Notomicrus josiahi Miller, 2013

Baca, Stephen M. & Short, Andrew Edward Z., 2021, Review of the New World Notomicrus Sharp (Coleoptera, Noteridae) I: Circumscription of species groups and review of the josiahi group with description of a new species from Brazil, ZooKeys 1025, pp. 177-201 : 177

publication ID	https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1025.60442
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:C9D007A0-2385-4104-816C-F9177473ABBC
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/3E45D83F-C703-5A22-9286-FDDECF948067
treatment provided by	ZooKeys by Pensoft
scientific name	Notomicrus josiahi Miller, 2013
status

Treatment

Notomicrus josiahi Miller, 2013 Figs 2a View Figure 2 , 3a View Figure 3 , 4a View Figure 4 , 5a, b View Figure 5 , 6 View Figures 6, 7 , 8 View Figures 8, 9

Notomicrus josiahi Miller, 2013: 244; Holotype: MIZA

Type locality.

Venezuela, Amazonas State, Communidad Caño Gato, Rio Sipapo, 4°58.838'N, 67°44.341'W.

Material examined.

Paratypes: " VENEZUELA: Amazonas State / 4°58.845'N, 67°44.341'W, 100 m / Communidad Caño Gato on Rio / Sipapo; sandy stream; 7.i.2006; AS-06-016; leg. A.E.Z. Short " [White label, typed print] (1 female ex. SEMC); " VENEZUELA: Amazonas State / 4°58.845'N, 67°44.341'W, 100 m / Communidad Cano Gato on Rio / Sipapo; 16.i.2009; leg. Short,/ Miller, Camacho, Joly, & Garcia/ VZ09-0116-01X; along stream" [White label, typed print] (1 male, 2 females ex. SEMC) All paratypes with white barcode label with the following numbers and “KUNHM-ENT”: “SM0843570” “SM0831496” “SM0842848” “SM0843672”; all paratypes with " PARATYPE / Notomicrus josiahi / Miller, 2013" [Blue label with black border, typed print] GoogleMaps .

Other material.

Venezuela: Amazonas State, 4°58.845'N, 67°44.341'W, 100 m, Communidad Cano Gato on Rio Sipapo ; 16.i.2009; leg. Short, Miller, Camacho, Joly, & Garcia / VZ09-0116-01X; along stream (64 males and females ex. SEMC) GoogleMaps .

Measurements.

TL = 1.46-1.69 mm (mean = 1.59 mm, SD. = 0.058, males = 1.46-1.69 mm, male mean = 1.58, SD. = 0.069, females = 1.55-1.68 mm, female mean = 1.62, SD. = 0.036); TLPn = 1.33-1.53 mm (mean = 1.44, SD. = 0.045, males = 1.33-1.49 mm, females = 1.43-1.53 mm); GW = 0.68-0.78 mm (mean = 0.74 mm, St. Dev. = 0.025, males = 0.68-0.78 mm, females = 0.72-0.78 mm); HW = 0.40-0.45 mm (mean = 0.42 mm, SD. = 0.014, males = 0.40-0.43 mm, females = 0.42-0.45 mm); EW = 0.16-0.19 mm (mean = 0.175 mm, SD. = 0.01, males = 0.16-0.17 mm, females = 0.17-0.19 mm); TL/GW = 1.99-2.31 (mean = 2.16; SD = 0.070; males = 1.99-2.31, females = 2.13-2.22); HW/EW = 2.21-2.53 (mean = 2.39, SD = 0.083, males = 2.41-2.53, females = 2.21-2.44).

Diagnosis.

Notomicrus josiahi can be diagnosed by the following combination of characters: (1) Size large TL = 1.46-1.69 mm; (2) elytron with strongly darkened region in anterior 1/3rd, contrasting against brownish-yellow of rest of elytron (Fig. 5a View Figure 5 ); (3) Eyes very large relative to head capsule (HW/EW = 2.21-2.53; males 2.41-2.53, females 2.21-2.37); (4) aedeagus as in Fig. 6 View Figures 6, 7 , median lobe expanded on right side in dorsal or ventral aspect, weakly attenuated to apex from mid-length in lateral aspect, with apex curved dorsolaterally to the left, left lateral lobe with dense tuft of setae at apex, few setae along dorsal margin and sparse tuft near base; right lateral lobe with small tuft of setae at apex; (5) pro- and mesotarsal claws as in Fig. 8 View Figures 8, 9 , anterior protarsal claw strongly bent, bifurcate, with slender spur originating on dorsal margin where curved (Fig. 8a View Figures 8, 9 ), ventral margin strongly expanded ventrally near base.

Re-description.

Males. Body elongate-oval, attenuated posteriorly (Fig. 5a View Figure 5 ), TL/GW = 1.99-2.31 lateral outline of elytra and pronotum continuous in dorsal aspect; regularly curved to head, posteriorly evenly attenuated to elytral apex from point of greatest width; widest point just posterior to humeral angles of elytra, as in Fig. 5a View Figure 5 .

