Emmallodera rugosa, Silvestro, Violeta A. & Flores, Gustavo E., 2012

Silvestro, Violeta A. & Flores, Gustavo E., 2012, Two new species of Emmallodera Blanchard, 1842 (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) from western Argentina, Zootaxa 3405, pp. 64-68 : 65-66

Emmallodera rugosa sp. nov.

( Figs 1–2 )

Sackmann & Flores 2009: Appendix 1 (as Emmallodera sp. )

Diagnosis. Pronotum rugose; widest at midpoint or behind midpoint, anterior margin concave, with anterior angles rounded and not produced ( Fig. 2 ). Elytron with longitudinal parallel rows of small serrate tubercles, the seventh row with 80 to 110 tubercles, without tubercles in the space between rows ( Fig. 1 ). Emmallodera rugosa superficially resembles E. perlifera Burmeister 1875 in general body configuration, especially in body size and longitudinal rows of elytral tubercles. It differs from Emmallodera perlifera , which has pronotum with punctures, elytron with few tubercles in the spaces between rows of tubercles, and the seventh row with 40 to 60 tubercles. It differs from E. crenaticostata crenaticostata Blanchard 1842 and from E. crenaticostata opacula Kulzer 1955 which have pronotum with punctures and the anterior angles produced.

Description. Length 19.0-25.0 mm. Body black, dull, antennae and tarsi dark brown. Head. Labrum reddish, with round punctures, anterior margin concave, anterior margin with golden setae. Clypeus with regular punctures, clypeal suture not covered by frons; frons with regular punctures twice size of clypeal punctures. Antennae short, reaching midpoint of lateral margin of pronotum; antennomere 2 shorter than remainder, antennomere 3 longer than remainder, antennomeres 4 to 7 longer than wide, antennomeres 8 to 11 wider than long. Thorax. Pronotum ( Fig. 2 ) wider than long with conspicuous margin, widest at midpoint or behind midpoint; anterior margin concave, with anterior angles rounded, not produced; lateral margins concave, raised; posterior margin straight to concave, posterior angles rounded; anterior margin wider than posterior margin; pronotum rugose, with punctures twice the size of elytral punctures, some punctures grouped forming wrinkles ( Fig. 2 ). Elytron with seven rows of serrate tubercles ( Fig. 1 ), the first, second sometimes only visible posteriorly, outer (third to sixth) with small, regular tubercles more densely grouped, seventh with 80 to 110 protuberances. Spaces between rows rugose, with small punctures. Suture flat. Pseudoepipleuron with two continuous rows of serrate tubercles. Epipleuron conspicuous throughout, with serrate edge lacking row of long setae, of equal width throughout. Legs. Femur and tibia punctate, each puncture with a central seta. Metafemur without spine, metatibia straight at base. Metafemoral–tibial articulation not reaching elytral apex.

Type material. Holotype, male: [ Argentina Neuquén/ Dto. Lacar, RN (National route) 237, 24 km S/ bajada Collón Curá / I-2005 coll: P. Sackmann] [40.548º S / 70.739º W / 813 m] [ Emmallodera / rugosa sp. n. / HOLOTYPUS male/ Det. V. Silvestro and/ G. Flores 2012] ( IADIZA) ; allotype, female: [ Argentina Neuquén/ Dto. Collón Curá, RN (National route) 237/ km 1498, Corral de/ piedra XI-2004 / coll: P. Sackmann] [40.366º S / 70.023º W / 989 m] ( IADIZA) ; 9 paratypes with the same data as holotype except date: XI-2004, 3 ( IADIZA) , 1 ( NHMB) ; I-2005, 2 ( IADIZA) , 1 ( FMNH) ; I-2006, 1 ( IADIZA) , 1 ( HNHM) ; one paratype with the same data as alotype except date: I-2006 ( IADIZA) ; one paratype: [ Argentina Neuquén/ Dto. Collón Curá, RN (National route) 237/ I-2006 / coll: P. Sackmann] [40.414º S / 70.591º W / 895 m] ( IADIZA) ; one paratype: [22-XI-1955 / Neuquén capital/ leg. A. Giai] ( MLPA) ; one paratype: [X-1955 / Zapala/ Prov. Neuquén/ leg. A. Giai] ( MLPA) ; one paratype: [Zapala. Neuquén/ Argentina)/ 27-XI-1955 / Col. (ection) H.J. Molinari] [leg. A. Giai] ( IADIZA) ; one paratype: [ Argentina: Río Negro, Dto. Valcheta/ Meseta Somuncurá, Pto. San Nicolás/ 15-XI-2009 / coll: G. Cheli] [41º 43`50.19``S / 66º 26`15.86``W / 898 m] ( ENTCNP) ; one paratype: [Cerro Negro/ Chubut 25-XII-1926] ( MACN) ; one paratype: [Chubut] ( MACN).

Etymology. Named “ rugosa ” after the wrinkled pronotum, that is unique in the genus.

Distribution and habitat. Argentina (Neuquén, Rio Negro and Chubut provinces) in the Central and Payunia districts within the Patagonia biogeographic province ( Morrone et al. 2002). Most specimens were collected using pitfall traps in a steppe environment ( Sackmann & Flores 2009, Appendix 1). It shares the habitat with other tenebrionid species such as Emmallodera obesa costata Kulzer , Epipedonota nitida Philippi & Philippi , Nyctelia grandis Fairmaire , N. suturacava Fairmaire , Praocis fimbriata Burmeister , P. molinari Kulzer , Scotobius obscurus Kulzer and S. punctithorax Kulzer ( Sackmann & Flores 2009, Appendix 1).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 4. Habitus in dorsal view and pronotum of Emmallodera rugosa sp. nov. (1 – 2) and E. telteca sp. nov. (3 – 4).