Paecilocaulus inexpectatus Trýzna, 2017

Blažej, Lukáš, 2017, Description of a new species of the genus Paecilocaulus Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Anthribidae) from Fiji, Zootaxa 4324 (2), pp. 385-390 : 386-389

Paecilocaulus inexpectatus Trýzna sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–8 , 14–17 )

Type locality. Fiji, Taveuni Island .

Type material. Holotype (female): Taveuni, Fiji / Silvester Evans / 961.24 // Pres. by / Imp. Inst. Ent. / Brit. Mus. / 1932-153. // 1139. [p] (BMNH). Allotype (male): [poorly legible handwriting] Savu Savu Mar [19]21/ 821/ H. W. Simmonds [h] Fiji [p] // Pres. by / Imp. Bur. Ent. / Brit. Mus. / 1922-174. // Karl Jordan Coll. / B.M. 1940- 109 [incorrect acquisition label] // Paecilocaulus / picturatus / Fairm. [h] / Det. fr. descr. G. E. Bryant. [p] // Poecilocaulus [Sic!] / sp. nov. [h] / det: B. D. Valentine´70 [= 1970] [p] (BMNH). 2 paratypes, male and female: Pacific / Fiji Is. [h] // Fry Coll. / 1905-100. [p] // Karl Jordan Coll. / B.M. 1940-109. [p] [incorrect acquisition label] (male in BMNH, female in MTDC), 1 paratype male: Fiji [p] (MTDC). Red label [p] HOLOTYPE / ALLOTYPE / PARATYPE / Paecilocaulus / inexpectatus sp. nov. / M. Trýzna det., 2017.

In this case we have designated the female as a holotype, because only this specimen has exact and clearly legible locality data.

Description. Measurement. Total body length: holotype (female)— 12.3 mm; allotype (male)— 12.5 mm (with a slightly bowed head).

Coloration of the cuticle of entire body blackish to dark brown, proximal part of femora, whole tibia, antennal scape and pedicel rusty brown in both sexes.

Vestiture. Head predominantly covered with short scale-like setae, on dorsal part near central longitudinal carina sparse, mixed light and dark brown colour. On lateral sides above eyes setae form two longitudinal distinct stripes reaching in front of antennal scrobes, here scale-like setae very dense and bright yellow. Pronotum with central wide longitudinal stripe of dense brightly yellow setae reaching from anterior to posterior margin of pronotum. Lateral sides of pronotum with slender longitudinal stripes formed of dark and light yellow setae, these stripes indistinct. Rest of disc of pronotum covered with sparse brown setae. Elytra on dorsal part with distinct triangular spot in proximal part continuing to two oblique stripes terminating at elytral projections. Part between triangular spot and two stripes constricted or interrupted. Each odd-numbered elytral interval covered with dark brown setae, each even-numbered elytral interval with light brown or yellowish setae. Lateral sides of elytra without any small spots. Apical part of elytra under projections with only small more or less circular spots covered with dense bright yellow setae. Scutellum with yellow setae. Male antennae with very distinct dense erect pubescence on lower part of antennomeres III–V, antennomeres VI–VII with shorter suberect pubescence, VIII–XI with short appressed setae. All antennal setae black, only proximal part of antennomere VI, distal part of VIII and proximal part of IX with white setae. Female antennae: antennomeres III–VII with very distinct dense erect pubescence, longer on lower side, shorter on upper side. Antennomeres VIII–XI with only dense appressed setae. All setae black, only antennomere VIII with white setae. Legs covered with appressed sparse setae. All femora with white setae, denser on upper and lower parts, lateral sides almost bare. Tibia with white setae more or less evenly distributed. Tarsomeres I and V with white setae, II–III with black setae. Only lateral sides of abdominal ventrites I–V, lateral sides of metasternum, all metepisternum and mesepimeron, and lateral sides of prosternum with dense white or whitish pubescence. Central part of abdominal ventrites and prosternum bare, without any setae in either sex. Pygidium covered with sparse light brown setae.

