Psammoecus boreas, Yoshida, Takahiro & Hirowatari, Toshiya, 2014

Yoshida, Takahiro & Hirowatari, Toshiya, 2014, A revision of Japanese species of the genus Psammoecus Latreille (Coleoptera, Silvanidae), ZooKeys 403, pp. 15-45 : 30-31

Psammoecus boreas sp. n. Figs 2A, 8and 14 D–F

Psammoecus triguttatus : Nakane 1963: 195, fig. 16 in pl. 98.

Psammoecus sp. 3, Hirano 2009: 63, 66, 67, fig. 8. - Hirano 2010: 12, 16.

Diagnosis.

This species is similar to Psammoecus trimaculatus and other species closely similar to Psammoecus trimaculatus . Nakane (1963) provided a figure of this species as Psammoecus triguttatus . It differs from the aforementioned species by the shorter lateral teeth of the pronotum. It is also very similar to Psammoecus harmandi Grouvelle, 1912 both in external characters and male genital structure as illustrated by Pal (1980), but can be distinguished from it by the longer antennae and the comparatively oblong 10th antennomere.

Description.

Body length. 2.74-3.27 mm (n=19).

Coloration (Fig. 2A). Head and pronotum yellowish-brown. Elytra yellowish-brown with dark brown maculae at half, oval ones at center of each elytron and dark oblique bands toward posterior portion, sometimes connected at elytral suture, forming a V-shaped band. Elytra of lighter color specimens with reduced maculae, oval ones and bands separated. Antennae yellowish-brown basally, posterior ends of 8th to 10th antennomeres darkened, or all antennomeres yellowish-brown in lighter colored specimens.

Head (Fig. 8A, B, C). Broad, HW/HL 1.35-1.65; IE/HL 0.96-1.13. Temples narrowed around each base. Eyes small, moderately rounded. Dorsal surface with moderately dense punctuation, ventral surface punctuated sparsely. Antennae 1.54-1.71 mm, thin, very long; covered with considerable long semi-erect pubescence on each antennomere; approximate ratio of holotype as follows: 2.6: 1.0: 1.1: 1.2: 1.2: 1.3: 1.2: 1.0: 1.0: 1.1: 1.7 (Fig. 8A).

Pronotum (Fig. 8B, C). Subquadrate, PW/PL 1.18-1.30. Dorsolateral portions lightly impressed. Dorsal surface with relatively dense punctuation, no punctures around posterior margin, comparatively sparse punctuation on ventral surface. Pubescence composed of many short setae and fine long setae on teeth on lateral margins and anterior and posterior angles. Each anterior angle with a distinct group of a few very small teeth, each lateral margin with four small teeth of almost the same size, each posterior angle with a small tooth, almost the same size as those on lateral margins.

Elytra (Fig. 8E). Oval, EW/BL 0.32-0.45. Rows of punctures wider than interstices. Pubescence composed of many short setae, no long setae.

9th abdominal sternite (Fig. 14D). Strut Y-shaped, cut deeply at anterior 1/5, diverging for posterior 1/4. Lateral sclerites elongate.

Aedeagus (Fig. 14E, F). Parameres cone-shaped with almost even sparse punctuation, sparser on bases, a few long setae around apical portions, a few short setae distributed sparsely. Phallobase tube-like, consisting of two layers, anterior margin rounded, dorsal surface around anterior margin thin, protuberances of upper layer directed towards anterior portion, small protuberances at beginning of divergence of upper layer. Penis stout, punctuated on posterior 1/9, rather coarsely on ventral surface.

Type series.

Holotype: male, Yoshin, Tanzawa, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, 26 –V– 1989, Y. Hirano leg. (EUMJ). Paratypes: [Hokkaido Pref.] 2 exs., Chûbisei, Memuro Town, 25 –VIII– 1995, S. Hisamatsu leg. (EUMJ); 1 ex., Mt. Sapporo-dake, Sapporo City, 5 –VIII– 1970, S. Kinoshita leg. (EUMJ). [Niigata Pref.] 1 ex., Mikuni Touge, 1 –VII– 1967, K. Baba leg. (HUSE). [Kanagawa Pref.] 1 ex., Yoshin, Tanzawa, 26 –V– 1989, Y. Hirano leg. (YHC). [Nagano Pref.] 1 ex., Tokugo Touge, 29 –VII– 1955, T. Nakane leg. (HUSE); 5 exs., Ôbora, Ueda City, 24 –VII– 2013, T. Yoshida leg. (ELKU). [Oita Pref.] 6 ex., Mt. Sobo-san, 7 –VI– 2009, S. Yamamoto leg. (ELKU).

Distribution.

JAPAN: Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu.

Etymology.

The specific name is from the god of the north wind of ancient Greek mythology. Most Psammoecus species are distributed in tropical or subtropical zones, however, this new species is exceptionally distributed in Hokkaido or on mountains of high altitude located in Honshu and Kyushu.

Remarks.

Psammoecus sp. 3 illustrated by Hirano (2009) and Hirano (2010) was conspecific with this species and named same Japanese name proposed by him.