Ceracis cassumbensis Antunes-Carvalho & Lopes-Andrade

Antunes-Carvalho, Caio & Lopes-Andrade, Cristiano, 2011, Two new Neotropical species of Ceracis Mellie (Coleoptera, Ciidae) and redefinition of the cucullatus group, ZooKeys 132, pp. 51-64 : 53-56

Ceracis cassumbensis Antunes-Carvalho & Lopes-Andrade sp. n. Figs 110

Type-locality.

"Ilha da Cassumba" (Cassumba island) in Caravelas, southern portion of the state of Bahia, northeastern Brazil (17°46'S, 39°17'W).

Etymology.

The specific epithet refers to the terra typica of the species.

Diagnosis.

Each antenna with eight antennomeres. Pronotum with relatively fine punctation; its anterior edge projected for- and upward forming a raised plate, slightly concave, with a short emargination at apex. Elytral punctation relatively dense. First abdominal ventrite with a broad transversely oval, setose sex patch (Fig. 6, arrow). Tegmen with lateral edges bearing a small excavation near apex (Fig. 7, arrows).

Description.

Male holotype (Figs 1-3), measurements in mm: TL 1.56; PL 0.60; PW 0.64; EL 0.96; EW 0.64; GD 0.56. Ratios: PL/PW 0.94; EL/EW 1.50; EL/PL 1.60; GD/EW 0.88; TL/EW 2.44. Body elongate, robust; dorsal and ventral surfaces dark brown, almost black; basal antennomeres and funicle, mouthparts and legs mostly yellowish brown; antennal club blackish and terminal palpomere of the maxillary palp yellowish black. Head barely visible from above; dorsal surface subglabrous, sparsely punctate, bearing a transverse impression at disc, preceded by a weak protuberance (seen in the dissected topotype); frontoclypeal ridge produced forward, transversely concave, with anterior margin emarginate at middle forming two subtriangular plates visible from below (Fig. 6), the anterior edge with a row of setae along it. Each eye with a widest diameter of 0.14 mm; some short slender yellowish setae emerging from the intersection between ommatidia. Each antenna with eight antennomeres (FL 0.09, CL 0.17, CL/FL 1.89); length of antennomeres (in mm) as follows (from base to apex): 0.07, 0.05, 0.05, 0.03, 0.02, 0.05, 0.05, 0.07; each antennomere of the club bearing several sparse slender setae, and four conspicuous sensillifers symmetrically positioned at its upper portion. Pronotum with sides reasonably rounded, widest at middle; lateral margins narrow, not visible from above, except for the most posterior corners; anterior edge projected for- and upward, forming a curved raised plate, slightly concave, with a short emargination at apex (Figs 1, 4); disc impressed in the area surrounding pronotal projection; anterolateral angles inconspicuously produced, relatively obtuse; punctation relatively fine, single, uniformly distributed, the posterior half of the median longitudinal surface devoid of punctures; distance between punctures from 1.75 to 2.25 puncture-widths, being greater at the anterior half of pronotum (including pronotal projection); each puncture bearing a fine yellowish decumbent minute seta; in between punctures shiny, microreticulate. Scutellum small, triangular, with few punctures, each one bearing a short, fine, decumbent bristle; basal width 0.11mm and length along the longitudinal midline 0.05 mm. Hind wings developed. Elytra with sides subparallel at the basal two-thirds, then abruptly converging toward apex; punctation single, confused, denser than pronotal punctation; punctures irregular, but ever finer than those on pronotum; vestiture similar to that of pronotum, but in between punctures smooth and shiny. Ventral sclerites microreticulate. Prosternum in front of coxae shallowly concave longitudinally, and a bit transversely convex; surface beside coxae weakly concave; prosternal process laminate, reasonably elevated, almost as long as coxae. Metaventrite moderately convex, bearing sparse slender setae; punctation shallow, consisting mostly of few punctures close to the lateral edges; median suture (discrimen) obscurely indicated posteriorly (see section on “variation”). Abdominal ventrites bearing sparse slender decumbent yellowish setae, longer than those on the dorsal surface; punctation shallow and sparse; lengths of abdominal ventrites (from base to apex, at the longitudinal midline) as follows (in mm): 0.19; 0.08; 0.08; 0.06; 0.06; length of abdominal ventrites together 0.46 mm; abdominal width (basal width of the first abdominal ventrite) 0.63 mm; first abdominal ventrite bearing a broadly transverse margined setose sex patch (Fig. 6, arrow), located postered of center, with a transverse diameter of 0.06 mm. Apex of each protibia expanded; outer apical angle rounded and bearing a row of spines.

