Asytesta, , Pascoe, 1865

Setliff, Gregory P., 2012, 3462, Zootaxa 3462, pp. 1-125 : 34-36

Key to the species of Asytesta

1. Pronotum usually with pair of weak impunctate depressions in basal half; elytra with humeri flattened, laterally produced; granulate prominences on interval 3 either abruptly elevated above adjacent intervals or exceeding declivity in length; intervals 5 and/or 7 distinctly elevated above adjacent intervals or bearing well developed, elongate prominences...... 2

1’. Pronotum evenly convex at base; elytra with humeri more or less contiguous with posterolateral corners of pronotum; interval 3 with granulate prominence elevated slightly above adjacent intervals; prominences gradually raised, terminating at or before declivity; intervals 5 and 7 similar to adjacent intervals, lacking distinct prominences.................. 10

2(1). Frons typically broader than basal width of rostrum (except A. julieae n. sp.); mesosternal receptacle cavernous; dorsal edge of tibia straight or slightly convex; protibial flange on ventral margin and supra-uncal projection near apex well developed; basal margin of elytra weakly sinuate to truncate; prominence on interval 3 abruptly elevated well above adjacent intervals, terminating at or before declivity ( A. dorsalis group)........................................... 3

2’. Frons narrower than base of rostrum; mesosternal receptacle obsolete; dorsal edge of tibia weakly to strongly emarginate in middle; protibial flange on ventral margin reduced, rarely absent; supra-uncal projection near apex reduced or absent; basal margin of elytra emarginate at scutellum; prominence on interval 3 elongate, length exceeding declivity, moderately elevated above adjacent intervals ( A. emarginata group)....................................................... 8

3. Elytral interval 5 with 2 or more separate granulate prominences or large tubercles............................... 4

3’. Elytral interval 5 either lacking granulate prominences or with single contiguous granulate prominence present........ 5

4(3’). Head at least partially visible in dorsal view. Elytral interval 6 bearing short granulate prominence. New Guinea.................................................................................... Asytesta julieae new species

4’. Head entirely concealed in dorsal view by weakly bifurcate process on anterior pronotal margin. Elytral interval 6 lacking granulate prominence. Louisiade Archipelago.................................... Asytesta frontalis new species

5(3’). Prominence on elytral interval 3 elongate, flat near apex; interval 5 produced, granulate; interval 7 weakly produced in basal half only..................................................................................... 6

5’. Prominence on elytral interval 3 short; obtuse, fin-like; interval 5 not produced, interval 7 strongly produced from humeri to beyond elytral declivity.............................................................................

6(5). Vestiture light brown, with broad longitudinal stripe of paler scales on dorsum from pronotal apex to elytral declivity.................................................................................... Asytesta dorsalis Faust

6’. Vestiture dark brown, lacking broad longitudinal stripe of pale scales on dorsum........ Asytesta sedlaceki new species

7(5’). Elytral interval 3 with large conical tubercle near base and well developed, granulate prominence situated in basal half of elytra (in lateral view)..................................................... Asytesta tuberculata new species

7’. Elytral interval 3 lacking conical tubercle near base but with well developed, granulate prominence situated in basal half of elytra (in lateral view)........................................................ Asytesta gressitti new species

8. Vestiture on vertex of head same as on frons and basal 1/3 of rostrum; granulate prominence on third elytral interval reaching anterior margin; humeri and intervals 5 and 7 weakly produced; profemoral teeth well developed, dorsal margin of tibia weakly emarginate.......................................................... Asytesta vivienae new species

8’. Vertex of head with distinct band of scales lighter in color than vestiture on frons and basal 1/3 of rostrum; granulate prominence on elytral interval 3 abruptly elevated slightly before middle of elytra; humeri strongly produced laterally, intervals 5 and 7 produced well above other intervals; profemoral teeth reduced or absent, dorsal margin of tibia strongly emarginate ................................................................................................. 9

9(8’). Vertex of head with band of bright white scales; dorsal vestiture sparse, dark squamae, with evenly distributed pale patches; pronotum basally with pair of maculae poorly defined dark maculae.......... Asytesta alexriedeli new species

9’. Vertex of head with band of tan scales; dorsal vestiture mottled with densely distributed tan scale; pronotum basally with pair of distinct dark maculae................................................ Asytesta emarginata new species

10(1’). Typically smaller (3.4–4.6 mm); pronotum and elytra black, smooth, shiny; dorsum glabrous, except white scales restricted to short vittae or maculae sometimes present; punctures on dorsum shallow, smaller than intervening spaces between punctures; basalmost row of punctures on elytra much deeper than all other punctures; profemoral tooth armed with 3–4 small denticles on distal edge, larger than teeth on meso- or metafemora; scutellum externally absent; male rostrum with small, laterally produced tooth-like processes near points of insertion of antennae ( A. doriae group).....................11

