Coarazuphium spinifemur, Pellegrini & Ferreira, 2017

Pellegrini, Thais Giovannini & Ferreira, Rodrigo Lopes, 2017, Two new troglobitic Coarazuphium Gnaspini, Godoy & Vanin 1998 species of ground beetles from iron ore Brazilian caves (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Zuphiini), Zootaxa 4306 (4), pp. 551-566 : 552-555

Coarazuphium spinifemur sp. n.

Description. Holotype male ( Fig. 1 ). Overall body length, from the apex of the clypeus to the apex of the elytra: 3.54 mm, width, at widest region of the elytra: 1.16 mm. Body coloration is pale yellowish, although this is probably a specimen in teneral state, in which the tegument has not hardened and it may be pale in color ( Fig. 8 G). Dorsal integument of the elytra and pronotum entirely covered with very short recumbent setae, the head also has recumbent setae but the top is glabrous.

Head. Subtrapezoidal ( Fig. 1 ) with similar width and length, width/length ratio: 0.90. Maximum width of head at its base, 0.85 mm. Head as wide as pronotum. Dorsal surface with one pair of setae laterally to eyes (supraorbital setae), and one pair located immediately behind ocular area (occipital setae). Ventral surface with one pair of anterior setae, located outside from gular area ( Fig. 2 A). Eyes reduced and depigmented, ommatidia not evident, situated laterally at the end of antennal impression of the head ( Fig. 2 A).

Antennae. Antennae filiform and flagellar, ( Fig. 1 ) 2.39 mm, 3.58 times longer than pronotum; first antennomere (scape) elongate, shorter than 2–4 together. First antennomere with a long bristle close to the middle; 2nd very short. Segments 3–10 subequal, almost round in cross-section, except for the tip of the terminal antennomere (11th), which is laterally flattened ( Fig. 1 ).

Pronotum. Shape trapezoidal, 1.27 times wider than long ( Figs. 1–2 ). Maximum width near anterior angle, as wide as head. Posterior angle is acute. Dorsal surface ( Fig. 1 ) with two pairs of erect setae: one close to the anterior angle of the pronotum and the other, shorter, close to the posterior angle. Ventral surface with one pair of anterior setae medially located ( Fig. 2 B).

Elytra hind wings and abdomen. Elytra are free ( Fig. 1 ), together 1.64 times longer than wide. Maximum width nearly middle and 1.37 times wider than pronotum. Apex of elytra is truncate, not sinuate. Seven long umbilicate setae on each elytron: 3 close to the anterior angle, 2 marginal in posterior half, and 2 on posterior margin. Hind wings reduced ( Fig. 1 B), 0.363 mm long. Abdominal tergites 1–5, glabrous, sixth sternum with a short pair of ventral setae at its posterior margin.

Legs. Procoxa glabrous; mesocoxa with three, and metacoxa with two pairs of setae. Pro-, meso- and metatrochanter each with one medial setae. Profemur with long and short setae. Profemur 1.13 times longer than the mesofemur and 0.76 times the length of metafemur. Metafemur bearing a spine at the middle ventral view ( Fig 1 A, 1C). Protibia 1.1 times longer than the mesotibia and 0.78 times the length of metatibia. Protibia 1.19 times longer than protarsus. Mesotibia 0.92 times the length of mesotarsus; metatibia 0.96 times the length of metatarsus. First tarsomere of mesotarsus and metatarsus almost equal to tarsomeres 2–4 together. Length of protibia and tarsus 2.03 times the length of the pronotum. Length of mesotibia and tarsus length 2.08 times, and length of metatibia and tarsus 2.88 times the length of pronotum.

Aedeagus. Phallus slightly curved ventrally and elongate, narrowed apically, apical margin rounded ( Figs. 3 A– C), 0.66 mm long. Left paramere subtriangular, conchoid, about two times longer than wide, 0.23 mm long; right paramere styliform, about 2.5 times longer than wide, distinctly shorter, 0.14 mm long. Male genital segment triangular shaped.

Etymology. The specific epithet “ spinifemur ” refers to the unusual spine at the middle ventral side of each metafemur.

Differential diagnosis. All characteristics of C. spinifemur are consistent with the description of the genus Coarazuphium . This species differs from all others of the genus by the following combination of characters: reduced and depigmented eyes; maximum width of elytra near middle with almost parallel sides; elytra with apical margin truncate, not sinuate; head dorsally with only one pair of supraorbital setae (posterior pair absent); metafemur bearing a spine at the middle ventral side; antennae short, about 0.68 times body length.

Type material. Holotype: BRAZIL: Pará, Serra dos Carajás, Cave SL-0074 Curionópolis, PA, 5o57`58.04”S 49o37`55.95”W, 575m asl., ♂, 24.VI.2010, Zampaulo R.A., et al. leg., ISLA 2289.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Coarazuphium spinifemur new species, male holotype. (A) Habitus dorsal aspect. Scale bar = 0.5 mm. (B) Detail of hind wings. (C) Detail of metafemur spine.

FIGURE 2. Coarazuphium spinifemur new species, male holotype. (A) Head, pronotum and prothorax, lateral aspect. (B) Prothorax, ventral aspect. Scale bars = 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 3. Coarazuphium spinifemur new species, male holotype, Aedeagus. (A) Left lateral aspect, (B) Dorsal aspect and (C) Right lateral aspect. Scale bar = 0.1 mm.

FIGURE 8. (A – D) Occurrence area of C. amazonicus new species (green balls), Coarazuphium tapiaguassu (yellow balls) and C. spinifemur new species (red ball); (A) South America; (B) Para State with geomorphological units in detail; (C) Geomorphological unit of Serra Norte in green and Geomorphological unit of Serra Leste in pink (black dots represents the three Coarazuphium species distribution; (D) C. amazonicus spatial distribution in geomorphological unit of Serra Norte; (E) C. tapiaguassu and C. spinifemur spatial distribution in geomorphological unit of Serra Leste; (F) Live specimen of C. amazonicus sp. n.; (G) Live specimen of C. tapiaguassu, and (H) Fixed specimen of C. spinifemur sp. n.