Cis regius Orsetti & Lopes-Andrade

Orsetti, Artur & Lopes-Andrade, Cristiano, 2016, Cis regius, a new species of Cis Latreille (Coleoptera: Ciidae) from Southern Africa, Zootaxa 4139 (1), pp. 145-150 : 146-147

Cis regius Orsetti & Lopes-Andrade , sp. nov.

Figs 1–10

Type locality. “Prince Alfred’s Pass” (route 339), coordinates 33º58’S, 23º09’E (Diepwalle Forest, north of Knysna).

Etymology. The specific epithet is from the Latin “ regius ”, which means “regal”, in reference to the head of males bearing four subtriangular plates that somewhat resembles a crown.

Diagnosis. Pronotum in both genders with anterior portion bearing setae much longer than in the remaining pronotal surface (female, Fig. 4 ; more conspicuous in male, Fig. 1 , arrow). Elytra with vestiture of seriate bristles. In males, the anterior edge of head is projected into four short subtriangular plates with rounded apices ( Fig. 5 , small arrows); and the anterior portion of occiput bears a small but conspicuous tubercle at middle ( Fig. 5 , big arrow). In male genitalia, the tegmen has a subtriangular apical portion delimited by lateral excavations ( Fig. 8 , arrows); the penis is narrow and elongate ( Fig. 9 ). In females, the ovipositor bears an inner protuberance in each apical gonocoxite, at the side of each gonostylus ( Fig. 10 , arrows).

Description, male holotype ( Figs 1–3, 5, 6 ) Fully pigmented adult lacking the following structures: club and funicle of left antenna, left protibia and mesotibia, right metatibia, and most tarsomeres. Measurements in mm: TL 1.56, PL 0.63, PW 0.76, EL 0.94, EW 0.77, GD 0.67. Ratios: PL/PW 0.82, EL/EW 1.22, EL/PL 1.51, GD/EW 0.86, TL/EW 2.03. Body elongate, convex, evenly reddish brown; dorsal vestiture of pale yellowish bristles easily discernible in low magnifications (<50X); ventral vestiture of pale yellowish slender decumbent setae, most abundant on abdomen. Head with dorsal surface microreticulate, but unpunctated, and bearing four short subtriangular plates with rounded apices ( Fig. 5 , small arrows), which let the anterior portion of head somewhat resembling a crown; vertex concave; occiput with a conspicuous tubercle projected forward, placed at the middle of the anterior portion ( Fig. 5 , big arrow). Antennae bearing ten antennomeres, as follows (in mm, right antenna measured): 0.06, 0.06, 0.04, 0.03, 0.02, 0.02, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.07 (FL 0.13, CL 0.17, CL/FL 1.31). Eyes coarsely facetted, with about 75 ommatidia; GW 0.13 mm. Pronotum with dual punctation, the coarse punctures separated from each other by one to two puncture-widths; surface between punctures conspicuously microreticulate; small punctures devoid of setae and large punctures bearing short setae (~ 0.03 mm); anterior portion with scattered long slender setae (0.07–0.09 mm; Fig. 1 , arrow), this area is slightly downgraded, which is better seen in lateral view ( Fig. 2 ); lateral to anterior edges broadly rounded and bearing a row of slender setae; lateral edges weakly crenulate, narrowly explanate, not visible when seen from above. Scutellum subtrapezoidal, glabrous and almost unpunctate; BW 0.08. Elytra with single and confuse punctation, denser and more uniform than that of pronotum; surface in between punctures somewhat rugose, shiner than pronotum; vestiture of seriate setae (0.04–0.05 mm). Hind wings developed, apparently functional. Hypomera with very fine and sparse punctation; each puncture bearing a very slender seta; surface a bit irregular, but not microreticulate. Prosternum in front of coxae biconcave; surface conspicuously microreticulate. Prosternal process parallel-sided, as long as prosternum at midline, apex slightly curved inwards. Procoxae subconical, but not extending beyond the level of prosternum. Protibiae expanded at apex, three times as long as broad; long setae concentrated at the second half; external facet with fewer setae. Meso- and metatibiae four times as long as broad and not expanded at apex; outer facet bearing a row of setae, with the longest setae placed close to apex. Metaventrite with a few sparse short setae and small punctures; surface between punctures microreticulate; discrimen about one-fourth the length of metaventrite at midline. Abdominal ventrites microreticulate and with fine sparse punctures, most of them bearing a slender decumbent seta; length of ventrites (in mm, from base to apex at the longitudinal midline) as follows: 0.25, 0.09, 0.09, 0.09, 0.09; first ventrite bearing a slightly oval, margined setose sex patch at its center ( Fig. 6 ), with a transverse diameter of 0.06 mm. Male abdominal terminalia in a paratype ( Figs 7–9 ) with sternite VIII ( Fig. 7 ) subtrapezoidal, the posterior margin slightly sinuous and bearing long slender setae at the sides. Tegmen ( Fig. 8 ) 4.3X as long as wide, subparallel-sided; apical portion subtriangular, delimited by lateral excavations ( Fig. 8 , arrows) and bearing several sensilla; apex rounded. Penis ( Fig. 9 ) a bit longer than tegmen, about 6X as long as wide and subparallel-sided; apex slightly enlarged and membranous.

