Mycetocharina (Alleculopsis) bahukalatensis, Novák, 2008

Novák, Vladimír, 2008, Mycetocharina (Alleculopsis) bahukalatensis sp. nov. (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae: Alleculinae) from Iran, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 48 (1), pp. 73-78 : 74-77

Mycetocharina (Alleculopsis) bahukalatensis sp. nov.

( Figs. 1-6 )

Type locality. Iran, Baluchistan, environs of Bahu-Kalat (68 km S of Rask, 25°44′N 61°32′E).

Type material. HOLOTYPE: J, ‘Loc. no. 147, SE Iran, Bahu-Kalat , 3.-4.iv.1973, Exp. Nat. Mus. Praha’ ( NMPC) . PARATYPES: 14 ♂♂ 11 ♀♀, same data as holotype ( NMPC, VNPC) ; 1 J, ‘Loc. no. 203, S Iran, Minab [27°09′N 57°05′E], 19.-20.v.1973 ’ ( NMPC). The types are provided with a printed red label: ‘ Mycetocharina (Alleculopsis) bahukalatensis sp. n . HOLOTYPUS [or PARATYPUS] V. Novák det. 2007’.

Description. Habitus of male holotype as in Fig. 1 . Body length 5.38-7.36 mm, width 1.74- 2.36 mm.

Male (holotype). Head ( Fig. 2 ) larger, siena brown, with dense light setation, basal part darker with dark setation at sides. Eyes large, dark, transverse, emarginate, without distinct interspace between eyes, touching one another. Head widest across eyes 1.00 mm, approximately 0.77 times as wide as pronotal base. Length of head (visible part) 1.13 mm. Clypeus and anterior part of head slightly shiny, setation longer. Basal part of head dull, with dense, middle-sized, shallow punctures, interspaces between punctures very narrow, shiny; anterior part with sparser, small-sized, shallow punctures, interspaces broader, shiny, setation distinctly longer. Clypeus shiny, conspicuously rugose.

Antenna ( Fig. 4 ). Relatively long (2.95 mm, i.e. reaching 0.54 of body length), dull, all antennomeres light brown, concolorous with elytron, with relatively shorter and denser light setation. Antennomeres slightly rugose, relatively narrow, antennomere 2 shortest, antennomeres 3-10 conspicuously widened at apex, slightly serrate; antennomeres 3-11 with relatively shallow, dense and light punctures, dull; antennomeres 1 and 2 slightly shiny. Ratios of relative lengths of antennomeres 1-11 equal to 0.50: 0.34: 1.00: 1.00: 1.02: 0.98: 1.00: 1.09: 1.13: 1.10: 1.15. Length/maximum width ratios of antennomeres 1-11 equal to 1.09: 0.97: 2.17: 2.08: 2.54: 1.99: 1.93: 2.36: 2.50: 2.95: 3.44.

Maxillary palpus pale brown, concolorous with apical part of head and antennae, with shorter light setation, penultimate palpomere with a few longer setae at apex. Second palpomere longest, distinctly broader at apex, penultimate palpomere shortest, ultimate palpomere broadely triangular, both distinctly broader at apex. Ratios of relative lengths of palpomeres 2-4 equal to 1.37: 1.00: 2.05. Length/maximum width ratios of palpomeres 2-4 equal to 2.17: 1.36: 0.94.

Pronotum ( Fig. 3 ) siena brown, slightly shiny with light setation, distinctly narrower than elytron at base; 1.30 times as wide as head with eyes together, longest in the middle 1.01 mm and widest at base 1.30 mm. Pronotal index equal to 77.46. Border almost complete, only in the middle of anterior part indistinct; posterior margin bisinuate. Posterior angles roundedly rectangular, lateral margins straight in posterior half and rounded anteriorly. Anterior angles not conspicuous. Surface densely and shallowly punctate, punctures large, interspaces very narrow, shiny. Punctures inside with slight granulation, interspaces rugose, pronotum slightly shiny.

Elytra unicolorous siena brown with light, dense, and relatively short setation, 3.37 mm long and 1.74 mm wide, slightly broader than pronotum, widest approximately at two thirds from base. Length/maximum width ratio equal to 1.94. Surface punctate, punctures in elytral striae conspicuous, separated by less one diameter. Elytral intervals with small punctures and microgranulation, slightly shiny. Elytral epipleura well developed, pale brown, evenly narrowing in basal half, in apical half before abdominal sternite 5 parallel, then narrowing to rounded apex.

Scutellum siena brown, concolorous with elytra.

