Diastatotropis lilae Tryzna, Raveloson & Rakotonirina 2025, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Trýzna, Miloš
name: Raveloson, Ricca
name: Rakotonirina, Jean Claude
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Anthribidae
Diastatotropis
Diastatotropis lilae

description: Diastatotropis lilae Trýzna, Raveloson & Rakotonirina sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 3E6CD745-3452-46D5-B99C-8A9EB454954E
(Figs 1–8, 21)
Type locality. Central Madagascar, Antananarivo prov., natural forest in Anjozorobe-Angavo, Saha forest, S 18°24’38.5”; E 47°56’38.2”, 1371 m a.s.l.
Type material. Holotype (female) (Figs 1–6): ‘C MADAGASCAR, 1371 m / Anjozorobe, Saha forest, / 29.– 30.i.2024, / S 18°24’38.5”; E 47°56’38.2”, / primary forest, M. Trýzna leg. [p]’ (MMBC). Paratype (female): the same data as holotype (MTDC). Red label [p] HOLOTYPE / PARATYPE / Diastatotropis / lilae sp. nov. / M. Trýzna det., 2025.
Diagnosis. Small- to medium-sized (holotype 10.15 mm, paratype 6.25 mm) elongate species. Surface of entire body including underside dark green to blackish (Fig. 1). Tarsomeres and antennomeres brown. Rostrum with two distinct lateral longitudinal carinae, reaching to line of central part of antennal scrobes anteriorly and to anterior margin of eyes posteriorly. Between carinae, a distinct depression with glossy area (Figs 2, 5). Antennal club slender and cylindrical, terminal segment elongate-oval, distinctly longer than wide (Fig. 4). Sub-basal area of elytra flat, without tubercles, only slightly raised, disc of elytra with shallow imprint (Figs 1, 6).
Description. Holotype (female) (Figs 1–6). Measurements (in mm): Total body length—10.15. Head: total length—2.25; length of rostrum—1.36; maximum width of rostrum—1.50; length of eye—0.93; maximum width across eyes—1.88; minimum distance between eyes—0.83. Antenna: length of segments: 2–0.29, 3–0.36, 4–0.31, 5–0.27, 6–0.21, 7–0.21, 8–0.20, 9–0.46, 10–0.21, 11–0.43, width of segment 9–0.24. Pronotum: maximum length— 2.18; width at carina (= maximal width in this case)—2.75; minimum width—1.88. Elytra: maximum length—5.50; maximum width—3.70. Pygidium: maximum length—0.75; maximum width—1.05.
Coloration of the cuticle of entire body dark blackish. Antennomeres 3–11 brown, scape blackish, pedicel dark brown; labrum dark brown. All tarsomeres including claws dark brown.
Vestiture. Head (Figs 2, 5) without setae. Labrum dark yellowish with a few longer dark-coloured setae in distal part. Antennomeres 3–9 with indistinct appressed brownish setae (Fig. 4). Pronotum, including pronotal declivity, and elytra with sparse short indistinct appressed setae, their colour dark brown to blackish (Fig. 3). All legs covered with appressed dark brown setae, tibiae with subdecumbent setae in inner part, mesotibia with two light-coloured spots on outer part, one in central and second in apical part Fig. 1). Tarsomeres with dark-brownish setae. Whole ventral part of body and pygidium covered with indistinct sparse appressed dark green setae.
Structure. Head (Figs 2, 5) rather longer, rostrum slightly wider than long, ratio of rostrum length to maximum width 0.90. Rostrum slightly bent upwards in lateral view. Lateral sides of rostrum weakly extended apically. Dorsal part of rostrum with two distinctly developed longitudinal carinae, not extending to distal part of rostrum and reaching to anterior margin of eyes.Area between carinae strongly depressed, with glossy area in central part. Upper side of rostrum with coarse sculpture, while area between eyes and frons longitudinally wrinkled. Eyes elliptical, not emarginate, only slightly truncate anteriorly, dorsal ocular index 1.58. Ratio of maximum width across eyes to maximum width of rostrum 1.25. Antennae (Fig. 4) reaching only to dorsal transverse carina of pronotum. Scape slightly swollen, wider than pedicel, antennomeres 3–6 slender than pedicel, 7 equally wide, 8 wider, 9–11 forming indistinct longitudinal club: 9 and 11 ca. 2 times longer than wide, 10 slightly wider than long.
Pronotum (Fig. 3) moderately transverse, ratio of its length to maximum width 0.79, the widest in dorsal transverse carina, then narrowed to distal part. Disc of pronotum convex, without any imprint. Dorsal transverse carina antebasal, almost straight, only slightly bisinuate laterally, not interrupted in middle. Lateral carinae of pronotum short, not reaching half of length of pronotum, widely rounded at contact with dorsal transverse carina.
Elytra (Figs 1, 6) longitudinal, without sub-basal tubercles, only with flat indistinct elevation in humeral part, disc of elytra with shallow imprint. Ratio of the maximum length to maximum width of elytra 1.49. Elytral intervals completely flat, dorsal punctures very small and inconspicuous, their diameter much smaller than distance of individual punctures.
Claws without teeth. Pygidium transverse, ratio of the maximum length to maximum width 0.71.
Male. Unknown.
Variability. Both known female specimens are completely identical except for size. The holotype measures 10.15 mm, while the paratype is significantly smaller (6.25 mm).
Etymology. Matronym, dedicated to wife of the second author, Lila Raveloson (Antananarivo, Madagascar).
Collecting circumstances (Figs 7–8). Diastatotropis lilae was found in Anjozorobe-Angavo Protected Harmonious Landscape near Anjozorobe, which is located ca. 70 km (by air) SE of Antananarivo (Antananarivo province). Saha Forest is a well-known ecotourist site. The Anjozorobe-Angavo forest represents one of the last remnants of natural forest in the Central Highlands. It is characterized by a relatively intact forest largely consisting of medium altitude moist evergreen forest, with a canopy height of 10–15 m. This area is dominated by the humid and subhumid climate. For more details see Goodman et al. (2018b). Both specimens were collected at elevation of 1371 m a.s.l. on the dead wood of an unidentified deciduous tree. The trunk and branches of the tree were still covered with bark, as this condition is necessary for the presence of anthribids.
Distribution. Central Madagascar, Antananarivo province. The species is only known from the type locality Anjozorobe-Angavo (Fig. 21).
Differential diagnosis. Diastatotropis lilae (female only, male unknown) belongs to the group of species with the antennal club slender and cylindrical, which has a terminal segment elongate-oval, always distinctly longer than wide, and antennomere 10 more or less as long as wide (resp. not twice as wide as long), and without conspicuous sub-basal tubercles of elytra. D. lilae differs from D. lepida Trýzna & Baňař 2016 and D. humeralis Trýzna & Baňař 2016 in the shape of the carinae on the upper side of the rostrum. D. lepida and D. humeralis have three delicate carinae on the flat dorsum of rostrum, while D. lilae has only two strong distinct carinae between which is a distinct depression. In addition, the coloration of D. lilae is completely dark green, except for the antennae and tarsomeres of all legs, which are brownish. The other two species are completely differently coloured (see figs 1–4 in Trýzna & Baňař 2016).
description: Published as part of Trýzna, Miloš, Raveloson, Ricca & Rakotonirina, Jean Claude, 2025, Two new species of Diastatotropis Lacordaire from protected areas in Madagascar (Coleoptera: Anthribidae), pp. 263-274 in Zootaxa 5590 (2) on pages 264-267, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5590.2.6, http://zenodo.org/record/14953076