Eucurtiopsis kitchingi, Tishechkin, 2009

Tishechkin, Alexey K., 2009, Discovery of Chlamydopsinae (Insecta, Coleoptera, Histeridae) in Vanuatu with the description of eight new species from Espiritu Santo Island, Zoosystema 31 (3), pp. 661-690 : 676-680

Eucurtiopsis kitchingi n. sp.

( Figs 10 ; 11 )

HOLOTYPE. — “ VANUATU:Espiritu Santo I., Cumberland Peninsula, Saratsi Range at 14.9657°S 166.6521°E. 700 m. Flight intercept FL7A-4. 30.xi.-1.xii.2006. A. K.Tishechkin AT827 / HOLOTYPE Eucurtiopsis kitchingi sp. n. A. Tishechkin des. 2008”, ♂ point-mounted ( MNHN) . PARATYPES (32). — Same locality as the holotype, flight intercept trap, 29.XI-1.XII.2006, A. K. Tishechkin, 1 ( MNHN), 1 (coll. AKT). — Saratsi Range, 14.9641°S, 166.6479°E, 600 m, flight intercept trap, 4.XI-1.XII.2006, A. K.Tishechkin, one also bears the following label “DNA Extraction TAK-0001. May 2009 Baton Rouge”, 17 ( MNHN [including molecular voucher]), 8 (coll. AKT), 2 ( LSAM). — Saratsi Range, 14.9667°S, 166.6560°E, 900 m, 7-18.XI.2006, 1 ( MNHN), 2 (coll. AKT).

ETYMOLOGY. — Th e species is named after Roger Kitching of Griffi th University, a comrade in several expeditions, a source of endless knowledge and genuine enthusiasm, with a special recollections of our joint work at highland camp in Penaoru transect.

DESCRIPTION

L: 1.49; W: 1.03; E/Pn L: 1.88; E/Pn W: 1.50; Pn W/L: 1.25; E L/W: 1.01; Pr/Py: 0.93; sterna: 0.48, 0.08, 0.37; tibiae: 0.43, 0.50, 0.53. Body ( Fig. 10A ) elongate, rufescent brown, with antennae and legs somewhat paler, prothorax substantially narrower than elytra. Frons ( Fig. 10D ) 1.3 times longer than wide, sides weakly arcuate, incised at antennal bases, narrowed anteriorly, covered with deep, dense, mostly elongate punctures, with two parallel longitudinal rows consisting of three irregular blunt tubercles arranged into indistinct ridges, each tubercle with a cluster of long branched setae; labrum weakly convex, semicircular, with few setae, primarily near tip, and punctation much smaller than on frons; mandibles strongly bent, with long narrow tips, outer edges with few branched setae, several large punctures near base and reticulate microsculpture more anteriorly; maxillar palpi with three palpomeres, labial palpi with two palpomeres, mentum present as separate sclerite; antennal scape elongate triangular, 2.1 times longer than wide, with inner edge weakly inwardly arcuate, outer edge strongly angulate, surface more or less flat, with apical angle bluntly rounded, disc densely punctate throughout with oval punctures, with several clusters of short branched setae; antennal funicle and club about 0.8 and 0.9 times length of scape, respectively, no sexual dimorphism in size an shape of antennae is apparent.

Pronotum ( Fig. 10A, C ) with posterior margin shallowly arcuate, with sides unmargined, straight, faintly narrowed anteriorly; antennal cavities partially visible from above, with pronotal margin not elevated above; medial portion of pronotal margin unelevated, straight; marginal striae visible from above in basal third, then abruptly descending downwards to meet supracoxal striae, ascending again anteriorly towards antennal sockets; pronotal dorsum strongly convex, densely and deeply punctate throughout, with eight parallel longitudinal rows of blunt tubercles arranged into indistinct ridges, two outer ridges on each side much less regularly linearly arranged than discal ridges, each ridge consisting of 4-6 tubercles, clumps of elongate branched setae present on every tubercle, several single setae present along lateral sides of pronotum. Prosternum ( Fig. 10B ) with anterior margin broadly concave, marginal stria represented by series of elongate wrinkles; prosternal disc evenly convex, keel elevated between procoxae, flattened, slightly expanded posteriorly, emarginate at apex, disc densely punctate throughout, punctures variable in shape, from narrowly elongate on keel base to larger circular in anterolateral angles.

