Therates insolitus, Anichtchenko & Wiesner, 2022

Anichtchenko, Alexander & Wiesner, Jürgen, 2022, Description of two new Therates Latreille, 1816 species from Philippines (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae), Baltic Journal of Coleopterology 22 (1), pp. 75-80 : 77-79

Therates insolitus sp. n.

( Fig. 3 )

Elytra relatively short, almost twice as long as wide (EL/EW = 1.91­ 2.0), parallel sided, orange. Elytral maculation black with weak gold luster, consisting of elongate spot along suture in basal third of elytra and wide transversal band, interrupted on suture; the front edge of the band is beveled towards the middle, the posterior edge is straight and transverse. Without microsculpture. Sutural tooth on apices of elytra relatively long and acute, exterior angle of elytra obtuse. Epipleura and scutellum orange.

Prosternum and proepisternum black, with brown area around procoxal cavity. Mesosternum black, with posterior half brownish, mesepisternum black, with brown area near mesocoxal cavities. The rest of ventral sternites brown.

Legs uniformly orange, except black apex of third tarsomere and tarsomere 4 of all tarsi in females; protarsa, mesotarsomeres 3–4 and apex of 2; metatarsomere 4 and apices of 1–4 black in males.

Anichtchenko A., Wiesner J.

Type material: Holotype, female – “ Philippines | Mindanao | Cotabato | 3.2013” ( DUBC).

Diagnosis. This new species can be easily differentiated from all known species of the genus by its unusual shape of labrum ( Figs. 6–7 ), apically strongly inflated, with downturned apical margin. From other species known from the island Mindanao, it also differs by the short sutural tooth of elytra and by golden green color of elytral pattern, which in the rest of species is purple.

Description. Body length 11 mm in holotype.

Head and pronotum black with light gold luster; elytra black with gold luster and orange transverse bands. Labrum, mouth parts and legs orange.

Head without microsculpture, temples not protruding, slightly convergent towards pronotum; clypeus without setae; frons wide, frontal grooves shallow, gradually curved; eyes protruding; each supra­orbital plate with one seta. Labrum ( Figs. 6– 7 ) elongate; without microsculpture; apical part strongly inflated and apical margin downturned; with 9 submarginal setae and 12 teeth: with 4 short frontal marginal teeth, two large and wide double teeth on both side (submarginal setae between them missing), as well as a pair of long and pointed latero­apical teeth and small latero­basal teeth on both sides. Mandibles orange with dark brown teeth. Antennae relatively long; blackish brown, scape and pedicel yellow, except blackish dorsal part.

Pronotum as long as wide, smooth; midline indistinct; anterior and posterior grooves glabrous.

Elytra relatively short (EL/EW = 1.85), parallel sided, black with gold luster. Elytral maculation orange, consisting of wide basal band; transversal middle spot, not reaching lateral margin and suture; and relatively narrow apical band. Without microsculpture. Sutural tooth on apices of elytra right and short, exterior angle of elytra obtuse and widely rounded. Epipleura and scutellum orange.

Pro­ and mesosternum; pro­, mes­ and metepisternum black. Metasternum black with brown central part and narrow posterior margin. The rest of ventral sternites orange brown.

Legs uniformly orange, except apex of third tarsomere and 4–5 tarsomeres entirely black. Male unknown.

Distribution. Known only from type locality in Mindanao island.

Etymology. The name derived from the Latin, insolitus , meaning ‘unusual, odd, queer’, in reference to the somewhat atypical appearance of the labrum.

Key to the new species (modification and supplementation of the key by Zettel and Pangantihon 2017: 101, 102)

1. Pronotum entirely black. ……………… 5

– Pronotum entirely or partly orange to brown, at least in middle of disc;Aedeagus without dorsal emargination. Northern and western Philippines. ……………… 2

2. Pronotum and mesoepisternum entirely orange. Black circumscutellary mark often lacking. Luzon. ……………… T. semperi Schaum, 1860 – Pronotum laterally slightly infuscated, at least on collar. Mesoepisternum black or at least dorsally infuscated. Black circumscutellary mark always present. ……………… 3

3. Small species, body length 8.8–10.5 mm. Black central mark of elytron short, positoned farther from the apex than its total length. Area of coarse puncturation on anterior depression extended posteriorly. Northern Luzon. ……………… T. monticola Zettel & Pangantihon, 2017

– Body length 10.7­ 12.0 mm. Black central mark of elytron long, reaching closer to apex. Different distribution areas. ……………… 4

4. Subapical tooth of elytron obtuse. Coarse puncturation of anterior depression of elytron extended to posterior part of basal tumescence. Basal tumescence posteromedially weakly limited, thus appearing heart­shaped. Mindoro. ……… ……… T. pseudosemperi Horn, 1928

– Subapical tooth of elytron well developed. Coarse puncturation of anterior depression of elytron not extended to basal tumescence. Basal tumescence posteromedially limited, thus appearing ovate. Negros. ……………… T. negrosicola Zettel & Pangantihon, 2017

5. Elytron without circumscutellary mark. Aedeagus with weak dorsal emargination. Southeastern Philippines, Sulawesi, Halmahera. …… ………… 6

– Elytron with circumscutellary mark. Aedeagus without weak dorsal emargination. Panay. …… ………… T. barsevskisi sp. n.

6. Labrum normal ……………… T. fasciatus sensu latu

– Labrum inflated apically, with downturned anterior margin ……………… T. insolitus sp. n.

Figures

Fig. 3. Habitus of Therates insolitus sp. n., holotype, female. Scale line = 1 mm.

Figs. 4–7. Labrum of Therates spp. 4 – T. barsevskisi sp. n., male; 5 – idem, female; 6–7 – T. insolitus sp. n., female. Scale line = 1 mm.