Falsocis brasiliensis, Lopes-Andrade, Cristiano, 2007

Lopes-Andrade, Cristiano, 2007, Notes on Falsocis Pic (Coleoptera: Tenebrionoidea: Ciidae), with the description of an endangered Brazilian species, Zootaxa 1544, pp. 41-58 : 47-51

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.177945
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6246599
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/FF768786-FFBC-FFF5-FF1B-85ABFE99FF28
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Falsocis brasiliensis
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Falsocis brasiliensis sp. nov. ( Figs 7–24 View FIGURES 7 – 8 View FIGURES 9 – 10 View FIGURES 11 – 12 View FIGURES 13 – 16 View FIGURES 17 – 19 View FIGURES 20 – 23 View FIGURE 24 )

Falsocis sp. in Lopes-Andrade (2002).

Etymology

The specific epithet refers to Brazil, terra typica of this species.

Diagnosis

The species may be distinguished from F. opacus by the smaller body length (2.8mm or less), pronotal punctation sparse, and epipleura large at base and tapering to basal third, then continuing as a narrow line. Males have the corners of the frontoclypeal ridge produced upwards to form a pair of lateral horns ( Fig. 10 View FIGURES 9 – 10 ), and apex of the anterior pronotal plate bearing a patch of long setae on either side ( Figs 7 View FIGURES 7 – 8 , 9–11 View FIGURES 9 – 10 View FIGURES 11 – 12 ).

Description

Holotype. ♂, measurements in mm: TL 2.20; PL 0.90; PW 1.20; EL 1.30; EW 1.30; GD 1.15. Ratios: PL/ PW 0.75; EL/EW 1.00; EL/PL 1.44; GD/EW 0.88; TL/EW 1.69. Body oblong, strongly convex, reddish brown. Head concave on dorsum, with disc slightly convex; frontoclypeal ridge produced upwards, with corners forming lateral long horns produced upwards and slightly curved backwards ( Figs 8 View FIGURES 7 – 8 , 10 View FIGURES 9 – 10 ) and bearing two small, inconspicuous tubercles between them ( Fig. 10 View FIGURES 9 – 10 ). Antennae ( Figs. 14 View FIGURES 13 – 16 , 17 View FIGURES 17 – 19 ) with length of the antennomeres (in mm) as follows: 0.080; 0.048; 0.036; 0.031; 0.027; 0.022; 0.019; 0.055; 0.054; 0.087. Pronotum strongly convex, dorsum with irregular, distinct, single punctation; punctures broad, uniform in size, separated by a distance of one to three puncture widths; each puncture bearing a small and decumbent or a stout and erect yellowish seta; interstices between punctures smooth; lateral corners angulate and produced forwards ( Fig. 8 View FIGURES 7 – 8 ); antero-lateral margins (beyond lateral angles) curved upwards and bearing a row of small setae; anterior edge strongly developed forwards to form a plate that narrows towards a straight anterior edge, this edge bearing a tuft of long setae on either side ( Figs 7–9 View FIGURES 7 – 8 View FIGURES 9 – 10 ). Scutellum triangular ( Fig. 13 View FIGURES 13 – 16 ), with punctures bearing suberect setae. Elytra strongly convex, sides (seen from above) slightly diverging for the first three quarters of their lengths, then converging towards their apices; disc with distinct, irregular and single punctation; punctures and their setae similar to those on pronotum; interstices between punctures smooth; lateral and apical margins not visible from above ( Fig. 7 View FIGURES 7 – 8 ), curving downwards ( Fig. 9 View FIGURES 9 – 10 ); epipleura tapering to basal third, then continuing as a narrow line until apex ( Figs 9 View FIGURES 9 – 10 , 11 View FIGURES 11 – 12 , 16 View FIGURES 13 – 16 ). Hindwings fully developed ( Fig. 19 View FIGURES 17 – 19 ). First abdominal ventrite with a margined setose patch ( Fig. 16 View FIGURES 13 – 16 ).

Male genitalia

Genitalia ( Figs 20–22 View FIGURES 20 – 23 , paratypes) with ninth segment V-shaped; eighth sternite ( Fig. 21 View FIGURES 20 – 23 ) with corners angulate and slightly produced, leaving an anterior margin curved inwards; aedeagus ( Figs 20, 22 View FIGURES 20 – 23 ) subquadrate, twice as long as wide; basal piece not observed (therefore possibly membranous); tegmen four times as wide as median lobe, and apex bearing a V-shape emargination in ventral view ( Fig. 20 View FIGURES 20 – 23 , arrow); median lobe (penis) cylindrical, slightly shorter than tegmen.

