Pocadius endroedyi Cline, 2008

Cline, Andrew R., 2008, Revision of the sap beetle genus Pocadius Erichson, 1843 (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae: Nitidulinae, Zootaxa 1799 (1), pp. 1-120 : 56-58

Pocadius endroedyi Cline new species

(Figs. 15, 56, 99, 142, 184, 222)

Specimens examined. HOLOTYPE ♂ ( TMSA): S. Afr., Transvaal; Pretoria, Waterkloof; 25.43S – 28.11E / 11-3-1993, E-Y: 2879; ex puffballs; leg. Endrödy-Younga. 27 PARATYPES ( TMSA) : same data label as holotype. 1 PARATYPE ( BMNH) : same data label as holotype. 6 PARATYPES ( ARCC) : same data label as holotype. 1 PARATYPE ( ARCC): TANGANYIKA Terr.; Ukerewe Island ; leg. Father Conrad. 1 PARATYPE ( ARCC): Sartruggens; Marico; Dr. Brauns / Transvaal; 15-I-1921. 9 ( BMNH): Salisbury; Mashonaland; G.A.K. Marshall / Brit. Mus.; 1922 – 431. 1 ( BMNH): Escourt; Natal.; G.A.K. Marshall / Brit. Mus.; 1922 – 431 / 2240 [this label is upside down]. 1 ( BMNH): Magila ; E. Africa; A. V. Legros ; 98-190. 1 ( BMNH): Bereapark ; Oppaddestal. [spelling?, original label unclear]; 14-12-05 .

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species by: robust overall body size; elongate antennal club with depressed region on terminal antennomere; smaller axillary space on metepisternum; anterior pronotal margin broadly evenly concave; head and pronotum more densely punctate with smooth interspaces; prosternal process in lateral view with posterior face with distinct concavity; ejaculatory rods not fused basally; narrowed elongate median lobe of aedeagus; inner row of setae on tegmen not complete apically; lateral row of setae on tegmen with elongate central tuft; eighth abdominal sternite with apical margin with crenulations; and numerous setae originating from each gonocoxal apex.

Description. Length 3.9 mm, Width 1.8mm, Depth 1.3mm. Body moderately convex, shining, reddishbrown to brown. Pronotal and elytral margins with sparse moderately elongate fimbriae. Dorsal and ventral pubescence short, golden. Head, pronotum and elytra densely deeply punctate.

Head surface deeply, irregularly punctate, large and small punctures dispersed. Large punctures 3–4X diameter of eye facet, smaller punctures 1–2X diameter; interspaces smooth to finely alutaceous. Pronotal surface with large punctures equal to large punctures on head, interspersed with few small punctures, similar to small punctures on head; interspaces finely microreticulate to granular, 0.5–1 diameter apart. Scutellar surface with few shallow punctures, interspaces alutaceous to granular. Elytral surface with serial rows of small punctures equal to small punctures on pronotum, serial large punctures 3–4X diameter of smaller ones. Small punctures giving rise to semi-decumbent moderately long setae, large punctures giving rise to short adpressed setae; interspaces narrow between punctures of a row and between different rows. Within a row, small punctures separated by 1–1.5 diameter, large punctures by 0.33–0.5 diameter. Rows separated by 0.5 large puncture diameter; interspaces granular. Pygidium densely punctate, punctures equal to large punctures on pronotum, interspaces narrow, 0.5–1 diameter, alutaceous to granular.

Venter with similar moderately long pubescence as dorsum. Mentum with small faintly impressed punctures, equal to small punctures on head; interspaces alutaceous to granular. Prosternum and epimeron deeply regularly punctate, punctures equal to large punctures on head, interspaces granular with microreticulate areas, prosternal punctures separated by 0.25–0.5 diameter, those on epimeron by 0.25 diameter. Mesoventrite with moderately impressed punctures, aggregated along posterior margin, interspaces alutaceous to granular, separated by 0.5–1 diameter. Metaventrite deeply irregularly punctate with small faint punctures on disc similar to those on mesoventrite with lateral punctures slightly larger, interspaces alutaceous on disc, granular laterally, separated by 1–2 diameters. Abdominal sternite 1 with large faintly impressed punctures equal to those on metaventrite, interspaces alutaceous to granular, separated by 1–2 diameters. Hypopygidium with deep punctures, similar to those on sternites 2–4, interspaces granular, separated by 0.25–0.5 diameter.

