Ivierhipidius, Barclay & Sw, 2015

Barclay, Maxwell V. L. & Sw, London, 2015, Ivierhipidius, an enigmatic new Neotropical genus of Ripiphoridae (Coleoptera: Tenebrionoidea) with four new species, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 55 (2), pp. 691-701 : 692-695

Ivierhipidius gen. nov.

( Figs 1–15 )

Family placement. Ripiphoridae incertae sedis.

Type species. Ivierhipidius paradoxus sp. nov., by present designation.

Description. Only known from males: 3.2–10.2 mm (combined length of head, pronotum and elytra measured individually). Dorsal colour varying from rich orange brown to black, in some species bicolored with elytra contrasting with head and pronotum. Head prognathous. Mandibles elongate, strongly recurved, laterally flattened, untoothed. Maxillary palpi tetramerous, with enlarged palpifer that can resemble an additional palpomere. Apical palpomere enlarged, almost securiform, with distal sensory excavation, and with distinct smooth impunctate impression on dorsal surface. Labrum fused to frontoclypeus to form a distinct process. Labial palps apparently absent. Antennae filiform, with 11 antennomeres, 11 th antennomere elongated, 1.8–2.3× length of 10 th. Head broadest across eyes. Eyes large but not contiguous. Front and back of head unite to form a strong transverse carina at vertex, which closes the gap with raised anterior margin of pronotum when head raised. Pronotum wider than head at widest point (at base of apical third), more or less bell-shaped, basal two-thirds of pronotum parallel-sided. Pubescence of pronotum long, semirecumbent, directed towards pronotal disk. Margins of pronotum sinuate at both sides and base either side of hind angle, basal margin more-or-less straight in middle. Scutellum distinct. Elytra with marked shoulders, broader than pronotum, parallel-sided, elytral length shoulder–apex 1.7–2.4× as long as maximum width, rounded at apices, punctured and pubescent, weakly shining. Hind wing ( Fig. 9 ) with reduced venation, R3 incomplete, reaching RP only as a weakly indicated line RC absent, R4 not indicated. Apical field with dark area beyond R-R3 junction; apical dark area of characteristic shape with three projections, the much longer middle one extending either side of R1 almost as far as RP (see KUKALOVÁ- PECK & LAWRENCE 1993) (note that Fig. 9 has a diagonal fold running across the wing that should not be mistaken for a vein). Abdomen with 5 visible ventrites, in most species with a dense brush of conspicuous dark setae covering the base of the second ventrite, overlapped by the translucent apical margin of the first ventrite. Metatrochanter distinct, deeply indented at apex, so heart-shaped ( Figs 10, 11 ). Legs long, slender, unmodified. Tibiae long, metatibia around 1.5× length of corresponding femur or tarsus. Two tibial spurs, often small, present on all tibiae. Tarsi long, unlobed and unmodified. Tarsal claws simple. Tarsal formula 5-5-4.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from all other genera of Ripiphoridae by the following combination of characters: Antennae simple, symmetrical and unmodified. Elytra complete, simple, unmodified. Legs unmodified, all tibiae with two tibial spurs, tarsi with simple claws. Metatrochanter of characteristic shape, deeply indented at apex, heart-shaped ( Figs 10–11 ). The shape of the metatrochanter is apparently apomorphic for this taxon.

Etymology. The name is derived from the suffix - rhipidius, taken from the name of the similar Eorhipidius Iablokoff-Khnzorian, 1986 (now a synonym of Pterydrias Reitter, 1895 ), and the name Ivie in honour of Michael and Ladonna Ivie of Bozeman, Montana, for their kind hospitality and expert and persistent encouragement. The genus name is masculine.

Figures

Figs 1–4. Habitus. 1–2 – Ivierhipidius paradoxus sp. nov.: 1 – holotype, dorsal view; 2 – paratype, lateral view. 3–4 – I. youngi sp. nov.: 3 – holotype, dorsal view; 4 – holotype, lateral view. Images by Harry Taylor (Natural History Museum London).

Figures 5–9. Habitus. 5–6 – Ivierhipidius cechorum sp. nov.: 5 – holotype, dorsal view; 6 – holotype, lateral view. 7–8 – I. monneorum sp. nov.: 7 – holotype, dorsal view; 8 – paratype, lateral view. 9 – Ivierhipidius paradoxus sp. nov., paratype, mounted metathoracic wing. Images by Harry Taylor (Natural History Museum London).

Figs 10–15. 10–11 – detail of heart-shaped, deeply indented metatrochanter (10 – I. paradoxus sp. nov., paratype; 11 – I. monneorum sp. nov., holotype). 12–15 – detail of head, frontal view: (12 – I. paradoxus sp. nov., paratype; 13 – I. youngi sp. nov., holotype; 14 – I. cechorum sp. nov., paratype; 15 – I. monneorum sp. nov., paratype). Scale bars = 1 mm. Images by Harry Taylor (Natural History Museum, London).