Ceratophila (Ceratophila) sanchezae Tang, Skelley & Pérez-Farrera, 2018

Tang, William, Skelley, Paul & Pérez-Farrera, Miguel Angel, 2018, Ceratophila, a new genus of erotylid beetles (Erotylidae: Pharaxonothinae) inhabiting male cones of the cycad Ceratozamia (Cycadales: Zamiaceae), Zootaxa 4508 (2), pp. 151-178 : 165-167

Ceratophila (Ceratophila) sanchezae Tang, Skelley & Pérez-Farrera , new species

( Figs. 1D , 5 A–G; illustration 1E in Vovides 1991)

Adult diagnosis. Distinguished from other Ceratophila (Ceratophila) species by an unusually quadrate pronotum; dark maculation on elytra, when present, confined to suture and lateral margins, maculation well separated and not merging; male genitalia with length of penile strut relative to median lobe ~ 2:1; setae at apex of parameres with greatest length <dorsal width of parameres; and with a known distribution in Mexico, state of Veracruz, on Ceratozamia tenuis .

Adult male description. Length 3.25–4.65 mm, width 1.33–1.91 mm (n = 10). Body in dorsal view elongateoval, greatest width at middle of elytra; in lateral view convex dorsally. General body color brown ( Figs. 5 A–E), head and pronotum concolorous and darker than base of elytra; central portion of elytra usually with a narrow black to dark brown coloration fading gradually to light brown at base and apex, lateral portion of elytra with more prominent dark coloration; dorsal surface punctate, shining and appearing glabrous, short procumbent hairs associated with punctation along lateral sides and declivity of elytra, ventrally shining and appearing glabrous except mesoventrite and abdomen mostly covered with long procumbent setae.

Head not broad, width = 0.66–0.68× pronotal width; in dorsal view conical, gradually narrowed anteriorly, surface flat to slightly convex, finely, moderately punctured ( Figs. 5A, E ), average distance between closest punctures 2× width of puncture; width 0.78–0.92 mm; dorsal interocular distance 0.45–0.58 mm, head width/dorsal interocular distance ratio 1.52–1.63, ventral interocular distance 0.28–0.39 mm, head width/ventral interocular distance ratio 2.38–2.78. Eye with large black facets. Antennal length slightly shorter than pronotal width, 1.2× head width; antennomere I (scape) fairly large, slightly elongate; antennomere II slightly smaller than III; IV–VII small, width equals length; VIII width 2× more than length; club fairly large, IX and similar in length, XI slightly longer, globular with angulate apex. Clypeus truncate anteriorly, moderately punctate; somewhat emarginate, with narrow margin. Mentum and submentum with moderate punctation, distance between nearest punctures approximately 1× own diameter, each puncture with a short seta. Gular area smooth, without punctation or setae, border with submentum usually with a shallow depression without punctation, but usually with a shallowly impressed circular or semicircular border along anterior margin ( Fig. 5D ).

Thorax with pronotum quadrate in dorsal view, length/width ratio 0.80–0.84; with marginal beads laterally and basally, anterior margin lacking distinct bead medially; convex; anterior and posterior angles weakly developed; basal ¼ expanding to parallel lateral carinae, then gradually converging in apical ½; posterior margin slightly projecting medially, projection beginning approximately by pair of small, dark pores located 1/7 length of posterior margin from posterior corners and touching and just anterior to marginal bead, longitudinal furrows lacking. Prosternum in ventral view convex; anterior margin slightly emarginate, finely denticulate with row of long, anteriorly directed setae, longest setae approximately ½ length of eye. Hypomeron laterally with few minute punctures, medially with longitudinal striations. Elytra in dorsal view elongate-oval, convex; length/width 1.56– 1.66, greatest width near midlength; without marginal line basally; 10 complete striae of moderate puncture size; scutellary striole extending ¼ elytral length, with 10–15 punctures; intervals of striae with fine, shallow punctures. All punctures of elytral striae bearing a single short seta; seta only visible in profile, extending slightly out of puncture. Mesoventrite with moderate to strong punctation, distance between nearest punctures approximately equal to diameter of punctures, puncture depth moderate. Metaventrite dulled laterally, with strong lateral punctation separated by 2–3× own diameter; medial surface smooth, glossy, finely punctured, separated by 5–6× own diameter; convex laterally. Metaventrite long, convex laterally, slightly impressed medially, metathoracic discrimen extending slightly over half metaventrite length. Legs stout, relatively similar in length and shape. Procoxa oval; mesocoxa globular; metacoxa transversely elongate-oval; trochanters obliquely truncate apically; femora robust, moderately compressed laterally; tibiae shorter than femora, gradually dilated to obliquely truncate apices; protibia with disto-lateral tooth ( Figs. 5 A–C), with apical fringe of short, stout spinules of posterior margin lacking along concave medial margin (row broken) and long stout setae on anterior margin; meso- and metatibia with apical fringe of short, stout spinules on anterior margin, longer setae on posterior margins.

