Liocanthydrus mecespilus, Guimarães, Bruno Aguilar Carrilho & Ferreira-Jr, Nelson, 2015

Guimarães, Bruno Aguilar Carrilho & Ferreira-Jr, Nelson, 2015, Two new species and new records of Liocanthydrus Guignot (Coleoptera, Noteridae) from Brazil, Zootaxa 3914 (5), pp. 591-596 : 594-595

Liocanthydrus mecespilus sp. nov.

( Figs 2a–f )

Type locality. Brazil, Espírito Santo State, Pinheiros Municipality, Rebio Córrego dos Veados, Córrego Santo Antônio.

Type material. Holotype male: “ Brazil, Espírito Santo State, Pinheiros Municipality, Rebio Córrego dos Veados, Córrego Santo Antônio, 10.II.2009, vegetação, Ferreira-Jr N. & Braga R.B. leg.” ( DZRJ Coleoptera 6002). Paratypes: same data as holotype (1 female ex.; DZRJ Coleoptera 6003); BRAZIL: Espírito Santo State: “Paraisópolis Municipality, Rebio Sooretama, 15.II.2008, Ferreira-Jr N. & Braga R.B. leg.” (2 males, 4 females exs; DZRJ Coleoptera 6004); Minas Gerais State: [Marliéria Municipality] “Córrego Machado, MST de Santo Antônio, 15.XI.2002, vegetação marginal / barranco, Francischetti C.N. leg.” (1 male, 5 females exs; DZRJ Coleoptera 6005); [Marliéria Municipality] “Rio Belém, PERD, 16.XI.2002, vegetação marginal / barranco, Francischetti C.N. leg.” (1 female ex.; DZRJ Coleoptera 6020); Rio de Janeiro State: “Casimiro de Abreu Municipality, RPPN Bom Retiro, riacho em campo alagado, 3.XII.2005, Sanseverino A.M. leg.” (1 male ex.; DZRJ Coleoptera 6021).

Diagnosis. L. mecespilus is distinguished from other maculate species of Liocanthydrus by the following combination of characters: a) posterior and anterior bands of elytra very elongate ( Fig. 2a ); b) posterior band extending nearly to apex from anterior half of elytron ( Fig. 2a ); c) aedeagus ( Figs 2b–f ), with distal region of median lobe sinuate in dorsal aspect, elongate and not parallel in lateral aspect, lateral flange enlarged; left lateral lobe with setal fringe.

Description. Measurements (in mm). Holotype male: TL = 2.8, GW = 1.7, TL/GW = 1.6, HW = 1.0, EW = 0.6, HW/EW = 1.7, PNWpost = 1.5, PNWant = 1.1, PNWpost/PNWant = 1.4.

Coloration. Head and pronotum brownish yellow; anteromedial portion of pronotum blackish brown. Elytra maculate; color of elytra blackish brown; color of elytral maculae yellow, forming bands or spots: one small, extending down anterior third of lateral margin from humeral angle; one large and oblique on anterior disc; and one very large, elongate and obliquely extending down lateral margin to suture near apex ( Fig. 2a ). Venter brownish yellow.

Body. Moderately convex; body outline ovate, elongate; anteriorly rounded and posteriorly pointed, broadest near anterior margin of elytra; lateral outline continuous between pronotum and elytron.

Head. Clypeus slightly convex, anterior margin subtruncate; eyes relatively large (HW/EW = 1.7); antenna slightly serrate; antennomere XI about 2 × length of antennomere X.

Thorax. Pronotum broad and convex, broadest posteriorly; pronotal bead broad, continuous around anterolateral angles; with series setiferous punctures adjacent to anterior margin. Elytra broadest near anterior margin, gradually narrowing to apex, with sparse and fine punctures. Ventral surface glabrous, shiny. Prosternal process extremely broad and flat, widest at apex; apex truncate with feeble posteromedial projection. Noterid platform extending posteriorly beyond first abdominal ventrite, with sharply rounded apical lobes bearing four stout, closely-spaced setae. Pro- and mesotarsomere I dilated; pro- and mesotarsomeres I–III with adhesive setae in males; pro- and mesotarsomeres IV and V slender, glabrous.

Abdomen. Ventral surface with sparse and fine setae; ventrites II and III fused; ventrites IV and V similar in size and form; ventrite VI tapering gradually to apex. Aedeagus ( Figs. 2b–f ) asymmetrical; median lobe subtriangular, curved dorsally, with deep longitudinal ventral groove, with middle of lateral flange enlarged and base of left lateral flange enlarged, with distal region straight dorsally, elongate and parallel in lateral aspect; lateral lobes triangular in lateral aspect, left lateral lobe with distinct fringe of setae; right lateral lobe ca. 2/3 × length of left lateral lobe, glabrous.

Variation. Slight differences in shade of color were observed. Specimens also varied in size: TL = 2.8–3.0 mm, male max. = 2.8 mm, female max. = 3.0 mm, male min. = 2.8 mm, female min. = 2.8 mm, GW = 1.7–1.8 mm, TL/GW = 1.6–1.7 mm, HW = 1.0– 1.1 mm, EW = 0.6–0.7 mm, HW/EW = 1.6–1.7 mm, PNWpost = 1.5–1.7 mm, PNWant = 1.1–1.2 mm, PNWpost/PNWant = 1.4 mm. N = 14. Females are indistinguishable from males externally, except pro- and mesotarsi slender, without adhesive setae.

Comparative notes. This species appears very similar to L. nanops Baca et al. , L. octoguttatus (Zimmermann) and L. zanclus sp. nov. with respect to color pattern, but can be distinguished from other Liocanthydrus species by the very elongate anterior and posterior elytral bands, extending from lateral to suture near apex.

Etymology. The specific name is a combination of the Greek adjective meces meaning long and the Greek noun spilos meaning spot. This is in reference to the long elytral stain.

Distribution. Brazil. Known from the States of Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro.

Figures

FIGURES 2 a – f. Liocanthydrus mecespilus sp. nov. 2 a) dorsal habitus (scale = 1.0 mm); 2 b) median lobe of aedeagus, right lateral view; 2 c) idem, dorsal view; 2 d) idem, left lateral view; 2 e) left lateral lobe of aedeagus, right lateral view; 2 f) right lateral lobe of aedeagus, left lateral view (scale bar = 0.2 mm).