0.74–1.08 mm. Body ( Fig. 10A–C ) in dorsal view elongate, somewhat cylindrical, greatest width at middle of elytra; in lateral view weakly convex dorsally. General body color entirely pale yellow-brown; dorsal surface punctate, weakly alutaceous, shining and appearing glabrous, short procumbent hairs associated with punctation on pronotum and elytra, ventrally shining and appearing glabrous except mesoventrite and abdomen with short sparse procumbent setae.

Head not broad ( Fig. 10D–E ), width = 0.76–0.81× pronotal width; in dorsal view conical, gradually narrowed anteriorly, surface flat to slightly convex, finely, moderately punctured, average distance between closest punctures 3–4× width of puncture; head width 0.49–0.56 mm; dorsal interocular distance 0.29–0.33 mm, head width/dorsal interocular distance ratio 1.59–1.83, ventral interocular distance 0.21–0.24 mm, head width/ventral interocular distance ratio 2.27–2.50. Eye with large black facets, about 2× diameter of head punctures. Antennal length slightly shorter than pronotal width, 1.2× head width; antennomere I (scape) fairly large, slightly elongate; antennomere II slightly larger than III; IV circular; IV–VIII small, equal in length, VII–VIII becoming slightly wider with flattened apex; club fairly large, IX and X similar in length; XI not enlarged, slightly longer than X, globular with rounded apex. Clypeus weakly concave anteriorly, moderately punctate. Transverse occipital line [vertexal line] distinct from eye to eye. Mentum and submentum coarsely punctured, distance between nearest punctures approximately 2–3× own diameter, each puncture with a short seta; submentum with weak medial depression visible on some. Gular area smooth, without punctation or setae, border with submentum marked by change in punctuation and with a shallow transverse depression.

Thorax with pronotum transversely quadrate in dorsal view, length/width ratio 0.77–0.88; with distinct marginal carina laterally and basally, anteriorly with fine marginal carina medially; surface mostly convex, slightly flattened medially; anterior angles broadly rounded, not projecting forward; posterior angles rounded, lacking small denticle at angle; lateral margin evenly shallowly arcuate medially, more strongly anteriorly and posteriorly; posterior margin slightly projecting medially, projection beginning approximately by pair of small, dark pores in margin located 1/4 width from posterior angles, each pore marks base place where an indistinct sulcus may extend anteriorly onto disc at most 1/8 length of pronotum, sulcus usually lacking. Prosternum in ventral view convex, with few scattered punctures; anterior margin slightly emarginate, finely denticulate with row of long, anteriorly directed setae, longest setae approximately 1/3 length of eye; prosternal process convex apically, expanded and truncate at apex. Hypomeron laterally with few minute punctures, medially lacking distinct longitudinal striations. Scutellar shield distinctly transverse pentagonal, posterior margin weakly rounded. Elytra in dorsal view elongate, convex; length/width 1.45–1.89, greatest width near midlength; with distinct marginal line basally; 10 complete striae of moderate puncture size; scutellary striole extending 1/4 elytral length, with 10–15 punctures; punctures of elytral striae slightly larger than pronotal punctures, striae not impressed; intervals of striae with fine, shallow punctures, 1/2 size of strial punctures; all punctures of elytral bearing a single short seta; seta only visible in profile, extending slightly out of puncture. Mesoventrite with fine indistinct punctuation. Metaventrite glossy, with weak lateral punctation separated by 4–5× own diameter; medial surface indistinctly punctured; entire surface convex, metathoracic discrimen extending approximately 3/4 metaventrite length. Legs narrow, relatively similar in length and shape. Procoxa oval; mesocoxa globular; metacoxa transversely elongate-oval; trochanters obliquely truncate apically; femora weakly robust, moderately compressed laterally; tibiae shorter than femora, weakly widening to truncate apices; protibia with apical lateral tooth weak, with complete apical fringe of short spinules on straight ventral apical margin; meso- and metatibia with apical fringe of short spinules on anterior margin, finer setae on posterior margins.