Females ( Fig. 4 ). Similar to males, but devoid of secondary sexual features (i.e. abdominal sex patch, head plates and occipital tubercle) and surface of head punctate. Females also have an area of higher density of long setae at the anteriormost portion of pronotum, but less conspicuous than in males. Female abdominal terminalia ( Fig. 10 ; spiculum ventrale not shown) with spiculum ventrale near as long as ovipositor. Ovipositor with gonocoxites transversally divided into three parts; apical gonocoxites each bearing a conspicuous stylus (=gonostylus) and an inner protuberance bearing an apical seta ( Fig. 10 , arrows); paraprocts short, about 0.75X the length of gonocoxites together; proctiger with its opening positioned near the dorsal rim of the second gonocoxites; each paraproctal baculum fused apically with a proctigeral baculum, forming an arc.

Variation. All specimens lack part of their legs and antennae and, among all, the male in the best condition was chosen as the holotype. Measurements in mm. Males (n=7, two from Silver Road and 5 from Prince Alfred’s Pass, the last including the holotype): TL 1.29–1.69 (0.14 ± 1.46), PL 0.41–0.64 (0.09 ± 0. 53), PW 0.56–0.80 (0.09 ± 0.69), EL 0.85–1.05 (0.08 ± 0. 94), EW 0.57–0.79 (0.08 ± 0. 69), GD 0.50–0.67 (0.07 ±0.6), EL/PL 1.50–2.12 (0.30± 1.85), GD/ EW 0.86–0.92 (0.03 ± 0. 87), TL/EW 1.98–2.40 (0.14± 2.13). The males vary in size and the biggest ones are from Prince Alfred’s Pass. Biggest males have a bigger tubercle on occiput. There is a conspicuous variation in the number and density of long setae in the anterior portion of pronotum, and these setae are most conspicuous in males from Prince Alfred’s Pass. Females (n=3, all from Prince Alfred’s Pass) TL1.41–1.53 (0.06± 1.46), PL 0.49–0.55 (0.03 ± 0. 52), PW 0.60–0.68 (0.04 ± 0. 65), EL 0.89–1.04 (0.09 ± 0.94), EW 0.06–0.77 (0.06 ± 0. 71), GD 0.56–0.61 (0.02 ± 0. 59), EL/ PL1.76–2.21 (0.24± 2.04), GD/EW 0.81–0.88 (0.03 ± 0.85), TL/EW 2.13–2.16 (0.02± 2.15).

Type series. Holotype: Ƌ ( SANC) “ SOUTH AFRICA WCAPE Prince Alfred’s Pass N of Knysna 33º 58’S 23º09’E 5.xi.2009 S& OC Neser \ Ex bracket fungus #216 on fallen tree trunk \ Ex bracket fungus Ganoderma applanatum BF# 216 \ NATIONAL COLL. OF INSECTS, Pretoria, South Africa \ Cis regius Orsetti & Lopes-Andrade HOLOTYPUS [red paper]”. Paratypes: 13ƋƋ and 4 ♀♀ (5ƋƋ, 1 dissected, 2♀♀, 1 dissected, CELC; 8ƋƋ, 2♀♀, SANC) “ SOUTH AFRICA WCAPE Prince Alfred’s Pass N of Knysna 33º 58’S 23º09’E 5.xi.2009 S& OC Neser \ Ex bracket fungus #216 on fallen tree trunk \ Ex bracket fungus Ganoderma applanatum BF# 216 \ NATIONAL COLL. OF INSECTS, Pretoria, South Africa \ Cis regius Orsetti & Lopes-Andrade PARATYPUS [yellow paper]”; 2ƋƋ (1 dissected CELC; 1 SANC) “ SOUTH AFRICA: WCAPE Silver R. old Saasveld rod to Wilnerness 33º58’ S 22º33’E 15.viii.1990 A.J. Hendricks \ Emerged from log of Rhus chirundensis ANACARDIACEA UA 637 \ NATIONAL COLL. OF INSECTS, Pretoria, South Africa \ Cis regius Orsetti & Lopes-Andrade PARATYPUS [yellow paper]”.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Cis regius Orsetti & Lopes-Andrade sp. nov., adult male holotype (1 – 3, 5 – 6) 1. Dorsal view. 2. Lateral view. 3. Ventral view 4. Female paratype, dorsal view 5. Detail of male head showing the anterior subtriangular plates (small arrows) and a tubercle at the anterior portion of occiput (big arrow) 6. Male sex patch at the first abdominal ventrite. Scale bars: 0.5 mm (1 – 4); 0.1 mm (5 – 6).

FIGURES 7 – 10. Cis regius Orsetti & Lopes-Andrade sp. nov., dissected sclerites of male (7 – 9) and female (10) paratypes. 7. Sternite VIII 8. Tegmen, showing lateral excavations (arrows) 9. Penis 10. Ovipositor showing the gonostyli (gs), gonocoxites (gc), paraprocts (pp), baculi of paraprocts (b. pp) and inner protuberances of apical gonocoxites (arrows). Scale bar: 0.1 mm (7 – 10).