Adendrocera Wittmer, 1976

Roza, André Silva, Hansen, Aslak Kappel & Ferreira, Vinicius S., 2024, Redescription of Adendrocera Wittmer, 1976 (Coleoptera: Phengodidae: Penicillophorinae) with Description of a Second Species of the Genus from Guatemala, The Coleopterists Bulletin 78 (2), pp. 155-164 : 156-158

Adendrocera Wittmer, 1976

Adendrocera Wittmer 1976: 523 (original description); Wittmer 1981: 105 (comparison with Acladocera ); Zaragoza-Caballero 1984: 319 (catalog); Zaragoza-Caballero and PÉrez-Hernández 2014: 85 (catalog); Zaragoza-Caballero and Zurita-García 2015: 528 (phylogenetic analysis). Gender: feminine.

Type Species. Adendrocera flavula Wittmer, 1976 , by original designation.

Diagnosis. Interantennal space slightly shorter than antennal socket width ( Fig. 2F ); antenna with 12 antennomeres (but see Remarks), IV to XI serrate ( Fig. 1D ); labrum small, free, bilobed; mandibles small, crossed, and curved downwards ( Fig. 2F ); maxillary palpus 4-segmented, last segment digitiform ( Fig. 2F ); labial palpus 1-segmented; posterior tentorial pit consisting of a single small fossa; hind wing with radial cell open and transverse, vein r4 interrupted, r3 present ( Fig. 1G ); first tarsomere of pro- and mesoleg with a ventral comb along the apical half ( Fig. 2H ); claws without macroscopic teeth.

Updated Differential Diagnosis. Adendrocera canbeeasilyseparatedfromallotherPenicillophorinae genera by the distinctly serrate antennae, with the exception of Acladocera , which shares serrate antennae with Adendrocera . Adendrocera can be distinguished from Acladocera by the single tentorial pit (two tentorial pits in Acladocera ), the pronotum distinctly longer than wide (as wide as long in Acladocera ), and by the ventral combs covering half of pro- and mesotarsomere I (no ventral combs in Acladocera ).

Redescription, Male. Head ( Figs. 1A–E , 2A–G ). Head slightly longer than wide, with posterior margin convergent posteriorly, as wide as the pronotum; antenna slightly longer than head and pronotum together, presumed to have 12 antennomeres (see Remarks below), antennomeres IV–XI serrate ( Figs. 1D , 2G ); eyes moderately protruding, finely faceted ( Figs. 1A–C ), frontoclypeus flat with a declivity between antennae extending to the labrum, interantennal space smaller than the antennal socket width; labrum small, free, bilobed; mandibles small, crossed, and curved downwards ( Fig. 2F ); maxilla with palpus 4-segmented, last palpomere digitiform ( Fig. 2F ); labium with palpus 1-segmented, short, covered by mandibles, palpomere digitiform; one gular suture, tentorial pit with single fossa. Thorax ( Figs. 1A–C, G , 2A–D ). Pronotum trapezoidal, longer than wide, anterior angles dorsally concave, declined, rounded, lateral margins subparallel, laterally curved down in the anterior angles, posterior margin posteriorly pointed ( Figs. 1C , 2C ); elytra wider in anterior half, slightly convergent posteriorly, subparallel-sided, apex slightly swollen ( Fig. 1A ); hind wings with radial cell open, moderately elongate and transverse, around 2.5× wider than long, r4 interrupted both in the radial cell and RP, r3 present, almost as long as radial cell width, RP reaching almost half of MP1+2 length, medial field containing five main veins: MP3, MP4, CuA1, CuA2, and AA4; CAS absent, anal lobe well developed, AP3+4 long, J absent ( Fig. 1G ); legs increasing in length posteriorly, pro- and mesotarsomere I with a ventral comb along the apical half of the tarsomere ( Fig. 2H ), tarsomere I subequal in length to tarsomere II, tarsomeres II–IV decreasing in length, tarsomere IV of all legs about half length of tarsomere V, claws simple, without any macroscopic teeth. Abdomen ( Figs. 1A, B , 2A, B , 3A, B ). Subparallel-sided, tergites and ventrites extremely transverse, around 3–4× wider than long, slightly increasing in length, tergite VIII 1.5 × wider than long, with a fringe of small setae along posterior margin ( Figs. 3A, B ); sternite IX elongate, posterior margin slightly emarginate ( Fig. 3E ); aedeagus trilobate, median lobe cylindrical, rounded apically, flagellum present; parameres symmetrical, with apex rounded, with a pair of teeth ( Figs. 3C, D, G ). Length. 3.5 to 4.0 mm.

Female and Immature Stages. Unknown.

Biology and Distribution. Adendrocera is only known to occur in Guatemala ( Fig. 4A ). Adendrocera carmelita Roza, Hansen, and Ferreira , new species was collected in lowland tropical rain forest during February, before the end of the dry season, although atypically good amounts of rain had already fallen during the collection year. Adendrocera individuals were never seen alive, so there is no data regarding their habits.

Remarks. The genus was described as having “probably 11-segmented antennae” by Wittmer (1976). The holotype of A. flavula —the only known specimen of the species—had the antennae broken at the time of description, with only 10 antennomeres present in that individual ( Wittmer 1976: fig. 97). The holotype of A. carmelita has the left antenna damaged, with nine antennomeres, and the right antenna with 11 antennomeres. The last antennomere of the left antenna, however, is serrate, which is not a morphology known for an apical antennomere in any other Phengodidae , including the similar Acladocera ( Wittmer 1981) . Therefore, we hypothesize that Adendrocera has the antennae with at least 12 antennomeres, which is in accordance with what is found in the majority of other phengodid genera. However, this hypothesis can only be tested in the future when a specimen of the genus with undamaged antennae is found.

Figures

Fig. 2. Adendrocera carmelita, new species, holotype. A) Habitus, dorsal view, B) Habitus, ventral view, C) Head and pronotum, dorsal view, D) Head and pronotum, lateral view, E) Habitus, dorsal view, glued to a card after damage during transport, F) Head, frontal view, G) Left antenna, lateral view, H) Right protarsus, lateral view.

Fig. 1. Adendrocera flavula, holotype. A) Habitus, dorsal view, B) Habitus, lateral view, C) Head and pronotum, dorsal view, D) Left antenna, lateral view, E) Head and pronotum, lateral view, F) Labels, G) Hind wing.

Fig. 3. Adendrocera carmelita, new species, holotype. A) Abdominal segments VI–X, dorsal view, B) Abdominal segments VI–X, ventral view, C) Aedeagus, dorsal view, D) Aedeagus, ventral view, E) Sternite IX, ventral view, F) Tergites IX and X, dorsal view, G) Aedeagus, lateral view.

Fig. 4. Distribution of Adendrocera species. A) Distribution of Adendrocera in Guatemala, B) Lowland trop- ical rainforest of the Maya Biosphere Reserve near the site where A. carmelita, new species was collected in a flight intercept trap.