Schinostethus (Sundodrupeus) sipekorum, Hájek, 2015

Hájek, Jiří, 2015, A new species of Schinostethus (Coleoptera: Psephenidae) from India, with new records of the genus from Southeast Asia, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 55 (2), pp. 685-690 : 686-688

Schinostethus (Sundodrupeus) sipekorum sp. nov.

( Figs 1–7 )

Type material. HOLOTYPE: J, ‘ INDIA, Meghalaya State (8) / E Khasi Hills, 11 km SW Cherra- / punjee, Laitkynsew, 21-24.iv. / 2008, 25°13ʹN, 91°39ʹE 810 m / Fikáček, Podskalská, Šípek lgt. [printed] // HOLOTYPE / SCHINOS- TETHUS / ( Sundodrupeus ) / sipekorum sp. nov. / Jiří Hájek det. 2015 [red label, printed]’. PARATYPES: 1 J 1 ♀, same label data as holotype ; 2 JJ, ‘ INDIA, Meghalaya State (10) / E Khasi Hills, 11 km SW Cherra- / punjee, Laitkynsew, 21-24.iv. / 2008, 25°13ʹN, 91°39ʹE 810 m / Fikáček, Podskalská, Šípek lgt. [printed] // seepage: wet rock with algae/ / blue algae/moss ca. 1.5-2 km / via rd. from “Cherrapunjee Holid./ Resort” in direct.Cherrapunjee, exposed [printed]’. Each paratype is provided with the respective red printed label .

Description of the holotype. Body oblong-oval, broadest in basal third of elytra, moderately convex. Beetle rather shiny ( Fig. 1 ).

Colouration. Head black, genae, antennomeres I–II and mouth appendages testaceous. Pronotum with sides largely testaceous and large blackish spot in midpart; indistinct infuscation also mediolaterally. Scutellum blackish. Elytra brown-blackish with testaceous suture, basal and lateral margins; disc with pale oblique stripe. Legs with brown-blackish femora and tibiae, tarsi yellowish. Ventral side with brownish prosternum, other parts black.

Structure and sculpture. Head small, broader than long; clypeus rounded. Antennae ( Fig. 3 ) with antennomere III serrate, antennomeres IV–X flabellate; relative lengths of rami of antennomeres III–VI: 0.12: 0.32: 0.89: 1.00. Maxillary palpus dilated apically, apex truncate ( Fig. 4 ); relative lengths of palpomeres I–III: 4.00: 1.00: 3.33. Labial palpus small, about 0.52× as long as maxillary palpus ( Fig. 5 ), apical palpomere similar to that of maxillary palpus; relative lengths of palpomeres I–II: 1.00: 1.60.

Pronotum broadest between posterior angles, lateral margins moderately curved. Base of elytra as broad as pronotal base; lateral margins of elytra moderately curved.

Genitalia ( Figs 6–7 ). Aedeagus 2.13× as long as wide. Median lobe 0.77× total length of aedeagus, narrowly lanceolate. Paramere with latero-apical process broad, apically rounded, and medio-apical process long (twice as long as latero-apical process), slender and apically pointed, surpassing median lobe. Phallobase 0.57× total length of aedeagus.

Female. Similar to male in habitus, slightly bigger. Eyes smaller than in male; antennomeres IV–X serrate. Elytra almost black with humeral bulge, midpart of lateral margin and suture pale, oblique stripe with short branch on outer side ( Fig. 2 ). Tarsal claws simple.

Measurements. JJ: TL: 4.0– 4.7 mm (holotype 4.5 mm), TL-h: 3.6–4.1 mm (holotype 3.9 mm), TW: 2.4–3.0 mm (holotype 2.7 mm). ♀: TL: 5.2 mm, TL-h: 4.6 mm, TW: 3.4 mm.

Variability. In some specimens colouration of pronotum varies from small rounded black spot in midpart to almost completely black pronotum; elytra reddish in some specimens.

Differential diagnosis. Based on strongly shortened antennomeres V–X, with their rami elongate and laterally flattened; apical antennomere subequal to rami of penultimate antennomere; and medio-apical parameral process well developed and surpassing latero-apical processes, the new species clearly belongs to the subgenus Sundodrupeus , as defined in LEE et al. (1998). Within this subgenus, S. sipekorum sp. nov. is in habitus very similar to widespread Oriental S. notatithorax (Pic, 1923) , from which the new species differs in longer lateral ramus of antennomere III (cf. Fig. 3 and LEE et al. 1998: 320, Fig. 16d). However, S. sipekorum sp. nov. can be recognised from all so far known members of the subgenus Sundodrupeus predominantly by the shape of aedeagus: the combination of narrowly lanceolate median lobe; broad, apically rounded latero-apical process of paramere, and long slender and apically pointed medio-apical process of paramere (cf. LEE et al. 1998 and LEE & JÄCH 2007).

Etymology. The new species is dedicated to my friends and colleagues, the Šípek family – Hana, Ondřej and Petr (Myštice, Czech Republic).

Collection circumstances. The type specimens were collected individually or swept from vegetation on exposed seepages on the side of road, partly covered with algae and moss (see also FIKÁČEK & ŠÍPKOVÁ 2009: 36, Fig. 2 ). In the type locality, Schinostethus sipekorum sp. nov. was associated with two species of Hydroscapha LeConte, 1874 (Hydroscaphidae) , several species of Laccobius Erichson, 1837 and Oocyclus Sharp, 1882 (all Hydrophilidae ), and Hydraena Kugelann, 1794 (Hydraenidae) and Ceradryops Hinton, 1937 (Dryopidae) ( FIKÁČEK & ŠÍPKOVÁ 2009, GENTILI & FIKÁČEK 2009).

Distribution. So far known only from the type locality in Meghalaya, north-eastern India.

Figures

Figs 1–7. Schinostethus (Sundodrupeus) sipekorum sp. nov. 1 – male habitus (holotype); 2 – female habitus (paratype); 3 – male antenna; 4 – maxillary palpus; 5 – labial palpus; 6 – aedeagus in dorsal view; 7 – aedeagus in ventral view. Scale bars (Figs 3–6) = 0.25 mm.