Lemodes (Lagriomorpha) securiforma Young, 2011, NEW SPECIES
Creators: name: Young, Daniel K.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2011
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Anthicidae
Lemodes
Lemodes securiforma

description: Lemodes (Lagriomorpha) securiforma, NEW SPECIES
(Figs. 14–16)
Description. Length 6.9 mm (n=1). Dorsal and ventral surfaces, legs, and antennae moderately densely covered with short, mostly retrorsely decumbent setae, dorsum and elytra also with a few, longer, semierect to erect setae.
Adult female (Dorsal habitus: Fig. 14). Head and mouthparts coppery-orange; mandibles rufopiceous, at least in part. Dorsal surface of head (Fig. 15) confusedly, shallowly, moderately coarsely punctate, lateral and ventral aspects with punctures less coarse, cranial neck more coarsely punctate. Compound eyes prominent, bulging, finely-faceted. Tempora well-developed, approximately 1/3 as long as the dorso-longitudinal length of compound eye, rounded, but not produced, posteriorly. Antennae with segments 1–3 and most of 4th antennomere yellowishorange, distal aspect of 4th antennomere suffused with rufotestaceous pigmentation, antennomere 5 rufopiceous proximally but mostly black, antennomeres 6–10 black, antennomere 11 black basally, creamy yellowish-orange distally; antennae densely covered with stout, semierect and erect setae; antennomeres 5–10 gradually subclavate; 11th antennomere (Fig. 14) slightly more than 1/2 again as long as 10th antennomere, slightly flattened and acuminate. Terminal segment of maxillary palpus strongly securiform (Fig. 15). Visible dorsal and ventral surfaces of thorax coppery-orange; pronotum (Fig. 16) convex, campanulate, widest anterad the middle, densely covered with coppery-orange setae, coarsely punctate with surface finely punctate between the larger, circular punctures; prothoracic coxal cavities widely open externally; scutellum coppery-orange, quadrate, slightly convex, finely punctate, densely clothed in retrorsely decumbent, coppery-orange setae; mesosternum, metasternum and mesothoracic episterna with scattered, large, shallow punctures, those of mesothoracic episterna very large; mesothoracic episterna meeting anteromesad the mesosternum. Legs amber to coppery-orange; paired, dorsal tibial carinae evident along entire length; tibial spurs very short, stout; penultimate tarsomere slightly dilated, bilobed; tarsal claws simple. Elytra coppery-orange in basal and distal quarters, metallic blue-violet to metallic blue-green in middle half; dark elytral vitta with anterior margin slightly receding toward suture, posterior margin slightly irregular, receding along suture; elytra elongate, 2.8X longer than width across sub-basal humeral area, covering abdomen, margins subparallel along much of length; elytral surface rather coarsely, shallowly, confusedly punctate, surface between punctures smooth to sparsely punctulate. Metathoracic wings fully developed. Venter of abdomen black; abdomen with apical margin of 6th ventrite (= 8th sternite) entire.
Adult male. Unknown.
Types. Holotype (Ψ, SMNS) [card-mounted] [First label]: [NEW GUINEA]: IRIAN JAYA: Anggi, Tetaho// Kosmena 1400–1750m // 26.–28. III. 1993 // leg. A. RIEDEL; [Second label]: Auto-Montaged// digital image(s)// per D. K. Young; [Third label]: HOLOTYPE:// Lemodes // (Lagriomorpha)// securiforma // Young.
Distribution. Lemodes securiforma is presently known only from the holotype. It was taken in the same general region as the type series of L. schawalleri, near the Anggi Lakes: Gigi (- 1.366743° S, 133.894701° E) and Gita (- 1.393074° S, 133.957869° E), in the mountains at the eastern end of the Yogelkop Peninsula, 60 km SSW of Manokwari, Province of West Papua, Indonesian New Guinea. However, the elevation data for L. securiforma (1400–1750m) are lower than the data noted for L. schawalleri (2000–2150m).
Diagnosis. Given the fairly similar label data and superficial anatomical similarities, L. securiforma could be easily mistaken for L. schawalleri. Both species have a similar, metallic blue-violet to metallic blue-green elytral vitta. The terminal maxillary palpomere is weakly securiform in L. schawalleri (Fig. 12) and strongly so in L. securiforma (Fig., 15). Pronotal shape (hourglass-shaped in L. schawalleri, Fig. 13, campanulate in L. securiforma, Fig. 16), and abdominal color (orangish in L. schawalleri and black in the case of L. securiforma) also serve to easily distinguish the two species.
While differences in color might be argued to represent intraspecific variation, particularly with so few known specimens, the several color differences together with the putatively more complex structural differences in the antennae, tibiae, pronotal shape, and that of the terminal maxillary palpomere support recognition of both species.
As noted elsewhere, within the subgenus Lagriomorpha, a somewhat similar elytral color pattern is demonstrated by L. isatabua (Fig. 31), presently known solely from the Solomon Islands. Among other features the abdomen is orange in L. isatabua, while that of L. schawalleri is black.
Etymology. The specific epithet is meant to draw attention to the strongly securiform terminal maxillary palpomere of this species. While this character is not unique to L. securiforma, it is certainly diagnostic vis à vis that of L. schawalleri, the only other Lemodes with which it is likely to be confused.
description: Published as part of Young, Daniel K., 2011, Eight new species of Lemodes (Lagriomorpha) (Coleoptera: Anthicidae: Lemodinae) from Indonesian New Guinea, with a revised key to the species, pp. 1-20 in Zootaxa 2824 on pages 8-10, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.207426