Paraselinus iwani, Kamiński, 2013

Kamiński, Marcin Jan, 2013, A new genus and species of the Afrotropical Platynotina from Tanzania (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae: Pedinini), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 53 (2), pp. 703-714 : 707-710

Paraselinus iwani sp. nov.

Type locality. Tanzania, Mikindani, 10°16′48.00″S, 40°6′41.00″E.

Type specimens. HOLOTYPE: J ( ZMHB): “ D. Ostafrica / Mikindani VI.10. / H. Grote S.G.” . PARATYPES: 2 ♀♀ ( MNHN): “ TANGA / Afrique orientle Allde // MUSEUM PARIS / COLL.J. CHATANAY 1914” ; J ( ZMHB): “Ost- Africa / Mikindani / Reimer S. Schultz T.” ; ♀ ( ZMHB): “ Ost-Afrika / Mikindani / Reimer S. Schultz T. // 74825”, “Hist-Coll. ( Coleoptera ) / Nr. 74825 / Selinus / Zool. Mus. Berlin” .

Diagnosis. See the diagnosis for the Paraselinus gen. nov.

Description. Habitus as in Fig. 1 . Body length = 12.5–14.0 mm (Holotype length = 14.0 mm). Elytra wider and longer then pronotum (width ratio elytra / pronotum = 1.1–1.2; length ratio elytra / the middle of pronotum = 2.3–2.4).

Dorsal side of head dull, with conspicuous punctures (0.5–1 diameters apart). Frontoclypeal suture fine. Clypeal emargination relatively deep (clypeal emargination width / depth ratio ca. 3.6). Mentum with median part narrow. Submentum with short base ( Fig. 2 ). Maxillary palp not widened (width of maxillary palp / length of 3 rd antennomere = 1.0–1.1). Length of antennae slightly greater then pronotal length (ratio antenna / pronotum from tip of anterior pronotal angle to tip of posterior pronotalangle = 1.1–1.2). 3 rd antennomere relatively long (length ratio of antennomere 3 rd / 2 nd = 2.9–3.1).

Pronotal disc transverse (middle of pronotum length / width ratio ca. 0.7); dull, with fine punctures (1–2 diameters apart); convex (ratio of the prothoracic total height and total width, measured at the “B section” = 1.6; ratio of the pronotal disc height and total height of pronotum, measured at the “B section” = 0.34; ratio of prothoracic width and disc height, measured at the “B section” = 4.8). Protrochantin fused with pleural apophysis ( Fig. 20 ). The attachments of pleural apophyses to the bottom of notum oriented similarly as in other Platynotina (angle between the middle of pleurites measured at the tip of a prosternal process, measured at the “B section” = 75.6º) ( Figs 16–21 ). Anterior pronotal angles sharp, protruding towards apex. Lateral margins of pronotal disc parallel at the basal half. Pronotal hypomera dull, without punctures.

Elytra oblong (elytra length / width ratio = 1.2–1.3). Elytral striae with conspicuous punctures (1 diameter apart), most visible on elytral disc. Intervals dull, with relatively small punctures (4–5 diameters apart). Elytral base slightly sinusoidal. Elytral humeri rounded, not protruding laterad. Wings absent. Scutellum triangular; relatively narrow.

Intercoxal process of prosternum straight with complete bordering ( Fig. 4 ). Metaventrite reduced (length ratio cavity of hind coxa / metaventrite between the insertions of mid and hind coxae ca. 2). In both sexes abdominal process without tubercle; relatively narrow (process of 1 st abdominal ventrite / process of metaventrite = 2.1–2.2). 5 th abdominal ventrite with complete bordering ( Fig. 3 ); punctures 1–2 diameters apart.

Male legs. Protarsi slightly widened; protibiae (protibiae length / width ratio ca. 4.0) as in Fig. 5 . Mesotibiae simple. Meso- and metafemora with fringe of hairs. 1 st metatarsomere elongated (length ratio metatarsomere 1 st / 2 nd ca. 2.0.).

Female legs. Protarsi not widened. Legs simple.

Male genitalia. Parameres slightly widened at the base; narrowed towards apex; length equal to the 0.2 of the rest of aedeagal tegmen. Clavae strait ( Fig. 6 ).

Female genitalia. Paraproct longer then coxites. First two coxites wide and short; coxites 3 rd and 4 th narrow and long ( Figs 13, 14 ). Bursa copulatrix without a sclerite. Spermatheca as in Fig. 14 .

Etymology. This new species is dedicated to Dariusz Iwan (Museum and Institute of Zoology of the Polish Academy of Sciences), an outstanding entomologist and a specialist in Tenebrionidae .

Distribution. All of the five known specimens of this new species were collected in the East African mangroves of Tanzania ( Fig. 22 ). This ecoregion exists under some extreme abiotic conditions (e.g. high salinity, extreme tides, strong winds, high temperatures and muddy soils) which might be limiting for several groups of organisms ( KATHIRESAN & BINGHAM 2001). This is the second published record of Platynotina species in this ecosystem ( IWAN & KAMIŃSKI 2012 KAMIŃSKI 2012, 2013a,b; KAMIŃSKI & IWAN 2013).

Figures

Fig. 1. Habitus of Paraselinus iwani gen. & sp. nov.

Figs 2–6. Chosen body elements of Paraselinus iwani gen. & sp. nov. 2 – head, ventral view; 3 – 5th abdominal ventrite; 4 – intercoxal process of prosternum; 5 – protibia; 6 – aedeagal tegmen.

Figs 16–21. X-ray cross-sections of analyzed prothorax (16–18) and three-dimensional models of pleural apophyses (19–21) of Paraselinus iwani gen. et sp. nov. 16 – scheme of used transverse section places; 16 – sagittal section of prothorax adjacent to a pleural apophyses; 18 – transverse sections of prothorax: prior to procoxae (A), posterior to procoxae (B), posterior to the tip of prosternum (C); 19–20 – views of prothoracic 3D models: frontal (19), frontolateral (20) and lateral (21).

Figs 13–15. Female genitalia. 13–14 – Paraselinus iwani gen. & sp. nov.; 15 – Pseudoselinus raposoi (Koch, 1956). 13 – drawing of the ovipositor; 14 – photograph of the ovipositor, bursa copulatrix and spermatheca; 15 – bursa copulatrix. Arrow indicates the sclerite in bursa copulatrix.

Fig. 22. Map of known collection sites of Paraselinus iwani gen. & sp. nov. The division of Afrotropical Realm into ecoregions was adopted after OLSON et al. (2001).