Discodon neoteutonum, Biffi & Geiser, 2022

Biffi, Gabriel & Geiser, Michael, 2022, A revision of Discodon tricolor (Guérin-Méneville) and its mimics from the Atlantic forests of Brazil (Coleoptera: Cantharidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 834 (1), pp. 148-189 : 154-156

Discodon neoteutonum sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:8B002EDC-E1E4-4403-A388-BA6E9826EE10

Figs 3A, 4B, M, 7B, 8B, 9B, 10B, 11D–F, 15B

Diagnosis

Similar to D. tricolor and D. vanini sp. nov. It differs from these species by the antennae entirely black, larger whitish elytral spots ( Fig. 3A), the aedeagus ( Fig. 11D–F) with distal margin of tegmen shorter, apical lobes less pronounced; the median lobe with a very broad central sclerite; females with ventrite VII ( Fig. 15B) broader, with a more pronounced median projection.

Etymology

The epithet neoteutonum refers to the type locality of the species, Nova Teutônia, a district in the Seara municipality in Santa Catarina state, Brazil.

Type material

Holotype

BRAZIL • ♂; Santa Catarina, Nova Teutônia [Seara]; 27º11′ S, 52º23′ W; 300–500 m a.s.l.; Apr. 1947; Fritz Plaumann leg.; MZSP 46341 ( Fig. 3A).

Paratypes (43 specimens)

BRAZIL • 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; Feb. 1951; MZSP 46342 • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; Mar. 1951; MZSP 46343 , 46344 • 4 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀; same collection data as for preceding; 14 Apr. 1951; NHMB • 1♀; same collection data as for preceding; 15 Mar. 1954; NHMB • 4 ♂♂; same collection data as for preceding; 9 Mar. 1957; NHMB • 2 ♂♂; same collection data as for preceding; Feb. 1965; MZSP 46345 , 46346 • 3 ♂♂; same collection data as for preceding; Feb. 1966; MZSP 46347 to 46349 • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; DZUP 320980 • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; CEMT CUIABA 00118354 • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; Nov. 1966; MZSP 46352 • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; Dec. 1966; MZSP 46353 • 1 ♀; Santa Catarina, Rio Vermelho [São Bento do Sul]; Feb. 1961; Dirings leg.; MZSP 46354 • 1 ♂; Santa Catarina, Mafra ; Rttr. leg.; NHMB • 1 ♂; Santa Catharina ; Hicker leg.; NHMB • 9 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀; Rio Grande do Sul, Vila Oliva [Caxias do Sul]; 18 Feb. 1949; Becker leg.; NHMB • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; 21 Feb. 1948; NHMB • 2 ♂♂; same collection data as for preceding; 24 Feb. 1948; NHMB .

Description

Body length: 10.4–13.0 mm. Coloration ( Fig. 3A): head pitch black, lustrous, except in front of antennae; sockets dark brown; mandibles dark brown, darker at the base and the tip; maxillary and labial palpi black; antennae black, except last three antennomeres, sometimes lighter, and ventral face of antennomere I dark brown. Pronotum ( Figs 7B, 8B) lustrous, translucent, with a broad irregular black band from anterior to posterior margin, wider anteriorly and narrower near the middle; background bright yellow to light orange with barely defined orange to brownish lateral patches. Scutellum and elytra pitch black, slightly lustrous; at mid-length of each elytron, a large sulphur to pale yellow hemispheric to triangular spot nearly reaching the lateral borders but not meeting at the suture. Thorax, legs and abdomen pitch black, tarsal claws dark brown.

Male ( Fig. 3A)

Head short, nearly as long as wide, excluding eyes; integument smooth, densely covered with short and fine yellow setae; frons short; vertex flat; occipital region convex, broadly rounded behind the eyes. Clypeus flat, anterior margin emarginate, with pair of lobes slightly projected anteriorly. Eyes small, rounded, prominent. Mandibles falciform, acute, without accessory teeth. Last maxillary and labial palpomeres securiform. Antennae ( Fig. 6B) slightly flattened dorsoventrally; antennomeres wider distally; antennomeres IX–XI slightly narrower than the preceding. Pronotum ( Fig. 7B) about 1.5 times as wide as long; anterior margin broadly arched, anterior angles indistinct; lateral margins with a shallow notch at posterior third, pronotum wider behind notch; integument smooth, densely covered with very fine yellow setae. Elytra long, each elytron about 4 times as long as wide, almost parallel, slightly wider in the middle; integument coriaceous, densely covered with short and fine decumbent setae, and much longer thick erect setae. Legs slender, densely pubescent, covered with long and thick setae; tarsi flattened dorsoventrally, fourth tarsomere with a transversal slit at base; anterior prothoracic tarsal claws ( Fig. 9B) with tip pointing externally, broadly lobed basally, lobe with sinuous margin; posterior claws on meso- and metathoracic tarsal claws apparently split at the apex, with fine protruding tooth shorter than claws. Abdomen weakly sclerotised, coriaceous, densely covered with long setae; ventrite VI deeply notched at posterior margin, V-shaped, lateral apices arched; ventrite VII ( Fig. 10B) elongate, oblong, strongly concave, internal margins arcuate, directed ventrally, distal margins projecting posteriorly, apices rounded. Aedeagus ( Fig. 11D–F): ventral wall of tegmen short and broad, lateral margins slightly convergent, distal margin forming a pair of broadly rounded lobes; between lobes, small acute tip directed ventrally; fringe of long setae along lateral margins of tegmen dorsally; parameres broadly separated, robust, long and broad, parallel, curved ventrally, apex rounded; median lobe short, membranous, partially retracted behind parameres; very broad central sclerite curved ventrally with broadly rounded apex.

Female

Similar to male; antennae ( Fig. 6M) longer, antennomeres broader; pronotum ( Fig. 8B) trapezoidal, broader, 1.6 times as wide as long, lateral margins sinuate, without notches; tarsal claws without basal lobe or apical slit; ventrite VI not notched, distal margin slightly arched, concave; ventrite VII ( Fig. 15B) broad, lateral margins arched, distal margin sinuous, with broad medial lobe projecting posteriorly.

Distribution

Brazil (Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul states) ( Fig. 16).