Apatenia Pascoe, 1859

Trýzna, Miloš & Rakotonirina, Jean Claude, 2024, A new species of Apatenia Pascoe (Coleoptera: Anthribidae) from central Madagascar, with a key to species, additions to the distribution of rare species of the genus, and general notes about threats to anthribid diversity, Zootaxa 5537 (3), pp. 325-347 : 326-340

Genus Apatenia Pascoe, 1859

Type species: Apatenia viduata Pascoe, 1859 , by original designation (described from Borneo).

Apatenia viduata Pascoe, 1859: 434 . Gemminger & Harold 1872: 2735 (catalogue); Bovie 1906: 257 (catalogue); Wolfrum 1929: 41 (catalogue), 1953: 18 (catalogue), Rheinheimer 2004: 44 (catalogue).

Pictures/drawings of Malagasy Apatenia : Frieser 2000: 51 (fig. 4–dorsal habitus of Apatenia oculifera Frieser, 2000 ; fig. 5–dorsal habitus of Apatenia sulcicollis Frieser, 2000 ); Rheinheimer 2004: 44 (catalogue), 221 (fig. 93–dorsal and lateral habitus of Apatenia sulcicollis Frieser, 2000 ); Frieser 2010: 20 (fig. 1–dorsal habitus of Apatenia fallax Frieser, 2010 ); Trýzna & Baňař 2013: 506, Apatenia stysi Trýzna & Baňař, 2013 , figs 1–4, female holotype (1–dorsal habitus, 2–head and pronotum, 3–head, 4–lateral habitus), 508, Apatenia quadristigma Frieser, 1981 , figs 5–6, female allotype (5–dorsal habitus, 6–head), 509, A. quadristigma , figs 7, 9, 12 (7–head, 9–right antenna, 12–dorsal pronotal carina), A. stysi , figs 8, 10–11, 13–14 (8– head, 10–right antenna, 11–abdomen, 13–dorsal pronotal carina, 14–pygidium), 510, A. stysi , figs 15–18 (15–hemisternites, 16–segment VIII, 17–toothed plate of right hemisternite, 18–bursa copulatrix and spermatheca).

Diagnosis of Apatenia . Head long, narrow, rostrum lengthened, flat and broad, mandibles robust, strongly toothed. Eyes laterally situated.Antennae inserted at about midway between anterior margin of eyes and mandibles. Antennae longer than head, antennomeres I and II thick, III–VI more or less cylindrical, VII–VIII subtriangular, IX–XI forming loose club with antennomeres IX and X triangular, terminal antennomere rounded. Pronotum slightly transverse, narrow in front. Dorsal transverse carina of pronotum antebasal or sub-basal, its lateral margins directed anteriorly to about halfway along the side of prothorax. Elytra slightly depressed. Legs moderate, tarsi rather short.

Notes. The classification of the genera Apatenia and Phaulimia (both placed in the tribe Platyrhinini Bedel, 1882 , according Trýzna & Valentine 2011, Trýzna 2017) need to be revised. Both genera contain numerous species, and occur in a large area (Oriental, Afrotropical and Australian distribution). Their generic descriptions were based upon the description of the first included species and have not been suitably adjusted to accommodate all subsequently described species. It is likely that the two genera will be maintained but perhaps with different species compositions. This will be the subject of future studies.

Key to Malagasy Apatenia species

1 Dorsal transverse carina of pronotum distinctly antebasal ( Figs 24, 25 ), i.e. markedly distant from posterior margin of pronotum........................................................................................... 2

- Dorsal transverse carina of pronotum sub-basal ( Figs 23, 26 , 27–29 ), i.e. approaching posterior margin of pronotum....... 3

2 Rostrum almost as long as wide. Eyes small, minimal distance between eyes about twice as wide as length of eye (only females known). Dorsal transverse carina of pronotum only weakly bisinuate, not convex in middle. Disc of pronotum moderately convex, without weak transverse depression. Elytra black, without basal elevation, with only two pairs of transverse brilliant white stripes in basal and sub-basal area......................................... A. stysi Trýzna & Baňař ( Fig. 25 )

- Rostrum noticeably wider than longer. Eyes large, length of eye about twice longer than minimal distance between eyes (in both sexes). Dorsal transverse carina of pronotum bisinuate, convex in middle. Disc of pronotum with weak transverse depression. Elytra grey, with basal elevation from elytral interval I to III, with two distinct black spots on basal elevation surrounded by rusty or light brown margin, and transverse light brown stripe at apex..................... A. oculifera Frieser ( Fig. 24 )