Females

Frontoclypeal ridge devoid of lateral horns, corners obtusely angulate. Pronotum ( Fig. 12 View FIGURES 11 – 12 ) with anterior edge just slightly produced forwards, bearing a row of small setae but without patches of long setae; anterior margin broadly rounded. First abdominal ventrite devoid of setose patch. Genitalia ( Fig. 23 View FIGURES 20 – 23 ) with a distinct pair of gonostyli at apex; gonocoxites transversely divided in four parts; basal gonocoxites with a pair of transversal baculi; gonostyli and gonocoxites around 0.65X the length of paraproct and proctiger together; both paraproct and proctiger with a pair of longitudinal baculi; spiculum ventrale smaller than gonostyli, gonocoxites and paraproct together.

Type series

Holotype. ♂ ( MZSP), Brazil: labeled / BRASIL: MG Viçosa x.2000 leg. C. Lopes-Andrade [printed]/ Falsocis brasiliensis Lopes-Andrade HOLOTYPUS [printed in red paper]/. Paratypes. Brazil: 2♂♂, 2ΨΨ ( LAPC), same data as holotype; 3♂♂, 1Ψ / BRASIL: MG Viçosa, Mata da Biologia 20.i.2002 leg C. Lopes- Andrade [printed]/; 3♂♂, 1Ψ ( LAPC) / BRASIL: ES Venda Nova do Imigrante 31.v.2002 leg. R. Falqueto/; 3♂♂, 3Ψ (1Ψ completely dissected, LAPC; 1Ψ preserved for molecular analysis, SMTD; remaining specimens at LAPC) labeled / BRASIL: BA Jussari; “ RPPN Serra do Teimoso”; 23.iii a 17.iv.2005 leg. K. S. Furieri/. All paratypes with a second label / Falsocis brasiliensis Lopes-Andrade PARATYPUS [printed in yellow paper]/.

Variation

Males (n = 10. including the holotype), measurements in mm: TL 2.00–2.80 (2.26 ± 0.22); PL 0.80–1.15 (0.89 ± 0.11); PW 1.10–1.45 (1.24 ± 0.10); EL 1.25–1.65 (1.36 ± 0.11); EW 1.25–1.55 (1.37 ± 0.09); GD 1.05–1.25 (1.13 ± 0.06). Ratios: PL/PW 0.65–0.79 (0.72 ± 0.04); EL/EW 0.93–1.04 (0.99 ± 0.04); EL/PL 1.42–1.69 (1.54 ± 0.10); GD/EW 0.78–0.88 (0.83 ± 0.04); TL/EW 1.54–1.81 (1.65 ± 0.07).

Females (n = 5), measurements in mm: TL 2.00–2.35 (2.15 ± 0.15); PL 0.75–0.95 (0.81 ± 0.08); PW 1.15–1.25 (1.20 ± 0.05); EL 1.25–1.45 (1.33 ± 0.09); EW 1.25–1.40 (1.34 ± 0.05); GD 1.05–1.20 (1.11 ± 0.05). Ratios: PL/PW 0.65–0.76 (0.67 ± 0.06); EL/EW 0.93–1.07 (0.99 ± 0.05); EL/PL 1.47–1.93 (1.65 ± 0.17); GD/EW 0.78–0.88 (0.83 ± 0.04); TL/EW 1.48–1.68 (1.60 ± 0.08).

Specimens from Jussari are darker than the ones from Viçosa and Venda Nova do Imigrante. Their male genitalia are slightly smaller, but their general morphology is not sufficiently different to suggest that they comprise a distinct species or subspecies. When carefully compared, the external morphology and the morphology of male genitalia from the three known localities varies little among specimens.

Biology and Distribution

All known specimens were collected in basidiocarps of an unidentified species of Phellinus Quél. (Hymenochaetaceae) . Live specimens were observed feeding on the dorsum of the basidiocarp, making convex excavations on its surface (pers. obs.). Other Ciidae species usually explore the basidiocarp from the ventral to the dorsal surface.

Falsocis brasiliensis sp. nov. was found just in three small Atlantic Forest remnants ( Fig. 24 View FIGURE 24 ), as follows: (i) “ Mata da Biologia” remnant (around 75ha), Viçosa county in the state of Minas Gerais (20º45’S, 42º52’W); (ii) valley of Lavrinhas, rural area of Venda Nova do Imigrante county in the state of Espírito Santo (20º20’S, 41º08’W); (iii) “ RPPN Serra do Teimoso”, Jussari county in the state of Bahia (Cocoa Coast; 15º11'S, 39º29'W), a small private protected area (around 200ha). In Viçosa, just eleven specimens (nine included in the type series) were collected, as a result of considerable collection effort between 1999 and 2006. In Jussari, specimens collected were bred in laboratory from April 2005 to August 2006, when the last live female was found. Including the remains of dead specimens and the six specimens included in the type series, around three generations succeeded in each of two basidiocarps collected in Jussari. In this case, generations were estimated as the number of dead couples found sequentially in the fungi from April 2005 up to August 2006.