Physodeutera (Microlepidia) propripenis, Moravec & Brzoska & Vybíral, 2021

Moravec, Jiří, Brzoska, David & Vybíral, Jan, 2021, New or rare Madagascar tiger beetles- 21. Physodeutera (Microlepidia) propripenis sp. nov., Ph. (M.) marginemaculata (W. Horn) and Ph. (M.) peyrierasi Rivalier (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae), Zootaxa 4941 (1), pp. 33-50 : 36-41

Physodeutera (Microlepidia) propripenis sp. nov.

( Figs 1–22 , 50 )

Type locality. Northern Madagascar (province of Antsiranana, district of Ambilobe, region of Diana ), eastern part of the Special Reserve of Ankarana , a partly degraded dry deciduous forest within “Benavony Circuit”—coordinates (decimal) : –12.960; 49.321, 120 m.

Type material. Holotype ♁ in SDEI, labelled: “ Madagascar, Antsiranana Prov. / Special Reserve of Ankarana / “ Benavony Circle ” –12.960; 49.321 / 120 m, 10.I.2016, leg. D. Brzoska ” [printed] . Allotype ♀ in SDEI with the same label data as holotype . Paratypes. 6 ♁♁ in DBCN , 1 ♁ in CCJM with same label data. 1 ♁, 8 ♀♀ in DBCN with same label data except for: “ 17.I.2016, leg. D. Brzoska ”. 10 ♁♁ , 13 ♀♀ in DBCN , 4 ♁♁, 4 ♀♀ in CCJM , 1 ♁, 1 ♀ in MNHN , 1 ♁, 1 ♀ in BMNH , 1 ♁, 1 ♀ in BBFM , 1 ♀ in JWCW with same label data except for: “ 9.I.2016, leg. D. Brzoska ”. 9 ♁♁ , 9 ♀♀ in CJVB , 2 ♁♁, 2 ♀♀ in CCJM with same label data except for: 17.I.2016, leg. Jan Vybíral [printed]. 9 ♁♁, 5 ♀♀ in CJVB , 1 ♁, in JWCW with same label data except for: “ 9-10.I.2016, leg. Jan Vybíral [printed]. 4 ♁♁, 2 ♀♀ in MSCB with same label data except for “leg. Miroslav Svoboda”. 1 ♁, 1 ♀ in COSJ , 1 ♁ in CMDT: “N. Madagascar, 21.-26.I.2016 / Ankarana N.P., “ Circ. Benavony ” / S12°57´30.8´´; E49°07´10.5´´ / 128 m, M. Trýzna leg.” [printed] .

Differential diagnosis. Physodeutera (Microlepidia) propripenis sp. nov. is externally very similar to Physodeutera (Microlepidia) marginemaculata (W. Horn, 1934) and Physodeutera (Microlepidia) peyrierasi Rivalier, 1967 but is clearly distinguished by its labrum which is uniformly shaped in both sexes. Therefore, males are immediately identifiable by their unusually long labrum possessing acutely tridentate anteromedian lobe ( Figs 8–10 ) and very different shape of their aedeagus apex which is distinctly ventrad-directed and rounded ( Figs 16–22 ). Because of the same shape of female labrum, females of the new species are recognizable from those of the two above-mentioned species merely by the pattern of their whitish elytral maculation consisting of only lateromedian macula (anteapical macula is missing in all examined specimens). However, the pattern of the elytral maculation varies both in Ph. (M.) marginemaculata and Ph. (M.) peyrierasi . Fortunately, despite the occurrence of these three species in the area of Ankarana massif, they never have been caught on the same locality, yet their syntopic occurrence cannot be excluded. Nevertheless, in some cases only females caught together with males may be identified with certainty. See also differential diagnoses and illustrations of the two similar species below.

Description. Body ( Figs 1–2 ) large, 11.4–14.4 (HT 12.2, AT 13.4) mm long, 3.80–4.40 (HT 3.60, AT 3.90) mm wide (females often but inconsistently larger than males), dorsally iridescent green-blue, rarely violet-blue with more or less notable velvety blackened area on elytral disc.

Head very large with large eyes, almost as wide as elytral width or slightly narrower, 3.30–4.40 mm wide.

Frons metallic black-blue with purple lustre and green iridescence on area adjacent to clypeus, convex in middle, very finely parallel-longitudinally striate, striae passing fluently through frons-vertex fold onto vertex; supraantennal plates flat, shiny purple-violaceous or with blue-green lustre.

