Nycterilampus velutinus Fleutiaux, 1891

Costa, Cleide, Rosa, Simone Policena & Chassain, Jacques, 2009, A taxonomic revision and revalidation of Nycterilampus Montrouzier (Coleoptera: Elateridae, Agrypninae), Zootaxa 2017, pp. 47-57 : 55-57

Nycterilampus velutinus Fleutiaux, 1891

( Figs. 1–3, 7 , 26 )

Nycterilampus velutinus Fleutiaux, 1891: 393 , pl. 8, fig. 10a, 10b (type –locality: Lifu Island, Baie de Prony, New Caledonia; Ouarail, Kanala, Bourail); Fauvel, 1904: 133; Schenkling, 1927: 479; Van Zwaluwenburg, 1932: 23.

Redescription. Male ( Fig. 1 ). Length 17.5–19.5 mm; dorsal integument red-brown, darker on pronotal disc and lighter on head; ventral face dark brown with abdomen and inner margin of hypomera light red-brown; antennae testaceous and legs reddish brown. Head length 1.8 mm, prothorax length: 6.0 mm, prothorax width: 4.75 mm, elytral length: 12.2 mm, humeral width: 4.75 mm.

Head. Frons slightly depressed triangularly behind the frontal carina, the latter directed ventrally and strongly rounded at the frontal margin, finely punctate, punctation dense. Frontoclypeal region transverse. Antenna ( Fig. 2 ) 12-segmented, extending up to mid-body, pectinate from antennomere IV; antennomeres II and III very short and subequal, antennomere IV 4.4 times longer than antennomere III; processes on antennomeres IV to X as long as or longer than the corresponding segment, antennomere XI with process distinctly shorter; antennomere XII simple, almost as long as XI including its process. Labrum 2.4 times wider than long. Mandibles with a pit on the external border.

Prothorax ( Fig. 7 ) 1.27 longer than wide, transversally convex, rounded shortly before anterior angles; hind angles elongate, acutely pointed, divergent, strongly carinate, anterior angles small and rounded; base of pronotum steeply declivous, with a median, more or less raised longitudinal short protuberance. Pronotum densely punctate except on the median line, where the punctures are finer and more spaced. Prosternum sparsely punctate, prosternal process subhorizontal feebly incurvate to apex, with a median longitudinal groove. Hypomera shiny and polished on a large area from prosternal sutures, punctate along their external border and bearing a fringe of semidecumbent setae. Scutellum elongate, subpentagonal.

Elytra 2.4 times of pronotal length, parallel on more than their half length, then gradually attenuated and separately rounded before apex, their maximal length near the suture, finely striate up to apex, seventh stria briefly depressed before middle, interstria scarcely convex, finely punctate, epipleura short just exceeding the distal extremity of hind coxal plates.

Mesoventrite with posterior area prominently marginate. Metaventrite with fine and rasp–like punctures; metacoxal plates distinctly widened inwardly, subparallel in their median part and narrowed outwardly.

Abdomen finely punctate, densely pubescent, first sternite evenly and weakly sclerotized. Tergite VIII weakly sclerotized, open U-shaped, subrectilinear at base, bearing on lateral margins a few long setae interspersed with shorter ones. Sternite VIII very feebly sclerotized, deeply bilobate at posterior margins, each lobe very emarginate postero-laterally, the lateral margins of the segment anteriorly bearing on two–thirds of their length very long setae with shorter and finer setae interposed. Tergites IX and X partly fused, tergite IX with anterior margin sinuate; its lateral sides subparallel on anterior part, and then rounded near posterior angles. Tergite X sub-triangularly elongate, with anterior border deeply emarginate. Tergite IX and sternite IX basally fused, the latter with anterior margin sinuate, deeply indented longitudinally, bearing apically a few short setae.

Aedeagus ( Fig. 26 ) with phallobase narrow, parameres shorter than the acuminate median lobe with ventral surface ca. 1.6 times longer than dorsal one, articulated to penis dorsally, apices securiform elongate bearing long setae; ventral sclerite of penis elongate, very narrow, parallel-sided; dorsal sclerite strongly tapering to apex, basal struts 1/3 of total length of dorsal sclerite.

