Rueckeria inecol, Arriaga-Varela, Emmanuel, Tomaszewska, Wioletta, Huo, Lizhi & Seidel, Matthias, 2018

Arriaga-Varela, Emmanuel, Tomaszewska, Wioletta, Huo, Lizhi & Seidel, Matthias, 2018, On Neotropical Merophysiinae with descriptions of a new genus and new species (Coleoptera, Endomychidae), ZooKeys 736, pp. 1-41 : 14-16

Rueckeria inecol sp. n. Figs 7 a–b, e–k, 8, 13 a–b, 16

Etymology.

The name of the new species is dedicated to our colleagues in INECOL (The Institute of Ecology, Xalapa, Mexico), institution where the project within most specimens of this species were collected was held. Noun in apposition.

Differential diagnosis.

Rueckeria inecol is similar to R. skelleyi and R. ocelotl spp. n., by having the body completely brown and the abdominal ventrite 1 with irregularly rounded postcoxal lines (Fig. 16f). However, it can be distinguished by the basal pronotal pores present (Fig. 16c) (not perforated in R. skelleyi ), mentum subquadrate (Fig. 16b) and pronotal lateral margins nearly smooth (Fig. 16c) (mentum subhexagonal and pronotal margins weakly crenulate in R. ocelotl ), and by the features of the aedeagus (Fig. 8 d–f), with the tegmen about as long as the median lobe, with the sides parallel, and the median lobe widening apically.

Description.

Length 1.90-2.17 mm, width 1.00-1.05 mm, height 0.62-0.67 mm; body elongate-oval, weakly convex, 2.07-2.34 times as long as wide, 3.32-3.36 time as long as high (Figs 8 a–c, 13a, b). Surfaces shiny; sparsely covered with short, decumbent golden setae. Color reddish brown with yellowish brown antennae and legs. Head with interocular distance 0.77 times as wide as head including eyes (Fig. 16a, b). Eyes small, composed of 16 facets. Antenna moderately long and slender (Fig. 7e), 0.86 times as long as head and pronotum combined; scape as long as wide, 1.7 times as long as pedicel; pedicel 1.8 times longer than wide; antennomeres 3-5, each 1.42 times as long as wide, 0.7 times as long as pedicel; antennomeres 6-8, 1.2 times as long as wide and 0.5 times as long as pedicel; antennomere 9, 1.33 times as long as wide, 0.55 times as long as pedicel; terminal antennomere inflated, asymmetrical, 2.2 times longer at longer margin than pedicel, longer margin 1.28 times as long as lateral one, apical margin concave. Mentum subquadrate, with straight anterior margin (Fig. 16b).

Pronotum weakly transverse (Fig. 16c), 0.75-0.80 times as long as wide, 1.55 times as wide as head, 1.05-1.06 times wider at widest part than at base, widest at anterior fourth, convex at mid length; front angles rounded, weakly produced, mar gins slightly sinuate, narrowing at basal third; lateral margins narrowly bordered, edges nearly smooth; hind angles right-angled to weakly obtuse, rounded at tips. Anterior half of disc without impressions. Longitudinal, lateral sulci weakly convergent, almost reaching anterior 2/5; basal lateral pores present, connected by deep, faintly defined transversal sulcus, posterior transverse sulcus (near posterior margin) provided with foveate punctures; area between transverse sulci convex. Prosternal process moderately widely separates front coxae (Fig. 16e), weakly widening posteriad, its apical width 0.85 times length of procoxae.

Elytra 1.25-1.32 mm long, 1.24-1.28 times as long as wide; 2.37-2.50 times as long and 1.44-1.53 times as wide as pronotum; widest at basal fourth, then continuously strongly converging to rounded apex. Punctation composed of widely spaced small setiferous punctures and slightly larger, shallow foveate punctures (Fig. 16d). Metaventrite with postcoxal longitudinal ridges reaching shortly before anterior 2/5 (Fig. 16e).

Legs moderately long. Femora very narrow at base, then strongly widened at apical half. Tibiae moderately narrow, continuously widening to apex. Metatibia very narrow, continuously widening apically, 0.31-0.36 times as long as elytra; metatarsus long, 0.66 times as long as metatibia.

Abdomen with ventrite 1 slightly shorter than metaventrite and almost as long as three following ventrites combined (Figs 7k, 16f); postcoxal lines on ventrite 1 irregularly rounded, reaching about 1/3 length of ventrite.

Male genital segment with sternite emarginate apically and acuminately rounded at its base (Fig. 7g). Tegmen large, parallel sided, approx. as long as median lobe; tegminal strut short. Median lobe cylindrical, distinctly curved at base, weakly narrowing apically, with apex gently rounded (Fig. 8 d–f).

Female genitalia with narrow coxites, with moderately large styli bearing two apical setae; spermatheca elongate (Fig. 8g).

Type material.

Holotype male, MEXICO, "Mexico: Veracruz Trucha Feliz, 1 km SW of Rancho Viejo (W of Xalapa) 19°31.1'N 96°59.1'W; 1445 m 9.ix.2016; Alvarado, Arriaga, Fikáček & Seidel lgt. 2016-MX15 / sifting of accummulations of leaf litter in small pieces of riverside forest" (NMPC).)Paratypes, "MEXICO: Veracruz, Coatepec, Reserva La Cortadura, 12 km NW Coatepec town. 1900-2000 m fragmented cloud forest. Sifted leaf litter, Berlese funnel. 20.VI.2012. F. Alvarado & R. Madrigal" (1 male: IEXA; 1 male: CNIN; 1 female: IEXA); "Mexico: Veracruz. Tlalnehuayocan, Rio Pixquiac, Fragmented cloud forest, 1522 m, 19°32'49"N 96°59'52"W, 5.V.2013, Leg. E. Arriaga, F. Alvarado & R. Madrigal." (1 female: MIZ).

Distribution.

Mexico: Veracruz (Fig. 21).