Scymnomorphus papuensis, Szawaryn, 2018

Szawaryn, Karol, 2018, Missing geographic link: minute lady beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae: Microweiseinae) from Mount Wilhelm, New Guinea, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 58 (1), pp. 227-236 : 234-235

Scymnomorphus papuensis sp. nov.

( Figs 1J–L ; 3A–C; 4D, H–J)

Type locality. Papua New Guinea, Madang province, E slope of Mt. Wilhelm, Kombunomambuno, 3200 m a.s.l., 5°48′24.1128″S 145°04′22.5228″E.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: ♀, ‘ New Guinea, Mt. Wilhelm “P3048- 06207- CoCocc Ibisca Niugini 2012/FIT-MW3200-A-1/8-d01, plot 1, start date 16-Oct-12, end date 18-Oct-12, order 7375, elevation 3200m’ ( MNHN).

Diagnosis. Scymnomorphus papuensis sp. nov. is similar to the other brown colored species but its comparatively large body size exceeding 1.5 mm in length, and very elongate antennomere 10 are its most distinguishing characters (antennomere 10 about 3 times longer than the penultimate one is unique among other congeners from the Australasian Region. Moreover, lateral margins of clypeus are not bordered.

Description. TL: 1.56, TW: 1.08, TL/TW: 1.50, PL/PW: 0.36, EL/EW: 1.25.

Body uniformly light brown ( Figs 1J–L ). Underside dark brown with legs and abdomen more yellow brown.

Body minute, elongate oval, convex, dorsum distinctly pubescent. Head small, punctures on frons about the same size as eye facets, bearing seta, separated by 1–2 times their diameter. Clypeus short, without lateral bordering, weakly arcuate anteriorly ( Fig. 4J ). Eyes small and coarsely faceted.Antenna consisting of 10 antennomeres ( Fig. 3A ); pedicel swollen, shorter than antennomere 3; antennomere 3 narrow, elongate about 1¼ longer than antennomere 4; antennomere 4 elongate; antennomere 5 and 6 subequal in length, about as broad as long; antennomere 7 slightly transverse; antennomere 8 transverse, almost twice as broad as long; antennomeres 9 and 10 forming 2-antennomere club; antennomere 10 elongate, about 3 times longer than penultimate one. Pronotum widest at base and distinctly narrowing anteriorly.Anterior corners of pronotum produced and pointed, coarsely punctured. Pronotal disc convex, coarsely punctured, punctures about the same size as those on head, bearing long setae, separated by 1–2 times their diameter. Scutellar shield triangular, glabrous. Elytron shiny, densely and coarsely punctured, punctures dual, smaller punctures irregular except for sutural and lateral rows, each bearing long seta, setae directed posteriorly; larger punctures triangular in shape, irregular. Elytral margins narrow, not visible from above. Lateral part with elytral carina distinctly separated from margin, forming double, thickened border of epipleuron and extending to level of abdominal ventrite 3 ( Fig. 1K ). Mesoventrite short and broad, distinctly bordered anteriorly, fused with metaventrite medially ( Fig. 4I ). Metaventrite and abdomen densely covered with large, subtriangular pores, with smaller puncture bearing short seta above each pore ( Fig. 4H ). Metaventral postcoxal lines joined on metaventral process forming arc, straight, reaching lateral margin ( Fig. 4I ). Abdominal postcoxal lines incomplete, not divided into two lines, not reaching posterior margin of abdominal ventrite 1 nor lateral margin ( Fig. 3C ).

Female genitalia ( Fig. 3B ). Ovipositor triangular, broad, elongate, bearing long styli, each with one apical seta; spermatheca large, composed of three elements, wide, short and flattened basal bulge, wide and short channel in middle, and apical bulge equal to basal one.

Male genitalia. Unknown.

Etymology. The name is latinized adjective papuensis (- is, - e) derived from the name of Papua New Guinea, the country of origin of the type specimen.

Habitat. The type specimen was collected at the elevation of 3700 m a.s.l., and according to LEPONCE et al. (2016) this type of forest was classified as “subalpine forest” and was dominated by shrubs (e.g. Primulaceae , Ericaceae , Asteraceae ) and tree-ferns (e.g. Cyathea), with a few emerging gymnosperms ( Podocarpaceae ).

Distribution. Papua New Guinea, Mt. Wilhelm.

Figures

Fig.1. Habitus of Scymnomorphus species from Mt. Wilhelm, New Guinea. A–F – S. bimaculatus sp. nov.; G–I – S. kausi sp. nov.; J–L – S. papuensis sp. nov. A, D, G, J – dorsal view; B, E, H, K – lateral view; C, F, I, L – frontal view.

Fig. 4. Morphology of Scymnomorphus species. A–C, E–G – S. bimaculatus sp. nov.: A – habitus, dorsal; B – magnification of the elytral punctures; C – mouthparts, ventral; E – magnification of the metaventral punctures; F – meso- and metaventrite; G – head, anterior view. D, H–J – S. papuensis sp. nov.: D – habitus, ventral; H – magnification of the metaventral punctures; I – meso- and metaventrite; J – head, anterior view.

Fig. 3. Morphology of Scymnomorphus species. A–C – S. papuensis sp. nov.: A – antenna; B – female genitalia; C – abdomen, female. D – S. kausi sp. nov., head and mouthparts, ventral (lp – labial palp, m – mentum, pm – prementum, sm – submentum).