Somoplatus depilis, Schüle, 2009

Schüle, Peter, 2009, Notes on the genus Somoplatus Dejean, 1829 (Coleoptera: Carabidae), with descriptions of five new species, African Invertebrates 50 (2), pp. 461-461 : 466-468

Somoplatus depilis sp. n.

Figs 1 , 9 , 17 , 24

Etymology: From Latin depilis (without hair, bald), referring to the glabrous body surface.

Diagnosis: S. depilis is the only species of the genus presenting a completely glabrous body surface except for extremely fine microsetae.

Description:

Measurements (n = 16 ♂/♀): Length 4.5–5.1 mm, width 2.3–2.6 mm, width/length of pronotum 1.69–1.81.

Colour: Uniform light reddish brown. Elytral surface dull.

Head: Wide, with large, protruding eyes; surface almost plain, frontal sulci shallow, subcircular, dimple-like. Surface of head with superficial fine microreticulation consisting of dense meshes and traces of highly superficial punctation. Meshes isodiametric in central portions of vertex, longitudinal and narrow along lateral portions near inner margin of eyes. Antennae long, antennomeres more than 2× longer than wide ( Fig. 9 ).

Pronotum: Short and wide, base as wide as apex; lateral margin convex in apical half, slightly more curved, widest in front of the middle; apical angles protruding, rounded off; apical margin concave; basal angles completely rounded off; base undulate, middle of base convex. Surface of pronotum with fine microreticulation of dense transversal meshes, and with very fine regularly sparse punctation. Punctation microsetose. Base and lateral apex indistinctly margined, base more distinctly margined. Marginal impression distinct, narrow near apical angle, broadly widened to the basal angles. Near basal outer margin a very small, shallow comma-shaped basal impression on either side. Middle of base slightly concave. Hind margin glabrous.

Elytra: Short and wide, gently widened to the apical third, laterally subparallel. Humeri widely rounded, basal margin indistinct, almost reaching scutellum. Apical truncature indistict, apex obliquely rounded, outer angles widely rounded off. Surface of elytra glabrous, with fine microreticulation consisting of dense transversal. Fully winged.

Median lobe of aedeagus: Median portion subparallel, tapering to apex, simply curved, apex ending in a short simply rounded tip, orifice large on central-left side of apical fourth ( Fig. 17 ), inner sac with a ring of 20–25 thorns in apical third, partly with microserrulation and folds in relaxed position.

Stylomere 2: Elongate, curved, outer margin with one long nematiform seta on inner margin, which is bent near the middle; one small seta on outer margin near apical fourth ( Fig. 24 ).

Lower surface: Glabrous, except for abdominal sternites with microsetae. Prosternal apophyse with 8–10 distant setae.

Legs: As in generic diagnosis.

Holotype: ♂ ‘ IVORY COAST, NE, Comoé National Park , v. 2000, Philippe Moretto leg., inside termite hill’ ( PSC).

Paratypes: 5 ♂ 10♀same data as holotype ( PSC, PMC, TMSA, MRAC); 1 ♂ 4♀‘ IVORY COAST, NE, Comoé National Park , ix. 1998, Philippe Moretto leg., inside termite hill’ ( PSC).

Figures

Figs 1–8. Habitus of Somoplatus spp.: (1) S. depilis sp. n., _ holotype; (2) S. pilicollis sp. n., ^paratype, Ivory Coast, Comoé National Park (PSC); (3) S. morettoi sp. n., _ holotype; (4) S. fulvus ^, Ivory Coast, Comoé National Park (PSC); (5) S. septentrionalis, ^, Ivory Coast, Comoé National Park (PSC); (6) S. ivoirensis sp. n., _ holotype; (7) S. girardi, _; (8) S. genierorum sp. n., _ holotype. Scale bars = 2 mm.

Figs 9–16.Antennae of Somoplatus spp.: (9) S. depilis sp. n., _ holotype; (10) S. pilicollis sp. n., ^paratype, Ivory Coast, Comoé National Park (PSC); (11) S. morettoi sp. n., _ holotype; (12) S. fulvus, ^, Ivory Coast, Comoé National Park (PSC); (13) S. septentrionalis, ^, Ivory Coast, Comoé National Park (PSC); (14) S. ivoirensis sp. n., _ holotype; (15) S. girardi, _; (16) S. genierorum sp. n., _ holotype. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Figs 17–23. Aedeagi of Somoplatus spp.: (17) S. depilis sp. n., holotype; (18) S. pilicollis sp. n., holotype; (19) S. morettoi sp. n., holotype; (20) S. fulvus (after Basilewsky 1986); (21) S. ivoirensis sp. n., holotype; (22) S. girardi, Ivory Coast, Comoé National Park (MRAC); (23) S. genierorum sp. n., holotype. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.

Figs 24–30. Stylomere 2 of Somoplatus spp. ^: (24) S. depilis sp. n., paratype, Ivory Coast, Comoé National Park (PSC); (25) S. pilicollis sp. n., paratype, Ivory Coast, Comoé National Park (PSC); (26) S. fulvus, Ivory Coast, Comoé National Park (PSC); (27) S. septentrionalis, Ivory Coast, Comoé National Park (PSC); (28) S. ivoirensis sp. n., paratype; (29) S. girardi, Ivory Coast, Comoé National Park (PSC); (30) S. genierorum sp. n., paratype, Burkina Faso, Forêt de Nazinga. Scale bar = 0.5 mm in Figs 24, 25, 28–30; 2 mm in Figs 26, 27.