Structure. Head elongate, rostrum with parallel sides. Vertex convex, rostrum between antennal scrobes slightly concave. Central longitudinal carina short, reaching from posterior margins of antennal scrobes between eyes. Antennae nearly reaching to posterior margin of elytra in male, female antennae extending slightly beyond posterior margin of pronotum. Individual antennomeres robust, club weakly developed in both sexes. All antennomeres longer than wide in male, antennomere X weakly transverse in female. Pronotum longitudinal, widest in transverse carina, gradually narrowing anteriorly. Central longitudinal part of disc of pronotum with distinct depression, this one wider and deeper in proximal part of pronotum. Dorsal transverse carina sub-basal, widely interrupted in middle. Lateral carina of pronotum well-developed, long, reaching nearly to anterior margin of pronotum, in contact with dorsal transverse carina widely rounded. Elytra distinctly elongated, apex of elytra with two distinct projections. Ratio of the maximum length to maximum width of elytra 1.94 in male allotype (two male paratypes 1.89 and 1.83) and 1.92 in female holotype (female paratype 1.89). Abdomen distinctly elongate in both sexes. Pygidium transverse, ratio of its maximum length to maximum width 0.62 in male allotype (two male paratypes 0.61 and 0.65) and 0.72 in female holotype (female paratype 0.68).

Male genitalia. Apex of tegmen robust from lateral view, in front of the tegmenal tooth only twice as long as wide ( Fig. 16 , compare also with Fig. 20 ).

Sexual dimorphism. Male antennae long, reaching nearly to posterior margin of elytra, female antennae extending slightly beyond posterior margin of pronotum. Last abdominal ventrite short in male, longer in female. Abdominal ventrites not depressed in middle in either sex.

Etymology. The specific name inexpectatus is derived from the unexpected occurrence of this new species of the genus in the area concerned.

Distribution. The female holotype comes from Taveuni Island, Fiji. The male allotype appears to come from Savusavu (also known as Savu Savu), in the south of Vanua Levu Island, Fiji. Although on separate islands, Savusavu is only 50 kilometres from Taveuni, and at their closest points the two islands are less than 10 kilometres apart. Other specimens of the type series from Fiji lack more detailed data.

Diferential diagnosis. Paecilocaulus inexpectatus Trýzna sp. nov. resembles P. picturatus Fairmaire, 1881 in its similar colour pattern. However, it clearly differs in the characters given in the following key:

1 Male: apex of tegmen slim from lateral view, in front of the tegminal tooth at least three times as long as wide ( Fig. 20 ). Both sexes: abdominal sternites I–V, metasternum and mesosternal projection with distinct white compact pubescence ( Figs. 11– 12 ). Only anterior margin of pronotum with two small but distinct longitudinal spots ( Figs. 9–10 ). Under each elytral projection large spot embracing this projections from below and reached between them. Lateral side in central part of elytron with distinct spot on VIII and IX elytral interval ( Fig. 12 ).......................... Paecilocaulus picturatus Fairmaire, 1881

- Male: apex of tegmen robust from lateral view, in front of the tegminal tooth only twice as long as wide ( Fig. 16 ). Both sexes: abdominal sternites I–V and metasternum without white pubescence in central third, completely bare in this part, mesosternal projection naked ( Figs. 2, 6 ). Pronotum with two indistinct longitudinal lateral stripes ( Figs. 1, 6 ). Under each elytral projection only a small indistinct spot. Lateral side of elytron without any spots ( Figs. 3, 7 )........ P. inexpectatus Trýzna sp. nov.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 8. Paecilocaulus inexpectatus Trýzna sp. nov.; 1 – 4, male (allotype); 5 – 8, female (holotype); 1, 5, dorsal habitus; 2, 6, ventral habitus; 3, 7, lateral habitus; 4, 8, original labels.

FIGURES 14 – 21. 14 – 17, Paecilocaulus inexpectatus Trýzna sp. nov. (male, allotype); 18 – 21, Paecilocaulus picturatus Fairmaire, 1881; 14, 18, aedeagus, dorsal view; 15, 19, aedeagus, lateral view, 16, 20, tegmen, lateral view; 17, 21 pygidium, dorsal view.

FIGURES 9 – 13. Paecilocaulus picturatus Fairmaire, 1881; 9, male, 13.50 mm, Fiji Is., (coll. M. Trýzna); 10 – 13, female (holotype, coll. MNHN); 9 – 10, dorsal habitus; 11, ventral habitus; 12, lateral habitus; 13, original labels.