Teslasena Fleutiaux, 1892

Rosa, Simone Policena, 2014, Phylogenetic analysis and taxonomic revision of Physodactylinae (Coleoptera, Elateridae), Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia (São Paulo) 54 (18), pp. 217-292 : 227-229

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.1590/0031-1049.2014.54.18
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/7B52527A-2408-FF8D-7468-647DF1EFFBEB
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Teslasena Fleutiaux, 1892
status

Treatment

Anelastes Kirby, 1857 View in CoL (pars); Lucas, 1857: 71.

Physodactylus Fischer von Waldheim, 1823 (pars); Bonvouloir, 1875: 711.

Teslasena Fleutiaux, 1892: 405 , 410; Schwarz, 1906: 310, 313; Schenkling, 1927: 509; Golbach, 1994: 27; Chassain, 2005: 65.

Type species (by monotypy): Anelastes femoralis Lucas, 1857 .

Diagnosis (male): Mandible falcate, unidentate, antennae reaching or surpassing the posterior angles of pronotum, pronotal sides rounded with lateral carina directed dorsad anteriorly, not reaching the anterior margin of pronotum, prosternal process strongly curved with apex sagittiform in dorsal view, tapered in lateral view; scutellum pentagonal; metafemur strongly convex with dorsal margin rounded, tibiae widened apicad, protibia with dorsal apical angle acute and produced, tarsomeres simple, claws bifid, elytral striae with a median and two lateral rows of punctures, the lateral ones smaller and each one bearing a seta.

Distribution: BRAZIL.

Redescription (male): Integument ( Figs. 34B, C View FIGURE 34 ) shiny, evenly light brown to black or colored in variable patterns; dorsal surface glabrous, except for the scutellum, base of pronotum, elytral base and striae, which are covered with yellow setae in most, ventral surface densely covered by decumbent to semi-erect yellow setae. Total length: 7.5-12.0 mm; elytral base as wide as prothorax, elytra 2.6-3.1x longer than pronotum.

Head ( Fig. 2B View FIGURE 2 ) directed anteroventrally, anterior margin of frons straight or rounded; frontal carina complete, not produced anteriad; frontoclypeal region ( Fig. 2C View FIGURE 2 ) steeply declivous to base of labrum 3.0-3.7x wider than long; punctation double, smaller punctures heterogeneously distributed, larger punctures sparse anteriorly, 0.2-0.5 diameters apart posteriorly. Antenna ( Fig. 2A View FIGURE 2 ) with 11 antennomeres, antennomere II globular, III-XI serrate, III 2.5-2.7x longer than II. IEP 0.21-0.45. Labrum ( Fig. 2D View FIGURE 2 ) convex, 2.5 times wider than long, densely and coarsely punctate, covered with long setae. Mandible ( Fig. 2E View FIGURE 2 ) falcate, unidentate, laterodorsal face punctate with long and short setae, lateral edge evenly or abruptly curved to apex, mesobasal margin translucent and covered with microsetae. Maxilla ( Fig. 32A, 32B View FIGURE 32 ) with medistipes partly fused to basistipes; medistipes triangular wider than long with several short and fine setae and one long and stiff seta; galea oval, outer anterior part covered with long setae, inner part with denser and shorter setae; lacinia elongate, acutely narrowed apicad, densely pilose. Labium ( Fig. 32C View FIGURE 32 ): prementum with anterolateral angles strongly produced laterad, anterior margin fringed by short and fine setae; palpigers contiguous, palpomere II with 2-3 long and stiff setae. Maxillary and labial apical palpomere securiform.