Scutellum ( Fig. 10A ) tiny, sunk below the elytral-pronotal plane, but distinctly visible. Elytra ( Fig. 10A, C ) with sides weakly arcuate, widest around anterior trichome process; humeral trichome prominent, elevated, longitudinally oriented, anterior process rising almost vertically at base till transverse ridge, process surface area between base of elytron and ridge deeply concave, inner lateral and apical edges of anterior process raised as crests continuous with transverse ridge, enclosed surface of posterior half of the process deeply concave; posterior process only slightly less robust, evenly rising towards anterior one, its surface evenly convex; trichome with setae only along apical edges of processes, shallowly excavate beneath setose fringe, width of the fringe more than one-third of elytral width, trichome gap wide, about one-sixth of elytra length, fringe setae long and densely packed; dorsum of elytral disc with punctuation occupying most of surface, no punctuation present on upper halves of trichome elevations, their inner sides and between elevations, although substantial punctured areas extend between elevations along the suture both anteriorly and posteriorly; punctures deep and elongate, densely spaced, branched setae present throughout, being larger and clustered into separate clumps or looser groups in punctated areas and smaller and evenly distributed at upper parts of trichome elevations, impunctate area between elevations devoid of setae; sutural stria thin, but distinct, complete, although may be weak and almost broken between trichome elevations; epipleuron smooth and glabrous, with sparsely scattered short branched setae; marginal epipleural stria distinct, elevated above metafemur, continuous with complete marginal elytral stria; short fragment of accessory epipleural stria present near angle of marginal stria above mesofemur.

Mesoventrite ( Fig. 10B ) wide, short, weakly convex, bluntly projecting at middle, no traces of marginal stria present, surface with dense, deep, elongate punctures; mesometaventral suture well impressed, complete, median suture of metaventrite fine, inconspicuous, narrowly abbreviated anteriorly, lateral stiae of metaventrite present, elevated, enclosing largely impunctate depression for mesotibiae in repose; disc of metaventrite punctate throughout, primarily with circular punctures, with larger, denser and more elongate ones along anterior and lateral margins, fragment of transverse stria of metaventrite present along anterior edges of metafemora; first abdominal ventrite similarly punctate, punctures being on average larger and denser than on disc of metaventrite, with postmetacoxal line originating at metacoxa, extended directly posteriorly close to edge of sternite, curving laterad, terminating freely just before reaching epipleuron; surfaces of meso- and metaventrite and first abdominal ventrite with scattered, short, inconspicuous branched setae. Femora ( Fig. 10B, C ) with deep, large punctures, covering most of profemora and situated along edges on meso- and metafemora; profemora with posterior margins obtusely angular in basal one-third, meso- and metafemora with their margins arcuate, metafemora much more robust than mesofemora; protibia with prominent angle at basal third of outer margins, meso- and metatibiae with outer margins more bluntly angulate, around midpoint; all tibiae longitudinally convex, with punctuated sulci along outer edges; tarsi weakly compressed laterally about 0.6-0.7 times length of corresponding tibiae; tarsal claws simple, divergent, almost straight, about 0.4 times length of corresponding apical tarsomere.

Propygidium twice as wide as midline length, weakly convex; pygidium nearly as long as wide, weakly convex; both with punctures and setae as on the posterior half of elytral disc. Male genitalia as on Figure 11 .

Figures

FIG. 10. — Eucurtiopsis kitchingi n. sp., habitus: A, dorsal view; B, ventral view; C, lateral view; D, frontal view. Scale bar: A, B, 0.5 mm.

FIG. 11. — Eucurtiopsis kitchingi n. sp., male genitalia: A, aedeagus, dorsal view; B, same, lateral view; C, eighth sternite-tergite complex; D, ninth sternite (spiculum gastrale) and tergite.