Female ( Fig. 7 ). Length 19–23 mm. Very similar to male in its general appearance. Body elongate, dorsal coloration red–brown; underside red. The dark area of the prothorax reduced to a narrow longitudinal line extending nearly to base. Antenna ( Fig. 3 ) 12-segmented, serrate from antennomere IV, not attaining the apex of pronotal hind angles, segments II and III very short and subequal, antennomere XII elliptically elongate. Elytra with the seventh stria normal, without brief depression before the middle. Hypomera finely punctuate and pubescent on a wider area, the shiny unpunctured portion limited to a narrow strip following prosternal suture.

Lectotype (present designation). Male. NEW CALEDONIA. Kanala, Coll. E. Fleutiaux (MNHN). Paralectotypes. NEW CALEDONIA. 1 male, Ourail, Coll Oberthür, Gambey (MNHN); 1 male, Bourail, Coll Oberthür, Gambey (MNHN); 1 female, Lifu, Coll Oberthür, Gambey (MNHN); 1 female, Bourail, Coll. E. Fleutiaux (MNHN); 1 female, Prony, Coll Oberthür, Gambey (MNHN); without locality. 1 male (MNHN).

Discussion. The present lectotype and paralectotypes designations are based on the examination of six specimens (3 male, 3 female), all recognized as syntypes by C. M. F. von Hayek. A seventh specimen without locality was also examined. In the original description of N. velutinus the male was recorded from Lifu (Loyalty Islands), Prony Bay. It is noteworthy that the sole specimen from said locality in the Fleutiaux Collection is a female. However, a male and a female each bear a type label in the same collection, and the male thus labeled will be designated as the lectotype of N. velutinus among the other syntypes, all from New Caledonia.

The specimen designated as lectotype has the following labels: (1) Kanala; (2) Nycterilampus velutinus male, female, Fleut. types; (3) printed lectotype red label; (4) Fleut. Ann. Soc. Ent. Fr. 1903, p. 393, t8, f.; (5) Bull. Soc. Ent. Fr. 1903, p. 108, Muséum Paris, Coll. E. Fleutiaux; (6) Syntype Nycterilampus velutinus Fleut, C. M. F. von Hayek det. 1977; (7) Nycterilampus velutinus Fleut. lectotype, J. Chassain det. 2008. The labels of the males designated as paralectotypes are: first specimen - (1) Ourail; (2) prepared aedeagus; (3) Muséum Paris, Oberthür, Gambey - second specimen - (1) Bourail; (2) prepared aedeagus (used for illustration); (3) Muséum Paris, Oberthür, Gambey.

The labels of the females designated as paralectotypes are: first specimen - (1) Lifu; (2) Nycterilampus velutinus ; (3) Photophorus lifuanus Montz. v. minor ?; (4) Muséum Paris, Oberthür, Gambey - second specimen - (1) Bourail; (type female); (3) Muséum Paris, Coll. E. Fleutiaux - third specimen - (1) Prony; (2) Muséum Paris, Oberthür, Gambey. Each paralectotype is provided with respective labels “ Syntype, Nycterilampus velutinus Fleut., C. M. F. von Hayek det. 1977” and “ Nycterilampus velutinus Fleut. , paralectotype, J. Chassain det. 2008”, as well as with a printed paralectotype red label.

As noted there above, one specimen showing all characteristics of N. velutinus but comprising no mentioned locality has been rightly considered as pertaining to this species by C. M. F. von Hayek, who nevertheless questioned its belonging to the syntype series; we are not designating it here as part of the lectotype series.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Nycterilampus velutinus Fleutiaux, 1891. Male habitus.

FIGURES 2 – 9. Nycterilampus velutinus Fleutiaux, 1891. 2, 3, antennae (male, female); 7, head and pronotum (female). N. lifuanus Montrouzier, 1860. 4, 5, antennae (male, female); 6, head; 8, head and pronotum (dorsal); 9 prothorax (ventral).

FIGURES 19 – 26. Nycterilampus lifuanus Montrouzier, 1860 (male). 19, sternite IX; 20, tergites IX – X; 21, sternite VIII; 22, tergite VIII; 23, abdomen (ventral); 24, 25, aedeagus (dorsal, ventral). N. velutinus Fleutiaux, 1891 (male). 26, aedeagus (ventral).