Syncosmetus perseus Lopes-Andrade et Grebennikov

Lopes-Andrade, Cristiano & Grebennikov, Vasily V., 2015, First record and five new species of Xylographellini (Coleoptera: Ciidae) from China, with online DNA barcode library of the family, Zootaxa 4006 (3), pp. 463-480 : 472-473

Syncosmetus perseus Lopes-Andrade et Grebennikov , sp. nov.

Figs. 22–24 , 35 , 37

Diagnosis. Prothorax with sides explanate and visible for their entire lengths from above; edge of lateral carina minutely crenulated. Pronotum with longitudinal midline in low relief, forming an incomplete sulcus that does not reach the anterior and posterior edges, mostly glabrous and unpunctate, surface microreticulate; surface between punctures not in high relief; border along the posterior edge with surface similar to disc. Each elytron with second and third keels with their apices united ( Fig. 23 ).

Description, holotype female ( Figs. 22–24 ). GenBank accession: KC 130814 . Fully pigmented adult. Measurements in mm: TL 1.88, PL 0.73, PW 0.95, EL 1.10, EW 1.15, GD 0.98. Ratios: PL/PW 0.76, EL/EW 0.96, EL/PL 1.52, GD/EW 0.85, TL/EW 1.63. Body rounded, extremely convex, mostly dark brown; antennae, palpi and legs yellowish brown; dorsal vestiture of slender setae, each about a puncture-width long; ventral vestiture similar but more decumbent. Head with coarse punctures, separated from each other by a puncture width or less; surface between punctures microreticulate; vertex with a short median knob. Antennae bearing ten antennomeres with the following lengths (in mm, left antenna measured): 0.11, 0.05, 0.04, 0.03, 0.02, 0.02, 0.02, 0.05, 0.05, 0.09 (FL 0.13 mm, CL 0.19 mm, CL/FL 1.46). Eyes coarsely facetted, each with about 30 ommatidia; GW 0.14 mm. Pronotum with coarse punctures, usually circular at disc and smaller and ovoid at the anterior portion, separated from each other by a puncture-width or less, the surface in between them microreticulate; longitudinal midline in low relief, finely microreticulate, mostly unpunctate and glabrous, forming an incomplete sulcus most conspicuous at disc; anterior edge broadly rounded; anterior angles slightly produced forward; sides broad, explanate, unpunctate, glabrous and microreticulate, weakly crenulate, entirely visible from above; posterior edge broadly rounded, the border along it with surface similar to disc. Scutellum very small, barely discernible, triangular; BW 0.04 mm. Elytra tightly locked but not fused, with coarse deep punctures, separated from each other by at least a puncturewidth and with smooth surface between them; pseudoepipleura unpunctate and glabrous, their surface finely microstriated; each elytron with first longitudinal keel extending to about the middle of elytral edge; first two keels diverging close to elytral base; second and third keels united at their apices ( Fig. 23 , arrow). Prosternum in front of coxae biconcave, extremely tumid at middle and bearing a longitudinal carina at midline; concavities deep but posterior edge not carinate; punctures coarse and shallow, with surface between them microreticulate. Hypomera with shallow coarse punctures, with surface between them microreticulate. Protibia not expanded, three times as long as broad; inner facet with a conspicuous tuft of long bristles at the apical half; apical angle broadly rounded, its edge bearing a row of spines; outer edge apparently devoid of spines (a few visible at high magnifications). Meso- and metatibia not expanded, five times as long as broad; outer edge apparently devoid of spines; outer apical angle rounded, not produced; apical edge with a row of spines. Metaventrite without discrimen; punctures very coarse and separated from each other by a puncture-width or less; surface in between punctures microreticulate. Abdominal ventrites with very coarse punctures, concentrated at the anterior portion of each ventrite and separated by approximately a puncture-width, shallower and inconspicuous at the disc of the third and fourth ventrites and barely visible at the fifth ventrite; surface in between punctures and elsewhere microreticulate; length of the ventrites (in mm, from base to apex at the longitudinal midline) as follows: 0.26, 0.08, 0.08, 0.08, 0.19; first ventrite devoid of setose sex patch. Female abdominal terminalia in a paratype with conspicuous gonostyli; gonocoxites transversely divided into two parts; paraprocts shorter than gonocoxites together; opening of proctiger close to basal gonocoxites.

Males. Unknown.

Variation. Females, measurements in mm (n = 2, including the holotype): TL 1.83–1.88 (1.85 ± 0.04), PL 0.73–0.73 (0.73 ± 0.00), PW 0.93–0.95 (0.94 ± 0.02), EL 1.10–1.10 (1.10 ± 0.00), EW 1.10–1.15 (1.13 ± 0.04), GD 0.93–0.98 (0.95 ± 0.04). Ratios: PL/PW 0.76–0.78 (0.77 ± 0.01), EL/EW 0.96–1.00 (0.98 ± 0.03), EL/PL 1.52– 1.52 (1.52 ± 0.00), GD/EW 0.84–0.85 (0.84 ± 0.00), TL/EW 1.63–1.66 (1.64 ± 0.02).

Type series. Holotype: female ( IZCAS) “P.R. CHINA, Sichuan, NE slope Gongga Shan N29º48’15” E102º03’44”, 06.vi.2011, 2765m, sift11, V. Grebennikov \ CNCCOLVG00002777 \ Syncosmetus perseus HOLOTYPUS [handwritten, red paper]”. Paratype: 1 female ( CNCI) “P.R. CHINA, Sichuan, NE slope Gongga Shan N29º48’15” E102º03’44”, 20.vi.2011, 2765m, sift22, V. Grebennikov \ CNCCOLVG00002776 \ Syncosmetus perseus Lopes-Andrade & Grebennikov PARATYPUS [yellow paper]”.

Etymology. The species epithet is a Latinized Greek mythical name of a hero, sun of Danae and Zeus, defeater of monsters such as Medusa ; noun in apposition.

Comments. Even though no male of the species was collected, it is sufficiently different from the other Syncosmetus to facilitate species description. This is the unique known Syncosmetus species in which the second and third keels of each elytron unite at their apices.

Figures

FIGURE 35. Known distribution of Xylographellini beetles in the Palaearctic Region outside of Japan.

FIGURE 37. Lower part of the Maximum Likelihood inference phylogram, upper part of which is depicted on Fig. 36. HT: holotype.

FIGURES 22 – 24. Syncosmetus perseus sp. nov., female holotype from Gongga Shan: (22) dorsal view; (23) lateral view, with arrow showing united apices of second and third elytral keels; (24) ventral view. Scale bar: 0.5 mm (Figs. 22 – 24).