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4http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:7E63D262-AA3C-4F40-87D3-1243C3B31FB1
DOI: 10.24412/2226-0773-2024-13-1-13-20
EDN: UTSXJE
Three new Litargus Erichson, 1846 species from Peru (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, Peru.
Abstract: The following three new species from Peru are described, illustrated and compared: Litargus (Litargus) junin sp. nov., Litargus (Litargus) hrdlickai sp. nov., Litargus (Litargus) peruanus sp. nov. A list of recorded Litargus species from Peru is included.
Introduction
The genus Litargus Erichson, 1846 can be divided into the following 3 subgenera: Alitargus Casey, 1900 including 3 species, Litargosomus Motschulsky, 1858 including 20 species, Litargus Erichson, 1846 including 16 species. Additionally there are 21 species reported as incertae sedis (Háva 2022, 2023). Two species are known from Peru: L. (Litargus) tetraspilotus LeConte, 1856 and L. (Litargus) arcuatus Erichson, 1847 (Shepard 2020, Háva 2022).
During the determination of some unidentified material deposited in Naturhistorisches Museum, Wien and the author´s collection three new species from Peru were found and are 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;
NHMW - Naturhistorisches Museum, Wien, Austria (M. Seidel).
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 label with text as follows: „HOLOTYPE (or PARATYPE) name of species sp. nov. Jiří Háva det. 2023”.
Results
Genus Litargus Erichson, 1846
Litargus (Litargus) junin sp. nov.
Figs 1-3
Description. Female. Body measurements TL 2.9 mm, EW 1.7 mm; oblong-oval, weakly convex dorsally, weakly glossy; brown, covered with brown and and yellow, recumbent setation; elytra brown with patterns coverd 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, light brown (Fig. 3); palpomeres brown, apical maxillary palpomere large, cylindrical.
Pronotum brown covered by intermixed brown and yellow setation, convex dorsally, rugose, with large and dense punctures; widest at middle, gradually narrowed anteriad and posteriad; anterior margin slightly arcuate; lateral sides roundly arcuate; basal margin sinuate, without short and circular grooves on subbasal parts.
Scutellum brown, with short recumbent yellow setation.
Elytra dark brown covered by brown recumbent setation, patterns from yellow setation, elongate, subparallel sided, narrowed from apical 1/4 part to apex (Fig. 1). Epipleuron 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 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 is similar to Litargus irregularis (Sharp, 1902), but differs from it by the broadly oval body, elytral patterns of yellow setation and the structure of the antennae, and from other known Neotropical species by the same characters.
Type material. Holotype (1 ♀): Peru, Junin Reg., Satipo prov., ca 5-6 km above Rio Venado, 11°11´05´´S, 74°45´34´´W, ca 1300 m, windows trap, 19.1.2019, A. Petrov leg., (NHMW). Paratype (1 ♀): Peru, Junin Reg., Satipo prov., near Rio Venado vill., ca 1122 m, x.2014, (ex ebay), (JHAC).
Etymology. Toponymic, named after the Junin Region in Peru.
Litargus (Litargus) peruanus sp. nov.
Figs 4-5
Description. Female. Body measurements TL 1.8 mm, EW 1.0 mm; oblong-oval; weakly convex dorsally, weakly glossy; brown, covered with brown recumbent setation; elytra brown 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 from third segment missing, first two segments light brown; palpomeres light 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 middle, gradually narrowed anteriad and posteriad; anterior margin slightly arcuate; lateral sides roundly arcuate; basal margin sinuate, without short and circular grooves on subbasal parts.
Figs. 1-3. Litargus (Litargus) junin sp. nov.: 1 - habitus, dorsal aspect;
2 - habitus, lateral aspect; 3 - antenna.
Figs. 4-5. Litargus (Litargus) peruanus sp. nov.: 4 - habitus, dorsal aspect;
5 - habitus, lateral aspect.
Scutellum small, brown, with short recumbent yellow setation.
