Trogoderma banari Háva & Trýzna, 2022

Háva, Jiří & Trýzna, Miloš, 2022, A new Trogoderma from Madagascar (Coleoptera: Dermestidae: Megatominae) with a key to Madagascan species of the genus, Zootaxa 5195 (2), pp. 163-170 : 164-168

Trogoderma banari Háva & Trýzna sp. nov.

( Figs 1‒10 )

Type locality. Madagascar, Ambohitantely Special Reserve in the north-eastern part of Central Highlands, district of Ankazobe (Analamanga Region).

Type material. Holotype (♂): MADAGASCAR, Ambohitantely Spec. Res., S 18°10´56.9″, E 47°17´21.9″, 17.xi.2011, sifting forest litter, Winkler trap extraction, 1535 m, P. Baňař lgt. ( MMBC) . Paratype (♀): MADAGASCAR, Ambohitantely Spec. Res., 1497 m, S 18°10´56.9″, E 47°17´21.9″, 23.xi.2011, sifting forest litter, Winkler trap extraction, L.S. Rahanitriniaina lgt. ( JHAC) .

Description. Male holotype (female paratype). Measurements (in mm): Total body length—2.65 (2.20). Head: total length—0.65 (0.62); maximum width across eyes—0.67 (0.60); minimum distance between eyes—0.40 (0.35). Pronotum: maximum (median) length—0.71 (0.62); maximum width—1.27 (1.18). Elytra: maximum length—1.95 (1.75); maximum width—1.52 (1.55).

Holotype male ( Fig. 1 ). General appearance. Small species, body oval in dorsal view, dorsum convex.

Colouration. Dorsal and ventral integument of body black. Palpi entirely yellowish-brown, eyes with brown microsetae. Antennomeres I–II dark brown, III–XI light brown, all antennomeres with mixture of white and black setae. Legs paler, tibiae and tarsal claws light brown.

Structure. Head coarsely punctate with long light brown setation, denser on mentum. Eye very large, dorsal ocular index 3.0. Ocellus on front present. Antennae with 11 more or less quadrilateral antennomeres, antennomere XI longest in both sexes ( Fig. 2 ). Antennal fossa longitudinal. Thorax. Pronotum transverse, ratio of its length to maximum width 0.6, slightly more sparsely punctate compared to head. Disc of pronotum densely punctate with long brown setation, and shorter white setation forming small spots laterally. Pro-, meso-, and metasternum finely punctate, covered with long light brown and white recumbent setation. Scutellum triangular, anterior margin convex, without setation. Elytra oval, coarsely punctate, ratio of the maximum length to maximum width of elytra 1.3. Surface of elytra black, covered by long brown setation with small isolated spots of white setation, apical part slightly dark brown. Elytral epipleuron entirely black bearing brown setation. Visible abdominal ventrites finely punctate, with long recumbent white setation ( Fig. 5 ). Pygidium brown, covered with brown setation. Legs with light brown setation.

Genitalia ( Fig. 4 ). Parameres longer than median lobe, width very narrow from base to anterior 1/4, then increasing in width, and gently curved towards middle from anterior 1/4 to rounded apex. Median lobe with constant width throughout, apex slightly rounded. Phallobase nearly symmetrical, oval.

Paratype female. Externally similar to the male, but each elytron with 12 small spots of white setation.Antennae as in Fig. 3 . Pronotum: ratio of maximum length to maximum width 0.5. Elytra: ratio of the maximum length to maximum width 1.1. Dorsal ocular index 3.5.

Differential diagnosis. The new species is very similar to T. housei Háva, 2014 but differs from it by the following characters: T. housei has elytra covered with dark brown setation, with only 2 small spots of light-coloured setae, total body length 1.80 mm, and T. banari sp. nov. which has elytra covered with black setation, with more than 2 small spots of light-coloured setae, total body length 2.20–2.30 mm.

Etymology. The epithet is a patronym, dedicated to our friend Petr Baňař ( Czech Republic) who collected the species, and who, together with the second author, carried out extensive entomological research in the Ambohitantely Special Reserve.

Collecting circumstances. Both specimens from the type series were sifted from leaf litter at the base of a large tree in low mountain forest in elevation 1497‒1535 m a.s.l. ( Figs 6–9 ). Material was subsequently extracted in a Winkler apparatus and collected into 40% alcohol.

Distribution. Central Madagascar, Antananarivo Province.

Figures

FIGURES 1‒5. Trogoderma banari sp. nov. 1—holotype (male), dorsal habitus; 2—antenna of the male (antennomere I omitted); 3—antenna of the female; 4—male genitalia; 5—male abdomen (photos by R. Sehnal).

FIGURES 6‒7. Ambohitantely Special Reserve. 6, relatively intact forest surrounded by savannas, in left part administration of reserve; 7, medium altitude moist evergreen low forest, secondary habitat in front (photos by M. Trýzna).

FIGURES 8‒9. Ambohitantely Special Reserve. 8, detail of low forest, with canopy of 6 to 12 (max. 20) metres and one or two strata, with dense coppices of small diameter trees; 9, microhabitat of the type locality of Trogoderma banari sp. nov. (photos by M. Trýzna).

FIGURE 10. Type locality of Trogoderma banari sp. nov.