Prothyma (Genoprothyma) masbateensis, Wiesner & Anichtchenko, 2023

Wiesner, Jürgen & Anichtchenko, Alexander, 2023, The Philippines species of the genus Prothyma Hope, 1838 (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae) Part 1: Subgenera Prothyma Hope, 1838, Genoprothyma Rivalier, 1964 and Parasymplecthyma subgen. nov., Zootaxa 5315 (1), pp. 1-36 : 22-23

Prothyma (Genoprothyma) masbateensis sp. nov. ( Fig. 12 )

Type material. Holotype male: “ Philippines / Masbate / Aroroy // HOLOTYPE / Prothyma confluente - / angustata W. Horn, 1924 / design. Wiesner & / Anichtchenko 2022 [printed, red]” ( SDEI). Two paratype females ( SDEI, NHMW) with same label data and “PARATYPE / Prothyma confluente - / angustata W. Horn, 1924 / design. Wiesner & / Anichtchenko 2022 [printed, red]”.

Diagnosis. Prothyma (Genoprothyma) masbateensis is most similar to P. confluenteangustata in overall appearance and shape of the aedeagus, but the two species can be distinguished by: 1, wrinkles of pronotum; 2, unique endophallus structures. In P. confluenteangustata , 3, the pronotum is evenly and minutely wrinkled; 4, the apex of the aedeagus shorter; 5, the endophallus with preapical microtrichial field composed of flat scales; 6, in P. masbateensis the pronotum is unevenly wrinkled; 7, the apex of the aedeagus elongated; 8, with preapical microtrichial field composed of long spines.

Etymology. The new species is named after Masbate Island where it was collected.

Description. Size: TL (without labrum) 11.4–11.9 mm (mean = 11.6 mm, n = 3).

Head: Color shining black; with greenish reflections; orbital plates with reddish reflections; area behind the eye and near orbital plates with bluish reflections; genae blue violet; clypeus with greenish-blue reflections; surface glabrous, with two setigerous punctures next to eye, one along frontal margin and one dorsally at center; strong longitudinal striae on orbital plates and vertex; strong transversal striae behind the eyes and on neck; striae becoming obsolete on genae, frons, and clypeus. Head as wide as elytra (mean EW/HW = 1.0). Labrum ochre-testaceous, margins slightly brownish, a slender blackish area basomedially. Labrum of male ( Fig. 7d ) wider than long (mean LW/LL = 1.4); with four setae located near the margin, two lateral and two apical; with two blunt anterolateral teeth and two outward directed thorn-like anterior teeth at the anteromedian lobe, intermediate space with a triangular middle tooth. Labrum of female ( Fig. 7e ) slightly wider than long (mean LW/LL = 1.1), with four setae located near the margin, two lateral and two apical; with two blunt anterolateral teeth and two outward directed thorn-like anterior teeth at the anteromedian lobe, intermediate space with a large triangular tooth. Mandibles dark brownish, with four teeth, small area of base testaceous. Labial and maxillary palpi testaceous, the last segment shiny black. Antennae slender, reaching posteriorly to the middle of the elytra in the male, shorter in the females; scape ochre-testaceous; antennomere two, three and four brownish with metallic luster, two and three with lighter spot at apex; scape with one apical seta, the following three antennomeres almost glabrous; antennomeres five to eleven brownish, dull, finely, and evenly pubescent.

Thorax: Pronotum slightly longer than wide (mean PW/PL = 0.9); sides barely rounded between the transversal constrictions, nearly parallel sided; glabrous, with transverse wrinkles on disc; black with reddish reflections dorsally; transversal constrictions with blue reflections; margins bluish; sternae and episternae glabrous, shiny black; mesepisternum of females with a longitudinal furrow in upper part ending in a shallow pit in the center.

Elytra: ( Figs 12b, c ) slightly more than twice as long as wide (mean EL/EW = 2.1), parallel-sided, with a flattened basal hump, dorsal surface shining black, with red coppery and greenish reflections, lateral margins greenish blue; elytral testaceous maculation consists of humeral, lateromedial and preapical dots; the humeral dot is located at the lateral edge and in two specimens extends from there to the base; the lateromedial dot is triangular; the preapical dot is rounded with a little lateral line extending towards the apex; surface with dense and evenly spaced punctures, becoming confluent and forming grooves near the suture; these grooves covers about the apical third to half of the elytra, reaching the tip of the lateromedial spot; apical margin distinctly rounded and restricted towards middle suture, with a tiny sutural spine. Epipleurae black.

Ventral aspect: Venter glabrous, brownish black; trochanter glabrous, coxa, femur, tibia, and tarsi setose; trochanter, coxa, and basal half of femur more or less testaceous, remainder of legs brownish, with or without metallic luster. Protarsomeres 1–3 in males laterally and ventrally covered by long white setae.

Aedeagus: ( Figs 12f, g ) in lateral view, slender in the basal third, then abruptly and voluminously expanded, tapering again towards the apex, extending to a long and slightly downturned apex (total length 2.9 mm). Basal sclerotized shield of endophallus (situated near apical orifice) composed of long spines.

Distribution. MASBATE —Aroroy.

Figures

FIGURE 7. Prothyma (Genoprothyma) discretepunctata Horn, 1924, specimen from Mt. Guiting-Guiting. (a) Dorsal habitus, male, compared with the lectotype. Scale = 5 mm. (b) Labrum. (c) Labrum, male. (d) Labrum, female. Scale = 1 mm. (e–g) left elytron. Scale = 5 mm. (e) Male. (f) Male. (g) Female. (h) Aedeagus, left lateral view. Scale = 1 mm.

FIGURE 12. Prothyma (Genoprothyma) masbateensis sp. nov. (a) Dorsal habitus holotype male. Scale = 5 mm. (b–c). Left elytron, (b) Holotype male. (c) Paratype female. Scale = 5 mm. (d–e). Labrum. Scale = 1 mm. (d) Holotype male. (e) Paratype female. (f–g). Aedeagus, left and right lateral view, lectotype. Scale = 1 mm.