Pronotum ( Figs. 2 View FIGURE 2 F-H) weakly convex 1.1-1.3x wider than long with lateral margins rounded, anterior margin straight or rounded and weakly produced anteriad; lateral carina not reaching the anterior margin, directed dorsad anteriorly, entirely visible on dorsal view ( Fig. 32D View FIGURE 32 ), with double punctation heterogeneously distributed, larger punctures predominant on disc, lateral and anterior margins; posterior border densely punctate with the smallest punctures, larger punctures sparse; anterior angles indistinct; posterior angles non-carinate, narrow, acute and divergent. Hypomeron ( Fig. 2H View FIGURE 2 ) with heterogeneous double punctation 1-3 diameters apart anteriorly, gradually sparser posteriad, smooth on anterior 1/5-1/4, posterior margin with an inverted V-shaped notch near the posterior angle. Notosternal suture ( Fig. 2F View FIGURE 2 ) straight, hypomera not margined. Prosternum ( Fig. 2F View FIGURE 2 ) 1.0-1.1x longer than wide, with homogeneous double punctation, 0.5-1.0 diameter apart, smaller punctures predominant; anterior margin straight, covering mentum. Prosternal process ( Figs. 2F, H View FIGURE 2 ) 2.2-2.4x longer than diameter of procoxae; ventral surface laterally compressed and ascending at about 45° to apex. Procoxal cavity closed.

Pterothorax ( Figs. 2 View FIGURE 2 I-K): Mesoventrite with posterior region inclined about 60° above of the anterior region ( Fig. 2K View FIGURE 2 ), with anterior articulating surfaces short and weakly concave; lateral lobes narrow, directed lateroposteriad; borders of mesoventral cavity straight divergent posteriad on anterior 2/3, convergent on apical third. Mesocoxal cavity closed, free trochantin absent; mesepisternum with a weak carina anteromedially ( Fig. 2J View FIGURE 2 ). Mesometaventral suture distinct. Metaventrite 1.40-1.48x wider than long, 1.57-1.62x longer than mesoventrite, with double punctation; metepisternum 6 times longer than wide. Scutellum pentagonal 1.0-1.3 longer than wide with anterior margin straight, abruptly elevated above the level of mesoscutum. Metanotum ( Fig. 2L View FIGURE 2 ) with prescutum separated medially from the scutum by a median membranous; posterior part of the scutellum elongate, with a longitudinal apodeme. Elytra with apices conjointly rounded, striae with a median row of punctures without seta and a pair of lateral row of minuscule puncture each one bearing a seta ( Fig. 32F View FIGURE 32 ); interstices flat on humeral region, convex posteriorly, smooth; epipleura gradually narrowed posteriad to metacoxa ( Fig. 32G View FIGURE 32 ). Hind wing ( Fig. 2M View FIGURE 2 ) with radial cell about 2x longer than wide, CuA 1 and wedge cell absent; apex with anterior, median and posterior field sclerotizations; anal notch present.

Metacoxa inclined 28°-30° in relation to the transverse axis of body; inner third 1.7-2.1x longer than the dorsal outer 2/3; ventral part abruptly narrowed laterally with inner third 3.9-5.7x longer than outer 2/3; free margin of metacoxal plate absent ( Fig. 2I View FIGURE 2 ). Tibiae with 8-14 spiniform setae along each outer and inner apical border ( Fig. 32K View FIGURE 32 ), dorsal margin covered with several irregular rows of spiniform setae, outer and inner surface covered with fine setae. Protibia 2.6-2.9x wider at apex than at base, with dorsal margin rugose, slightly curved or sinuous with apical angle acute and produced inwards ( Fig. 32H View FIGURE 32 ). Mesotibia 2.2-2.6x wider at apex than at base, with dorsal apical angle acute ( Fig. 32I View FIGURE 32 ). Metatibia 2.7-3.1x wider at apex than at base with apical dorsal angle acute and produced laterad ( Fig. 32J View FIGURE 32 ). Pro- and mesofemur subrectangular and convex; metafemur strongly convex with dorsal margin curved 1.7-1.9x longer than wide; metatrochanter less convex than metafemur. Tarsomeres ( Fig. 32K View FIGURE 32 ) simple decreasing in length from I-IV, V shorter than III and IV together, densely covered with short setae; ventral surface of tarsomere I and apical borders of tarsomeres I-IV with long spiniform setae. Claws bifid ( Fig. 32L View FIGURE 32 ).

