CC BY
6http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:9D7D213D-2644-456C-9C67-D5214D46C71A
DOI: 10.24412/2226-0773-2022-11-2-241-245
EDN: CCFRUB
A new species of Litargus Erichson, 1846 from Reunion Island (Coleoptera: Mycetophagidae)
J. Háva
Forestry and Game Management Research Institute
Strnady 136, CZ-156 00 Praha 5 - Zbraslav, Czech Republic
e-mail: jh.dermestidae@volny.cz
ORCID: 0000-0001-8076-9538
Key words: taxonomy, new species, description, Coleoptera, Mycetophagidae, Litargus, Reunion Island.
Abstract: Litargus (Litargus) reunionensis sp. nov. from Reunion Island is described, illustrated and compared with similar species.
Introduction
The genus Litargus Erichson, 1846 is divided into 3 subgenera: Alitargus Casey, 1900 including 3 species; Litargosomus Motschulsky, 1858 including 20 species and Litargus Erichson, 1846 including 14 species and 21 species as incertae sedis (Háva 2021), from Afrotropical Region are known 23 species. A new species described here from Reunion Island.
Material and Methods
The material is deposited in the following collections:
MHNR - Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle de La Réunion, Saint-Denis, La Réunion;
JHAC - Private Entomological Laboratory & Collection, Jiří Háva, Únětice u Prahy, Prague-West, Czech Republic;
JPPC - Jacques Poussereau private collection, Dax, France.
The size of the 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 labels with the text as follows: „HOLOTYPE [or PARATYPE] Litargus (Litargus) reunionensis sp. nov. Jiří Háva det. 2022”.
Results
Litargus (Litargus) reunionensis sp. nov.
Figs. 1-4
Description. Male. Body measurements TL 2.0 mm, EW 0.9 mm; oblong-oval, subparallel-sided; weakly convex dorsally, weakly glossy; pronotum brown, elytra light brown with black patterns (Figs. 1-2), covered with yellow, short, recumbent setation.
Head dark brown, with dense and coarse punctures; covered by intermixed yellow, recumbent setation; labrum brown; eyes prominent laterally in dorsal view, coarsely faceted and not emarginate near antennal insertions; antennae with 11 antennomeres, antennomeres I-VIII light brown, antennal club dark brown consisting of three antennomeres (Fig. 3); palpi light brown, apical maxillary palpomere large, cylindrical.
Pronotum brown covered by yellow, recumbent setae, convex dorsally, rugose, with large and dense punctures, widest posteriorly, gradually narrowed anteriad and posteriad; anterior margin slightly arcuate; lateral sides roundly arcuate; basal margin sinuate, without short and circular grooves subbasally.
Scutellum dark brown, triangular, with short recumbent yellow setation.
Elytra light brown with black patterns, covered with yellow, short, recumbent setation (Figs. 1-2). Epipleuron light brown, covered with yellow recumbent setation.
Meta-meso ventrite brown, with yellow recumbent setation, finely punctate.
Legs entirely light brown with light brown spines, covered with brown recumbent setation. Tibiae with very long brown spines apically.
Abdominal visible ventrites brown, finely punctate, covered with yellow, short, recumbent setation. Pygidium dark brown, covered with yellow, recumbent setation. Male genitalia as in Fig. 4.
Female. Externally similar to male.
Variability. Black elytral maculae slightly varied in largest. Body measurements TL 2.0-2.1 mm, EW 0.9-1.0 mm.
Type material. Holotype, ♂: „La Réunion 974, Coll: J. Poussereau“ / „ Chemin de Ceinture, Maison Boyer J.P., Piège lumineux, 22.02.2017“ - MHNR. Paratypes: 4 spec.: same data but, 04.01.2017 - 2 JPPC, 2 JHAC; 1 spec.: same data but 29.01.2017 - JHAC; 1 spec.: same data but 09.02.2017 - JPPC; 1 spec.: same data but Graines de palmier, 03.01.2017 - JPPC.
Differential diagnosis. The new species is similar to two Madagascan species Litargus insolitus Grouvelle, 1906 and Litargus madagascariensis Grouvelle, 1906 but differs from them by the colour of the elytral spots; from another similar species Litargus balteatus LeConte, 1856 (Maurice I., cosmopolitan) the new species differs by the elytral spots.
Key for Litargus species:
1(4) elytra black
2(3) each elytron with 4 light orange patterns………...….…….…
………………………………………..Litargus insolitus Grouvelle, 1906
3(2) each elytron with 4 dark reddish patterns…...…….………….
…………………………….Litargus madagascariensis Grouvelle, 1906
4(1) elytra light-brown with black patterns………………………...
…………………………………………….Litargus reunionensis sp. nov.
Etymology. Toponymic, named for the type locality, Reunion Island.
Typhaea stercorea (Linnaeus, 1758)
Material examined: „Réunion 974, Coll: J. Poussereau“ / „ Chemin de Ceinture, Maison Boyer J.P., Piège lumineux, 22.02.2017“, 1 spec., J. Háva det. - JPPC.
Remarks. This species was recorded from Reunion by Gomy et al. (2016).
Acknowledgements. I am indebted very much to Jacques Poussereau (Dax, France) for providing me with the interesting material and to Larry G. Bezark (California, U.S.A.) for the revision of the English text of the manuscript.
REFERENCES
Gomy Y., Lemagnen R. & Poussereau J. 2016. Mycetophagidae, p. 392. In: Les Coléoptères de l´île de La Réunion. Saint-Denis: Orphie. 760 pp.
Grouvelle A. 1906. Contribution à l´Étude des Coléoptères de Madagascar. Nitidulidae, Colydiidae, Cucujidae, Monotomidae, Cryptophagidae, Mycetophagidae, Dryopidae, Heteroceridae. - Annales de la Société entomologique de France. 75: 67-144.
Grouvelle A. 1914. Descriptions de Coléoptères Africains. - Annales de la Société entomologique de France. 83: 141-202 + 2 pls.
Grouvelle A. 1916: Description d´un Litargus nouveau d´Afrique (Col. Mycetophagidae). - Bulletin de la Société entomologique de France. 21(18): 278-280.
Figs 1-4. Litargus reunionensis sp. nov.: 1 - habitus, dorsal;
2 - habitus, dorso-lateral; 3 - antenna; 4 - male genitalia.
Received: 17.12.2021
Accepted: 18.03.2022
