Asida (Asida) anachoreta, Leo, 2009

Leo, Piero, 2009, Observations on some Tenebrionidae (Coleoptera) from Sardinia, with description of three new Asida *, Zootaxa 2318, pp. 400-420 : 404-407

Asida (Asida) anachoreta sp. nov.

( Figs 5, 7, 10–11)

Diagnosis. An Asida ascribable to the nominal subgenus for the obvious punctuation of the pronotum and the traces of four more or less developed dorsal costae on the elytra, the third being more marked than the others and the second reaching the base of the elytron. Brown-black colour, medium size (11.6–14.6 mm); pronotum with lateral margins rather raised and not very wide, disc convex, basal area slightly more protruding than posterior angles; sculpture of pronotum thick, formed by clearly ocellated punctures; elytra feebly rounded at sides, slightly enlarged posteriorly; elytral costae very reduced except for the third; basal section of second costa situated at about half the width of the base of the elytron.

Type locality. SW Sardinia, Medio Campidano prov. , Gonnosfanadiga, Monte Linas, Punta Cammedda .

Type series. Holotype ♂: SW Sardinia, Gonnosfanadiga (Medio Campidano), Monte Linas, Punta Cammedda , 1100-1200 m, 1.VI.2007, leg. P. Leo ( MSNG).

Paratypes (37 ♂ and ♀♀): SW Sardinia, Gonnosfanadiga (Medio Campidano prov.), Monte Linas , Punta Cammedda , 1100–1200 m: 8.V.1994, leg. P. Leo, 14 ex. (1 CLB; 12 CPL; 1 MSNG) ; 4.VI.1995, leg. P. Leo, 6 ex. ( CPL) , leg. C. Meloni, 7 ex. ( CCM) , leg. D. Sechi, 3 ex. ( CDS) ; 15.XII.2001, leg. L. Fancello, 1 ex. ( CLF) ; 1.VI.2007, leg. P. Leo, 3 ex. ( CPL) , leg. D. Sechi, 4 ex. ( CDS) .

Description. Total length 11.6–14.6 mm (♂: 11.6–12.7 mm, average 12.1 mm; ♀♀: 12.4–14.6 mm, average 13.7 mm), body quite robust in both sexes, colour from dark brown to black, integuments matt.

Head with thick and robust punctuation; punctures with corresponding yellowish setae directed forwards on clypeus, laterally on genae and backwards on frons.

Antennae very robust, more slender in the ♂ ( Fig. 5): in specimens of this sex the 6 th and 7 th antennomeres are about 1.6 times as long as wide, the 8 th is 1.2 times as long as wide, the 9 th approximately as long as wide; in the female the 6 th and 7 th antennomeres are about 1.3 times as long as wide, the 8 th about as long as wide and the 9 th slightly transverse (1.1 times as wide as long).

Pronotum transverse, about 1.3 times as wide as long, with lateral margins rather raised and a convex disc. Sides of pronotum rounded, with maximum width posterior to middle; anterior angles slightly acute, posterior ones approximately right, with widely rounded vertexes. Base of pronotum with moderately wide and not very deep lateral sinuosities, median area slightly more protruding backwards compared to posterior angles. Disc of pronotum with robust punctuation, thick and uniform; punctures clearly ocellated, with an obvious central tubercule; intervals between punctures with reticulate microsculpture. Setae of pronotum relatively short, of brown-yellowish colour: those of the lateral edge more or less pointed, those of the disc at least partly truncate and slightly dilated at apex.

Elytra 1.35–1.40 times as long as wide, slightly widening posteriorly and slightly narrowing at humera, more convex in the female sex; basal margin of elytra slightly concave, about as wide as base of pronotum. Elytral costae reduced: first dorsal costa completely missing, only slightly marked in the elytral declivity by groups of small setigerous tubercules; second costa very short, reduced to a small, basal carena-like section, situated at about half the width of the elytral base; third costa much more developed, consisting of a continuous, almost straight carena from just behind the humera to the apical declivity, sometimes with signs of a ramification towards the elytral disc; fourth costa reduced, formed by groups of small tubercules; intervals between costae with a very fine setigerous tuberculation, uniformly distributed on the elytral disc, sparse close to base and humera. Setae yellowish-brown, those of the elytral intervals short, very fine, subtruncate at apex; setae of costae and of their vestiges only slightly longer, mostly truncate at apex. Epipleurae with robust, sparse tuberculation.

Legs robust, with yellowish-brown setulation; fore tibiae clearly tuberculate on external edge, with a relatively robust apical tooth.

Male copulatory organ as in Fig. 7; parameric capsule 3.6–3.9 times as long as wide, much shorter than tegmen (length of tegmen/ length of parameres = 1.6–1.7).

Sexual dimorphism: females more robust, with more convex elytra, a lower third costa and more stocky antennae.

Remarks. Asida anachoreta sp. nov. is so far known only from the type locality, one of the peaks of the Monte Linas massif (SW Sardinia; cf. Fig. 15). The most closely related species would seem to be Asida dryas sp. nov., described above, which shows the same characteristic ocellated punctuation of the pronotum; however, in the latter species the first two elytral costae are well visible, albeit fragmented, also on the disc, and the third costa is more ramified; A. dryas is also generally of lighter colour and stronger build with a wider pronotum and elytra; also, the antennae are more slender in A. dryas ( Figs 3, 5), the lateral margins of the pronotum are wider and less raised, the punctuation of the disc of pronotum is sparser, and the setae of the dorsal integuments are slighlty darker; differences can be found also in the male copulatory organ (cf. Figs 6– 7). Asida anachoreta sp. nov. is well differentiated also from A. dorgaliensis Leoni, 1911 , endemic of a small area in the Nuoro province (E Sardinia; cf. Gridelli 1972; Ardoin 1973), which shares with the new species a clearly ocellated punctuation on the pronotum; A. dorgaliensis is of smaller size (9.9–13.3 mm), with more stocky antennae and a median area of the base of pronotum which is not or hardly protrudung backwards compared to the posterior angles, which are acute; the elytra in A. dorgaliensis are short, strongly widening posteriorly and strongly narrowed at humera; the third elytral costa is strongly raised, much more so than in A. anachoreta sp. nov.; the setigerous tuberculation of the elytral intervals is finer and much sparser, so that the elytra appear much shinier; the male copulatory organ is also different (cf. Figs 7–8), with very robust parameres.

Ecological notes. Asida anachoreta sp. nov. was found under small stones in a very small area on rocky, very arid terrain at an altitude varying between 1,100 and 1,200 m. In this habitat it occurs together with Asida corsica ssp. genei that is very common in the whole Monte Linas massif, also at lower altitudes. The new species is probably active from autumn to late spring.

Etymology. The name of this species derives from the Latin word “anachoreta”, meaning hermit, which refers to the isolation of the type locality.