Nyctelia sulcogranata, Flores & Cheli, 2014

Flores, Gustavo E. & Cheli, Germán H., 2014, Two new species of Nyctelia Latreille (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) from Argentinean Patagonia with zoogeographical and ecological remarks, Zootaxa 3765 (3), pp. 279-287 : 280-283

Nyctelia sulcogranata sp. nov.

( Figs. 1 , 3–4 , 7 )

Diagnosis. Clypeus with two lateral depressions; pronotum without punctures on disc, internal surface of lateral margin with a shallow groove, pronotum widest at base; elytron with inner half smooth, outer half rugose and divided into three areas of equal width separated by three longitudinal equidistant grooves, inner groove almost straight located at middle of elytron, medial groove sinuate and outer groove very sinuate, each groove with a row of protuberances inside it.

Nyctelia sulcogranata sp. nov. superficially resembles N. varipes Fairmaire and N. torresi Kulzer by having longitudinal grooves on the elytron. In N. sulcogranata sp. nov. the elytron has 3 grooves on the outer half with protuberances arranged inside them ( Fig. 1 ) while in N. varipes the elytron exhibits 4–6 sinuate grooves across the surface, lacking protuberances ( Kulzer 1963: Plate VI, Fig. 2 ). N. sulcogranata sp. nov. differs from N. torresi by having pronotum almost smooth and elytron with 3 grooves on the outer half with protuberances arranged inside them while in N. torresi the pronotum is distinctly and densely punctate and the elytron has 4 grooves across the surface with protuberances on the intervals ( Kulzer 1963: Plate VI, Fig. 3 ).

Description. Length 14.5–19.5 mm. Body black, antennae, legs black to dark brown. Head. Clypeus with abundant small punctures each with a central, short seta, separated by a distance much greater than diameter of one puncture, with two lateral depressions; clypeal suture shallow, with sparse small punctures; frons glabrous, with no punctures; antennae reaching middle of lateral margin of pronotum. Thorax. Pronotum wide (W/L ≥ 2.0), disc raised, higher than lateral margins, without depressions, almost smooth, without punctures on disc, with only few small punctures near lateral and anterior margins, each with a central, very short seta; anterior margin conspicuous with flange, lateral margin with a shallow groove on posterior half of internal surface, sometimes groove complete throughout; pronotum widest at base, posterior margin biconcave, narrower than elytral base ( Fig. 1 ); proepisternum with sparse or abundant long setae arising from protuberances; prosternal process rounded, expanded distally, not extended over mesosternum. Elytra oval, arched, with small terminal apophysis semicircular, with short setae on posterior area arising from protuberances, more abundant on the apophysis, entire surface shiny, inner half smooth, outer half rugose, divided in three areas of equal width separated by three longitudinal equidistant grooves, inner groove almost straight located at middle of elytron, medial groove sinuate and outer groove very sinuate, confused, separating the second interval from the 15–20 external transverse striae which end at lateral margin; each groove with a row of protuberances arranged according to groove shape (straight, sinuate and very sinuate), lacking setae ( Fig. 1 ); intervals wide, convex; suture sunken only in anterior half, without adjacent elevated longitudinal areas ( Fig. 1 ); lateral margin thin, flat, sinuate, with edge, not crenulated; pseudopleuron with small protuberances on entire surface, each bearing a short seta on posterior area; epipleuron smooth, glabrous, conspicuously edged only on anterior half, anterior quarter four times as wide as posterior half. Legs. Profemora with a tuft of setae on dorsal surface, with a row of setae on ventral surface; meso and metafemora with sparse setae; tibiae not crenulated.

Male genitalia. Basal piece of tegmen short (B/E ≤ 1.00); parameres of tegmen with apex narrow, proximal margin ventrally bisinuate, widest at base, with setae on distal 1/4 of ventral surface ( Fig. 4 ); median lobe moderate (0.75 <L/T ≤ 1.00), with apical aperture large, apex rounded, half the width of parameres of tegmen, of equal width throughout ( Fig. 3 ).

