Pseudosynarmostes mitsinjo, Ballerio, 2008

Ballerio, Alberto, 2008, Descriptions of two new endemic genera and four new species of Ceratocanthinae (Insecta, Coleoptera, Scarabaeoidea, Hybosoridae) from Madagascar, Zoosystema 30 (3), pp. 605-628 : 621-625

Pseudosynarmostes mitsinjo n. sp. ( Figs 9-13 )

TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype ♂ ( CASC): “ Madagascar Est, Andasibe (= Perinet ) (Toamasina prov.), Station Forestière (= Forêt Mitsinjo ), 1135 m. a.s.l. 18°55’05”S 48°24’29”E, 5.I.2006 leg. A. Ballerio, J. E. Randrianirina & R. K. Zafinasolo in nest of Nasutitermes sp. ” [specimen in good condition, distended and glued on a card, the dissected aedeagus, abdomen and genital segment are mounted in DMHF resin on a separate card on the same pin].

Paratypes: 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀ ( CASC), 3 ♂♂, 6 ♀♀ (coll. ABCB): same data as holotype [3 ♂♂ and 2 ♀♀ dissected]. — 6 ♂♂, 10 ♀♀ (coll.ABCB), 1 ♂, 1 ♀ ( MNHN):“ Madagascar Est, Andasibe (= Perinet) (Toamasina prov.), Réserve Spéciale de Analamazaotra, 947 mt. a.s.l. 18°56’44”S 48°25’06”E, 7.I.2006 leg. A. Ballerio, J. E. Randrianirina & R. K. Zafinasolo in nest of Nasutitermes sp. ” [2 ♂♂ and 2 ♀♀ dissected].

ETYMOLOGY. — Named after the Association Mitsinjo (Malagasy word meaning “caring for the future”), a local environmental organization which runs the Station forestière bordering the Réserve spéciale d’Analamazaotra, where the first specimens of the new species have been collected. Noun in apposition.

DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT. — Known only from the two localities listed above, both in the Perinet area (about 30 km E of Moramanga, Toamasina province), belonging to the Eastern Domain ( Paulian 1961). Th e whole type series has been collected in tropical rainforest (“mid altitude evergreen humid forest”, Du Puy & Moat 1996) inside the nests of Nasutitermes sp. (Isoptera) . Samples taken from the top, the sides and the base of the mound as well as samples of litter adjacent to the base all yielded specimens of P.mitsinjo n. sp. No larvae have been found. I inspected five termite nests, all still inhabited by termites, located inside and just outside the rainforest, and only two yielded specimens of Pseudosynarmostes n. gen. In both cases the nests were inside the rainforest. No other Ceratocanthinae have been collected in the nests apart from the elytra of a single specimen of Synarmostes cf. tibialis Klug, 1832 , found in the litter around a nest in the Réserve spéciale d’Analamazaotra.

DIAGNOSIS. — Pseudosynarmostes mitsinjo n. sp. and P. perrieri n. comb. are very similar to each other. I was unable to find relevant differences in the shape of parameres and genital segment: the only available male of P. perrieri n. comb. and the slight variability in the shape of the tip of paramers shown by P. mitsinjo n. sp. do not allow to draw any conclusion about this problem. The main morphological distinguishing characters are the puncturation and pubescence of head, pronotum and elytra. Pseudosynarmostes perrieri n. comb. has much shallower puncturation and recumbent setae, while P. mitsinjo n. sp. has much deeper punctures and erect, semi-curled setae. The horseshoe-shaped punctures of elytra in P. perrieri n. comb. are narrower and longer, head punctures are shallower and narrower than in P. mitsinjo n. sp. and finally the dorsal ocular area is slightly narrower than in P. mitsinjo n. sp. Th e whole type series of P. mitsinjo n. sp. displays a remarkable uniformity in size, shape and surface sculpturing.

DESCRIPTION

HL = 0.90 mm; HW = 1.40 mm; PL = 1.19 mm; PW = 2.24 mm; EL = 2.17 mm; EW = 2.1 mm.

Dark brown to light brown; underside alutaceous, reddish-brown; head, pronotum and elytra with yellowish/whitish very short curled erect pubescence.

Head: Surface covered by deeply impressed dense (their distance being usually about as big as their width) rounded or transverse-comma-shaped punctures. A very small smooth area on disc. A few large irregularly shaped lines at sides and near fore margin. Pubescence shorter and finer than on pronotum and elytra.

Pronotum: surface with dense (their distance being distinctly shorter than their width) puncturation made of impressed relatively small horseshoe-shaped punctures, each one bearing a short curled fine seta at middle, horseshoes opening inwards basally and outwards laterally. Scutellum: punctures as on pronotum, opened backwards. Elytra: surface completely covered by dense impressed horseshoe-shaped punctures, relatively larger than on pronotum, each one bearing a short curled seta at middle, with openings of horseshoe relatively short (horseshoe almost closing completely to form an ocellate puncture) and oriented backwards. Pseudoepipleuron indistinct, sides of elytra regularly rounded, lacking any carina or furrow.

Aedeagus: Fig. 12D . Genital segment: Fig. 12C .

Figures

FIG. 9. — Pseudosynarmostes mitsinjo n. sp., Réserve spéciale d’Analamazaotra:A, dorsal view of male;B-D, rolled up female specimen; B, ventral view; C, dorsal view; D, lateral view. Scale bar: 1 mm.

FIG. 10. — Pseudosynarmostes mitsinjo n. sp.: A, head of male; B, head of female (mouthparts removed). Arrows indicate: 1, apex of head; 2, groove between apex of head and setose process; 3, setose process. Scale bars: 100 μm.

FIG. 11. — Pseudosynarmostes mitsinjo n. sp. mouthparts: A, B, mandibles in dorsal view; C, D, mandibles in ventral view; E, labium and labial palpi; F, maxilla and maxillary palpus; G, detail of galeal brush; H, distal epipharynx. Scale bars: A-F, H, 80 μm; G, 20 μm.

FIG. 12. — Pseudosynarmostes mitsinjo n. sp.: A, wing; B, outline of specimen once rolled up, left male and right female, hatched areas indicate the protibiae; C, outline of genital segment; D, aedeagus. Scale bar: A, B, 0.7 μm; C, D, 0.5 μm.

FIG. 13. — Pseudosynarmostes mitsinjo n. sp.: A, male protibia (chaetotaxy and puncturation omitted); B, female protibia (chaetotaxy and puncturation omitted);C, female mesotibia (chaetotaxy and puncturation omitted);D, male mesotibia (chaetotaxy and puncturation omitted); E, metatibia (chaetotaxy and puncturation omitted); F, antenna, arrow indicates the basal development of first segment of antennal club. Scale bar: A-E, 0.4 mm; F, 0.2 mm.