Dicronychus latifae, Al Dhafer, Hathal M. & Platia, Giuseppe, 2013

Al Dhafer, Hathal M. & Platia, Giuseppe, 2013, Contribution to the knowledge of the genus Dicronychus (Coleoptera: Elateridae) from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Zootaxa 3734 (1), pp. 15-22 : 17-19

Dicronychus latifae n. sp.

Figs. 6–8 .

Material examined: Holotype: ♀ Saudi Arabia, Rawdhat Khorim, 25° 25’ 943”N, 47° 13’ 863E,” 572m, 29-IV- 2012, Al Dhafer (KSMA). Paratypes: (197): 4♂, 7♀ same data as holotype, 69 specimens same data as holotype, 19 V 2012, 2♂, 4♀ and 30 other specimens (KSMA); 15-IV-2012, 4 ♂, 3♀ and 5 other specimens (KSMA); 27-V- 2012, 3♀ and 2 other specimens (KSMA); 28-IV-2012, 1♂ and 11 other specimens (KSMA); 10-VI-2012, 3 specimens (KSMA); 14-IV-2012, light trap, 1 specimen (KSMA); Wasiel, 45 km W Riyadh, Abdurahman AlThonian Farm, 4-V-2008, light trap, M. Otybi, 1♀ (KSMA); Wasiel, 45 km W Riyadh, Mazin AlQwrashi farm, 13-V-2008, light trap, M. Otybi, 1♀ (KSMA); Al Muzahimiyah, AlKhararah, 24° 24’ 24”N, 46° 14’ 40”E, 26-IV- 2011, light trap, Y. Drayhim, H. Al Dhafer, A. Al Gharbawy & M. Al Harbi. 1♂ (KSMA); AlMuzahimiyah, AlKhararah, 24° 24’ 24”N, 46° 14’ 40”E, 17-V-2011, light trap, Y. Drayhim, H. Al Dhafer & A. AlGharbawy, 1♂ (KSMA); same locality, H. Setyaningrum, 1♂, 1♀ (KSMA); Hotat Bani Tamim, Riyadh, 23° 49’ 35”N, 46° 81’ 58”, 16-V-2010, sweeping, A. AlOthman, 1♂ (KSMA); AlMajardah, Wadi Baqrah, 18° 55’ 642”N, 42° 02’ 829”E, 433m, 10-XI-2012, hand collecting, H. Al Dhafer, 1♀ (KSMA).

Description: Head: Dark brown, fine punctures with scattered larger round punctures, covered with decumbent pale hair; frons convex becoming flat toward anterior margin with well-developed apical carina; antennae just reaching the hind angles in males, not reaching the hind angles by about one antennomere in females; antennomere 2 subconical, slightly shorter than antennomere 3; antennomeres 3–10 feebly dilated at apex, longer than wide; antennomere 11 subellipsoidal, narrowed at apex.

Pronotum: As long as wide, convex, widest at middle, dark brown to black, densely and finely round punctures with scattered larger round punctures, lateral margins arcuate; hind angles sharply truncate, carinate dorsally.

Scutellum: Dark brown medially, more blackish along suture, slightly wider than long, heart- shaped, emarginate at base.

Elytra: Yellowish-brown, medially shaded with black ( Fig. 6 ), covered with dense erect yellow setae, striae densely and finely punctate with scattered large rounded punctures, interstriae deeply punctate.

Male genitalia: Parameres without a distinctly produced subapical rounded lobe, apicolateral expansion reduced, teardrop-like, two setae below expansion, distal setae long; median lobe simple, subparallel margins beyond middle apically narrowly rounded ( Fig. 7 ).

Female genitalia: Proximal sclerite of the bursa copulatrix with 9–11 large marginal teeth, terminal teeth largest, and 11–13 smaller internal discal teeth including one just below large marginal terminal tooth ( Fig. 8 ). Etymology. The patronym honors Latifa A. Almutlaq.

Diagnosis. Dicronychus latifae is most similar to D. brancuccii , but can be distinguished in the female by fewer teeth of the proximal sclerite of the bursa copulatrix ( Fig. 8 ). The parameres of the male genitalia lack the distinctly produced subapical rounded lateral lobe with the triangular expansions ( Fig. 7 ), as present in D. brancuccii ( Fig. 4 ). Additionally the apex of the median lobe is more narrowly rounded than either D. brancuccii ( Fig. 4 ) or D. bushrae n. sp. ( Fig. 10 ).

Figures

FIGURES 6 – 8. Dicronychus latifae n. sp. 6. Habitus. 7. Male genitalia, dorsal. 8. Bursa copulatrix sclerite.

FIGURES 1 – 5. Dicronychus brancuccii 1. Frons. 2. Prosternum with V-shaped suture. 3. Habitus. 4. Male genitalia, dorsal. 5. Bursa copulatrix sclerite.

FIGURES 9 – 11. Dicronychus bushrae n. sp. 9. Habitus. 10. Male genitalia, dorsal. 11. Bursa copulatrix sclerite.