Somocoelia triplehorni Merkl and Egorov

Merkl, O. & Egorov, L. V., 2015, Somocoelia triplehorni Merkl and Egorov (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), the First Species of Platyscelidini in Iran, The Coleopterists Bulletin (mo 14) 69, pp. 73-77 : 73-76

Somocoelia triplehorni Merkl and Egorov , new species

( Figs. 1–3 , 5–9 )

Description. Body entirely black, rounded,convex. Male ( Figs. 1–2 ) body length 11–12 mm (n = 2). Head moderately coarsely, evenly punctate, punctures separated by distance 1.5–2.0X puncture diameter on frons and genae, 1.0–1.5X on clypeus. Antennomere 3 elongate, about 3X as long as antennomere 2 and 2X as long as antennomere 4. Pronotum narrower than elytra, transverse, widest at base, pronotal index 168.2; surface finely, sparsely, evenly punctate on disc (sparser than on head), punctures separated by distance 1.5–4.0X puncture

3) S. triplehorni , female, dorsal view; 4) S. arnoldii , male, dorsal view. Scale bar = 2.0 mm.

diameter, tending smaller, denser toward lateral, anterior, posterior portions; puncture interspaces smooth, dull; lateral margins finely beaded, slightly arched from posterior to anterior corners, outline with weak concavity in anterior 1/3; anterior margin with bead restricted to lateral 1/4; posterior margin without bead. Prothoracic hypomeron finely rugosegranulate; apex of prosternal process beaded, with minute, shiny median tubercle. Elytra subglobose, evenly convex, widest at middle; elytral index 83.0; surface finely, sparsely, and irregularly punctate on disc (sparser than on pronotum), smaller punctures separated by distance 3–5X puncture diameter, larger punctures arranged into hardly discernible rows becoming obsolete toward apex; puncture interspaces slightly rugose, dull; lateral margins evenly arched from humeral angle to apex, visible only just posterior to humeral angle; humeral angle rectangular, humeral callosity absent. Elytral epipleura punctate and rugose as disc. Ventral sclerites of meso- and metathorax finely rugosegranulate. Abdominal ventrites with punctation as sparse as but coarser than on elytra. Legs coarsely and densely punctate. Protarsomeres 1–3 ( Fig. 5 ) and mesotarsomeres 1–2 ( Fig. 6 ) with dense ventral pad of reddish setae. Inner margin of apical 1/3 of protibiae fringed with reddish hairs. Aedeagus with apicale elongate triangular, pointed at apex, with straight sides ( Figs. 7–9 ). Female ( Fig. 3 ) body length 11–13 mm (n = 7). Similar to male, but larger on average. All tarsomeres without ventral pad of setae.

Type Material. Holotype, male ( NMPC): “ IRAN – Golestan Prov. / 50 km NE MINUDASHT / Golestan Forest , 700 m, / S. Kadlec leg. 20.vi.2000 // HOLOTYPUS ♂ // Somocoelia triplehorni // Merkl et Egorov, 2015 [printed on red paper]” . Paratypes: “ IRAN – Golestan Prov. / 50 km NE MINUDASHT / Golestan Forest , 700 m, / S. Kadlec leg. 20.vi.2000 // PARATYPUS ♀ // Somocoelia triplehorni // Merkl et Egorov, 2015 [printed on yellow paper] ” (2 females, HNHM, 6 females, NMPC); “ IRAN / Bojnourd / 30-4 // MUSEUM PARIS / Mission /Franco- Iranienne / 1963 // PARATYPUS ♂ // Somocoelia triplehorni // Merkl et Egorov, 2015 [printed on yellow paper]” (1 male, MNHP). The holotype lacks the left protarsomeres 3–5, the right protarsomeres 4 and 5, and left mesotarsus .

Distribution. Iran, Golestan Province. The species is known from two localities: 50 km NE Minūdasht (ca. 37.44° N, 55.81° E) and Bojnurd (ca. 37.47° N, 57.32° E).

Etymology. The new species is dedicated to Dr. Charles A. Triplehorn, Professor Emeritus of The Ohio State University (OSU) and Curator Emeritus of the Charles A. Triplehorn Insect Collection housed in the OSU.

Diagnosis. Somocoelia triplehorni differs from S. arnoldii ( Fig. 4 ) in the characters summarized in Table 1.

Figures

Figs. 1–4. Somocoelia species, habitus. 1) S. triplehorni, male, dorsal view; 2) S. triplehorni, male, ventral view;

Figs. 5–9. Somocoelia triplehorni, male structures. 5) Right protarsomeres 1–3, ventral view; 6) Right mesotarsus, ventral view; 7) Aedeagus, ventral view; 8) Aedeagus, left lateral view; 9) Aedeagus, right lateral view. Scale bar = 2.0 mm.