Pseudocistela hajeki, Novák, 2013

Novák, Vladimír, 2013, Review of the West Palaearctic Pseudocistela with description of P. hajeki sp. nov. from Iran (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae: Alleculinae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 53 (1), pp. 293-301 : 296-300

Pseudocistela hajeki sp. nov.

( Figs 3 , 13–16)

Type locality. Iran, Golestan Province, Korud Abad, 36°53.1′N 54°53.2′E.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: J, ‘ IRAN, 28.-29.V.2006 / Golestan prov., KORUD ABAD / (stream valley with Alnus ; at light) / 36°53,1´N 54°53,2´E; 230 m Jiří Hájek & Pavel Chvojka leg.’ ( NMPC) . PARATYPES: 1 J 2 ♀♀, same data as holotype ( NMPC, VNPC) ; 2 JJ, ‘ IRAN, Gilan prov., 3.-4.VI.2006 / 4 km N LUNAK / (forested river valley; at light) / 37°01.8´N ; 49°53,6´E ; 320 m / Jiří Hájek & Pavel Chvojka leg.’ ( NMPC, VNPC) .

Description. Male (holotype). Habitus of male holotype as in Fig. 3 . Body from pale reddish-brown to black, BL 11.75 mm, widest near two thirds of elytral length, maximum width 4.46 mm, 2.59 times longer than wide.

Head (Fig. 15) black, relatively small and narrow, with microgranulation and dense punctation, posterior half and clypeus with pale brown setation, anterior half with dark brown setation. Head widest across eyes, HW 1.68 mm, approximately 0.52 times as wide as pronotal base. HL (visible part) 1.55 mm. Eyes large, transverse, dark, distinctly excised. Space between eyes relatively narrow, shorter than diameter of eye, OI equal to 27.20.

Antenna (Fig. 16). Relatively long (8.19 mm, i.e. reaching 0.71 of body length), unicolored black with short and dense dark setation, dense punctation and microgranulation. Antennomeres 1–3 slightly shiny, antennomeres 4–11 dull, antennomeres 4–10 strongly serrate, widest at apex, antennomere 2 shortest, antennomeres 4–11 longer than antennomere 3. Antennomere 5 more than 2.5 times longer than width of antennomere 4; antennomere 4 less than twice longer than antennomere 3. RLA (1–11) equal to 0.91: 0.52: 1.00: 1.89: 2.07: 2.08: 2.13: 2.08: 2.11: 2.03: 2.49. RLA/W (1–11) equal to 1.66: 1.18: 1.97: 2.36: 2.73: 2.80: 3.36: 3.34: 3.27: 3.55: 6.14.

Maxillary palpus blackish-brown, with microgranulation and short pale brown setation, ultimate palpomere and palpomere 2 with a few long brown setae at apex, slightly shiny. Palpomeres 2–4 distinctly widest at apex, penultimate palpomere shorter than palpomere 2 and ultimate palpomere. Ultimate palpomere in form of long triangle, axe-shaped. RLP (2–4) equal to 1.52: 1.00: 1.97. RLP/W (2–4) equal to 2.42: 1.62: 1.94.

Figs 9–18. 9–14 – aedeagus (9, 11, 13 – lateral view; 10, 12, 14 – dorsal view): 9–10 – Pseudocistela ceramboides ( Linnaeus, 1758) ; 11–12 – P. ceramboides serrata ( Chevrolat, 1844) ; 13–14 – P. hajeki sp. nov. 15–18 – head and pronotum of male (15, 17) and male antenna (16, 18): 15–16 – P. hajeki sp. nov.; 17–18 – P. znojkoi (Iablokoff- Khnzorian, 1959).

Pronotum (Fig. 13) blackish-brown, transverse, with short and dense pale brown setation, microgranulation and punctation, punctures dense, shallow and very small; at base 1.93 as wide as head across eyes, longest in middle, HL 1.85 mm and widest at base, HW at base 3.24 mm. PI equal to 57.06. Borders complete and distinct only in middle of base and at anterior margin. Posterior margin bisinuate, straight before scutellum. Posterior angles rectangular, anterior angles indistinct, obtuse-angled, lateral margins finely rounded and narrowed from base to anterior part.

