Cycadophila (Cycadophila) vittata Arrow, new combination
Creators: name: Skelley, Paul
name: Xu, Guang
name: Tang, William
name: Lindström, Anders J.
name: Marler, Thomas
name: Khuraijam, Jibankumar Singh
name: Singh, Rita
name: Rich, Stephen
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2017
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Erotylidae
Cycadophila
Cycadophila vittata

description: Cycadophila (Cycadophila) vittata (Arrow), new combination
Figs. 12 A–F
Pharaxonotha vittata Arrow 1925: 255, fig. 46; Schenkling 1928: 31; Mader 1939: 47; Chûjô 1964: 224; Chûjô 1967: 41.
Adult diagnosis. A member of Cycadophila (Cycadophila) nigra species group as discussed above, distinguished from other species by the narrow protibia lacking stout setae apically, short supraocular stria, coarser pronotal punctation, and having a large elytral maculation.
Adult description. (Based on holotype) Length 4.00 mm, width 1.50 mm. Body in dorsal view elongate, sides arcuate, greatest width at middle of elytra; in lateral view convex dorsally. General body and appendage color solid pale brown, elytra yellow-brown with dark maculation along suture from base near scutellum nearly to apex; dorsal surface distinctly punctate, surface shiny, dorsally appearing glabrous, with short procumbent hairs associated with punctation behind eyes and along lateral sides and declivity of elytra, ventrally mostly covered with short procumbent setae.
Head in dorsal view conical, gradually narrowed apically, surface flat to slightly convex, distinctly punctured; head width/dorsal interocular distance ratio 1.59, head width/ventral interocular distance ratio 2.10. Eye globular; bordered dorsally with short supraocular stria at basal 1/3 of eye; projected laterally, with large black facets and short, inconspicuous interfacetal setae. Frons with short, dark, subcuticular suture on each side, approximately 1/4 width of frons in length, extending obliquely to lateral margin above and anterior to antennal insertion. Antennal length about 3/4 pronotal width, and slightly longer than head width, antennomere relative lengths from base to end approximately 18:12:13:10:10:10:10:10:15:15:20; antennomere I (scape) fairly large, slightly elongate, antennomere II slightly smaller than III; IV–VIII small, width equals length; club fairly large, IX–XI similar in length, XI globular. Clypeus truncate anteriorly, anterior margin with long setae; densely punctate; somewhat emarginate, with narrow margin. Maxillary palpomeres II, III slightly longer than wide; IV elongate oval, apex densely papillate; relative lengths of II–IV approximately 4:3:7. Labium with mentum pentagonal with carina forming triangular plate projecting medially, with distinct lateral pockets; labial palpomere III elongate-oval. Mentum and submentum with moderate punctation and setation, setae short. Gular area smooth, without setae or punctation, except near suture with submentum where a vague discolored depression is present marked by last set of submental punctures indicating remains of suture.
Thorax with pronotum transverse in dorsal view, with marginal beads on all sides; length/width ratio 0.62, convex, sides arcuate; anterior angles rounded; lateral carina with thin marginal bead, bead bearing row of minutely setose punctures; posterior angle exteriorly angulate; posterior margin projecting medially; with narrow, short longitudinal furrow posterolaterally, beginning at pore on posterior margin, extending forward and ending abruptly, length of furrows relative to pronotal length 0.16. Prosternum with anterior margin slightly emarginate, finely denticulate with fringe of long, anteriorly directed setae; posterior prosternal process truncate and convex. Hypomeron with few punctures laterally, medially without longitudinal striations. Scutellar shield transverse, posterior margin rounded, somewhat pentagonal. Elytra elongate, evenly arcuate along sides, convex; length/width 3.30, greatest width near midlength; with marginal bead basally, scutellary striole with 10 punctures; intervals of striae with fine, distinct punctures. Punctation on meso- and metaventrite distinct. Metaventrite long, convex laterally, metathoracic discrimen extending slightly over half metaventrite length. Legs narrow, similar in length; procoxae oval; mesocoxae globular; metacoxae transversely elongate-oval; trochanters obliquely truncate apically; femora compressed laterally; tibiae shorter than femora, narrow at apex. Protibia narrow, weakly angled on lateral apex, apex fringed with small, hair-like spinules, lateral margin lacking spinules. Meso- and metatibia narrowed, obliquely angled at lateral apex. Male metatibia with slight rounded swelling on inner apical half.
Abdomen with 5 ventrites bearing fine punctures; anterior margin with intercoxal process narrow, with triangular point anteromedially, lateral edges slightly projected, lateral and posterior margins arcuate, converging posteriorly; anterior and posterior margins of ventrites more or less straight; ventrite I lacking subcoxal line, slightly longer medially than II; I–IV apparently lacking erect sensory hairs located on either side of the middle; II– IV subequal in length; V slightly longer than IV with lateral margins converging posteriorly to a rounded apex.
Male genitalia (tegmen and median lobe of aedeagus) twisted approximately 45° toward the left side of animal and resting on side. Tegmen sclerotized, triangular, gently twisted; with anterior region ring-like, posterior region sheath-like, posterior margin slightly arcuate; lateral margins gradually converging posteriorly; dorsally with 2 large, elongate, somewhat coniform parameres. Parameres short, with long setae apically; length/width ratio 2.00. Aedeagus with median lobe short, slender, highly sclerotized, apex long and acuminate. Ratio of median lobe length to penile strut length 1:5. Female unknown.
Type locality. Burma (now Myanmar).
Range. Burma (now Myanmar).
Material examined. Holotype male with the following labels (Fig. 12 F): 1) [rectangular; white; hand written in black ink] “ Maymyo VI,16 H. L. Andrewes ”; 2) [rectangular; white with yellow horizontal line; printed in black ink] “Maymyo, Burma, H. L. Andrewes ”; 3) [rectangular; white; printed in black ink] “ Andrewes Bequest B. M. 1922–221.”; 4) [white circle, ringed with red ink; printed in black] “ Type ”; 5) [rectangular; white; hand written in black ink] “ Pharaxonotha vittata, Arrow type ”. Deposited in the BMNH (examined).
Remarks. Arrow (1925) discussed the subtle central inter-marginal swelling on the hind tibia of the type specimen as a possible sexual dimorphism. This dimorphism and other characters distinguish it from other species. However, this tibial character is also found in C. yunnanensis which has vittate forms in China. Cycadophila vittata and C. yunnanensis may represent a single species with two color forms or a species complex. For now, we consider C. vittata and C. yunnanensis to be distinct and will pursue further research on their relationship when additional materials from Myanmar are available. Two species of Cycas, C. pectinata and C. siamensis, are currently known from Myanmar (Lindström, unpub. data).
description: Published as part of Skelley, Paul, Xu, Guang, Tang, William, Lindström, Anders J., Marler, Thomas, Khuraijam, Jibankumar Singh, Singh, Rita & Rich, Stephen, 2017, Review of Cycadophila Xu, Tang & Skelley (Coleoptera: Erotylidae: Pharaxonothinae) inhabiting Cycas (Cycadaceae) in Asia, with descriptions of a new subgenus and thirteen new species, pp. 1-63 in Zootaxa 4267 (1) on pages 38-40, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.575641