Legs unicolorous siena brown, with dense light setation. Femora thicker than tibia. Tibia very narrow, slightly dilated at apex. Tarsomeres of all tarsi narrow. Penultimate tarsomere of each tarsus with membranous lobes. Ratios of relative lengths of tarsomeres 1-5 and 1-4 equal to 1.00: 0.62: 0.52: 0.61: 0.91 (protarsus), 1.00: 0.45: 0.30: 0.34: 0.86 (mesotarsus), and 1.00: 0.40: 0.18: 0.56 (metatarsus). Both anterior tarsal claws with 10 visible teeth.

Ventral side of body siena brown, concolorous with dorsal side. Abdomen with relatively sparse shorter light setation, slightly shiny, with microgranulation.

Aedeagus ( Figs. 5-6 ). Pale yellowish brown, distinctly shiny. Basal piece 2.52 times as long as apical piece, rounded at basal half, then with lateral sides nearly straight in apical half. Basal half of basal piece approximately twice as wide as its apex in dorsal view. Apical piece narrowing to rounded apex in dorsal view, apex droplet-shaped in lateral view.

Female. Body larger, more oval, pronotum broader, antennae shorter, reaching only 0.43 of body length. Space between eyes distinct but very narrow, ocular index approximately 13.51. Head and pronotum as in Fig. 3 . Both anterior tarsal claws with 7 visible teeth.

Ratios of relative lengths of antennomeres 1-11 equal to 0.46: 0.37: 1.00: 1.04: 0.96: 0.96: 1:00: 0.97: 1:09: 1.10: 1.20. Length/maximum width ratios of antennomeres 1-11 equal to 1.00: 1.18: 2.92: 2.82: 2.79: 2.79: 2.50: 2.19: 2.30: 2.41: 3.00. Ratios of relative lengths of tarsomeres 1-5 and 1-4 equal to 1.00: 0.63: 0.59: 0.63: 1.57 (protarsus), 1.00: 0.49: 0.30: 0.21: 0.56 (mesotarsus), and 1.00: 0.44: 0.21: 0.56 (metatarsus).

Variability. The type specimens vary somewhat in size; each character is given as its mean value, with full range in parentheses.

Males (n = 16). Length 5.75 mm (5.38-6.57 mm); head length 1.17 mm (1.09-1.26 mm); head width 1.06 mm (0.98-1.16 mm). Pronotal length (along midline) 1.03 mm (0.94-1.22 mm); pronotal width at base 1.40 mm (1.29-1.67 mm). Pronotal index 73.58 (68.24-80.00). Elytral length 3.58 mm (3.33-4.09 mm); elytral width 1.88 mm (1.76-2.14 mm).

Females (n = 11). Length 6.51 mm (5.85-7.36 mm); head length 1.19 mm (0.98-1.35 mm); head width 1.05 mm (0.96-1.16 mm). Ocular index 13.51 (10.09-16.09). Pronotal length (along midline) 1.16 mm (0.98-1.35 mm); pronotal width at base 1.54 mm (1.40-1.70 mm). Pronotal index 75.55 (69.91-81.97). Elytral length 4.23 mm (3.82-4.82 mm); elytral width 2.13 mm (1.95-2.36 mm).

Differential diagnosis. Mycetocharina (Alleculopsis) bahukalatensis sp. nov. differs from the related M. (A.) deserticola and M. (A.) puncticollis mainly by the broader and more transverse pronotum, broader body, and colour, which is siena brown in M. (A.) bahukalatensis sp. nov. Moreover, M. (A.) deserticola and M. (A.) puncticollis possess a narrower pronotum and more elongate body with parallel-sided elytra, and are yellow ochre or reddish yellow in colour. Mycetocharina (A.) bahukalatensis sp. nov. differs from M. (A.) ruficeps mainly by the shape of the pronotum and dense, deep and coarse punctuation of elytra, while M. (A.) ruficeps has a fine and sparse punctuation of elytra. For further details see the key above.

Etymology. Toponymic, named after the type locality Bahu-Kalat.

Distribution. Southern Iran, Baluchistan province.

Figures

Figs. 1-7. 1-6 – Mycetocharina bahukalatensis sp. nov.: 1 – habitus of male (holotype); 2 – head and pronotum of male (holotype); 3 – head and pronotum of female; 4 – antennae of male; 5 – aedeagus from dorsal view; 6 – aedeagus from lateral view. 7 − Mycetocharina deserticola Semenov, 1893: head and pronotum of male.