Choeromorpha luzonensis Medina & Villegas & Barsevskis & Vitali 2023, sp. nov.

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences (Life Sciences)

Choeromorpha (s. str.) luzonensis sp. nov. Figure 1. Type material. HOLOTYPE, male (Fig. 1): PHILIPPINES — Luzon / Aurora Province / Dingalan / v.2020 / local collector, printed on red card, MMCP, to be deposited at Philippine National Museum. PARATYPE, female, same label as holotype, deposited at MMCP. Description. Measurements: LB (LH+LP+LE): 26.0 mm. LH: 3.0mm. WH: 5.0 mm. LG: 1.0 mm. LL: 1.5 mm. WL: 0.75 mm. LP: 5.0 mm. WP: 8.0 mm. LE: 18.0 mm. WEH: 10.0 mm. LA3: 4.0 mm. LA4: 5.0 mm. AIII: 4 mm. AIV: 5 mm. Adult male. Integuments matte black, tomentose, densely covered with minute recumbent yellowish pubescence, denser goldish brown setae at apical half of meso- and metatibia; ventral side densely covered with recumbent yellow pubescence. Head matte black, densely punctate denser at vertex and frons, sparsely covered with yellowish to goldish brown recumbent pubescence; genae semi bulging, with sparsely yellowish recumbent pubescence; eyes matte black, inferior lobe longer than wide, upper lobe twice smaller than the inferior lobe; epicranium sparsely punctate; base lined with goldish to yellow recumbent pubescence. Antennae matte black, covered with semi-erect setae at inner side; scape robust, narrower at the base, not apically club-shaped; antennomere III longer than scape and III shorter than IV (3 mm vs 4 mm); antennomere IV as long as scape; inner side of III–IX with scant yellowish recumbent pubescence. Pronotum 1.6 wider than long, widest near basal third, narrowest near apex, with two blunt spines at the lateral side, near apex, highly randomly punctate at both dorsal and lateral sides. Elytra 1.8 longer than wide, matte black, highly punctate randomly scattered except at the apical third, tomentose, covered with short yellowish and golden recumbent setae; margin lined with golden semi-recumbent setae; discal area flat with smooth declivity towards the apex; apex rounded. Humeri slight raised; scutellum ovate, lustrous black, glabrous. Coxae lustrous black, minutely punctured, with dense yellowish recumbent pubescence, procoxae, raised,. Profemora densely covered with small punctations and densely covered with yellowish recumbent pubescence, slightly recurved, visually longer than meso- and metafemora. Meso- and metafemora of the same size and length, more densely punctate than profemora, covered with yellowish recumbent pubescence. Protibiae longer than meta and meso tibiae, slightly recurved, with 5–6 small blunt spines at the underside, sparsely covered with yellowish recumbent pubescence, dense goldish brown and yellowish semi-recumbent setae lined the apex. Meso- and metatibiae of the same size and shape, moderately covered with goldish semi-recumbent setae on the basal half. Tarsi flat, dorsal side densely covered with yellowish recumbent pubescence; ventral side covered with small erect golden setae. Claws matte black, simple, divergent. Prosternum lustrous black, with fine microsculptures at the base, sparsely covered with goldish brown recumbent pubescence; metaventrite, mesepimeron, mesepisternum and metepisternum matte black, densely covered with yellowish to goldish brown recumbent pubescence; metanepisternum short; metaventrite lustrous black along the midline, matte black at the sides, densely covered with goldish brown recumbent pubescence. Whole system of genitalia almost of the same length with endophallus (5.0 mm) almost two-thirds longer than aedeagus (3.5 mm vs 5.0 mm) (Fig. 2A–C). Endophallus with long, rectangular sclerites concentrated near the base of aedeagus. Parameres twice longer than wide (0.5 mm vs 1.0 mm), robust, lined with long yellowish erect setae, partially separated at the base, meeting at the apex (Fig. 2F–G). Aedeagus is wider and shorter at the ventral side, forming a longitudinal groove at the lateral side and highly recurved when viewed laterally (Fig. 2D–E). Tergites VII, VII, IX (see Fig. 2H–I). Adult Female. Unknown. Differential diagnosis. Due to its pattern, Choeromorpha (s. str.) luzonensis sp. nov. belongs to the group of C. panagensis Heller, 1923, C. sulphurea (Pascoe, 1865), C. flavolineata Breuning 1939 and C. albovaria Breuning 1954, the last three ones widespread in Sulawesi. It shows more affinity with the first species, being characterized by three evident transverse elytral bands (two in the Indonesian species). Nonetheless, the pronotum dotted with light scales and the fragmented elytral bands close this species to the Indonesian congeners. Etymology. The new species is named after the island of Luzon, the biggest island in the Philippines. Distribution. Philippines: Luzon (Aurora Province, Dingalan).