Abdominal ventrites ( Figs. 2N, O View FIGURE 2 ) densely covered with short and decumbent setae on lateral 3/4, setae short to moderately long and semidecumbent medially, with punctation double homogenously distributed 0.5-1.0 diameter apart; marginal plate absent laterally, present on the posterior corner of ventrites 1-4 forming an acute and produced angle directed posteriad; ventrite 1 with lateral part 3.6-7.0x longer than the median part, 2-3 subequal in length, 4 shorter than 3 medially; ventrite 5 flat, pentagonal 1.5-2.1x wider than long. Pregenitalic segments and aedeagus covered with yellow setae. Tergite VIII ( Fig. 2P View FIGURE 2 ) evenly sclerotized V-shaped with short setae on lateroposterior margin, anterior sclerotized margin curved with or without a median V-shaped notch; sternite VIII (2Q) evenly sclerotized or with a pair of circular membranous areas anteromedially, triangular to pentagonal with apex rounded, marginate or notched, covered with moderately to long setae posteriorly, anterior sclerotized margin straight or sinuous; sternite IX ( Fig. 2R View FIGURE 2 ) fused to tergite IX at midlength of sternite IX, with anteromedian region membranous, latero-anterior margins sclerotized and strut-like; lateroposterior margins parallel or gradually narrowed posteriad, apex rounded with short and long setae; tergite IX ( Fig. 2S View FIGURE 2 ) with anterior margin curved, apical lobes rounded, glabrous; tergite X ( Fig. 2S View FIGURE 2 ) with apex membranous, suboval, smooth and glabrous, evenly sclerotized in most.

Aedeagus ( Figs. 2 View FIGURE 2 T-V): Phallobase arch-shaped, lateroposterior parts parallel-sided, anterior margin with a pair of lateral acute and produced process, about 0.3x the total length of aedeagus, 0.8-1.1x longer than wide. Parameres tapered apicad with apex rounded; apex evenly sclerotized with one seta on each ventral and dorsal surface; dorsal surface as sclerotized as the ventral one with an oblique and elongate notch; parameres dorsally attached to penis at its midlength by a translucent membrane. Penis posterior to struts with basal part triangular, posterior part narrow, parallel-sided 0.77-1.47x as long as the triangular basal part; with or without a very small ventral sclerite (about 1/8 the penis length); basal struts about 0.5x the total length of penis.

Remarks: The autapomorphies identified from Teslasena femoralis in the cladisitc analysis are shared by Teslasena foucarti , making them apparent synapomorphies of both species. Teslasena species are most similar to Globothorax latidens by the pronotum convex with sides strongly rounded. Nevertheless the combination of several characters (elytral striae in three rows, apex of hind wing with three sclerotizations, tarsal claws bifid, protibiae broadened apicad with dorsal apical angle strongly prominent and the marginal plates of abdominal ventrites 2-3 strongly prominent) distinguishes Teslasena species from Globothorax latidens . Besides, Teslasena differs from G. latidens in ( G. latidens characters in parentheses): procoxae and mesocoxae closed (open), mesoventrite more inclined posteriorly (almost horizontal), prementum with latero-anterior angles prominent (non-prominent), frons carinate (non-carinate), mandible smaller, labrum without anterior fringe of setae (fringed with setae), shape of metatibiae and hind wing with three sclerotizations (two) (illustrations of G. latidens in Rosa, 2011).

I have examined only photos of Globothorax chevrolati Fleutiaux, 1891 , the type-species of the genus (figs. 105-107 in Rosa, 2011). This species is known only by female, which make comparisons with Teslasena species difficult, since these species are known only by males. Nevertheless, some differences not observed elsewhere to have been related to sexual dimorphism in elaterids can be pointed out between Teslasena and G. chevrolati (the latter in parentheses): labrum pentagonal (semi-elliptical), pronotum without notch between hind angle and median line (notched), prosternal process tapered in profile (truncate), free margin of metacoxal plate absent (present), claws bifid (trifid) and elytral striae with three rows of heterogeneous punctures (two rows of homogeneous punctures).

Teslasena species are similar to Patriciella from Australia ( Calder, 1996 and specimen examined) sharing falcate mandibles, pronotum convex with sides rounded, prosternal process curved posteriad of coxae and tapered in lateral view, the shape of protibia, with dorsal margin sinuous and dorso-apical angle acute and produced, the metatrochanter and metafemur strongly convex and widened dorsoventrally, the absence of free margin of metacoxal plate and abdominal marginal plate well developed. Teslasena differs from this fossorial cardiophorine in the presence of a lateral carina on pronotum, absence of the median occipital carina, procoxal cavity closed, meso and metatibia with dorso-apical angle less produced and tarsal claws bifid.