Head wider than long (W:L = 1.4:1). Antennal club compact, elongate oval, more or less symmetrical with the terminal antennomere subequal to 9–10 combined. Antennomeres 6–8 compact, 7–8 disc-like. Antennal scape asymmetrical, hemispherical, 1.5X length of pedicel. Pedicel subcylindrical. Antennal segment 3 shorter than pedicel. Antennal club large, 0.75 length of segments 1–8 combined. Elevated region of mentum with anterior angles obsolete, anterior margin broadly rounded, overall hemispherical, flat in lateral view.

Pronotum widest in posterior 0.33 (L:W = 1:1.8), anterior margin broadly evenly concave, lateral margins less arcuate posteriorly, anterior and posterior angles distinct. Scutellum moderately large, triangular, apex acute. Prosternal process in lateral view with anterior and posterior ends prominent and slight medial convexity over procoxae; posterior face prominent with distinct concavity. Mesoventrite extending to midway between mesocoxae, deeply incised for reception of metaventrite. Metaventrite wider than long (W:L = 2.9:1). Metepisternum with slight medial concavity, curved oblique line dividing anterior 0.14. First abdominal sternite with broad truncate process between metacoxae. First sternite 2X longer than sternite 2. Sternites 2–3 subequal, 4 slightly larger than 2 or 3. Hypopygidium subequal to sternite 1.

Protibia with apical tooth not prominent, 0.5 length of tarsomere 1. Outer apical notch with 90° angle, notch depth moderate, 0.75 length of tarsomere 1. Inner apical spine subequal to tarsomere 1. Mesotibia more heavily armed than protibia with dense stiff setae and slender spines along lateral edge. Outer apical process slightly larger than protibial process. Inner apical spine equal to tarsomere 1. Metatibia similar to mesotibia, but with longer more distinct outer apical tooth and inner apical spine.

Male genitalia well-sclerotized. Anal sclerite apex densely fimbriate (Fig. 15). Spiculum gastrale with angulate lateral flanges, medial margin biconcave, apical margin crenulate (Fig. 56). Tegmen evenly rounded (Fig. 99), longer than wide (w:l = 1:3), lateral row of setae visible from median fossa around apex, narrow elongate shallow concavity in apical 0.33, inner row of setae not attaining apex and expanded basally. Median lobe narrow, 0.5 length of tegmen, apex acuminate, apical opening not well-developed (Fig. 142). Ejaculatory rods not fused to basal piece or each other. Basal piece of sclerites with deep medial projection extending 0.5 length of ejaculatory rods, base swollen (Fig. 184).

Female genitalia moderately sclerotized. Paraprocts relatively small compared to gonocoxites, with sclerotization along median line to midway to baso-lateral angles. Gonocoxite with two basal lateral prominences. Gonocoxal apices with recurved “tooth” absent. Setae originate from small depressions on lateral margin of gonocoxal apices (Fig. 222).

Variation. Tanzania specimen is lighter in color than those from Zimbabwe and South Africa.

Seasonality/Habitat. Collected from December–March

Distribution. Range extends south from the Tanzanian island of Ukerewe, in the southern region of Lake Victoria through Salisbury, Zimbabwe to northeastern South Africa.

Notes. Specimens from South Africa and Zimbabwe were collected from “puffballs”.

Etymology. Specific epithet honors Sebastian Endrödy-Younga, former nitidulid specialist, for his outstanding work on the nitidulid fauna of Africa.