Aethina (Aethina) vicina Grouvelle, 1894

Dasgupta, Jhikmik & Pal, Tarun Kumar, 2022, On Aethina Erichson of Northeast India (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae: Nitidulinae), Zootaxa 5124 (5), pp. 533-550 : 540

5. Aethina (Aethina) vicina Grouvelle, 1894

Aethina vicina Grouvelle, 1894b: 585 .

Aethina (Aethina) vicina: Kirejtshuk, 1986: 65 .

Note: Aethina nigrocastanea Grouvelle, 1903 , synonymised by Kirejtshuk 1986; is re-established here as a distinct species.

Diagnosis: Body ( Figs. 34, 35 ) oval, dorsal surface moderately convex and ventral surface somewhat flattened, dark brown to black, opaque, densely punctate. Pronotum and elytra bordered; dorsum covered with dense, moderately long, golden, semi-erect setae.

Head transverse, about as broad as long, frons feebly depressed; punctation on frons round, distinct, diameter about the size of the eye facets, separated by about 1–2 diameter of punctures; punctures on vertex coarser, round and deep, about 2× the size of eye facets, separated by about 0.75–1 diameter of punctures; setae on frons and vertex moderately long, dense and decumbent; eyes large and moderately projected, about 0.4× as long as head, outer margin rounded, finely facetted. Antenna about 1.2× as long as head; antennal club about 1.3× as long as broad, about 0.3× as long as antenna.

Prothorax transverse (l.0: 1.9), anterior margin moderately deeply emarginate; sides arcuate, posterior margin feebly bisinuate, anterior angle obtuse, posterior angle somewhat pointed. Pronotum moderately convex, surface distinctly punctate, separated on top of pronotal disc by 0.5–1 diameter; moderately long, semi-erect setae present on disc.

Scutellar shield transverse, about 1.4× as broad as long, semi-circular in shape with rounded apex; punctures slightly finer than those on pronotum, separated by 1–2 diameter of punctures; setae short, golden, decumbent, posteriorly directed.

Elytra about 1.2× as broad as long, anterior margin closely fitting with hind margin of prothorax, humeral angles right-angled, sides arcuate, apices separately rounded; punctures somewhat oval, indistinct, scattered, slightly longer than those on pronotum; setae moderately long, semi-erect with the surface and posteriorly directed.

Exposed part of abdominal tergites about 2× as broad as long; setae short, closely appressed to the surface of the abdomen, posteriorly directed.

Ventral side uniformly chocolate-brown; gular region of head with subparallel antennal grooves running posterad. Mesocoxae bears a median longitudinal carina, mesocoxal lines reaching almost up to three-fourth of the length of the metaventral-metanepisternal suture from base, thereby creating a distinct axillary space.

Aedeagus ( Figs. 30, 31 ): Parameres spoon-shaped with apex abruptly truncate, short setae present on the distal half of the length of lateral margin. Median lobe somewhat elongate with pointed apex and rounded basal margin.

Measurements (in mm): Total length 3.04, width of head across eyes 0.56, length of antenna 0.70, length and width of prothorax 0.91 and 1.79, length and width of elytra together 1.63 and 1.93.

Material examined. 1 ex. ♀ INDIA: Meghalaya, Cherrapunji , 02–0.3. x.1914, S. Kemp Coll., Det. by A. Grouvelle .

Distribution. INDIA: Meghalaya (new record), West Bengal; MYANMAR.

Remarks. Kirejtshuk (1986) while revising Aethina of Oriental and Palaearctic regions, synonymised A. (A.) nigrocastanea Grouvelle, 1903 with A. (A.) vicina . The re-description of the species A. (A.) vicina is based primarily on one female specimen from Meghalaya, determined by A. Grouvelle, in the ZSI; the illustration of male genitalia by Kirejtshuk (1986) was relied upon.

Figures

FIGURES 25–39. Aethina (Circopes) subquadrata (Motschulsky, 1858): 25–29: 25, abdomen with pygidium, dorsal view, photograph; 26, male genitalia with tegmen and median lobe, microphotograph; 27, ovipositor, microphotograph; 28, male genitalia: tegmen, line drawing; 29, male genitalia: median lobe, line drawing; Aethina (Aethina) vicina Grouvelle, 1894: 30–31, 34–35: 30, male genitalia: tegmen, line drawing (derived from Kirejtshuk, 1986); 31, male genitalia: median lobe, line drawing (derived from Kirejtshuk, 1986); 34, dorsal habitus; 35, ventral habitus. Aethina (Aethina) nigrocastanea Grouvelle, 1903: 32–33, 36–39; 32, male genitalia: tegmen, line drawing; 33, male genitalia: median lobe, line drawing; 36, ventral habitus, photograph; 37, dorsal habitus; 38, male genitalia: tegmen, microphotograph; 39, male genitalia: median lobe, microphotograph.