Color. Head, pronotum, venter and legs yellow; elytron dark brown to black in basal 1/3, darkened region extending posteriorly along elytral suture and contrasting against brownish-yellow color of posterior 2/3 of elytron (Fig. 5a View Figure 5 ); elytron with surface weakly iridescent. Venter and legs uniformly yellow (Fig. 5b View Figure 5 ).

Structures. Eyes very large relative to head capsule (HW/EW = 2.35-2.53); antennae with length greater than greatest width of head. Prosternal process narrow, not strongly constricted between procoxae, with apex attenuated (Fig. 3a View Figure 3 ). Noterid platform with lateral margins subparallel (weakly convergent in posterior 2/3, convergent in anterior 1/3 (Fig. 4a View Figure 4 ); posterior lobes acute, angled, acutely rounded at apex. Profemur with loose comb of 3-5 stiff setae on anteroventral margin (Fig. 2a View Figure 2 ), posteroventral margin weakly angled at mid-length (Fig. 2a View Figure 2 ). Protibia elongate, dorsal and ventral margins weakly divergent distally in anterior aspect (Fig. 2a View Figure 2 ), anterodorsal margin with row of 6-7 stout setae, without distinctly larger seta near mid-length. Protarsi with adhesive discs on ventral surface of protarsomeres II and III, lacking disc on ventral surface of protarsomere I; protarsal claws as in Fig. 8a, b View Figures 8, 9 , subequal in length, small, length ca. 1/3 that of protarsomere V, anterior claw distinctly bifurcate in distal half, expanded basally, very sharply curved, posterior claw slender, weakly expanded basally, moderately curved. Mesotarsi with adhesive discs on ventral surface of protarsomere II only, lacking disc on ventral surface of protarsomere I; mesotarsal claws as in Fig. 8c, d View Figures 8, 9 , subequal in length, small, length slightly greater than that of protarsal claws, slender, weakly expanded at base and weakly curved.

Sculpture. Dorsal surface of head with microsculpture very weakly impressed, microreticulation very fine, meshes mostly indistinct; micropunctation nearly indistinct. Pronotum with microsculpture similar to that of head, microreticulation fine; with scattered punctation near base and lateral margin, lateral punctures moderately dense, some with very fine setae. Elytron with microsculpture weakly impressed, microreticulation very fine, nearly indistinct; with punctation sparse in anterior half, with fine punctures along lateral margin and along discal row, with very few to no punctures between discal row and elytral suture, punctate in posterior half, punctures fine, many with very fine setae; discal row composed of fine and irregularly scattered punctures, denser posteriorly, lateral row similar to discal row but more sparse; micropunctation present, evenly scattered. Noterid platform and metaventrite surface with microsculpture weakly to moderately impressed, very fine, meshes of microreticulation nearly indistinct, cells transversely elongated.

Aedeagus. Aedeagus as in Fig. 6 View Figures 6, 7 . Median lobe in lateral aspect gradually curved from base to apex, dorsal and ventral margins subparallel, converging at apex; apex acute, sharply curved, in ventral aspect subapically expanded and curved to left (Fig. 4a-c View Figure 4 ). Left lateral lobe in lateral aspect elongate, curved dorsally, with dense tuft of setae at apex (Fig. 6d View Figures 6, 7 ). Right lateral lobe in lateral aspect oval; apex rounded with small tuft of setae in apical cleft (Fig. 6e View Figures 6, 7 ).

Females. As males, except eyes slightly smaller than in males (HW/EW females = 2.21-2.39); profemur with posteroventral margin smooth, lacking weak angle at mid-length; pro and mesotarsomeres unmodified, slender, lacking adhesive discs; pro and mesotarsal claws unmodified, claws of respective tarsi subequal in length, slender, weakly curved.

Variation.

As this species is known from only a single series, it is difficult to assess the degree of intraspecific variation. However, some variation was observed in the relative lightness or darkness in coloration of the individuals, with some brighter in color, more yellow, and others darker in color, more brownish yellow. The darkened region of the elytra also varied somewhat, occupying 1/4 to greater than 1/3 of the basal region of the elytron.

Differential diagnosis.

Notomicrus josiahi is among the most easily distinguished species of Notomicrus by the combination of the large eyes, color pattern, shape of male protarsal claws and of male aedeagus. Superficially, N. josiahi is similar to some species of the N. meizon group in color, wherein N. meizon Guimarães & Ferreira-Jr, 2019, N. malkini Young, 1978 and other undescribed species are also darkened at the base of the elytra. However, in N. josiahi , this darkened area is better defined with the posterior border less oblique, thus expanding more completely over the humeral angles of the elytron. More distinctly, N. josiahi differs from these and other species by the much larger eyes and bifurcate protarsal claws (in males), which to date, has only been observed in N. interstinctus , N. brevicornis and the Notomicrus tenellus group. Among all other species of Notomicrus , the aedeagus of N. josiahi is distinct, with the right lateral lobe rounded and bearing a small tuft of setae at apex, rather than without setae, as in all other neotropical species.