10’. Typically larger (3.6–10.5 mm); dorsum variously clothed in fine to coarse scales; pronotum and elytra moderately to coarsely granulate; punctures deep, larger than intervening spaces between punctures; basalmost punctures on elytra not deeper than other punctures; profemoral tooth simple, similar in size to teeth on meso- and metafemora; scutellum usually present (absent in 3 species); male rostrum lacking tooth-like processes near points of insertion of antennae.......... 12

11. Profemoral tooth with 2 small denticles on distal margin. Elytra without white maculae or vittae; frons largely covered in white scales..................................................................... Asytesta albifrons Voss

11’. Profemoral tooth with 3–4 small denticles on distal margin. Elytra with white humeral maculae and short, white vittae on interval 6 on declivity; frons with white scales boarding eyes and brown scales in middle......................................................................................... Asytesta doriae Kirsch resurrected status

12. Body elongate oval; pronotum longer than broad; elytra twice as long as high or longer in lateral view; legs long; hind femora exceeding elytral apices by more than 1/3 to 1/2 total length; tibia strongly compressed, flange on ventral margin weakly developed, occasionally absent; dorsal margin often blade-like; mesosternal receptacle shallow, nearly obliterated in some, lateral margins not or only weakly produced, posterior margin broadly open; vestiture typically sparse except in vittae and maculae when present; scales small ( A. compressipes group)...................................... 13

12’. Body broadly oval; pronotum broader than long to slightly longer than broad; elytra less than twice as long as high in lateral view; legs moderately long; hind femora exceeding elytral apices by 1/3 total length or less; tibia, mesosternal receptacle and vestiture variable........................................................................... 23

13(12’). Pronotum entirely lacking vittae or maculae............................................................. 14

13’. Pronotum bearing distinct white vittae or maculae........................................................ 15

14(13). Elytral humeri with two small, white, rectangular maculae on intervals 5–7.............. Asytesta eudyasmoides Heller

14’. Dorsum immaculate....................................................... Asytesta concolora new species

15(13’). Background vestiture brown; pronotum with broad dorsomedian longitudinal vitta, lacking other maculae and vittae; elytral suture without vittae; pair of broad longitudinal vittae on the fifth intervals from humeri to near apex.................................................................................... Asytesta compressipes (Chevrolat)

15’. Background vestiture fuscous; pronotum with dorsomedian longitudinal vitta of variable size, sometimes incomplete; always with other sublateral or lateral maculae and/or vittae on disk; anterolateral region of the pronotum (anterior to the procoxae) with ring or vittae of white scales; elytral suture marked with thin vittae of pale, usually white scales, occasionally tan or orange; vittae usually in sharp contrast to background squamae; vittae rarely faint, complete or restricted to elytral declivity (incomplete); other elytral markings variable................................................. 16

16(15’). Dorsal vestiture densely mottled with small, randomly distributed, irregular, white maculae; less densely arranged on sides; elytra with thin, white fascia traversing base and short rectangular macula on interval 5; humeral maculae faint, confused with other maculae on elytra......................................................................... 17

16’. Dorsal vestiture not mottled, mostly dark brown to fuscous except in sharply contrasting white, tan, or orange vittae... 18

17(16). Background vestiture dark brown; pronotal disk with 2 pairs of irregular maculae on either side of medial vitta, roughly joined by faint scales to form L-shaped marks on either side of longitudinal line; mottling composed of relatively small maculae, mostly on elytral disk in apical half; tibia covered with long white hair-like setae................................................................................................ Asytesta alexandriae new species

17’. Background vestiture nearly black; pronotal disk with broken transverse line at middle, transecting dorsomedian vitta; mottling composed of relatively large white maculae irregularly distributed throughout entire dorsum; tibia entirely black except for a few white scales at extreme base................................ Asytesta woodlarkiana new species

18(16’). Pronotal disk with faint dorsomedian vitta and pair of anteriorly converging sublateral vittae that do not reach the base, in line with (but not abutting) vitta on elytral interval 5...................................................... 19

18’. Pronotal disk with distinct dorsomedian vitta and pair of evenly curved, lateral vittae that reach the base, abutting elytral interval 7........................................................................................ 20

19(18). Vitta on elytral interval 5 expanded at humerus into large, irregular, macula spanning intervals 3–7................................................................................................... Asytesta gestroi Heller

19’. Vitta on elytral interval 5 not reaching humeri or very faint at humeri, never expanded beyond fifth intervals........................................................................................ Asytesta arachnopus Heller

20(18’). Vittae on pronotum and elytra composed of white to burnt-orange scales; with pair of large, white, oblong humeral maculae spanning intervals 3–6 in basal 1/4, not connected to vittae on fifth intervals.......... Asytesta cheesmanae new species