Elytra dark brown with yellowish-orange patterns, covered by brown recumbent setation, patterns covered by yellow setation, elongate, subparallel-sided, narrowed from apical 1/4 part to apex (Figs. 4-5). Epipleuron brown, 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 light brown, finely punctate, covered with yellow recumbent setation. Pygidium brown, covered with brown recumbent setation.
Male. Unknown.
Differential diagnosis. The new species differs from other known Neotropical species by the colour of the elytral patterns and the structure of the antennae.
Type material. Holotype (1 ♀): Peru, Junin Reg., Satipo prov., ca 5-6 km above Rio Venado, 11°11´05´´S, 74°45´34´´W, ca 1300 m, windows trap, 19.1.2019, A. Petrov leg., (MHNW).
Etymology. Toponymic, named for thecountry of origin.
Litargus (Litargus) hrdlickai sp. nov.
Figs. 6-9
Description. Male. Body measurements TL 2.0 mm, EW 1.1 mm; oblong-oval; weakly convex dorsally, weakly glossy; brown, covered with brown recumbent setation; elytra brown with orange 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, light brown (Fig. 8); palpi brown, apical maxillary palpomere large, cylindrical.
Pronotum brown with orange latero-apical parts covered by yellow setation, rugose, with large and dense punctures, other parts covered with brown recumbent setation; widest apically, gradually narrowed anteriad and posteriad; anterior margin slightly arcuate; lateral sides roundly arcuate; basal margin sinuate, without short and circular grooves on subbasal parts.
Scutellum light brown, with short recumbent yellow setation.
Elytra dark brown with orange patterns, covered by brown recumbent setation, patterns covered by yellow setation, elongate, subparallel-sided, narrowed from apical 1/4 part to apex (Figs. 6-7). Epipleuron brown, covered with brown recumbent setation.
Meta-meso ventrite brown, with brown 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 light brown, finely punctate, covered with brown recumbent setation. Pygidium brown, covered with brown recumbent setation.
Male genitalia as in Fig. 9.
Female. Unknown.
Differential diagnosis. The new species differs from other known Neotropical species by the colour of the elytral patterns and the structure of the antennae.
Type material. Holotype (1 ♂): Peru, Junin Reg., Satipo prov., near Rio Venado vill., ca 1122 m, x.2014, (ex ebay), (JHAC).
Etymology. Patronymic, dedicated to my friend Jan Hrdlička (Babice u Říčan, Czech Republic), specialist in Coleoptera, family Carabidae: Brachininae.
LIST OF LITARGUS SPECIES RECORDED FROM PERU
Litargus arcuatus Erichson, 1847
= Litargus quadriarcuatus (sic!): Shepard, 2020
Litargus hrdlickai sp. nov.
Litargus junin sp. nov.
Litargus peruanus sp. nov.
Litargus tetraspilotus LeConte, 1856
= Litargus quadrimaculatus Kirsch, 1873
Figs. 6-9. Litargus (Litargus) hrdlickai sp. nov.: 6- habitus, dorsal aspect; 7- habitus, lateral aspect; 8 - antenna; 9 - male genitalia.
Figs. 10-11. Habitus: 10 - Litargus tetraspilotus LeConte, 1856;
11- Litargus arcuatus Erichson, 1847 (according to Shepard 2020).
Acknowledgements. I are very obliged to Larry G. Bezark (California, U.S.A.) for English revision to the manuscript.
REFERENCES
Háva J. 2022: World Catalogue of Mycetophagidae (Coleoptera: Tenebrionoidea). - Studies and Reports, Taxonomical Series. 18 (2): 287-331.
Háva J. 2023: A new Litargus species from Thailand (Coleoptera: Mycetophagidae). - Munis Entomology & Zooogy. 18 (2): 1130-1132.
Shepard W.D. 2020: Beetles (Coleoptera) of Peru: A survey of families. Mycetophagidae Leach 1815. - Revista Peruana de Biologia. 27 (2): 121-126.
Received: 20.12.2023
Accepted: 29.01.2024