Abdomen. Ventrite apical margin bearing short, sparse setae; all ventrites finely, sparsely punctate across surface, distance to nearest puncture approximately 4–5× diameter of puncture, punctures bearing mostly reclining setae; ventrite V with setae length nearly uniformly approximately 2× diameter of puncture; I–IV each with 2 or more median pairs of longer, semi-erect sensory hairs (difficult to see in poor lighting, often abraded). Male genitalia (n = 1) not distinctly dorsoventrally flattened, tegmen parallel-sided in dorsal view, parameres in dorsal view with asymmetrical apices; elongate cylindrical median lobe, and long coiled flagellum ( Fig. 10F–H ).

Female. Similar to male, no sexual dimorphism observed. Genital tube elongate, length past abdominal segment VIII = 4× width (n = 1); gonostylus set apically on gonocoxite, gonostylus length = 4–5× width ( Fig. 10I ). Spermatheca C-shaped, apical third annulated and swollen, length ≈ 3× maximum width of apical third, basal third tapering to rounded base ( Fig. 10J ).

Type locality. Panama: Darien province.

Range. Known from easternmost Panama, in Darien Province, in male cones of Zamia manicata . The host occurs in the neighboring Antioquia and Chocó departments of Colombia ( Stevenson 1993) and this beetle is likely found into these areas as well.

Materials examined. Holotype (by designation) male of Pharaxonotha manicatae with the following labels: 1) [rectangular; white; printed in black ink] “ PANAMA: Darien, ex Zamia manicata ♂ cone, April 2016, A. Taylor ”. 2) [rectangular; red; printed in black ink] “ HOLOTYPE ♂ Pharaxonotha manicatae Tang, Skelley and A.S. Taylor 2024 ”. Deposited in the FSCA.

Additional paratypes (20). Allotype ( FSCA) and 19 adult paratypes same data as holotype. Paratypes to be deposited in: FSCA, MIUP, NHMUK, STRI.

Etymology. Name based on the host species, Zamia manicata ; in adjectival form “ manicata -e ”, meaning ‘of manicata’.

Remarks. Based on spermatheca morphology and its elongated pronotum, Z. manicata does not fit in any of the other four species groups currently recognized in Panama and is placed in its own species group. Although DNA analysis has not yet been conducted, spermatheca shape does not fit any in the recent radiations found throughout the range of Pharaxonotha and this lineage is currently placed among the early diverging lineages. No Notorhopalotria weevils have been detected to co-occur with P. manicatae in cones of Z. manicata , and this Pharaxonotha is currently considered to be the sole pollinator in this host.

Taylori species group

Adult diagnosis. Pharaxonotha taylori is the smallest member of the genus in Panama, length 1.59–2.08 mm (mean = 1.79 mm, n = 17). Other distinguishing characters include the pale brown body coloration; pronotum with basal lateral sulcus of disc indistinct to absent; pronotal hind angles and humerus of elytra rounded, lacking small denticle; narrowed protibia with straight apical margin bearing complete row of short stout spinules; spermatheca with basal third much wider than apical third; male terminalia not distinctly dorsoventrally flattened; and known distribution in central Panama on Zamia cunaria and Z. ipetiensis .

Remarks. This is the sole representative of the taylori species group in Panama and analysis of the 16S rRNA gene ( Tang et al. 2018b, 2020) places it among the early diverging lineages of Pharaxonotha and indicates that a closely related or conspecific species occurs on Zamia pyrophylla in the neighboring Chocó department of Colombia. Analysis of 368 nuclear genes of the populations on Z. pyrophylla confirms the placement of this group among the early diverging lineages (Salzman et al. unpublished data).

Figures

Figure 10. Pharaxonotha manicatae (A-E: male holotype). A–C) Dorsal, lateral and ventral habitus. D–E) Head, dorsal and ventral views. F) Genital capsule and tegmen attached to median lobe, (top to bottom) ventral and lateral views. G) Tegmen attached to median lobe, (top to bottom) ventral and lateral view. H) Retracted ovipositor, ventral view. I) Spermatheca.