Sprecodes socotrensis, Schuh, 2012

Schuh, Rudolf, 2012, Colydiinae (Coleoptera: Zopheridae) of Socotra Island, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 52, pp. 287-294 : 288-290

Sprecodes socotrensis sp. nov.

( Figs. 1, 2 , 4, 5 )

Type material. HOLOTYPE: J ( NMPC), “ YEMEN, SOCOTRA Island / Al Haghier Mts. / Scant Mt. env./ 12°34.6′N, 54°01.5′E, 1450m / Jiří Hájek leg. 12-13.xi.2010 ” . PARATYPES (64 spec.): 17 spec. ( NMPC, RSCW) same data as holotype ; 33 spec. ( NMPC, RSCW): same data, but “ J. Bezdĕk leg.” ; 14 spec. ( PHCK, RSCW, NHMW): same data, but “ P. Hlaváč leg” .

Description. TL: 3.6–4.7 mm. Wingless. Body moderately elongate, parallel-sided (TL/EW: 2.70–2.85), transversely convex, dark brown, legs, antennae and margins of body reddish brown; habitus as in Fig. 1 .

Head (HW/HL: 1.70–1.90) broad, moderately to strongly widened in front of eyes, lateral margins convex above antennal insertions, narrowing again to rounded frontal angles; clypeus broad, shortly protruding beyond anterior margin of frons, forming rectangular incision at fronto-clypeal suture; anterior margin of clypeus straight. Dorsal surface of head almost flat; central part of clypeus slightly convex. Sculpture consisting of large, irregularly polygonal to round granules (diameter about 0.05 mm), each bearing a pointed black bristle (length 0.06 mm), sculpture gradually becoming finer anteriorly; anterior third of clypeus matt, without granules; basal part of head capsule with smaller granules, each bearing short, white hairlike seta. Eyes convex with few interfacetal setae, EYL: 0.15 mm. Temples absent; head constricted behind eyes in straight line. Antennal grooves broad, as long as eye. Antenna as long as head width; antennomere 1 not visible in dorsal aspect, 1.6 times as long as wide; antennomere 2 of same width, 1.25 times as long as wide; antennomere 3 narrower (width of antennomere 3 / width of antennomere 2: 0.7 / 1.0), twice as long as wide; antennomeres 4 to 8 of same width (length to width ratios: 4: 1.3; 5: 1.1; 6: 1.0; 7: 1.0; 8: 1.0); antennomere 9 slightly wider than preceding ones, 1.2 times as wide as long; antennomere 10 1.8 times wider than 9, 1.6 times as wide as long; antennomere 11 narrower than 10, 1.1 times as long as wide. Setation of antennomeres 2 to 9 consisting of ring of hair-like setae at mid-length, antennomeres 10 and 11 densely setose. Sculpture of ventral surface of head finely granulate, setation hair-like; basal portion of head smooth, sparsely punctate.

Pronotum broader than long (PW/PL: 1.26–1.42), widest at apical third (i.e. 0.3 PL), 1.6 times wider than head, slightly narrower than elytra (PW/EW: 0.81-0.96), transversely convex. Lateral margins explanate, convex; anterior angles acute (approximately 80 degrees); posterior angles indistinct. Anterior margin convex, slightly denticulate; subapical sulcus distinct. Pronotal base convex, granulate; subbasal sulcus distinct. Disc convex; sculpture like on frons, granules somewhat larger (diameter about 0.06 mm), along midline with some shining, smooth interspaces, granules becoming sparser and smaller with large, shining interspaces on explanate lateral parts. Edge of lateral margins with 11–14 large spines and additional submarginal row of smaller spines; lateral spines each 0.05–0.07 mm long and 0.03–0.04 mm wide, bearing 0.06–0.07 mm long pointed black bristle; sublateral spines each 0.03–0.04 mm long, 0.03 mm wide, bearing similar bristle as lateral ones.

Prosternum ( Fig. 2 ) granulate; granules round, each bearing white hair-like seta; their interspaces larger on central portion, smooth, shiny; anterior margin bulging, smooth and shiny; anterior edge incised with row of punctures. Proepisterna densely granulate near prosternal suture, smooth and shiny near lateral margin.

Scutellum small, pentagonal, matt.

