Tiferonia leytensis, Will, 2020

Will, Kipling W., 2020, Review and new species of Tiferonia Darlington, 1962 (Carabidae, Abacetini), ZooKeys 906, pp. 131-140 : 131

Tiferonia leytensis sp. nov. Figs 1 , 2 , 4 , 7

Material examined.

Holotype: Philippines • ♂, // "Plains of NE Leyte Is.,P.I. Nov ’44-Jan’ 45 Darlington"// "MCZ Holotype 36215"// [deposited MCZ].

Paratypes: Philippines • 1♂, 1 ♀, same data as holotype [MCZ].

Type locality.

As listed on locality label, type locality is estimated to be roughly centered on 11.221N, 124.828E.

Diagnosis.

The combination of two pairs of supraorbital setae, all elytral striae impressed, and the pronotum (Fig. 4 ) basally narrowed with slightly sinuate lateral margins separates this species from all other species of Tiferonia .

Description.

Size. Overall length (sbl) 3.96 mm [3.96-4.21 mm]; greatest width over elytra 1.65 mm [1.62-1.79 mm]. Color. Dorsal and ventral surfaces piceous to dark rufous, head slightly darker, elytral interval 1 and apical fourth of elytra paler; legs, mouthparts, and antennae pale brunneous, tibiae darker rufous. Luster. Dorsally and ventrally distinctly shiny. Iridescence not evident on head, spectral iridescence slightly apparent on pronotum, distinctly evident on elytra, slightly apparent on ventral surface of body. Head. Dorsal microsculpture evident nearly isodiametric mesh. Clypeal-ocular impressions clearly impressed, narrow, divergent, and extended to anterior supraocular seta. Ocular ratio 1.61 [1.55-1.58]. Eyes moderate size, prominent, with large posterior orbital area; gena slightly narrower than width of antennomere 1. Labrum with anterior margin straight. Mentum median tooth entire, triangular. Antennae, overall length moderately long, antennomeres 10-11 surpassing pronotal base. Thorax. Pronotum dorsally impunctate, microsculpture not evident at 50 × magnification in anterior half, irregular, very transverse mesh slightly evident near base; widest at middle, lateral margins with short, slight sinuation near hind angles; lateral marginal bead uniformly evident and narrow throughout; basal margin smooth, not beaded; anterior angles moderately produced; anterior submarginal sulcus broadly interrupted medially; hind angles right angled, denticulate; basal impressions linear, deeply impressed, slightly crenulate, shallowly reaching basal margin; seta at hind angle touching marginal bead. Elytra parallel sided; plica large and externally visible. Elytral striae well impressed, deeply, densely crenulate-punctate; intervals nearly flat, slightly convex basally. Elytral microsculpture scarcely evident as very transversely stretched sculpticells. Prosternal process rounded, margin not marked with bead; prosterna and proepisterna smooth. Mesosterna with few, coarse punctures. Metasternum laterally and metepisternum with shallow, coarse punctures. Abdomen. Abdominal ventrites irregularly, coarsely punctate laterally, impunctate medially. Male genitalia (Fig. 2 ), ostium dorsal, endophallus with light spine field in left apical position in repose. Female ovipositor moderately long, slightly curved, two large ensiform setae, one dorsal one ventral, two long nematoform setae in well-developed groove.

Etymology.

The specific epithet leytensis is based on the type locality and is treated as an adjective.

Notes.

In his discussion of the species of Tiferonia , Darlington (1962: 561) states that T. brunnea from the Philippines is distinguished by having only a single pair of supraorbital setae and then states that he has a series of that species from Leyte Island. However, this appears to be an error. Among Darlington’s specimens at the MCZ he has a series from Leyte Island, but they all have two pairs of supraorbital setae and are otherwise distinctly different from T. brunnea . These specimens comprise the holotype and paratypes of T. leytensis .

Figures

Figure 1. Tiferonia leytensis sp. nov. head, left lateral view. Arrows indicate a post-ocular sulcus and b posterior edge of the orbit.

Figures 2, 3. Tiferonia species aedeagi, right lateral view (A) and dorsal view (B). 2 Tiferonia leytensis sp. nov. 3 Tiferonia parva.

Figures 4, 5. Tiferonia species pronota. 4 Tiferonia leytensis sp. nov. 5 Tiferonia parva.

Figures 6 - 9. Tiferonia species dorsal habitus. 6 Tiferonia parva, male paratype 7 Tiferonia leytensis male holotype 8 Tiferonia schoutedeni 9 Tiferonia brunnea, male holotype.