Cybocephalus edmondsoni, Smith, 2022

Smith, Trevor Randall, 2022, Review of the Cybocephalidae (Coleoptera) of North America and the West Indies with descriptions of two new species of Cybocephalus Erichson, Insecta Mundi 2022 (950), pp. 1-35 : 14-16

Cybocephalus edmondsoni T. R. Smith, new species

( Fig. 64–70 )

Etymology. This species is named in honor of my maternal grandfather Mr. Frank Edmonson, a collector of coins rather than insects but a taxonomist all the same. I will never forget sitting with him in his office, pouring over old, faded coins with a magnifying glass and carefully cataloging everything we found.

Diagnosis. Body convex and ovate. Antennae with 11 antennomeres, an asymmetrical, 3-antennomere club with serrated inner margin, and a truncate terminal antennomere ( Fig. 64 ). Head large and produced. Elytron rounded at apex and almost truncate. Hindwings present. Femora of uniform width throughout and tibiae only slightly dilated at apical end ( Fig. 65–67 ). Metaventrite only slightly longer than mesoventrite and widest in the middle. Abdominal ventrite I longer than abdominal ventrites II-IV combined with a truncate apical projection between the metacoxae with a slightly convex apical margin. Tarsi with distinctly lobed tarsomeres ( Fig. 65–67 ).

Description. Length (excluding head) 1.02 mm, width 0.77 mm.

Male. Body small and ovate. Coloration: head dark brown to black and slightly aeneous with light brown clypeus, antennae and palpi. Pronotum, scutellar shield and elytra dark brown to black. Underside brown and clothed in thick setae with brown legs. Translucent yellowish border along the lateral lobe of the pronotum. Translucent yellowish border beginning just after the epipleural fold and expanding in width towards the apices of the elytron.

Head wide and produced (width = 0.57 mm; length = 0.48 mm), width 1.2x the length, deflexed; antennal fossae bordered and deeply emarginated, inwardly sloping for reception of scape. Surface alutaceous and impunctate in the posterior half, becoming sparsely punctate on frons and towards the apical portion of head, interspaces alutaceous except for the clypeus, which is smooth. Antennae with 11 antennomeres, asymmetrical, 3-antennomere club with serrated inner margin and terminal antennomere truncate and wider than long. Antennomere III longer than pedicel and as long or longer than antennomeres IV and V combined. Scape expanded medially and pedicel globular ( Fig. 64 ). Antennal length about 0.66× the width of the head. Clypeus long and produced, extending well beyond apex of eyes, with slightly convex apical margin. Labrum partially exposed and visible from above with apical margin bilobed. Eyes ovate, length 0.19, visible ventrally, with distinct ommatidia. Mandibles heavily built and moderately produced. Maxillary palpi dilated with ultimate palpomere conical and gradually narrowing towards apex and about the same length as the preceding palpomere. Labial palpi dilated with ultimate palpomere cylindrical with a truncate apical margin.

Pronotum strongly convex, 2× as wide as long; lateral margins in dorsal view arcuate converging anteriorly. Lateral lobe deplanate, anterolateral and lateral margin distinctly bordered; both lateral angles rounded creating an almost rectangular lateral lobe that is slightly explanate; surface alutaceous and minutely punctured with short recumbent sparse setae; interspaces alutaceous. Scutellar shield large and triangular with slightly convex margins and alutaceous on the surface.

Elytra evenly convex in lateral aspect, combined width wider than long (1.25× as wide as long). Suture distinctly bordered from scutellar shield all the way to the base. Lateral portions strongly deplanate, almost vertical. Epipleural fold narrowly visible and without setae. Punctures of elytral disc larger than on pronotum, generally distinct and evenly distributed with overall surface alutaceous. Apical margins separately arcuate and pointed almost truncate at apex. Hindwings present.

Proventrite strongly carinate in middle with a posteriorly pointing lobe. Mesoventrite asetose, depressed and slightly shorter than metaventrite. Metaventrite 2.6× wider than long and longest in the center. Metaventrite slightly convex, uniformly punctate and setose; setae long and numerous throughout. Inter-metacoxal distance 1.4× as wide as inter-mesocoxal distance. Inter-mesocoxal distance with the apical process of metaventrite coming to a rounded point and separating the mesocoxae. Abdominal ventrites covered with long, brownish setae; anterior process of abdominal ventrite I wide, truncate; femoral lines strongly expressed beyond anterior margin of abdominal ventrite I. Abdominal ventrite I longer than abdominal ventrites II-IV combined. Pygidium broadly rounded at apex and covered in setae.

Femora of uniform width throughout length and only metafemora expanded but still of uniform width throughout. Tibiae with curved outer margin and width expanding towards apex. All tibiae expanded towards apical margin. Tarsomeres lobed, claws simple. Terminal tarsomere longest and about as long as tarsomeres II – III combined ( Fig. 65–67 ).

Median lobe: Long and narrow with sides parallel and curving into a rounded point ( Fig. 68 ). In profile, slightly curved from middle ( Fig. 69 ). Median plate only slightly elevated ( Fig. 69 ). Basal plate: Lateral margins slightly concave, curving out and truncate at the apex. Apical margin crenulate with long, distinct setae at the latero-apical margin ( Fig. 70 ).

Female. Similar to male but with abdominal ventrite V longer than in male and with more tapered lateral margins of the pygidium.

Distribution. USA (Texas).

Hosts. Unknown.

Type material examined. The holotype, deposited in the USNM, is a partially disarticulated male specimen glued to a card with the following labels: Texas, Wickham Collection, 1933 (printed) [white rectangular label] / Tex (handwritten) [white rectangular label] / HOLOTYPE Cybocephalus edmondsoni T. R. Smith Det : Trevor Smith (printed) [red rectangular label]. The allotype, deposited in the USNM, is a female specimen glued to a card with the following labels: Texas, Wickham Collection , 1933 (printed) [white rectangular label] / Tex (handwritten) / ALLOTYPE Cybocephalus edmondsoni T. R. Smith Det : Trevor Smith (printed) [blue rectangular label]. Paratypes: TEXAS: Wickham Collection , 1933 (4♀, USNM; 3♀, FSCA) ; Brewster County, Big Bend National Park , (lower) Oak Spring ; 29 ° 16′58″N, 103 ° 20′32″W; VI-20-2004; 3,830 ft.; Coll : E. G. Riley-43 (1♂, FSCA) .

Remarks. Nothing is known about the biology of this species.

Figures

Figures 64–70. Cybocephalus edmondsoni T. R. Smith. 64) Antenna. 65) Proleg. 66) Mesoleg. 67) Metaleg. 68) Median lobe. 69) Median lobe, lateral view. 70) Basal plate.