Gonocnemis fouquei, Bremer & Grimm, 2017

Bremer, Hans J. & Grimm, Roland, 2017, The species of Gonocnemis and Paragonocnemis from Borneo with notes on synonymy in the Oriental species (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae (Acta. Ent. Mus. Natl. Pragae) 57 (2), pp. 331-343 : 336-338

Gonocnemis fouquei sp. nov.

(Figs 2a, 2b)

Gonocnemis astutus (probable misidentification): BREMER & LILLIG (2014): 94.

Gonocnemis laterufus (misidentification): ANDO et al. (2017): 130.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: sex not determined, Borneo, Malaysia, Sabah, Tenom , 10.–12.v.2005, R. Grimm leg. ( SMNS) . PARATYPES: 2 spec., Borneo, Malaysia, Sabah, Tambunan , 16.–19.i.2010, R. Grimm leg. (1 ♁ RGCN, 1 ZSM) ; 2 spec., same data, but 14.–17.iii.2013 ( RGCN) ; 1 spec., Malaysia, Sabah, Batu Punggul Resort env., intercept trap, 24.vii.–1.viii.1996 [without collector name] ( SMNS) ; 1 spec., Borneo, Sabah, Sepilok , 50 m, 12.–13. iii.2007, W.Schawaller leg. ( SMNS) ; 1 spec., Borneo, Sarawak, Miri, Lambir National Park , ZB3B-012, 20.viii.2003, Kishimoto-Yamada & Itioka leg., LUBL-10227 ( FRCS) [published as G. laterufus Pic, 1921 in ANDO et al. (2017)] .

Description. Body length 2.92–3.62 mm, body width 1.42–1.60 mm. Ratios: pronotum width / length 1.04–1.10, elytra length / width 1.41–1.50, length elytra / length pronotum 2.33–2.42, width elytra / width pronotum 1.44–1.58. Upper side brown (pronotum somewhat darker than elytra); legs brown, antennae somewhat darker brown than legs; underside brown, somewhat darker brown than femora.

Head. Frons very narrow, eyes on frons separated by only narrow area (in females?) or eyes touching each other (in males?). Eyes nearly surrounding genae. The latter are small, uprising, with rounded lateral margins which form valley in middle between them. In front of genae frons is steeply descending where they form trough (its width is equal to length of antennomere II). Fronto-clypeal suture deeply impressed. Labrum horizontal, densely punctured. Mentum reversely trapezoidal. Mandibles apically bifid, with upper part distinctly longer than the lower one. Antennae reaching end of base of elytra; last antennomere pointed.

Pronotum relatively narrow in comparison to elytra, slightly wider than long; widest in middle, towards front corners narrowing and bent, towards hind corners slightly narrowing and thence nearly subparallel or allusively sinuate; upper side very closely punctured with very short, caudad inclined hairs, ground of punctures microreticulated; anterior margin slightly emarginate; somewhat convex, convexity nearly approaching sides in frontal quarter, relatively narrow horizontal margin in hind half.

Scutellum allusively pentagonal.

Elytra short, distinctly wider than pronotum, oval with maximum width in middle; intervals 1 to 2 or to 3 scarcely carinate, intervals (3) or 4 to 8 with clearly recognizable carinae not interrupted on disc; carinae on each side with one row of short, apically inclined hairs which become well visible at 25× magnification.

Prosternum. Episterna separated from central prosternum by indistinct longitudinal carina. Prosternal process narrow, scarcely widened along procoxae, but with median groove there, horizontally projecting caudad, with upraising hairs.

Mesoventrite. Frontal part depressed; anterior margin of hind part deeply excavated, its lateral margins narrow and thrown up.

Metaventrite densely punctured; median line somewhat impressed in its posterior three quarters.

Ventrites closely punctured, with mostly recumbent hairs of medium length.

Legs. Profemora with large tooth; basal 2/5 of protibiae markedly bent and with wavy widening on inner side in anterior half; mesotibiae straight or slightly arcuate on outer side; metatibiae straight on outer side.

Aedeagus see Fig. 2b.

Differential diagnosis. Very similar to Gonocnemis fouquei sp. nov. are G. astutus Bremer, 2006 (from Thailand and Laos), G. borneensis Ardoin, 1964 , and G. schawalleri sp. nov. (from Borneo). Gonocnemis borneensis has approximately the same body length as G. fouquei ; on average the elytra of G. borneensis are slightly longer than those of G. fouquei , and the hairs on each side of the elytral carinae of G. borneensis are shorter and scarcely visible while in G. fouquei they are well visible at 25× magnification (especially in the apical region of elytra). On frons the eyes of G. borneensis are touching each other (in G. fouquei they are separated by a narrow plank in females (?) while those of males (?) are also touching each other in the middle).

Gonocnemis astutus has about the same body size and width of elytra as G. fouquei . The lateral margins of the pronotum of G. astutus in front of hind corners are subparallel and not allusively sinuate as in G. fouquei . Antennomeres VIII–X of G. astutus are distinctly shorter than those of G. fouquei . The aedeagi of both species are nearly identical.

For differences between G. schawalleri and G. fouquei see the key.

Etymology. Named in memory and honour of the late colleague René Fouquè (Liberec, Czech Republic).

Distribution. Malaysia: Sabah and Sarawak.

Remarks. In the catalogue of Amarygmini ( BREMER & LILLIG 2014) the occurrence of G. astutus on Borneo is mentioned. However, it is highly probable that the species was misidentified and in fact belongs to G. fouquei sp. nov.