Allenipeplus vitellinus, Kirejtshuk, Alexander G. & Kovalev, Alexey V., 2016

Kirejtshuk, Alexander G. & Kovalev, Alexey V., 2016, A new genus of the subfamily Cillaeinae (Coleoptera, Nitidulidae) from the Philippines and New Guinea with notes on the taxonomy and phylogeny of the subfamily, Zootaxa 4205 (3), pp. 226-242 : 236-237

Allenipeplus vitellinus sp. nov.

( Figs. 17–21 , 25 )

Holotype. Female ( BMNH)—“New Guinea, Torecella M., 1.700 fts. iv-1939, G.P. Moore, B.M. 1939–479”.

Diagnosis. In addition to the characters mentioned in the key below, this new species is characterized among its congeners by the very distinct coloration, pregenal processes subangularly curved at base of mentum, wider apex of prosternal process, larger paramedian mesocoxal depressions on mesothorax with subparallel mesal edges and wider gonocoxites of ovipositor, and also differs from:

- A. alius sp. nov. in the narrower antennal scape, more broadly arcuate head sides behind eyes, pronotum somewhat widened anteriorly;

- A. harmonicus sp. nov. in the pronotum more widened anteriorly, more broadly arcuate head sides behind eyes, mentum somewhat more widened anteriorly and with strongly projecting anterior angles, widely rounded apex of prosternal process;

- A. philippinensis sp. nov. in the pronotum less widened anteriorly.

The setae along the apical edge of prosternal process are somewhat longer than those in A. philippinensis sp. nov. but markedly shorter than those in A. alius sp. nov. and A. harmonicus sp. nov.

Etymology. The epithet of this new species means “vitelline”, “egg yolk color”.

Note. The characters common with the type species of the new genus are omitted from the description below.

Description of holotype (female). Length 12.6, width 2.3, height 1.3 mm. Elongate, slightly convex to subflattened dorsally and moderately convex ventrally; bright yellowish (vitelline) with rather darkened dorsal mandibular apices, posterior parts of elytra, apical parts of abdominal segment 4, abdominal tergites 5 and 6, and also pygidium; as well as rather darkened sides of ventrites 2–4 and hypopygidium; antennae and most mouthparts reddish; body with a faint shine; covered with very short and subrecumbent yellowish hairs, somewhat shorter than distance between their insertions; setae along apex of prosternal process moderately short and dense (longer than that in A. philippinensis sp. nov. but shorter than that in A. alius sp. nov. and A. harmonicus sp. nov.). Head and pronotum with irregular punctures, much larger than eye facets, separated by 1–2 puncture diameters or somewhat less, interspaced by very fine and somewhat obliterated microreticulation; elytra with somewhat sparser punctation; exposed tergites and ventrites with finer and shallower punctation and more pronounced mesh microreticulation. Prosternum and metaventrite with coarser and more regularly oval punctures than those on head and pronotum, separated by 2–3 puncture diameters, interspaced by somewhat obliterated mesh microreticulation.

Head ( Figs. 18–19 ) roundly outlined and widest just behind eyes. Antennae almost 2/3 as long as head width, each of antennomeres 2 and 3 comparable in length and somewhat shorter than scape (antennomere 1), their oblong club about 1/3 of total antennal length, almost 1.5× as long as wide and antennomere 9 longer than each of antennomeres 10 and 11. Pronotum slightly transverse and subquadrangular with slightly arcuate lateral edges. Scutellar shield subsemicircular, about twice as wide as long. Pygidium (last tergite) subtriangular, nearly 1.4× as long as wide. Pregenal processes ( Fig. 19 ) at hypostomal sinus rather subangularly curved and along sides of mentum convergent. Mentum ( Fig. 19 ) nearly 2.5× as wide as long, with rather projecting anterior angles. Femora 2.0–2.5× as wide as tibiae. Protarsi about 2/5 as wide as protibiae, meso- and metatarsi markedly narrower.

Ovipositor as in Fig. 25 , moderately sclerotized.

Distribution. This species is known only from one locality on the island of New Guinea (Torricelli Mountains), Indonesia.

Figures

FIGURES 17 – 21. Allenipeplus vitellinus gen. et sp. nov. — holotype, female (“ New Guinea, Torecella M., 1.700 fts. iv- 1939, G. P. Moore, B. M. 1939 - 479 ” — ZIN). 17: body, dorsal; 18: anterior part of head, dorsal; 19: head, ventral; 20: thorax and abdominal base, ventral; 21: abdominal apex, ventral. Scale bars = 1.0 mm.

FIGURES 22 – 25. Ovipositor of species of Allenipeplus gen. nov. — ventral. 22: A. philippinensis sp. nov. (“ Philippines, E Luzon, Sierra Madre, Isabela, xi. 2012, I. Lumawig ” — ZIN); 23: A. alius sp. nov. (“ Philippines, Mindoro, Mt Hallon, xi. 2013, I. Lumawig ” — ZIN); 24: A. harmonicus sp. nov. (“ E slope Mt. McKinley, Davao Prov., Mindanao, Elev. 6500 ft, ix- 13 - 1946, lot # 55, petiole of dead tree fern frond ” — ZIN); 25: A. vitellinus sp. nov. (“ New Guinea, Torecella M., 1.700 fts. iv- 1939, G. P. Moore, B. M. 1939 - 479 ” — ZIN). Scale bars = 1.0 mm.