Elytra almost parallel-sided (EL/EW: 1.70–1.85), transversely convex, widest at 0.6 elytral length, apically jointly rounded; outline in lateral aspect straight; apical declivity beginning at 0.75 elytral length; humerus broadly rounded; basal margins denticulate, slightly concave near suture; lateral margins spinose; near humerus spines similar to those on pronotal lateral margin, becoming gradually smaller apicad. Each elytron with nine striae. Scutellar striola absent. Striae regular; striae 6 and 7 almost converging at base; stria 8 not reaching base. Strial punctures round, separated longitudinally by elongate, shiny tubercles; tubercles pointed basad and apicad, becoming gradually higher on base and on lateral and apical declivities, each bearing black bristle like on pronotum. Intervals 1 to 8 flat, smooth, shiny, 1.2–1.5 times wider than striae; interval 9 with row of tubercles near stria 9 (in fact, these are displaced tubercles of stria 9, only coincident with stria 9 on base and apex; stria 9 otherwise only consisting of a row of deep punctures); interval 10 explanate, with loose row of small tubercles. Epipleuron broad at base, narrowing apicad, from the level of ventrite 1 to elytral apex of constant width (as wide as width of metatibia), sparsely set with fine granules bearing white hair-like setae.

Mesoventrite densely granulate. Metaventrite ( Fig. 2 ) short, 3 times as wide as long; surface smooth, shiny, with deep pit along midline at 0.6 of mid-length, sparsely granulate; granules two diameters apart. Relative length of ventrites: 1: 1.8; 2: 1.5; 3: 1.4; 4: 1.0; 5: 1.4. Sculpture on ventrites one to three like on metaventrite; granules more closely set on median portions of ventrites (separated by 1 diameter), particularly dense and almost contiguous on intercoxal process of ventrite 1, bearing white, hair-like seta. Male with ventrites 1 to 4 sparsely granulate like metaventrite; ventrite 3 and 4 each with transverse zone of large pores (diameters approx. 0.025 mm); ventrite 5 matt.

Legs short; femora shortly protruding over lateral margins of body; tibiae oval in crosssection; outer edge of tibiae finely granulate, set with white bristles; remaining surface of tibia with fine white hair-like setae. Tarsomeres 1 to 3 short, similar in length, tarsomere 4 1.5 times as long as 1 to 3 combined. Claws simple, dilated at base.

Male.Aedeagus ( Figs. 4, 5 ) elongate, parallel-sided (length 0.65 mm; length to width ratio: 4.7). Parameres 1.15 times longer than phallobase, narrowed apicad, flat in lateral aspect, slightly bent ventrad in apical third. Penis comparatively short, 0.7 times of total length of aedeagus, narrowly rounded at tip.

Female. Abdominal ventrites 1 to 4 sparsely granulate like metaventrite; ventrite 3 and 4 without pores.

Variability. The development of lateral pronotal and elytral spines is subject to certain variability. In some specimens the spines are rather in the shape of denticles, particularly on elytra. Moreover, the body surface is usually encrusted with dirt, partially concealing the shape of lateral spines.

Differential diagnosis. Sprecodes socotrensis sp. nov. is a quite distinct species, its closest relationship is to S. madagascariensis (Grouvelle, 1902) and S. insularis Dajoz, 1994 from Madagascar, because of head widened in front of eyes and hair-like setation. Sprecodes madagascariensis and S. insularis have a more cylindrical body, pronotum without explanate lateral portions, lateral elytral declivities steeper, humeral calli well developed, wings present and eyes larger.

Etymology. Named in reference to its type locality.

Collection circumstances. The specimens were collected under bark of rotten log of an unidentified tree. It seems to be restricted only to the highest part of the Haghier mountains (J. Hájek, pers. comm.)

Remarks. The genus Sprecodes Pope, 1961 was erected to accommodate two species of african colydiines formerly placed in the genus Caprodes Pascoe, 1863 . POPE (1961) selected Caprodes ater Grouvelle, 1904 as type species. Later, DAJOZ (1980, 1994) added three species from Madagascar to this genus.

Sprecodes is closely related to Bolcocius Dajoz, 1977 . The relationships between these genera are still unclear. The only clearly defined character to separate members of both genera is the presence of scutellar striolae. The genus Bolcocius is distributed in the Oriental Region with eight described and several undescribed species and in tropical and southern Africa with at least two undescribed species.

Figures

Figs. 1–3. Socotran Colydinae. 1–2. Sprecodes socotrensis sp. nov. (1 – habitus in dorsal view; 2 – same in ventral aspect). 3 – Lasconotus hajeki sp. nov., habitus in dorsal view.

Figs. 4–7. Aedeagi: 4–5 – Sprecodes socotrensis sp. nov.: 4 – aedeagus, dorsal aspect, 5 – aedeagus, lateral aspect. 6–7 – Lasconotus hajeki sp. –nov.: 6 – aedeagus, dorsal aspect, 7 – aedeagus, lateral aspect. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.