Vertex separated from frons by distinct frons-vertex fold which is narrower in male, wider in female and forming deep transverse furrow and short, rather sharp lateral edges, then with flat median area in males, while with additional posteromedian impression in most females; metallic deep blue, usually dark purple on the flat anteromedian area and iridescent green lateral areas; whole median area irregularly vermicular and wavy-rugulose (sculpture usually coarser in female), rugae more longitudinal on posteromedian area and divergent on posterolateral areas when passing onto temples; juxtaorbital areas with denser parallel stria-like rugae appearing as densely sub-fragmented; limited posteromedian area vermicular-wavy rugulose.

Occiput concolorous with vertex, distinctly convex, densely and finely vermicular and wavy rugulose.

Genae metallic deep blue or violet-blue with green iridescence and purple lustre on anterior area, finely parallelstriate, glabrous.

Clypeus metallic black-blue or dark blue-green with purple reflections, or deep purple-violet, almost smooth and entirely glabrous.

Labrum uniformly shaped in both sexes (unique shape within subgen. Microlepidia ), with arcuate basolateral margins, then conically attenuated towards acute or subacute anterolateral teeth and with prominent tridentate anteromedian lobe. Male labrum ( Figs 8–10 ) whitish-ivory to yellow except for pale brownish-testaceous median area and darkened limited basal area and margins of teeth, comparatively long, length 1.30–1.60 mm, width 1.45– 1.70 mm; female labrum ( Fig. 11 ) usually darker, almost entirely brownish-testaceous, of the same shape as in male, yet somewhat longer, length 1.66–2.00 mm, width 1.65–2.10 mm, median tooth of prominently tridentate anteromedian lobe sometimes with blunt apex.

Mandibles ( Figs 3–5 ) brown to reddish-brown except for paler basal area and blackened teeth, subsymmetrical, both mandibles with third tooth markedly smaller than other teeth.

Palpi. Maxillary palpi ( Fig. 7 ) ochre-testaceous with terminal palpomeres usually brownish darkened in both sexes; labial palpi ( Fig. 6 ) ochre to brownish-testaceous, usually darker in females; penultimate (longest) palpomeres of labial palpi elongate, slightly curved and moderately evenly inflated (width 0.30–0.40 mm), fringed with rows of testaceous setae.

Antennae ( Figs 1–2 , 3 ) with scape and pedicel black-brown with mahogany tinge and pale brownish apices; antennomeres 1–4 ochre-brownish, usually with mahogany lustre and blackened apices in males, while both bases and apices blackened in females; antennomeres 5–6 pale brownish, 7–11 gradually blackened.

Thorax. Pronotum ( Figs 12–13 ) always at least slightly longer than wide, more elongate in males, length 2.20– 2.80 mm, width 1.90–2.60 mm, deep metallic violet-blue with iridescent-green median area on disc; anterior and posterior sulci deep (anterior deep only laterally), radially wrinkled in middle; anterior lobe irregularly (mostly transversely) rugulose; disc with lateral margins mostly subparallel or only moderately convex in males, usually more distinctly convex in females; notopleural sutures running collinear with outer proepisternal margins, thus invisible or barely recognizable in dorsal view; median line developed yet partly merging with surface sculpture; discal surface densely and sharply, transverse-wavy striate, sculpture usually more irregular and striate-rugulose in male, often more transversely parallel-striate in female; posterior lobe generally as wide as anterior lobe, possessing distinct posterior rim; surface very irregularly sparsely and shallowly rugulose, rugae finer, radiating in middle, dorsolateral bulges distinct; all lateral and ventral thoracic sterna glabrous; prosternum and mesosternum deep metallic blue- green or violaceous-blue, transversely wrinkled; metasternum metallic blue-green, smooth; proepisterna deep blue with purple-violet lustre or prevailingly purple-violaceous, smooth, except for finely wrinkled juxtanotopleural area; mesepisterna mostly dully black with only indistinct violet or purple lustre, coriaceous-rough, widely impressed, female mesepisterna lacking pits of coupling sulci; metepisterna iridescent blue-green or violaceous, indistinctly finely coriaceous-wrinkled.