Male terminalia. (Figs 7-10) Ninth segment (=genital ring) V-shaped. Fused ninth and tenth tergites (Fig. 10) with posterior margin rounded and bearing small suberect bristles at middle; sides slightly diverging, almost subparallel. Eighth sternite (Fig. 8) with posterior margin shallowly emarginate at middle; posterior angles rounded and bearing some bristles; lateral margins diverging; anterior margin biconcave, rounded and slightly sclerotized at middle but not forming a strut (Fig. 8, arrow). Eighth tergite (Fig. 9) with posterior margin almost straight, bearing long and short bristles along it; lateral margins diverging; anterior margin concave. Aedeagus (Fig. 7) around twice as long as wide; basal piece not observed, possibly membranous. Tegmen slightly longer than and twice as wide as penis; posterior portion subtriangular, then subparallel sided at most of its length, lateral edges slightly curved inward to apex; both sides bearing a small excavation near apex (Fig. 7, arrows). Penis elongate, subcylindrical; sides subparallel at the basal three-fourths, with apical one-fourth subtriangular and weakly sclerotized.

Females. Differing from males in the following features: frontoclypeal ridge rounded, not produced. Lateral margins of pronotum rounded; anterior margin rounded, not produced, bearing small yellowish setae along it; pronotal and elytral punctation slightly finer than in males. Abdominal sex patch absent.

Variation.

Males, measurements in mm (n=21, including holotype): TL 1.12-1.80 (1.46 + 0.18); PL 0.44-0.84 (0.66 + 0.11); PW 0.48-0.76 (0.63 + 0.07); EL 0.68-0.96 (0.80 + 0.07); EW 0.52-0.76 (0.64 + 0.07); GD 0.44-0.68 (0.55 + 0.06). Ratios: PL/PW 0.92-1.19 (1.04 + 0.07); EL/EW 1.12-1.33 (1.25 + 0.06); EL/PL 1-1.55 (1.23 + 0.14); GD/EW 0.76-0.92 (0.86 + 0.04); TL/EW 2.15-2.50 (2.28 + 0.09). Body varying from dark reddish brown to dark brown (almost black). Frontoclypeal ridge and apex of pronotum weakly developed in the smallest males and strongly projected in the largest ones. Discrimen indiscernible to barely discernible in most individuals.

Females, measurements in mm (n=10): TL 1.32-1.56 (1.45 + 0.09); PL 0.56-0.68 (0.62 + 0.05); PW 0.56-0.68 (0.61 + 0.05); EL 0.76-0.92 (0.84 + 0.05); EW 0.6-0.72 (0.66 + 0.04); GD 0.52-0.6 (0.56 + 0.04). Ratios: PL/PW 1-1.07 (1.01 + 0.02); EL/EW 1.17-1.44 (1.28 + 0.09); EL/PL 1.24-1.44 (1.36 + 0.08); GD/EW 0.81-0.94 (0.85 + 0.05); TL/EW 2.06-2.44 (2.22 + 0.12).

Type series.

Male holotype (LAPC) "BRASIL: BA Caravelas; Ilha da Cassumba 30.ii.2006 leg. K.S. Furieri, F.C.C. Barreto, E.S. Rediguieri" " Ceracis cassumbensis Antunes-Carvalho & Lopes-Andrade HOLOTYPUS" [printed on red paper]. Paratypes: 20 males, 10 females (LAPC), same data as holotype. All paratypes distinguished labeled " Ceracis cassumbensis Antunes-Carvalho & Lopes-Andrade PARATYPUS" [printed on yellow paper].

Natural history.

Cassumba is a continental island at the Caravelas-Peruípe estuarine system, with around 120Km2. It is located at the northern portion of the Atlantic Forest and encompasses forest remnants and large mangrove areas mixed in a landscape apparently well preserved. It is the first record of Ciidae from the island and a rare record of the family from a Brazilian estuarine system. However, we do not know either the host-fungus of this single collection of Ceracis cassumbensis sp. n. or whether it was caught close to a mangrove or a forest remnant at the island.