Scirtes gressitti Yoshitomi

Yoshitomi, Hiroyuki, 2009, The Scirtes (Coleoptera: Scirtidae: Scirtinae) of Micronesia, Zootaxa 1974, pp. 1-16 : 9-12

Scirtes gressitti Yoshitomi sp. n.

Figs. 1 D, 2D, 6

Type series. Holotype ( BPBM): male, “ Palau Babeldaob Is. 3–IX–2003 K. Takahashi”. Paratypes ( BPBM, BMNH, NMW, NSMT, EUM): 1 male, same data as for the holotype; 1 male, same data as for the holotype, but “ 12–X–2003 ”; 1 male & 2 females, same data as for the holotype, but “ 18–21. VIII. 2003 M. Sato leg.”, genitalia on slide no. HY 1073; 1 male, “ PALAU ISLAND Koror I. I–15–53, “M-5351”, “At light”, “J. W. Beardaley Collector”; 1 male, “ PALAU ISLAND Koror I. I–2–53 ”, “At light”, “J. W. Beardaley Collector”; 4 males & 2 females, “Ngiwal, alt. 1m. Babelthuap, Palau XII–16 –‘52”, “Light trap Pac. Sci. Bd. J. L. Gressitt”, 1 female genitalia on slide no. HY 939; 3 males, “ PALAU: Pele-liu: Amiangal Mt. XII–22–52 ”, “J. L. Gressitt Collector”; 2 male, “SW. Koror, 25m, Palau, XII–14 –’52, Light trap”, “J. L. Gressitt Collector”, 2 males, “SW. Koror, 25m, Palau, XII–14 –’52, Light trap”, “Caroline Is. Pac. Sci. Bd. J. L. Gressitt”; 1 female ditto, but “ XII–17 –‘52”; 1 male, ditto, but “ XII–4 –‘52”; 1 male, ditto, but “ XII–5 –‘52”; 1 male, ditto, but “ XII–11 –‘52”; 2 males & 1 female, “ PALAU IS. Babelthuap I. Ngerehelong IX–9–52 ”, “At light”, “M-5350”, “J. W. Beardley Collector”; 1 male, “ PALAU ISLANDS Babelthuap I. Ngiwal, V–21 –‘57”, “Jungle”, “CW Sabrosky Collector”; 1 male, “Ngiwal, Babel-thuap I., Palau Is. VIII–3–51 J. L. Gressitt”; 1 male, ditto, but “ VIII–15–51 ”; 1 male, ditto, but “ IX–9–51 ”; 1 male, ditto, but “ IX–26-29–51 ”; 4 females, “Babeldaob Island Palau Micronesia 16–VII. 2000. Hajimu Ichihashi”; 1 female, ditto, but “ 14–VII. 2000 ”.

Description. Male. Body oval, well convex above, shining, closely covered with short yellowish-white setae throughout. Color of body yellowish-brown; hind femur infuscate.

Head moderate in size, lightly convex dorsally, closely punctate; clypeus long, expanded antero-laterally, anterior margin almost straight. Eyes moderate in size, prominent; the distance between eyes 1.8 times the maximum diameter of an eye. Antennae ( Fig. 2 D) stout and short, reaching about proximal 1/4 of elytra; approximate ratio of each antennal segment (n = 1) as 2.7: 1.7: 1.0: 2.3: 2.5: 2.5: 2.3: 2.3: 2.5: 2.5: 3.0. Pronotum convex above, depressed in antero-lateral parts, strongly and closely punctate; anterior margin straight; antero-lateral corners obtuse, about 120º, projecting anteriorly; lateral margins arcuate; postero-lateral corners rectamgular; posterior margin gently arcuate; PW/PL 2.21–2.67 (2.39). Scutellum moderate in size, an equilateral-triangle, punctate as pronotum. Elytra oval, convex above in mesal part, widest just before the middle, punctate as pronotum; shoulders indistinct; EL/EW 1.27–1.39 (1.33); EL/PL 3.75–4.67 (4.14); EW/PW 1.23–1.45 (1.31); TL/EW 1.60–1.72 (1.65). Hind coxal plates subquadrate, posterior margin concave. Legs moderate in length. Hind tibial spurs long, gently curved outward, closely covered with minute setae; dorsal spurs about 2.4X length of ventral spurs, about 0.6X length of hind tarsal segment I. Sternites III–IV sparsely covered with short setae, but closely covered with long setae in mesal parts; sternites V–VII closely and evenly covered with long setae.

Caudal margin of sternite VII ( Fig. 6 A) shallowly concave. Tergite VIII ( Fig. 6 B) moderately sclerotized, trapezoidal, bearing short spines alomg caudal margin, with a pair of short apodemes. Tergite IX ( Fig. 6 C) almost membranous, trapezoidal. Tegmen ( Fig. 6 D) short, well sclerotized, closely covered with fine serrae in lateral parts, pointed at apices, connected with penis in basal parts. Penis ( Fig. 6 D) long, well sclerotized; basal half (pala) trapezoidal, widest at base, basal margin shallowly concave; caudal half bilobed, well sclerotized and pointed at apex in dorsal lobe, membranous and obtuse at apex in ventral lobe.

Female. Sexual dimorphism indistinct. Antennae rather short; approximate ratio of each antennal segment (n = 1) as 2.0: 1.3: 1.0: 1.8: 1.9: 1.9: 1.8: 1.9: 2.0: 1.9: 2.3. PW/PL 2.26–2.65 (2.44); EL/EW 1.30–1.40 (1.35); EL/PL 4.00–4.58 (4.27); EW/PW 1.18–1.33 (1.30); TL/EW 1.59–1.75 (1.67).

Caudal margin of sternite VII ( Fig. 6 E) concave. Prehensor ( Fig. 6 F) small, moderately sclerotized, Ushaped.

Measurements. Male (n = 16): PW 1.4–1.63 (1.53) mm; PL 0.60–0.70 (0.64) mm; EL 2.40–2.80 (2.65) mm; EW 1.83–2.13 (2.00) mm; TL 3.00–3.45 (3.29) mm.

Female (n = 7): PW 1.50–1.80 (1.63) mm; PL 0.60–0.72 (0.67) mm; EL 2.75–3.00 (2.86) mm; EW 2.00–2.25 (2.11) mm; TL 3.35–3.72 (3.53) mm.

Distribution. Palau (Babelthuap, Koror, and Peleliu Isls.).

Remarks. This is a distinct species with peculiar male genitalia.

Etymology. This species is named after the late Dr. J. L. Gressitt, the collector of the type series.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Holotype of Scirtes spp. A) Scirtes micronesianus sp. n.; B) Scirtes tinianensis sp. n.; C) Scirtes palauensis sp. n.; D) Scirtes gressitti sp. n.; E) Scirtes babeldaobensis sp. n.; F) Scirtes albotaeniatus sp. n. Scale bar = 1.0 mm.

FIGURE 2. Antennae of Scirtes spp. (above: male, under: female). A) Scirtes micronesianus sp. n.; B) Scirtes tinianensis sp. n.; C) Scirtes palauensis sp. n.; D) Scirtes gressitti sp. n.; E) Scirtes babeldaobensis sp. n.

FIGURE 6. Scirtes gressitti sp. n. A – D) paratype, male: A) sternites V – VII; B) tergite VIII; C) tergite IX; D) tegmen (t) and penis (p). E – F) paratype, female: E) sternites VI – VII; F) prehensor.