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0http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:9245E92E-178F-46AD-8E73-95A0703F08E0
DOI: 10.24412/2226-0773-2024-13-6-440-444
EDN: GGMPLO
A new species of Litargus Erichson, 1846 from Nicaragua (Coleoptera: Mycetophagidae)
J. Háva
Private Entomological Laboratory & Collection
Rýznerova 37/37, CZ- 252 62 Únětice u Prahy, Prague-west, Czech Republic
e-mail: jh.dermestidae@volny.cz
Key words: Taxonomy, new species, description, Coleoptera, Mycetophagidae, Litargus, Nicaragua.
Abstract: A new species Litargus (s. str.) poggii sp. nov. from Nicaragua is described, illustrated and compared with similar species.
Introduction
The genus Litargus Erichson, 1846 currently includes 71 species (Háva, 2022, 2024). Only two species are known from Nicaragua: Litargus balteatus LeConte, 1856 and Litargus tetraspilotus LeConte, 1856 (Háva, 2022).
During the determination of some unidentified material deposited in Museo Civico di Storia Naturale “Giacomo Doria”, Genova, Italy a new species from Nicaragua was found and is described here.
Material and methods
The material is deposited in the following collections:
JHAC - Jiří Háva, Private Entomological Laboratory & Collection, Únětice u Prahy, Prague-West, Czech Republic;
MCSN - Museo Civico di Storia Naturale “Giacomo Doria”, Genova, Italy (R. Poggi).
The size of beetles or of their body parts can be useful in species recognition and thus, the following measurements were made:
total length (TL) - linear distance from anterior margin of head to apex of elytra.
elytral width (EW) - maximum linear transverse distance.
Specimens of the presently described species are provided with red, printed label with text as follows: “HOLOTYPE (or PARATYPE) Litargus (s. str.) poggii sp. nov. Jiří Háva det. 2024”.
Results
Genus Litargus Erichson, 1846
Litargus (Litargus) poggii sp. nov.
Figs 1-4
Description. Female. Body measurements TL 1.8-1.9 mm, EW 1.0 mm; oblong-oval; weakly convex dorsally, weakly glossy; brown, covered with brown recumbent setation; elytra brownish-black with yellow patterns covered by yellow setation.
Head brown, with dense and coarse punctures; covered by yellow, recumbent setation; labrum brown; eyes prominent laterally in dorsal view, coarsely faceted and slightly emarginate near antennal insertions; antennae with 11 antennomeres, entirely brown with brown setation, antennal club with three antennomeres (Fig. 3); palpomeres brown, apical maxillary palpomere large, cylindrical.
Pronotum brown with yellowish lateral parts covered by yellow setation and with large brown spot discally, convex dorsally, rugose, with large and dense punctures, other parts covered with brown recumbent setation; widest at base, gradually narrowed anteriad; anterior margin slightly arcuate; lateral sides roundly arcuate; basal margin sinuate, without short and circular grooves on subbasal parts.
Scutellum small, brownish-black, with short recumbent yellow setation.
Elytra dark brownish-black with yellow patterns, covered by brown recumbent setation, patterns covered by yellow setation, elongate, subparallel-sided, narrowed from apical 1/4 part to apex (Figs 1-2). Epipleuron brownish-black, covered with brown recumbent setation.
Meta-meso ventrite brown, with yellow recumbent setation, finely punctate.
Legs entirely light brown with light brown spines, covered with yellow recumbent setation. Tibiae with long brown spines apically.
Abdomen with visible ventrites brown, finely punctate, covered with yellow recumbent setation. Pygidium brown, covered with yellow recumbent setation.
Male. Unknown.
Differential diagnosis. The new species differs from other known Neotropical species, especially the similar species Litargus (s. str.) peruanus Háva, 2024 by the colour of the pronotal and elytral patterns and the structure of the antennae.
Type material. Holotype (♀): “Managua, Nicaragua, III-[18]98, Solari” / “Museo Civico di Genova” - MCSN. Paratypes (3 ♀♀): same data as holotype - 2 MCSN, 1 JHAC.
Etymology. Patronymic, dedicated to my friend and curator of Coleoptera in MCSN, Roberto Poggi.
Acknowledgements. I are very obliged to Roberto Poggi (MCSN) for loaning me the interesting material and to Larry G. Bezark (California, U.S.A.) for English revision to the manuscript.
Figs. 1-4. Litargus (s. str.) poggii sp. nov.: 1a - habitus, dorsal aspect;
1b - habitus, dorsal aspect, variability; 2 - habitus, lateral aspect;
3 - antenna; 4 - labells.
Figs. 5-6. Litargus (s. str.) peruanus Háva, 2024: 5 - habitus, dorsal aspect; 6 - habitus, lateral aspect.
REFERENCES
Háva J. 2022. World Catalogue of Mycetophagidae (Coleoptera: Tenebrionoidea). - Studies and Reports. Taxonomical Series. 18 (2): 287-331.
Háva J. 2024. Three new Litargus Erichson, 1846 species from Peru (Coleoptera: Mycetophagidae). - Humanity space. International almanac. 13 (1): 13-20.
Received: 02.02.2024
Accepted: 15.07.2024
