Pygodiscodon similis Biffi & Constantin 2018, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Biffi, Gabriel
name: Constantin, Robert
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Cantharidae
Pygodiscodon
Pygodiscodon similis

description: Pygodiscodon similis sp. nov.
(Figs 5, 11, 29–31, 39, 53–55)
Type locality. Brazil, Amazonas, Manaus, Reserva Ducke.
Type material. HOLOTYPE:, ‘ BRASIL. Amazonas, Manaus | Reserva Ducke | i.1996 | Armadilha malaise | MGV Barbosa Col. || HOLOTYPE | Pygodiscodon | similis | Biffi & Constantin’ (INPA). PARATYPES: ‘BRASIL. Amazonas, Manaus | Reserva Ducke | iv.1995 | Armadilha malaise | MGV Barbosa Col. || PARATYPE | Pygodiscodon | similis | Biffi & Constantin’ (1 MZSP, 5195); ‘ BRASIL. Amazonas, Manaus | Reserva Ducke, Igarapé Tinga | Arm. suspensa, 20m | 17–27.I.2005 Henriques A. leg || PARATYPE | Pygodiscodon | similis | Biffi & Constantin’ (1 INPA)’; ‘ Manaos | Aug. 74 || 18. || Amazons. | (Trail.) | 97-71 || Pygodiscodon | apicicorne | (Pic, 1910) ♀ | det. M. Geiser 2014 || PARATYPE | Pygodiscodon | similis | Biffi & Constantin’ (1 ♀ BMNH); ‘ GUYANA, Region 8 | Iwokrama Research Centre, | N4°40 ′ W58°41 ′, ca 60m | 17-21.VI.2014, general collecting | Michael Geiser & Roy Canty leg || BMNH {E} 2014-131 | Biodiversity Initiative || BMNH(E) | 1499483 || Pygodiscodon | apicicorne | (Pic, 1910) | det. M. Geiser 2014 || PARATYPE | Pygodiscodon | similis | Biffi & Constantin’ (1 BMNH); ‘ GUYANA, Region 8 | Iwokrama Research Centre, | N4°40 ′ W58°41 ′, ca 60m | 17-21.VI.2014, general collecting | Michael Geiser & Roy Canty leg || BMNH {E} 2014-131 | Biodiversity Initiative || BMNH(E) | 1499401 || Pygodiscodon | apicicorne | (Pic, 1910) | det. M. Geiser 2014 || PARATYPE | Pygodiscodon | similis | Biffi & Constantin’ (1 CBDG); ‘ GUYANA, Region 8 | Iwokrama Research Centre, | N4°40 ′ W58°41 ′, ca 60m | 17-21.VI.2014, general collecting | Michael Geiser & Roy Canty leg || BMNH {E} 2014-131 | Biodiversity Initiative || BMNH(E) | 1499402 || Pygodiscodon | apicicorne | (Pic, 1910) | det. M. Geiser 2014 || PARATYPE | Pygodiscodon | similis | Biffi & Constantin’ (1 BMNH); ‘ GUYANA, Region 8 | Iwokrama Research Centre, | N4°40 ′ W58°41 ′, ca 60m | 6.VII.2014, general collecting | Michael Geiser leg || BMNH {E} 2014-131 | Biodiversity Initiative || BMNH(E) | 1499552 || Pygodiscodon | apicicorne | (Pic, 1910) | det. M. Geiser 2014 || NHMB-ENT | 2017-008 | PARATYPE | Pygodiscodon | similis | Biffi & Constantin’ (1 NHMB); ‘ GUYANA, Region 8 | Iwokrama Research Centre, | N4°40 ′ W58°41 ′, ca 60m | 6.VII.2014, general collecting | Michael Geiser leg || BMNH {E} 2014-131 | Biodiversity Initiative || BMNH(E) | 1499553 || Pygodiscodon | apicicorne | (Pic, 1910) | det. M. Geiser 2014 || PARATYPE | Pygodiscodon | similis | Biffi & Constantin’ (1 BMNH).
Description. Body length: 5.8–6.1 mm. Head dark brown to black; frons, clypeus and base of mandibles light brown to testaceous, slightly translucent; apex of mandibles light brown; palpi light brown. Antennae brown; first antennomere slightly lighter ventrally and antennomeres IX–X and base of XI yellowish-white. Pronotum predominantly dark brown to black, pale yellow around the borders. Elytra, thorax and abdomen brown; legs light brown, darker at base of femora, apex of tibiae and tarsi.
Male (Fig. 5). Head as long as wide, broadly rounded behind eyes, densely pubescent; occipital region and frons convex; clypeus wide, emarginated anteriorly. Eyes rounded, rather prominent. Maxillary palpi elongate, last palpomere slender and slightly securiform. Antennae (Fig. 11) long, slightly serrate and slightly compressed dorso-ventrally; dorsal surface of antennomeres IV to VI with irregular longitudinal line, not straight, varying in length and width. Pronotum densely pubescent, transverse, 1.5–1.6 times wider than long; lateral margins slightly emarginated, explanate upwards and shortly notched near middle. Elytra finely rugous, densely covered with erect brownish setae; each elytron 4.9 times longer than wide. Legs slender; tarsomeres increasing in size from pro- to metathoracic legs; inner claw of prothoracic legs broadly lamellate at base; meso- and metathoracic tarsal claws with sharp protruding tooth. Last abdominal ventrite (Fig. 29) bilobed, rounded posteriorly and emarginated internally; abdominal tergite VIII (Figs 29–34) elongate and broad, with shallow latero-posterior compressions and strongly constricted posteriorly, forming rather trapezoidal apical projection bearing two contiguous glandular openings at apex; dorsal surface of apical projection with pair of parallel narrow ridges culminating in strong apical tooth. Aedeagus (Figs 53–55): ventral wall of tegmen long and broad, lateral sides slightly convergent, apical margin rounded; short setae along lateral and apical margins and in narrow longitudinal fringe ventrally; parameres very short, slightly surpassing dorsal margins of tegmen; apex obtuse, bearing few long setae; median lobe broad and membranous; internal sac long, apex exposed beyond median lobe, with two pairs of sclerites; ventral sclerites flattened dorso-ventrally, tip acuminate, curved laterally; dorsal sclerites broadly curved dorsally, apex rounded.
Female. Similar to male but antennae lacking longitudinal lines; pronotum not notched laterally; tarsal claws simple; abdominal ventrite VII (Fig. 39) 2.1 times wider than long, not divided, lateral margins arched, distal margin with short and broad projecting tip; abdominal tergite VIII broad and simple.
Differential diagnosis. Similar to P. apicicornis and P. obscurus. Elytra and pronotal patch lighter in colour; antennal lines not straight, varying in length and width, present from antennomeres III to IV; last abdominal ventrite of males bilobed, with apex sinuated internally; last abdominal tergite of males with broader, trapezoidal median projection with pair of dorsal longitudinal ridges culminating in acute, upwards-pointing tooth.
Etymology. The specific epithet, latin adjective similis (similar), refers to the similarity of this species with P. apicicornis and P. obscurus.
Distribution. Guyana and Brazil (Amazonas state) (Fig. 59).
description: Published as part of Biffi, Gabriel & Constantin, Robert, 2018, Taxonomic revision of Pygodiscodon (Coleoptera: Cantharidae), pp. 77-90 in Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 58 (1) on page 88, DOI: 10.2478/aemnp-2018-0008, http://zenodo.org/record/3676782