Eucurtiopsis avis Tishechkin & Caterino, 2007

Tishechkin, Alexey K. & Caterino, Michael S., 2007, Description of the first Chlamydopsinae (Coleoptera: Histeridae) from the Philippines, Zootaxa 1527 (1), pp. 39-44 : 42-43

Eucurtiopsis avis Tishechkin & Caterino , sp. n.

( Figs. 4–6 , 8 )

Holotype. Female labeled “ PHILIPPINES: Negros Oriental Is. August 26–28, 1987 Lynn Carroll / HOLO- TYPE Eucurtiopsis avis sp. n. A. Tishechkin & M. Caterino des. 2006” ( FMNH).

Description. L: 2.31 mm; W: 1.91 mm; E/Pn L: 1.84; E/Pn W: 1.54; Pn W/L: 1.14; E L/W: 0.82; Pr/Py: 1.17; Sterna: 0.79, 0.14, 0.58; Tibiae: 0.87, 1.08, 1.14. Body rufescent brown, most of body surfaces covered with yellow setae. Frons slightly longer than wide, with sides parallel, bordered by costate marginal striae, not indented at antennal insertions, completely covered with large shallow reticulate punctures; labrum short, trapezoidal, smooth and glossy, with few erect setae; mandibles strongly bent, with long narrow tips, with numerous setae along outer margins; antennal scape about half as broad as long, wide triangular, widest at about midpoint, its punctuation similar to frons, with numerous erect setae; antennal funicle (of female) collectively slightly shorter than scape; antennal club (of female) oval, slightly longer than funicle, densely covered with setae.

Pronotum ( Fig. 4 ) with posterior margin almost rectangularly angulate, sides widest at about basal third, subparallel in basal two thirds, then somewhat abruptly narrowed and again subparallel in apical fourth; marginal striae visible from above in basal two thirds, than abruptly descend to meet supracoxal striae; anterior margin shallowly bisinuate, with two small conical elevations on either side of midpoint; pronotal disk weakly convex, completely covered with continuous reticulate punctuation similar to frons, but with punctures larger and bearing long erect setae; antennal cavities largely open above appearing as anterolateral semicircular emarginations of anterior margin.

Scutellum not visible. Elytra ( Fig. 4, 6 ) with small humeral trichomes hidden from above by drastically modified anterior elevations, large, wing-shaped, their major plane running posteriorly at about 45° angle and their bases occupying entire basal margins of elytra; modified anterolateral groove of trichome represented apparently by distinct thin stria running from the middle of elytral anterior margin semicircularly along the leading edge of the “wing,” shallow circular fossa present posteriorly next to that stria approximately around its midpoint; surface of the “wing” projection smooth and glossy, with scattered erect small setae, area around the leading edge, anteriad and laterad of anterolateral stria, covered with dense short appressed setae; trichome incision transverse, deep, rather wide and open on both sides; trichome setal fringes composed of short, dense yellow setae, posterior fringe slightly wider than anterior one; apex of posterior elevation ( Fig. 4 ) occupies about a third of elytron width at the end of elytron basal fourth, limited by lateral edge of elytron externally and elevated costate ridge internally; the latter ridge runs to posterior third of elytron; anterior depression of elytral disc absent, posterior halves of elytron transversely elevated, giving lateral profile of elytra abruptly humpbacked shape; posterior two thirds of presutural area raised as another, higher costate keel; elytral disc glossy, impunctate, except within presutural area in anterior third, where several large shallow punctures are present; elytral setae mostly short and tightly appressed, except in parascutellar area and posterior margins, where some long erect setae are present; elytral marginal stria complete, departing conspicuously from margin above metathoracic leg; epipleuron ( Fig. 6 ) smooth and glossy, glabrous.

Prosternum ( Fig. 5 ) long; prosternal leg depression margined by raised carina; prosternal keel almost straight, with the marginal stria very thin and inconspicuous; punctuation and texture of prosternal disk as on pronotum; posterior part of prosternum overhanging over anterior part of mesoventrite; mesoventrite short, about six times as wide as median length; shallowly concave at middle, anteriorly bordered by a thin carinate stria; mesoventral disc slightly concave, impunctate, with small dense isodiametric alutaceous microsculpture; mesepimeron prominent, impunctate, with irregular circular excavation and dense alutaceous microsculpture; mesometaventral suture well impressed, continuous at sides with stria delimiting the mesothoracic leg depression (lateral metaventral stria); texture of metaventral disk as on mesoventrite, with scattered tiny setae; median metaventral suture distinct, well impressed, complete from anterior to posterior margin; posterior mar- gin with transverse stria going laterally along anterior margin of metacoxa, than angling towards metepisternum, near which it is connected at an acute angle with lateral metaventral stria; 1st abdominal ventrite similar in texture and setation to metaventrite, with raised stria delimiting depression for reception of metathoracic leg.

Femora ( Figs. 5, 6 ) elongate, setose; apical parts of profemora ( Fig. 6 ) widely roundly expanded, each with large subapical setose patch; edges of meso- and metafemora arcuate, all margined along anterior and posterior sides; protibia smoothly angulate about one-third from base, arcuate to narrow rounded apex; meso- and metatibia with marginal angulation less pronounced, almost symmetrically rounded, widest near middle, mesotibia slightly narrower than metatibia; tarsi slightly laterally compressed, about 0.4–0.6 times length of corresponding tibiae; tarsomeres 1–4 with long (1.8–2 times corresponding tarsomere length) setae ventrally and a pair of short setae dorsally; tarsomere 1 in addition with three short setae ventrally; tarsal claws simple, divergent, weakly arcuate, about 0.5 times length of corresponding apical tarsomere.

Propygidium shallowly concave, with disc flat, glossy, densely setose, shallowly punctate punctures separated by about twice their widths, with a pair of pointed conical projections near posterolateral angles, bearing tufts of short, apparently glandular setae on their apices; pygidium with low basal marginal keel, its setiferous punctures small and sparse, intervening spaces weakly alutaceous. Right valvifer and coxite as figured ( Fig. 8 ).

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to bird wing-like modifications of anterior elytral elevations in this species.

Figures

FIGURES 1–6. Habitus of Eucurtiopsis ashei, sp. n. (1–3) and E. avis, sp. n. (4–6). 1, 4—dorsal view; 2, 5—ventral view; 3, 6—lateral view.

FIGURES 7–8. Ovipositor of Eucurtiopsis ashei, sp. n. (7) and E. avis, sp. n. (8)