Rostricephalus vitalisi, FleUtiaUX, 1918

Packova, Gabriela, Prosvirov, Alexander, Qiu, Lu & Kundrata, Robin, 2023, Rostricephalus vitalisi Fleutiaux, 1918 (Coleoptera: Elateridae: Lissominae) Confirmed from Laos, with Description of its Male Pregenital Segments and Genitalia, The Coleopterists Bulletin 77 (4), pp. 554-557 : 554-556

ROSTrICEPHALUS VITALISI FleUtiaUX, 1918 ( Figs. 1–2 )

Diagnosis. For external morphological diagnostic characters and female terminalia and genitalia see Kundrata et al. (2019) and Qiu and Prosvirov (2023). Additional diagnostic characters of male pregenital segments and genitalia are as follows: abdominal tergite VIII about 1.2 times as long as wide, apically broadly rounded; tergite IX only slightly wider than long, basally straight; aedeagal median lobe elongate, slightly surpassing parameres, apically gradually rounded; paramere elongate, with very short subapical hook; and phallobase robust, almost as wide as long, basally truncate.

Material EXamined. LAOS: One male, “NE LAOS, Hua Phan [Houaphanh] prov., Ban Saluei , 1300–2000m, 20.13'N, 103.59'E, Phu Phan Mt. env., 2004, J. Bezděk leg., 6–18.v. // NHMW- Acquisitions-Nr.:Col-2022-1,coll. P.Cate // NHMW- ZOO-COL-0007675 // digitalisiert in 2023 im Teilprojekt 05 - Kulturerbe digital –” ( NHMW). Note that different labels are separated by a double slash “//” .

DistribUtion. Eastern portion of Oriental Realm: Cambodia?, China (Guandong?), Laos, Vietnam. The specimen recorded from China: Taiwan by Suzuki (2003) represents a still-undescribed species (Qiu and Prosvirov 2023).

Description of Male Pregenital Segments and Genitalia. Abdomen ( Figs. 1C, D ) with ventrite 1

shorter than remaining ventrites; intercoxal process slender, narrow, widened medially and then gradually narrowed towards apex; apical ventrite almost equilateral, subtriangular, apically narrowly rounded; all ventrites densely punctate; punctures fine, simple, similar to those on tergites, anterior portions of ventrites 1–3 and partially also ventrite 4 smooth, without punctures; surface covered with moderately short, decumbent pubescence. Tergite VIII ( Fig. 2A ) about 1.2 times as long as wide, apically widely rounded, roughly, densely and ir- regularly punctate with large punctures. Sternite VIII ( Fig. 2B ) transverse, more than twice as wide as long, medially membranous, laterally partly sclerotized, apically somewhat truncate, laterally and partly medially finely punctate, covered with long, sparse pubescence. Tergites IX and X ( Fig. 2C ) connected by membrane; tergite IX slightly wider than long, basally straight, surface finely punctate; tergite X small, slightly longer than wide, 556 narrowly rounded apically. Sternite IX ( Fig. 2D ) Protelaterini , those present in R. vitalisi more-orelongate, about twice as long as wide, apically nar- less agree with those reported for other genera in rowly rounded, finely punctate, with moderately the tribe (see, e.g., Calder et al. 1993; Kundrata long, fine pubescence. Aedeagus ( Figs. 2E–G ) et al. 2019; Lawrence and Arias 2009). Abdominal elongate, about 2.3 times as long as wide. Median tergite IX in R. vitalisi is almost as long as wide and lobe elongate, with moderately long, slender basal anteriorly somewhat gradually and shallowly emar- struts, robust, slightly surpassing parameres, grad- ginate while it is usually more transverse and anteually distinctly narrowed towards apex but before riorly with a deeper, V-shaped emargination in most apex more abruptly narrowed, apically rounded. other genera.Abdominal tergite VIII is clearly elon- Paramere elongate, robust, gradually narrowed gate as in, e.g., Protelater , Sphaenelater Schwarz , from base toward apex, slightly constricted sub- 1902, and Anaspasis , and differs from the distinctly apically, with very short subapical hook, apical transverse tergites VIII in Austrelater Calder and portion covered with fine setae. Phallobase robust, Lawrence, 1993, Sossor Candèze, 1883 , and Senoalmost as wide as long, basally somewhat truncate. donia Laporte, 1838 (Calder et al. 1993; Kundrata

Comparison with Congeners. This is the first et al. 2019, unpublished data of authors). This furtime the male pregenital segments and genitalia of ther supports the findings of Kundrata et al. (2019) R. vitalisi are described and figured. The probable who proposed that Rostricephalus is morphologi- male lectotype has not been dissected yet (Qiu and cally close to Protelater and Anaspasis based on the Prosvirov 2003), and the specimen from Taiwan shapes of the mandibles, metacoxal plates, tarsi, and Island, dissected and figured by Suzuki (2003), female terminalia and ovipositor. On the other hand, represents a different species. The main differenc- Anaspasis and Tunon Arias-Bohart, 2013 are the es between R. vitalisi and the Taiwanese specimen only genera of Protelaterini that do not have distinct are in the shapes of the antennae and pronotum, subapical hooks on the parameres (Arias-Bohart and in the punctures on the dorsal surface (Qiu and 2013; Calder et al. 1993; Lawrence and Arias 2009; Prosvirov 2023). Here, we add to the list differ- Kundrata et al. 2019; Suzuki 2003; unpublished ences in male genitalia, especially in the shape of data of authors). We propose the relationships withthe parameres. The paramere of R. vitalisi has a in Lissominae should be investigated using more distinctly curved outer lateral margin in ventral/ lines of evidence, including a molecular phylogedorsal view (almost straight in the specimen from netic approach. Taiwan) and has a small apical part with a subapical hook (clearly elongate in the specimen from Taiwan). Males of the recently described ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Rostricephalus shii Qiu and Prosvirov, 2023 are unknown (Qiu and Prosvirov 2023). We would like to thank Matthias Seidel (NHMW)

Comparison with Related Genera. Although for the loan of the examined specimen and Johana general characters of the male pregenital segments Hoffmannova (Palacky University, Olomouc, Czech and aedeagus are rather variable within Lissominae : Republic) for her kind help with some photographs. This study was funded by the internal grant of the Faculty of Science, UP Olomouc (IGA_PrF_ 2023_030) and by the Russian Science Foundation (research project No. 21-74-10024).

Figures

Fig. 1. Morphology of Rostricephalus vitalisi. A) Habitus, dorsal view, B) Pronotum, dorsal view, C–D) Abdomen, dorsal and ventral views. Scale bars = 5.0 mm (A), 2.0 mm (B–D).

Fig. 2. Male terminalia and genitalia of Rostricephalus vitalisi. A) Abdominal tergite VIII, dorsal view, B) Abdominal sternite VIII, dorsal view, C) Abdominal tergites IX and X, dorsal view, D) Abdominal sternite IX, dorsal view, E–G) Aedeagus, dorsal, lateral, and ventral views. Scale bars = 0.5 mm (A–C), 1.0 mm (D–G).