Endeochetus simillimus, Colonnelli, 2014

Colonnelli, Enzo, 2014, Apionidae, Nanophyidae, Brachyceridae and Curculionidae except Scolytinae (Coleoptera) from Socotra Island, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 54, pp. 295-422 : 407-408

Endeochetus simillimus sp. nov.

( Figs 126, 128 )

Type series. HOLOTYPE: J ( NMPC), ‘ Yemen, Socotra island // Kazazhan area // shrubland on limestone; sifting // 10.vi.2012 // 12°33.8′N, 54°19.8′E, 540 m’, ‘ Socotra expedition 2012 // J. Bezděk, J. Hájek, V. Hula, // P. Kment, I. Malenovský, // J. Niedobová & L. Purchart leg.’. PARATYPES: 2 JJ 2 ♀♀, same label data as holotype (2 NMPC, 2 ECRI); 1 J 1 ♀, ‘ Yemen, Socotra island // Homhil, protected area // open woodland with Boswellia & // Dracaena trees; 10–11.vi.2012 // 12°34.5′N, 54°18.5′E, 360–500 m’, ‘ Socotra expedition 2012 // J. Bezděk, J. Hájek, V. Hula, // P. Kment, I. Malenovský, // J. Niedobová & L. Purchart leg.’ ( NMPC).

Description. Male holotype. Body length 5.1 mm. Dark brown, little shining, coarsely punctured, rostrum, antennae and legs more shining and dark ferruginous. Vestiture as in E. rugulithorax sp. nov. ( Fig. 126 ).

Head. Rostrum 0.93 as pronotum, its structure similar to that of E. rugulithorax sp. nov. Antennae inserted at middle of rostrum; scape almost straight and gradually moderately clubbed; funiculus as in E. rugulithorax sp. nov. Head convex, with not very dense small punctures, interocular space as wide as little less than half of rostral width at base; eyes subtriangular, flat.

Pronotum as long as wide, shaped like that of E. rugulithorax sp. nov.; disc with large roundish coarse punctures only on anterior third partly confluent in form of irregular longitudinal small wrinkles. Scutellum invisible.

Elytra 1.73× longer than wide and 1.93 times as long as pronotum. Striae like those of E. rugulithorax sp. nov. Interstriae rugosely punctured, punctures irregular, but at least in part identifiable as such, interstriae III to V little raised at base.

Legs moderately elongate; femora clubbed and acutely toothed, densely punctured; tibiae little compressed, curved at base and at apical fifth, punctured, outer margin keeled, inner one toothed at basal third, little concave, setose and strongly serrate apicad of widening, meso- and metatibiae less abruptly than protibiae; tarsi narrow, tarsomere III not bilobed.

Ventral side. Tubercles on basal margin of prosternum posteriorly to coxae very small; metaventrite and abdominal ventrites I and II with large shallow common impression.

Variability. Remaining specimens are very similar to the holotype. Females differ from males by their longer rostrum a little less dilated on basal half and here with five thin keels, apicad of antennal insertion their rostrum narrows and is not clearly keeled apart from on sides, whereas towards apex it widens again so that its sides are a little concave; female ventrites are not impressed.

Male genitalia. Aedeagus as depicted in Fig. 128 .

Body length 4.7–6.2 mm.

Differential diagnosis. Extremely similar to E. rugulithorax sp. nov. and with certainty distinguishable from it by the more elongate apex of aedeagus. The longitudinal wrinkles of pronotum of E. simillimus sp. nov. are usually more confused and a little more evident on anterior third and on sides of dorsum rather than obvious on all dorsal surface like in E. rugulithorax . In addition, the disc of pronotum is more uniformly convex and its sides are as a rule more curved in E. simillimus than in E. rugulithorax . Elytral intervals of the latter species are also dotted with irregular roundish punctures instead of being rugosely and confusedly punctured as in almost all E. simillimus . specimens examined. Moreover, in this latter species intervals III to V are somewhat raised at base instead of being almost flat, and interval III is a little wider than the adjoining ones.

Etymology. The astonishing resemblance of this new species with other Socotran species of the genus and in particular with E. rugulithorax sp. nov. is emphasized by its name, Latin superlative adjective simillimus (- a, - um) meaning ‘very or most similar’.

Collection circumstances. In Kazazhan, the new species was sifted from litter under Ficus vasta Forssk. (Moraceae) in a limestone ravine (J. Hájek, pers. comm.).

Distribution. Endemic to Socotra Island.

Figures

Figs 124–130. 124–125, 127 – Endeochetus rugulithorax sp. nov. 124 – habitus of the holotype; 125 – habitus of the same in side view; 127 – aedeagus of a paratype in dorsal view. 126, 128 – Endeochetus simillimus sp. nov. 126 – habitus of the holotype; 128 – aedeagus of a paratype in dorsal view. 129–130 – Endeochetus simplex sp. nov., holotype. 129 – habitus; 130 – aedeagus in dorsal view.