Phaedis tenuifasciatus, Ruzzier & Ando, 2021

Ruzzier, Enrico & Ando, Kiyoshi, 2021, Seven new species of the genus Phaedis Pascoe, 1866 (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae Cnodalonini) from Borneo, Zootaxa 5004 (4), pp. 521-537 : 524-525

Phaedis tenuifasciatus sp. nov.

( Figs 7–11 , 18 )

Type specimen. Holotype: ♀, Kimanis road (14 Mi.) near Keningau, Sabah, Malaysia, 27.III.1992, (light), Keitarô Harusawa leg. ( EUMJ).

Description. Female. Body length: 5.7 mm. Oblong-oval, moderately convex above, brilliant. Colour dark reddish brown; head greenish brassy, with purple tints; pronotum dark green, purple along posterior margin, with a faint purple fascia in middle and an obscure green spot on each side; the green spot bordered entirely by reddish purple; each elytron with a pair of large dark green basal and apical fasciae, space between the basal and apical fasciae violet-coppery, the fasciae bordered by faint brassy purple; mouthparts, femora reddish brown.

Head transverse, subtrapezoidal, moderately convex, scarcely microsculptured; mCG gently sinuate; epistoma strongly convex at the middle, distinctly produced, declined on the anterior portion in a short distance, distinctly emarginate at apex in median two-thirds, with large, coarse, dense piligerous punctures; frontoclypeal suture distinct, clearly marked, weakly angulate at posterior corners; genae slightly convex, roundly narrowed forwards at sides, with punctures finer than on epistoma; frons broad, flattened and sloping forwards, weakly raised in lateral view, with punctures setiferous, larger and slightly sparser than on epistoma; IE/TD 2.22; tempora short, neither convex nor produced, with some piligerous punctures; eyes strongly convex, weakly transverse in dorsal view; inner ocular sulci deep, distinct. Antennae short, reaching apical third of pronotum; distal five antennomeres distinctly dilated, forming the club. Ultimate maxillary palpomere small, conical. Mentum triangular ( Fig. 7 ), rounded at sides and pointed at apex, widely, strongly elevated in middle, depressed at sides, with a few long setae. Gula triangular, with transverse lineate microsculpture.

Pronotum transverse, larger than long, widest behind middle, densely microsculptured; PW/PL 1.45; disc gently convex, moderately descendent laterally, not sulcate along lateral margins; punctures dense, fine, irregular in size, slightly larger than on frons; anterior margin straight, not produced in middle, finely beaded in each lateral third; lateral margins steeply convergent before, weakly so after the widest point, feebly sinuate before base, finely beaded; anterior corners obtusely rounded, posterior ones acutely angulate, both corners not produced. Scutellum depressed, rounded at apex, with a few microscopic punctures.

Elytra oblong-oval, distinctly divergent posteriorly, widest at apical third, finely beaded at sides; EL/EW 1.44; striae weakly impressed, finer posteriorly; strial punctures fine, sparse, becoming finer, slightly sparser on apical declivity, not serrate nor foveolate; intervals weakly convex, finely, sparsely punctate; humeral callus short-oval, moderately humped; epipleura flattened, weakly oblique, densely microsculptured, impunctate.

Prothoracic hypomera slightly convex, densely microsculptured, impunctate. Prosternum steeply sloping, very short in front of coxae, not beaded at apex; prosternal process ( Fig. 8 ) wedge-shaped, microsculptured, strongly bent inwards behind coxae, deeply and longitudinally sulcate in middle, acutely pointed at apex. Mesoventral-ridge V-shaped, distinctly sloping forwards, with anterior angles obtusely angulate in lateral view. Metaventrite strongly convex at the middle, microsculptured, with dense puberulous punctures on median third and sparse on lateral parts. Abdomen densely covered with fine piligerous punctures, densely, longitudinally rugose in basal three ventrites.

Legs short and robust ( Figs 9–11 ). Profemoral teeth large, directed forwards at apex; posterior margins of meso- and metafemora ancipital in each about apical half. Inner margin of protibia gently incurved, without emargination; meso-, metatibiae weakly incurved, with inner margins sparsely pubescent in about apical third. Tarsi simple, compactly articulate except the ultimate tarsomere.

Male. Unknown.

Distribution. Borneo (Sabah).

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the tenuous and ambiguous elytral fasciae.

Differential diagnosis. Although this new species does not belong to the Phaedeucyrtus species-group sensu Ando (2016) in having unarmed meso- and metafemora, we didn’t find any allied species in the nominotypical species-group. The new species resembles Phaedis niisatoi Ando, 2017 from the Philippines due to elytral fasciae, pronotal spots, small body size and external morphology of head, but is readily separable from the latter by the characters mentioned in the following key.

- IE/TD 2.22; pronotum dark green, purple along posterior margin, with an ambiguous purple fascia in middle and obscure green spot laterally; each elytron with a pair of large dark green basal and apical fascia, and with a violet-coppery band between the basal and apical fasciae; mCG gently sinuate; epistoma distinctly emarginate at apex in median two-thirds; frontoclypeal suture weakly angulate at posterior corners; antennae reaching apical third of pronotum; ultimate maxillary palpomere with endo-apical angle not produced; gula triangular, finely with transverse lineate microsculpture. Pronotum with anterior margin straight, not produced in middle; lateral margins feebly sinuate before base; posterior corners acutely angulate. Elytra with strial punctures neither serrate nor foveolate; intervals weakly convex. Prothoracic hypomera weakly convex, compactly microsculptured and impunctate; prosternum not beaded at apex. Profemoral teeth large, directed forwards; posterior margins of meso- and metafemora each without small tooth; metatibiae with inner margin not produced behind base...... P. tenuifasciatus sp. nov.

- IE/TD 3.08; pronotum violet-brassy, with a pair of brilliant metallic green spots; elytra with a dark brassy-copper band on middle and a pair of multi-coloured humeral and apical fasciae; mCG not sinuate; epistoma feebly rounded at apex; frontoclypeal suture roundly arcuate at posterior corners; antennae reaching beyond middle of pronotum; ultimate maxillary palpomere with endo-apical angle very strongly produced laterad; gula linguiform, densely covered with rugose microsculpture. Pronotum with anterior margin shallowly emarginate, slightly produced forwards in middle third; lateral margins not sinuate before base; posterior corners obtusely angulate. Elytra with strial punctures serrate anteriorly and foveolate in major portions; intervals almost flat or very slightly convex. Prothoracic hypomera weakly depressed, sparsely and very obscurely punctate; prosternum finely beaded at apex. Profemoral teeth moderate in size, directed laterad at apex; posterior margins of meso- and metafemora each with small tooth; metatibiae with inner margin weakly and lamellately produced behind base........ P. niisatoi Ando, 2017

Figures

FIGURES 7–11. Phaedis tenuifasciatus sp. nov.—7, mentum; 8, prosternal process; 9, protibia; 10, mesotibia; 11, metatibia. Scale bars: 0.2 mm for fig. 7; 0.5 mm for Figs 8–11.

FIGURES 17–23. Phaedis spp., habitus.—17, Phaedis nagaii sp. nov.; 18, Phaedis tenuifasciatus sp. nov.; 19, Phaedis fusivittatus sp. nov.; 20, Phaedis choui sp. nov.; 21, Phaedis amabilis sp. nov.; 22, Phaedis minusculus sp. nov.; 23, Phaedis dilatitarsalis sp. nov.