Cryptophagus chthonius, Esser, 2021

Esser, Jens, 2021, Cryptophagus chthonius nov. sp. from Crete with remarks on further Cryptophagus HERBST, 1792 (Coleoptera, Cryptophagidae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 52 (2), pp. 967-972 : 968-970

Cryptophagus chthonius nov.sp. (figs. 1, 4, 7)

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotypus ♂: "(Nordwest-) Kreta, Umg. Georgioupoli, Ali Kampos, leg. A. Elbert, 25.4.1989 / Eiche geklopft" [cES]. Paratypus: 1 ♂ "26.3.73, Kreta, Lassithi-Hochebene, Dr.

Fülscher, Meybohm" [cES]. E t y m o l o g y: Named after Chthonia (Χθονία), an ancient name for Crete, what

means "with rich and gentle grounds".

D e s c r i p t i o n: Male, 2.4 mm, membranous wings fully developed. Uniformly reddish-brown, covered with pale pubescence (fig. 1).

Head without any features, eyes moderately large, puncture strong and dense.

Pronotum (fig. 4) transverse (1.6 x wider than long) with anterior callosities large and prominent, extended over the anterior quarter of the sides. Callosities forming a hook and are well separated from the remaining part of sides. Lateral teeth in the middle of the sides and well developed. Sides straight behind the lateral teeth, concave between lateral teeth and anterior callosities. Anterior margin nearly straight, posterior margin convex. Pronotum broadest between the tips of the callosities. Surface of the pronotum rather convex with a deep rim between disc and anterior callosities. Puncture strong and dense (as on head).

Elytra moderately elongated, sides nearly straight. Puncture somewhat finer than on pronotum, less dense. Hairs moderately long, with slightly outstanding hairs along the sides of elytra

Legs moderately slender, tarsi 5-segmented, posterior tarsi 4-segmented (the female is unknown and should have posterior tarsi also 5-segmented as common in Cryptophagus ). Tarsi strong and anterior tarsi feebly widened (probably not in female).

Antennae 11-segmented including a 3-segmented club. Segment 1 short and rounded, segment 2 somewhat longer, but smaller (elongated). Segment 3 more elongated, segments 4 to 8 more (segment 4) or less (segment 8) long as broad. Segments 9 and 10 transverse, segment 11 pear-shaped but asymmetrical.

Aedoeagus shown in fig. 7.

C o m m e n t: Resembles Cryptophagus turcicus GILLERFORS & OTERO, 1993 by the most features (fig. 2). But C. turcicus GILLERFORS & OTERO, 1993 differs by antennae more thick and a stronger but sparser puncture on pronotum and elytra (figs. 2, 5). Further there are characteristic features in parameres of both, C. chthonius nov.sp. (fig. 7) and C. turcicus GILLF. & OTERO (fig. 8). The new species further also resembles to C. jemeniticus ESSER, 2020 (figs. 3, 6, 9) from the Arabian Peninsula with more fine and dense punctuation on elytra and slender antennae with segment IX and X less transverse, pubescens longer and denser, less decumbent.

Fig. 1-3: Habitus of (1) Cryptophagus chthonius nov.sp., holotype, Crete; (2) C. turcicus GILLERFORS & OTERO, 1993, south Turkey; (3) C. jemeniticus ESSER, 2020, Yemen .

Fig. 4-6: Pronotum of (4) Cryptophagus chthonius nov.sp., holotype, Crete; (5) C. turcicus GILLERFORS & OTERO, 1993, south Turkey; (6) C. jemeniticus ESSER, 2020, Yemen .

Fig. 7-9: Parameres of (7) Cryptophagus chthonius nov.sp., holotype, Crete; (8) C. turcicus GILLERFORS & OTERO, 1993, south Turkey; (9) C. jemeniticus ESSER, 2020, Yemen .

Fig. 10-12: Habitus of Cryptophagus sp. : (10) C. cylindrus KIESENWETTER, 1858 ); (11) C. dentatus (HERBST, 1793) ; (12) C. fasciatus KRAATZ, 1852 .

Fig. 13-15: Habitus of Cryptophagus sp. : (13) C. insulicola ROUBAL, 1919 ; (14) C. laticollis LUCAS, 1846 ; (15) C. lycoperdi (SCOPOLI, 1763) .