Etymology. Named sulcogranata from latin sulcata (=furrowed) and granum (=grain) to indicate each groove with a row of protuberances inside it.

Type material. Holotype, male: [ Argentina: Chubut / Dto. Gaiman, Dique Ameghino / 43.70111º S, 66.46139º W / 70 m, 24-IX-2012 / Coll: G. y L. Cheli] [ Nyctelia / sulcogranata n. sp. / HOLOTYPUS male/ Det. G. Flores and/ G. Cheli 2013] ( IADIZA). Allotype, female ( IADIZA) and 13 paratypes with the same data as holotype (3 IADIZA, 4 CNP-CE, 2 FMNH, 2 HNHM, 2 IFML) ; ten paratypes: [ Argentina: Chubut / Dto. Gaiman, Dique Ameghino / 43.690444º S, 66.444278º W / 69 m, 24-IX-2012 / Coll: G. y L. Cheli] (2 IADIZA, 2 MACN, 2 MLPA, 2 MNNC, 2 NHMB); one paratype: [ Argentina: Chubut / Dto. Telsen, Telsen, 689 m / 42º 21´35´´ S / 65º 45´41´´ W / Coll: G. Cheli] ( CNP-CE) ; two paratypes: [ Argentina: Chubut, Dto. Telsen/ 8 km E Telsen, 689 m, 42º 28’ 39.77” S / 66º 52’ 21.34” W, II-2011 / Coll: D. Rojas Lanús] ( IADIZA) ; one paratype: [ Argentina: Chubut / Dto. Gaiman, La Angostura/ Dolavon, 43º 21’ 26.47” S / 65º 39’ 32.14” W, 20-III-2011 / Coll: D. Rojas Lanús] ( IADIZA).

Other material examined: Sierra Chata , Chubut, 16-IV-1975, Coll: Z. Kovacs (1 CNP-CE) .

Distribution and habitat. Nyctelia sulcogranata sp. nov. inhabits the northeast of Chubut province ( Fig. 7 ). It shares the habitat with other tenebrionid species such as Nyctelia dorsata Fairmaire , Epipedonota cristallisata (Lacordaire) , Patagonogenius collaris (Kulzer) , P. quadricollis (Fairmaire) , Calymmophorus patagonicus Bruch , Leptynoderes tuberculata Curtis , Praocis fimbriata Burmeister and P. sellata granulipennis Flores & Carrara.

Ecological notes. This species inhabits sandy places lower than 360m above sea level (m a.s.l) in the northeastern extreme of Chubut province. Biogeographically, this area belongs to the Monte province ( Morrone 2002) and corresponds specifically to the Monte Austral biozone (Del Valle et al. 1995; INTA 2006) ( Fig. 7 ). The main vegetation physiognomy is a medium-height shrub steppe (between 1–2 m) with total cover ranging from 20 to 40%. Major floristic components are: Larrea divaricata , L. cuneifolia , Atriplex lampa , Prosopis alpataco , Schinus polygamus , Bougainvillea spinosa, Acantholippa seriphioides, Hyalis argentea , Pappostipa speciosa and Nassella tenuis (Del Valle et al. 1995; INTA 2006).

We observed several adults of this species walking in sandy habitats near the Florentino Ameghino dam from mid-morning to sunrise in late spring.

Figures

FIGURE 7. Geographic distribution of Nyctelia sulcogranata sp. nov. (○) and N. recteplicata sp. nov. (∆) in central Patagonia, Argentina.

FIGURES 1−2. Habitus of Nyctelia sulcogranata sp. nov. (1) and N. recteplicata sp. nov. (2). Scale bars 4 mm.

FIGURES 3−6. Male genitalia of Nyctelia spp. in dorsal and ventral views. (3−4) N. sulcogranata sp. nov.; (5−6) N. recteplicata sp. nov. (bp—basal piece of tegmen, p—parameres of tegmen, ml—median lobe). Scale bars 1 mm.