Abdomen. Ventrite I with intercoxal process narrow, with triangular point anteromedially; lateral edges slightly projected, lateral and posterior margins arcuate, converging posteriorly; anterior and posterior margins of ventrites more or less straight; ventrite I longer medially than II; II–IV subequal in length; V slightly longer than IV with lateral margins converging posteriorly to a rounded apex; apical margin bearing short, dense setae; all ventrites bearing moderate, shallow punctation, distance to nearest puncture approximately 1× diameter of puncture, punctures bearing mostly reclining setae; ventrite V with setae length nearly uniformly approximately 2× diameter of puncture; ventrites I–IV with punctation and setae confined to median band, setae length approximately 1× diameter of puncture along anterior edge of band increasing to approximately 3× diameter along posterior edge; I–IV each with 2 or more median pairs of longer, semi-erect sensory hairs (often abraded), V with 2–3 pairs of long semi-erect hairs located postero-laterally. Male genital capsule fringed with fine setae. Male genitalia (tegmen and median lobe) oriented upside down (displayed right side up in Fig. 5F to facilitate comparisons). Tegmen sclerotized, triangular, laterally compressed; with anterior region ring-like, posterior region sheath-like; lateral margins gradually converging posteriorly; apically with 2 elongate, slightly flattened parameres. Parameres in dorso-ventral view length/width ratio = 3.14–3.20; apically with setae, length of longest setae <width of paramere in dorso-ventral view. Aedeagus with median lobe laterally compressed, sclerotized, in lateral view strongly curved, apex tapering to rounded point. Ratio of penile strut length to median lobe length 1.90 (n = 1).

Female similar to male.

Type locality. Mexico, Veracruz, Cerro Coacoatzintla .

Range. As currently understood, this species is known to inhabit Ceratozamia tenuis (Dyer) D.W.Stev. & Vovides , which occurs in the vicinity north of Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico.

Material examined. Holotype (by designation) male of C. sanchezae with the following labels: 1) [rectangular; white; printed in black ink] “ MEXICO, Veracruz, Cerro Coacoatzintla, ♂ cone Ceratozamia tenuis , 28-II-1995, Y. Sanchez Tinoco”; 2) [rectangular; red; printed in black ink] HOLOTYPE ♂ Ceratophila sanchezae Tang, Skelley & Pérez-Farrera 2018 . Deposited in the FSCA. Allotype (FSCA) same data as holotype and 399 adult paratypes: MEXICO: Veracruz, Jilotepec, El Esquilón, 1300m, ex male cone of Ceratozamia mexicana [now C. tenuis ], 10-III-1989, A. P. Vovides, (133); Cerro Coacoatzintla, ♂ cone Ceratozamia tenuis , 28-II-1 995, Y. Sanchez Tinoco (266). Paratypes deposited at ANIC, BMNH, FSCA, IEXA, INBio, MNHN, NZAC, UNAM, USNM.

Etymology. The species is named in honor of Maria Ydelia Sánchez Tinoco, who collected most of the type series of this species, as well as other species studied in this paper, and for her contributions to the reproductive biology of Ceratozamia ( Sánchez-Tinoco et al. 2000) and other Mexican cycads.

Remarks. Type specimens of this species are limited to those collected on Ceratozamia tenuis , a species recently described by Vovides et al. (2016). Prior to 2016 this host had been erroneously identified as C. mexicana Brongn. , a species now understood to occur only in the vicinity of El Mirador, further south in Veracruz. Besides Ceratozamia tenuis , several other species of Ceratozamia occur in the rugged terrain of western Veracruz, including C. brevifrons Miq. , C. delucana Vázq.Torres, A.Moretti & Carvajal-Hern. , C. haustecorum Avendaño, Vovides & Cast. -Campos, C. mexicana and Ceratozamia morettii Vázq.Torres & Vovides. The possible occurrence of Ceratophila sanchezae in these species is currently being investigated by the authors. In one cone of Ceratozamia tenuis sampled Ceratophila (C.) sanchezae accounted for 22% of 1079 adult Pharaxonothinae collected, while C. (Vovidesa) vazquezi accounted for 7%. An undescribed species of Pharaxonotha accounted for the remaining 71% of adult beetles in the cone.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Key characters of adults: base of head, pronotum and base of elytra, dorsal view: A) Pharaxonotha sp. collected from Ceratozamia tenuis; B) Ceratophila (C.) chemnicki; pronotal left lateral margins: C) Pharaxonotha sp. from Ceratozamia tenuis; D) Ceratophila (C.) sanchezae; E) Ceratophila (Uovidesa) chiapensis from Ceratozamia vovidesii; right metatibiae of male individuals, posterior view: F) Ceratophila (C.) gregoryi; G) C. (U.) mixeorum; b: basal bead of elytra; s: stridulatory files.

FIGURE 5. Photographs of Ceratophila (Ceratophila) sanchezae (A–E: female allotype): A–C) dorsal, ventral and lateral and habitus; D–E) head, ventral and lateral views; F) median lobe still attached with tegmen, ventral and lateral views; G) male genital capsule, ventral view.