Ceratohister vanuatu, 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 : 664-665

Ceratohister vanuatu n. sp.

( Fig. 1 )

HOLOTYPE. — “ VANUATU: Santo, Cumberland Peninsula , Saratsi Range at 14.9638°S 166.6362°E. 500 m Fl. intercpt. FL5A-2. 28-29 Nov 2006. A. K. Tishechkin AT805 / HOLOTYPE Ceratohister vanuatu sp. n. A. Tishechkin des. 2008”, ♀ point-mounted ( MNHN).

PARATYPE. — Labeled as the holotype, but with the “ Paratype ” instead of “ Holotype ” designation label, also bears the following label “Caterino DNA Voucher Extraction: MSC-1212 Species: Ceratohister Extraction Date : I.26.2007”, 1 ♀ ( MNHN).

ETYMOLOGY. — The specific epithet is a noun in apposition referring to the name of the country of species origin.

DESCRIPTION

L: 1.61 mm; W: 1.09 mm; E/Pn L: 1.82; E/Pn W: 1.17; Pn W/L: 1.22; E L/W: 1.04; Pr/Py: 0.81; sterna: 0.68, 0.07, 0.33; tibiae: 0.41, 0.41, 0.41. Body tear drop-shaped ( Fig. 1A, C ), dark rufescent brown, with elytra, antennae and legs slightly lighter. Frons ( Fig. 1D ) slightly longer than wide, with sides parallel, bordered by costate marginal striae,indented at antennal insertions, with large, deep punctures and fine alutaceous background microsculpture along edges, intervals between punctures with small scale-like setae; labrum short, transverse triangular, with the same type of microsculpture and setae and a few smaller punctures; mandibles strongly bent, with long narrow tips, with the same type of setae and small punctures on outer edges; maxillar palpi with three palpomeres, labial palpi with two palpomeres, mentum fused to submentum; antennal scape about half as broad as long, arcuate, widest at about midpoint, punctation similar to that of frons, but punctures smaller and denser, microsculpture covers its entire surface; antennal funicle (of female) collectively slightly shorter than scape; antennal club (of female)elongate oval, as long as funicle, densely covered with setae.

Pronotum ( Fig. 1A ) subquadrate, with posterior margin almost straight, with weak obtuse projection in the middle, sides widest at about midpoint, weakly convex; marginal striae visible from above only near base, then abruptly descending downwards to meet supracoxal striae, ascending again anteriorly towards antennal sockets; anterior margin weakly bisinuate, with a pair of weak inconspicuous elevations in the middle, margins of antennal sockets also slightly elevated; pronotal disk surface evenly weakly convex, smooth, completely covered with large, dense, deep punctures and short apressed scale-like setae; antennal cavities almost inconspicuous from above.Prosternum ( Fig. 1B ) long; prosternal leg depression margined by raised carina; prosternal disk punctate throughout with irregularly spaced deep large punctures, leaving only a narrow impunctate band along anterior margin; prosternal keel flat, long, its margins outlined by straight parallel low ridges, connected by a loop anteriorly; similar longitudinal ridge present along pronotal midline between carinal ridges; posterior margin of pronotum widely outwardly circular.

Scutellum ( Fig. 1A ) not visible. Elytra ( Fig. 1A, C ) without humeral trichomes; elytral disk evenly convex, its surface with background sculpture of low smooth ridges, more or less parallel in the median part of it and more irregular and anastomosing laterally, covered with similar, but slightly denser punctuation as pronotum; elytral surface with numerous short scale-like setae, situated mostly atop of microridges and so more or less longitudinally arranged; elytral marginal stria complete,running along elytral margin throughout; sutural stria absent, substituted by a row of regularly spaced dense large punctures; epipleuron narrow, smooth, shiny and asetose.

Mesoventrite ( Fig. 1B ) short, about eight times as wide as median length; circularly concave at middle, marginal stria inconspicuous; disc of mesoventrite flat, with two rows of small deep punctures; mesepimeron prominent, impunctate; mesometaventral suture thin, inconspicuous, continuous at side with complete raised lateral stria of metaventrite; disc of metaventrite with dense large punctures and raised intervals, forming wavy background pattern, covered with appressed short scale-like setae; median suture of metaventrite distinct, but thin, abbreviated near posterior margin; posterior margin without transverse stria; first abdominal ventrite similar in texture and setation to metaventrite, punctuation being sparser posteriorly, with raised stria delimiting depression for reception of metathoracic leg. Femora ( Fig. 1B, C ) rather stout, edges of profemora almost straight, edges of meso- and metafemora arcuate, all margined along anterior and posterior sides, surfaces with punctures and scale-like setae, punctures much larger on profemora; protibia angulate about one-fourth from base, almost straight to narrow rounded apex; meso- and metatibia roundly angulate about one-third from base, mesotibia narrower and less angulate than metatibia; tarsi slightly laterally compressed, about 0.6-0.7 times length of corresponding tibiae; tarsal claws simple, divergent, weakly arcuate, about 0.3 times length of corresponding apical tarsomere.

Propygidium with disc more or less flat, pygidium slightly convex; both textured and punctured similarly to pronotum.

Figures

FIG. 1. — Ceratohister vanuatu n. sp., habitus: A, dorsal view; B, ventral view; C, lateral view; D, frontal view. Scale bar: A, B, 0.5 mm.