20’. Vittae on pronotum and elytra comprised entirely of bright white to cream scales; vittae on fifth intervals complete.... 21

21(20’). Sides of pronotum with elongate, irregular patch of white scales from anterior margin to base, converging towards base, becoming broad white vittae on elytral interval 9 from base to near the apex; male lacking flange on the ventral margin of protibia...................................................................... Asytesta fayae new species

21’. Lateral vittae on pronotum not expanded into irregular patch of white scales; elytral interval 9 without vittae; male with distinct, tooth-like flanges on subbasal portion of ventral margin of protibia.................................... 22

22(21’). Background vestiture mottled with dense patches of brown scales; lateral vittae on pronotum broken, faint............................................................................................ Asytesta sejuncta Faust

22’. Background vestiture immaculate; lateral vittae on pronotum not broken, sharply contrasting with background squamae.................................................................................. Asytesta versuta Faust

23(1’). Pronotum and elytra with large, crowded foveae; interspaces between foveae reduced to thin, coarsely granulate ridges; dorsum nearly glabrous, scutellum absent, wings vestigial....................................... A. dubia Faust

23’. Pronotum coarsely to moderately granulate with smaller, evenly distributed, rasp-like granules; punctures on pronotum and elytra shallow to moderately deep, closely approximate; dorsum variously clothed in fine to coarse scales; scutellum usually present (absent in 2 species), wings fully developed ( A. gazella & A. humeralis groups)...................... 24

24(23’). Dorsal vestiture composed primarily of fuscous background scales, always with sharply contrasting white vittae, maculae, and/or fasciae present on dorsum; mottling when present, not distinct, composed of whitish scales................. 25

24’. Dorsal vestiture light to dark brown with considerable mottling of patchy to nearly uniform light tan or brown scales, vittae, maculae, or fasciae present or absent, sharply contrasting or nearly concolorous with background scales and indistinct. ................................................................................................ 30

25(24). Lacking maculae or vittae except large irregular patch of white to cream scales almost entirely covering cervical region of pronotum dorsally from anterior margin to middle......................... Asytesta antica Pascoe (dark color form)

25’. Cervical region of pronotum lacking patch of white or cream scales; pronotum variously marked with maculae or vittae or not............................................................................................. 26

26(25’). Pronotum bearing distinct sublateral or lateral vittae ( A. gazella group, in part)................................ 27

26’. Pronotal disk without distinct sublateral or lateral vittae ( A. humeralis group, in part)............................ 28

27(26). Pronotum lacking dorsomedian vitta; disk with pair of white sublateral vittae adjoining vittae on fifth elytral intervals; sides with white, lateral, longitudinal vitta and short white transverse vitta arising from the center of dorsal margin of procoxae intersecting lateral vitta, not reaching disk or sublateral vitta; background vestiture dark and immaculate; vittae unbroken, distinct............................................................... Asytesta gazella (Olivier)

27’. Pronotum with white dorsomedian vitta; disk with pair of sublateral vittae only in posterior half; sides with white, lateral, longitudinal vitta and short white transverse vitta arising from center of dorsal margin of procoxae intersecting lateral vitta and meeting anterior end of sublateral vitta at a right angle; background vestiture dark, mottled with irregular patches of white scales; vittae broken, less distinct............................................... Asytesta vittata Pascoe

28(26’). Scutellum not visible externally; profemur unidentate; elytra with very small, evenly distributed, white maculae.................................................................................. Asytesta biakana new species

28’. Scutellum very small but visible; profemur bidentate; elytra uniformly dark except for white humeral maculae and/or fasciae............................................................................................. 29

29(28’). Scales sparsely distributed on dorsum; humeral maculae well developed, distinct; fasciae variously developed, at least basal margin between interval 5 bare in most specimens; occasionally with very faint dorsomedian longitudinal vitta on pronotal disk and pair of small dirty white maculae near cervical constriction Asytesta humeralis Pascoe (dark color form)

29’ Scales densely and uniformly distributed on dorsum; humeral maculae usually reduced or absent; usually with narrow, white fasciae on basal margin of elytra; occasionally with very faint dorsomedian longitudinal vitta on pronotal disk and rarely with patch of light brown scales near apical margin.......... Asytesta marginalis new species (dark color form)

30(24’). Lacking maculae or vittae except large irregular patch of white scales almost entirely covering cervical region of pronotum from anterior margin to about middle, terminating on sides, small medial patch of background colored scales at apical margin.............................................................. Asytesta antica Pascoe (light color form)

30’. Cervical region of pronotum not covered in solid patch of white scales; background vestiture variable, marked with maculae or vittae or not................................................................................. 31 31(30’). Elytral humeri with pair of distinct rectangular maculae on intervals 5 and 6 or vittae on fifth intervals.............. 32