Elytra ( Figs. 14–15 ), elongate, 7.30–8.70 mm long, lateral margins subparallel in male, moderately dilated towards rounded anteapical angles, apices rounded, slightly emarginated towards indistinct and blunt sutural spine; elytral surface with indistinct or shallow discal impression, yet together with rather distinct humeral impressions rather clearly delineate moderate basodiscal convexity; apical impressions moderate or distinct; elytral surface finely punctate throughout, punctures isolated and spaced, their posterior margin edged, shiny-blue or violaceous; punctures larger and deeper on anterior elytral half, particularly large on basodiscal convexity, several deeper and fovea-like setigerous, occasionally anastomosing punctures posteriad from juxtahumeral impressions; posterior elytral half covered with much finer punctures which are almost effaced on lateral areas, but apices again with larger punctures; elytral coloration iridescent green-blue or amethyst-blue with more or less distinct velvety black area on elytral disc diffusing onto large elytral area depending on light angle; limited sublateral areas mostly deep blue, passing to purple-violaceous on lateral areas in whole elytral length including lateral areas of apices, intensively purple on juxtaepipleural narrow zone; elytral maculation white or ivory-white, consisting of humeral macula (absent in female) and sublateral-median macula (anteapical macula absent); whole elytral surface glabrous except for sparse and barely visible whitish hairlike setae on elytral base and juxtaepipleural area.

Abdomen. Ventrites deep metallic blue with strong green iridescence, rarely with violaceous lustre, smooth and glabrous.

Legs. Coxae, trochanters and basoventral portions of femora testaceous, femoral dorsal portion brownish, sparsely covered with whitish, mostly thorn-like but short setae; tibiae brownish with their apical half usually blackened, or almost entirely black-brown to black, covered with sparse, short, thorn-like setae and dense whitish setose pad on apical third of mesotibiae; tarsi black-brown with black apices (first three protarsomeres in male dilated and with usual setose pad).

Aedeagus robust ( Figs 16–22 ), widest above middle; length 3.30–3.75 mm, width 0.90–1.10 mm, apical half conically attenuated and ventrad directed towards distinctly ventrad-directed, rounded apex which possesses shallow emargination on its dorsal portion when connected to the conical portion of the aedeagus; internal sack ( Figs 21–22 ) with aberrant basoventral spur (with only short, indistinct projection) associated with elongate, transverse basoventral sclerite, thin, strongly sclerotized, elongate central arciform piece, dorsal longitudinal membranous, folded plate, a densely finely echinaceous piece adjacent to dorsoapical orifice, and ventral-central longitudinal, sigmoid piece with obtuse apex directed to but distant from dorsoapical orifice.

Variability.Apart from the body coloration mentioned in the description above and obvious from the illustrations, some aedeagi are more voluminous in middle (as in HT, Fig. 16 ).

Etymology. Derived from the Latin prefix “ proprius ” (proper, individual, peculiar) and “ penis ” (penis, aedeagus) referring to the distinctive shape of the aedeagus of the new species.

Distribution and biology ( Fig. 50 ). The type locality of the new species lies within the Special Reserve of Ankarana (under the management of Madagascar National Park). It is located in western part of North Madagascar, 70 km south of Antsiranana (Diego Suarez), 20 km north of Ambilobe. The exact locality called “Benavony Circuit” (its decimal coordinates: –12.960,49.321) is a partly degraded dry deciduous forest with interspaced large trees (notably differing from the area of eroded limestone karst pinnacles in other parts of the reserve). Adults of the new species flew very quickly when foraging on basal portions of living trees, mostly on large buttress roots of robust trees, but also on fallen logs of partially moss-grown trees.

Figures

FIGURES 1–2. Physodeutera (Microlepidia) propripenis sp. nov. from type locality, habitus. 1—♁, 12.2 mm, HT (SDEI); 2—♀, 13.4 mm, AT (SDEI). Bar = 1 mm.

FIGURES 3–13.Physodeutera (Microlepidia) propripenis sp. nov. from typelocality.3— head, ♁, HT (SDEI); 4–5—mandibles: 4—♁, PT; 5—♀, AT (SDEI); 6—labial palpus, ♁, HT; 7—maxillary palpus, ♁, HT; 8–11—labrum: 8—♁, HT; 9— ♁, PT (DBCN); 10—♁, PT (CCJM ex DBCN); 11—♀, AT (SDEI); 12–13—pronotum: 12—♁, HT; 13—♀, AT. Bars = 1 mm.

FIGURES 14–22. Physodeutera (Microlepidia) propripenis sp. nov. from type locality. 14–15—elytron: 14—♁, HT (SDEI); 15—♀, AT (SDEI); 16–22—male aedeagus: 16—HT; 17—PT (CCJM); 18—ditto, ventral view; 19—PT (CCJM); 20—ditto, slightly turned; 21–22—ditto, internal sac in left and right lateral aspects. Bars = 1 mm.

FIGURES 50–52. Distribution of three Physodeutera species in North Madagascar. 50— Physodeutera (Microlepidia) propripenis sp. nov.; 51— Physodeutera (Microlepidia) marginemaculata (W. Horn); 52— Physodeutera (Microlepidia) peyrierasi Rivalier.