Styphlomerus devagiriensis Akhil and Thomas, 2019

Akhil, S. V. & Thomas, Sabu K., 2019, New Species of Bombardier Beetles of the Genus Styphlomerus Chaudoir, 1875 (Coleoptera: Carabidae) from Southern India, with a Key to the Indomalayan and Palearctic Species, The Coleopterists Bulletin 73 (2), pp. 465-471 : 466-468

Styphlomerus devagiriensis Akhil and Thomas , new species

Zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:1F6DC82C-D50A-4148-8881-B9855B1EB7F9 ( Fig. 1d )

Specimens Examined: Two females, India: Tamil Nadu state: Virudhunagar district: Krishnan Kovil , light attracted, 15.X.2017, coll. S. V. Akhil.

Type Material. Holotype labeled “ Holotype, Female, India: Tamil Nadu state: Virudhunagar district: Krishnan Kovil , light attracted, 15.X.2017, coll. S. V. Akhil ” . Paratype labeled “ Paratype, Female, India: Tamil Nadu state: Virudhunagar district: Krishnan Kovil , light attracted, 15.X.2017, coll. S. V. Akhil ”. Deposited in ZSIC .

Description. TLA = 6.3–6.6 mm. Color: Head, pronotum, scape, palpi, scutellum, region around scutellum, and legs reddish yellow, scape, palpi, and legs a lighter hue of reddish yellow; elytra bluish black; head to metasternum pale yellow; mesepimeron yellow with brown hue. Head: Stout, widest behind eyes, as wide as pronotum, as long as broad, vertex and neck rough with dense punctation and wrinkles, frons smooth with fine punctures and faintly wrinkled; labrum subrectangular, apex slightly convex, with 6 setae on apical margin; clypeus subrectangular, glabrous, base wider than apex; frontoclypeal margin marked by a faint brownish black line; frontal fovea shallow; frons impunctate; lateral lobes of mentum broad, with a tooth-like projection laterally, glabrous, impunctate, median tooth short, stout, blunt; submentum very narrow; antennae short, thick, antennomeres cylindrical, apical antennomere pointed, elongate-oval; apical palpomeres subcylindrical, apex tapering, penultimate palpomere shaped as inverted cone, 2 nd palpomere curved, palpomeres sparsely pubescent. Pronotum: Wider than long, flat, rough with wrinkles and punctation throughout disc, disc matt, sparsely pubescent; anterior margin straight, lateral angles of anterior margin projecting forward, posterior margin concave, sinuate; disk with anterior half broad, convex, posterior half narrowed but widening towards base, hind angles pointed, obtuse, slightly projecting laterally; median furrow shallow, not reaching anterior and posterior margins; lateral ridge narrow, margin brownish black. Scutellum: Broad, pointed. Elytra: Subparallel, dorsal surface matt, rough, wrinkled, impunctate, sparsely pubescent; base narrowed, humerus pronounced, projecting anteriorly; widest just before apex, apex rounded; sutural line reddish yellow, widest just below scutellum, narrowed after that, continuing very faintly to apex; striations weak, with sparse pubescence on both sides of striae, intervals rounded. Hind wings: Welldeveloped. Venter: Genae broad, with sparse pubescence under eyes, remainder glabrous, smooth; gula divergent posteriorly, distinctly marked by brownish black gular suture; prothorax with sparse pubescence in anterolateral region of prosternum, midregion glabrous; prosternal process curved downwards, glabrous; apex of abdomen pointed.

Measurements. Holotype (female): TLA = 6.36 mm, TLB = 5.7 mm, PL = 0.97 mm, PW = 1.2 mm, EL = 3.68 mm, TW = 2.62 mm. Paratype (female): TLA = 6.62 mm, TLB = 5.64 mm, PL = 0.98 mm, PW = 1.2 mm, EL = 3.6 mm, TW = 2.52 mm.

Geographical Distribution. INDIA: Tamil Nadu State: Virudhunagar district: Krishnan Kovil.

Collection Method. Collected under fluorescent light.

Etymology. Named after the locality (Devagiri) of our host institution.

Remarks. This species is similar to Styphlomerus striatus Akhil and Thomas , new species but differs by having smaller form, wider head, bluish black elytra, elytral humerus projecting forward, narrowed elytral base, and narrow, reddish yellow sutural line.

Figures

Fig. 1. Styphlomerus species. a) S. ruficeps, type in MNHN, b) S. fusciceps, type in NMPC, c) S. fusciceps, variant form, d) S. devagiriensis, holotype, e) S. striatus, holotype, f–g) S. striatus, aedeagus, right and left lateral views, respectively.