3 Disc of pronotum with one pair of distinct tubercles, tops of tubercles widely rounded and blunt. Elytra with two pairs of distinct tubercles on elytral interval II in sub-basal and median area, tops of tubercles more or less pointed........................................................................................... A. sulcicollis Frieser ( Fig. 26 )

- Disc of pronotum convex, without any tubercles. Elytra at most with only indistinct small elevations on elytral interval II in sub-basal area....................................................................................... 4

4 Elytra with one distinct black spot on disc, or with four distinct, sharply delimited transverese and oblique brilliant white stripes.............................................................................................. 5

- Elytra without distinct spot or white transverse stripes, either dark brown, or yellowish to light brown with more or less alternating areas of light and dark colour on individual elytral intervals.......................................... 6

5 Elytra grey, disc of elytra with one oval black spot reaching laterally to elytral interval III, area of this spot smooth and without tubercles, remainder of elytra with distinct rows of coarse striae. Even-numbered interstriae II, IV, VI and VIII with number of small, blunt tubercles. Frons with coarse sculpture. Underside of body, femora and tibiae white speckled......................................................................................... A. mesostigma Wolfrum ( Fig. 29 )

- Elytra with rows of fine striae, without any tubercles, blue-grey, disc of elytra with horseshoe-shaped black stripe, open in basal part of elytra, stripe extending laterally on interstriae VII, with two pairs of brilliant white stripes situated inside, one transverse pair in basal area anteriorly of sub-basal tubercles, the second oblique pair posterior to tubercles. Frons with delicate sculpture. Underside of body covered with monochromatic grey pubescence, only posterior margin of metasternum and mesepimeron with white pubescence....................................................... A. quadristigma Frieser ( Fig. 23 )

6 Elytra dark brown, odd- and even-numbered interstriae uniform in colour, with only one pair of very small light-coloured dots on interstria II in median area..................................................... A. kuntei sp. nov. ( Figs 1 , 6 )

- Elytra yellowish to light brown, odd-numbered interstriae monochromatic yellowish to brownish, even-numbered interstriae with alternating areas of yellow, light brown and blackish colour............................................... 7

7 Dorsal transverse carina of pronotum bisinuate, distinctly approached to posterior margin of pronotum in middle, in contact with lateral carina forms double obtuse angle, lateral carinae of pronotum reaching to midlength of pronotum. Eyes laterally distinctly protruding and regularly convex, distance between eyes larger, ocular index from 1.00 (male) to 1.70 (female). Elytral declivity with pair of small tubercles.................................................. A. fallax Frieser ( Fig. 28 )

- Dorsal transverse carina of pronotum sinuate, equidistant from posterior margin of pronotum along its entire length, in middle very shortly interrupted, lateral carinae of pronotum very short, not reaching to midlength of pronotum. Eyes more flat, rather convex in posterior part, distance between eyes smaller, ocular index from 0.70–0.80 (male) to 0.90–1.20 (female). Elytral declivity without pair of small tubercles.......................................... A. longiclava Wolfrum ( Fig. 27 )

Figures

FIGURES 23–26. Malagasy Apatenia species, habitus in dorsal view. 23, A. quadristigma Frieser, 1981 (female); 24, A. oculifera Frieser 2000 (male); 25, A. stysi Trýzna & Baňař, 2013 (paratype, female); 26, A. sulcicollis Frieser, 2000 (male).

FIGURES 27–31. Malagasy Apatenia species, habitus in dorsal view. 27, A. longiclava Wolfrum, 1955 (male); 28, A. fallax Frieser, 2010 (female); 29–31, A. mesostigma Wolfrum, 1961 (female): 29, habitus in dorsal view; 30 and 31, colour of elytral spot in different viewing angles.

FIGURES 1–5. Apatenia kuntei, male holotype, 1, habitus in dorsal view; 2, head; 3, pronotum; 4, right antenna; 5, habitus in lateral view. Scale bars in mm.

FIGURES 6–10. Apatenia kuntei, female allotype, 6, habitus in dorsal view; 7, head; 8, pronotum; 9, left antenna; 10, habitus in lateral view. Scale bars in mm.