Elytra unicolored pale reddish-brown, with short and dense pale brown setation and microgranulation, EL 8.35 mm; EW 4.46 mm, distinctly broader than pronotum, widest approximately at two thirds from base. EL/EW ratio equal to 1.87. Surface punctate, elytral striae distinct, punctures of elytral striae in a single row, small, separated by less than one diameter. Elytral intervals with punctation and microgranulation, punctures very small and shallow, rather dull. Elytral epipleura well-developed, pale reddish-brown with sparse pale brown setae, evenly narrowing in basal half to abdominal ventrite 1, in apical half parallel-sided.

Scutellum large, triangular, dark brown with microgranulation and pale brown setation.

Legs. Tibiae and femora dark blackish-brown with pale brown and brown setation, tarsi brown with short and dense pale brown setation. Femur thicker than tibia. Tibia narrow, dilated anteriorly. Penultimate tarsomere of each tarsus without membranous lobes. RLT 1–5 and 1–4 equal to 1.00: 0.47: 0.42: 0.39: 0.99 (protarsus), 1.00: 0.45: 0.76: 0.25: 0.70 (mesotarsus), and 1.00: 0.39: 0.26: 0.55 (metatarsus). Both anterior tarsal claws with 8 visible teeth.

Ventral side of body blackish-brown, with short and sparse pale brown setation, punctation and rugosities.Abdomen dark brown, with sparse, short, pale brown setation, microgranulation and dense and shallow punctation, punctures small, slightly shiny. Abdominal ventrites 1–5 in middle of apical part paler.

Aedeagus (Figs 13, 14). Pale brown, with fine microgranulation. Basal third of basal piece slightly rounded laterally and narrowing dorsally, 2.68 times longer than apical piece. Apical piece in dorsal and lateral view longitudinally triangular.

Female. Antennae shorter (reaching only 0.50 of BL), space between eyes broader than in male. RLA (1–11) equal to 0.89: 0.39: 1.00: 1.50: 1.32: 1.50: 1.50: 1.53: 1.42: 1.43: 1.75. RLA/W (1–11) equal to 1.92: 1.09: 2.55: 2.79: 2.47: 2.33: 2.33: 2.26: 2.49: 2.87: 4.45. RLT 1–5 and 1–4 equal to 1.00: 0.52: 0.44: 0.33: 1.12 (protarsus), 1.00: 0.42: 0.31: 0.25: 0.72 (mesotarsus), and 1.00: 0.38: 0.27: 0.56 (metatarsus). Both anterior tarsal claws with 8 visible teeth.

Variability. The type specimens somewhat vary in size; each character is given as its mean value, with full range in parentheses. Males (n = 4). BL 11.01 mm (10.51–11.75 mm); HL 1.49 mm (1.43–1.55 mm); HW 1.65 mm (1.54–1.70 mm). OI 28.49 (26.49–31.91). PL (along midline) 1.76 mm (1.62–1.85 mm); PW at base 2.99 mm (2.64–3.24 mm). PI 59.16 (57.06–61.26). EL 7.76 mm (7.46–8.35 mm); EW 4.21 mm (3.87–4.46 mm).

Females (n = 2). BL 11.59 mm (10.75–12.43 mm); HL 1.56 mm (1.50–1.62 mm); HW 1.56 mm (1.44–1.68 mm). OI 46.45 (45.63–47.27). PL (along midline) 1.90 mm (1.71–2.09 mm); PW at base 3.59 mm (3.33–3.85 mm). PI 52.77 (51.41–54.12). EL 8.13 mm (7.54–8.72 mm); EW 4.66 mm (4.42–4.90 mm).

Differential diagnosis. Pseudocistela hajeki sp. nov. differs from P. znojkoi and P. ceramboides mainly in pronotum more semicircular with sides distinctly rounded, and each of antennomeres 4–10 approximately only twice longer than antennomere 3; while P. znojkoi and P. ceramboides have conical pronotum with sides narrowed in straight line, and each of antennomeres 4–10 2.5–3 times longer than antennomere 3. For further details see the key above.

Etymology. Dedicated to my friend Jiří Hájek, head of the Department of Entomology of the National Museum in Prague and renowned expert on the beetle families Dytiscidae , Gyrinidae , Eulichadidae and Callirhipidae .

Distribution. Iran: Gilan, Golestan.

Figures

Figs 1–8. 1–4 – habitus of male: 1 – Pseudocistela ceramboides (Linnaeus, 1758); 2 – P. ceramboides serrata (Chevrolat, 1844) syn. nov.; 3 – P. hajeki sp. nov. 4 – P. znojkoi (Iablokoff-Khnzorian, 1959). 5–8 – details of head (5, 7) and antenna (6, 8): 5–6 – P. ceramboides; 7–8 – P. c. serrata.