Prosodes (Meropersina) fabiani, Medvedev & Merkl, 2005

Medvedev, G. & Merkl, O., 2005, Two New Species Of Prosodes Eschscholtz, 1829 (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae: Blaptini) From Iran, Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 51 (3), pp. 171-180 : 172-175

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.12586346
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03BB87A0-517A-FFE2-236B-0FA0095FF897
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Prosodes (Meropersina) fabiani
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Prosodes (Meropersina) fabiani sp. n.

( Figs 1–18 View Figs 1–11 View Figs 12–17 View Fig , 26–27 View Figs 26–28 )

Description – Body black, weakly lustrous; legs and antennae black. Body length of male 26, width 9 mm; those of female 25 and 10 mm, respectively.

Male ( Fig. 26 View Figs 26–28 ). Outer margins of temples converging to neck constriction in straight line. Outer margins of eyes and genae forming sharp obtuse angle in dorsal view. Outer margin of genae ( Fig. 1 View Figs 1–11 ) separated from anterior margin of eye by narrow excision with arcuate prominence before it, so that outer margin of head arcuately emarginate above antennal insertion. Anterior margin of clypeus arcuately concave. Head surface noticeably flattened in anterior part and densely, very finely punctate. Antennae ( Fig. 2 View Figs 1–11 ) relatively short, their apices reaching posterior quarter of pronotum when extended posteriorly. Length (width) ratio of 2nd to 11th antennomeres 22(17): 50(19): 22(19): 21(20): 21(20): 21(23): 15(22): 15(21): 17(21): 28(18). Antennomeres covered with short light setae.

Pronotum ( Fig. 4 View Figs 1–11 ) transverse (1.26 times as wide as long), 1.56 times as wide as head. Sides of pronotum in anterior 2/3 arcuately convex, in posterior 1/3 converging to base in straight line, bordered along their entire length; bordering in anterior half very fine, in posterior half somewhat thickened. Anterior margin slightly arcuately emarginate; base nearly straight; posterior angles subrectangular, narrowly rounded; anterior angles weakly obtuse-angled, more widely rounded than posterior angles, with finely bordered anterior margin. Pronotal surface not flattened along sides, weakly and evenly convex in cross-section, with obsolete basal depressions in posterior angles. Punctation on pronotum very dense and fine. Propleura not flattened along outer margin, with sparse granulate punctures in outer part, and longitudinal wrinkles in inner part. Prosternum with sharp transverse depression at anterior margin, prosternal process longitudinally depressed, gently sloping behind fore coxae.

Elytra elongate (2.11 times as long as wide), 1.15 times as wide as pronotum. Dorsal surface gradually passing to lateral (deflexed) surface, forming no humeral carina. Entire surface of elytra covered with vermiculose wrinkles ( Fig. 12 View Figs 12–17 ) less pronounced at elytral apices only, and inconspicuous, very fine punctures. Elytral apices not attenuate. Outer margin of epipleura visible dorsally in anterior 1/3. Epipleura in anterior 2/3 evenly narrowing posteriorly. Underside without setose vestiture. Mesepisternum and mesepimeron, and also metepisternum sparsely covered with well-defined punctures. First visible ventrite of abdomen finely, other ventrites more coarsely punctate; punctation of last visible ventrite dense, moderately coarse, apical margin finely bordered.

Legs strong. Length (width) ratio of fore, middle and hind femora 128(40): 156(37): 196: (42), that of corresponding tibiae 115(19): 127(26): 189(30). Inner margin of fore tibia ( Fig. 13 View Figs 12–17 ) with arcuate prominence before middle, outer margin with arcuate emargination near apex. Dorsal surface of fore tibia evenly convex, without longitudinal depression. Posterior surface of middle and hind tibiae not flattened. Inner apical angle of fore and middle tibiae with small area densely covered with short light hairs. Apical margin of plantar surface of 1st and 2nd segments of fore tarsus with flat hair brush.

Aedeagus ( Fig. 15 View Figs 12–17 ) short, sharply bent at base, considerably wider than parameres (1.7 times as wide as these). Apical lobes of phallobase large. Length of aedeagus 5.8, width 1.8 mm (body length 26 mm). Parameres ( Figs 6–8 View Figs 1–11 ) moderately elongate (length 2.4, width 1.05 mm); in lateral view, wide, but sharply narrowing at apex. Spiculum gastrale as in Figs 9, 10 View Figs 1–11 . Apical margin of epiproct ( Fig. 16 View Figs 12–17 ) slightly arcuately protruding. Gland of 8th abdominal ventrite narrow ( Fig. 11 View Figs 1–11 ).

Female ( Fig. 27 View Figs 26–28 ). Body somewhat wider than that of male. Pronotum ( Fig. 4 View Figs 1–11 ) 1.32 times as wide as long. Posterior angles of pronotum more distinctly obtuse-angular than in male. Elytra 1.82 spiculum gastrale, 10 = apical lobe of spiculum gastrale, 11 = gland of 8th abdominal ventrite times as long as wide, 1.28 times as wide as pronotum. Outer margin of epipleura visible dorsally in anterior 1/4. Antennae ( Fig. 3 View Figs 1–11 ) shorter than in male. Inner margin of fore tibia ( Fig. 13 View Figs 12–17 ) straight. Median shaft of spiculum ventrale as in Fig. 17 View Figs 12–17 .

Spermatheca ( Fig. 18 View Fig ) with long (20.5 mm) duct between vagina and base of 1st reservoir and with long (17 mm) gland. Reservoirs with heavily irregular winding, separated by rather long duct. First reservoir only slightly shorter than second one (6.2 and 6.7 mm, respectively). Base of spermathecal sphincter long and narrow. Characteristic features of the gland are the presence of long basal duct and strong apical dilation.

Type material – Holotype, male: “ IRAN, Prov. Kordestan 3 km E of Marat-Abad 47°19’14’’ E; 35°03’49’’ N 2200 m, 28. IV. 2001. leg: Gy. Fábián & K. Vig ” GoogleMaps . Paratype, female: labelled as holotype. Both type specimens are deposited in the Hungarian Natural history Museum, Budapest.

Etymology – This species is dedicated to Mr. GYÖRGY FÁBIÁN (Budapest), lepidopterist, one of the collectors of the type material. He is always a very kind companion of coleopterists in collecting trips and highly productive in collecting beetles as well.

Remarks – Prosodes fabiani sp. n. belongs to the subgenus Meropersina REITTER, 1909 characterised by the laterally granulate apex of penis ( Fig. 10 View Figs 1–11 ), with some granules strongly elongate, and by the presence of a rounded membranous swelling at the apex of penis. This structure of the penis clearly distinguishes species of Meropersina from those of the subgenus Dilopersina REITTER, 1909 , which have (in lateral view) dentate margins of the lateral sclerotized parts at the apex of penis. The new species differs from other members of Meropersina in the structure of the male fore tibia with an obtusely arcuate prominence on the inner margin (sharp in P. cordicollis ALLARD, 1883 and P. vermiculosa REITTER, 1909 ) or in the rugulose elytra (males of P. laevigata (BAUDI DI SELVE, 1874) have nearly smooth and shiny elytra and a narrower body).

sphincter; v = vagina