Tropiorhynchus annandalei Gupta & Chandra 2017, new species

Abstract

<i>Tropiorhynchus annandalei</i> Gupta & Chandra, new species <p>(Figs. 4–5, 9, 13, 17, 21, 31–33, 36, 40, 44, 48, 52, 53)</p> <p> <b>Type locality.</b> India, Maharashtra state, Pune district, Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary, 19.1319°N, 73.5538°E.</p> <p> <b>Type material (7 specimens).</b> Holotype, male: “ India, Maharashtra state, Pune district, Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary, 19.1319°N, 73.5538°E, 1.xi.2012, collected by K. Chandra and Bulganin Mitra ” (ZSCI registration number: 22708/H4A). Paratypes (5 males, 1 female): same data as holotype (ZSCI registration number: 22709/H4A to 22714/H4A). The specimens bear a red printed label: “ <i>Tropiorhynchus annandalei</i> sp. nov., HOLOTYPUS [or PARATYPUS], Devanshu Gupta & Kailash Chandra det. 2016”.</p> <p> <b>Type depository.</b> All the type specimens are deposited in the collection of Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata (ZSCI).</p> <p> <b>Description</b> (holotype, male). <b>Size.</b> Length from clypeus to pygidium: 12.0 mm, width across humeri: 5.4 mm.</p> <p> <b>Shape.</b> Elongate and parallel sided.</p> <p> <b>Colour.</b> Head, pronotum, and legs green; pygidium greenish black; elytra yellow with brownish-black markings, elytral suture entirely black. Elytral intervals 1 and 2 with a transverse band in middle and at end, elytral interval 3 brownish black with small yellow area in middle and at base, elytral interval 4 dark brownish black with a yellow strip present after interval 4; lateral sides entirely brownish black; setae white.</p> <p> <b>Head</b> (Fig. 9). Surface densely rugose, anterior portion smooth. Clypeus at apex rounded, at mid-disc with longitudinal ridge, not reaching to frontoclypeal suture. Frontoclypeal suture slightly curved in middle; frons rugopunctate, punctures fine at posterior portion; a group of white setae arising near margin of eyes.</p> <p> <b>Pronotum</b> (Fig. 13). Surface finely punctate; punctures saucer shaped, fine, not densely packed; edges of punctures near anterior portion not merged. Surface near base medially smooth; anterior angles pointed, posterior angles rounded, lateral sides rounded, side at base weakly sinuate. Posterior margin beaded, bead vanishing medially; a group of setae present at anterior angle, in middle and at posterior angle.</p> <p> <b>Elytra</b> (Fig. 17). Striae punctate; intervals convex and smooth, intervals 1 and 2 broad; stria 1 reaching to posterior margin, other striae vanishing before reaching posterior margin.</p> <p> <b>Scutellum</b> (Fig. 17). Traingular, broad at tip, surface finely punctate.</p> <p> <b>Pygidium (</b> Fig. 21). Strongly arched and convex, medially smooth, laterally rugose.</p> <p> <b>Venter.</b> Surface densely setose, setae white; mesosternum not produced.</p> <p> <b>Legs</b> (Figs. 31–33, 36, 40, 44). Protibiae bidentate, tibial teeth near apex. Longer claw of protarsi and mesotarsi spilt apically (Figs. 36, 40); metatarsal claws simple (Fig. 44); meso- and metatrochanter with sharp tooth (Figs. 32, 33); tooth on protrochanter absent (Fig. 31).</p> <p> <b>Aedeagus</b> (Figs. 48, 52). Parameres nearly straight (in lateral view); apex of parameres blunt, and markedly separated (in frontal view) (Fig. 48); ventral plate nearly straight without a raised lamina in middle; apex of ventral plate without a hooked process (Fig. 52).</p> <p> <b>Female (paratype)</b> (Fig. 53). Differs from male in elytra rather broad, surface yellow, comparatively lessdeveloped elytral markings, legs comparatively short, metafemora broad, metatrochanter with less-developed spines.</p> <p> <b>Collecting circumstances.</b> Handpicked from grasses (Fig. 53).</p> <p> <b>Distribution:</b> Only known from type locality (Fig. 5).</p> <p> <b>Etymology.</b> The species is named in the honor of Dr. Thomas Nelson Annandale, founder Director of Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata.</p> <p> <b>Differential diagnosis.</b> <i>Tropiorhynchus annandalei</i> is distinguished by the unique structure of aedeagus, elytral markings, medially smooth and laterally rugose pygidial surface, and tooth on protrochanter nearly absent.</p> <p> The new species belongs to the genus <i>Tropiorhynchus</i> based on the following set of diagnostic characters: clypeus produced into a truncate rostrum; pronotum broadly transverse, more-or-less setose; pygidium convex; protibiae bidentate, teeth sharp; mesotibiae and metatibiae narrowing slightly towards apex, scarcely spinose; tarsal claws long, slender, and unequal; mesosternum not produced beyond mesocoxae.</p> <p> The new species is similar to <i>T</i>. <i>podagricus</i> and <i>T</i>. <i>umbrinus</i> as it has a clypeus with a longitudinal ridge in middle; pronotum with setae present only near anterior margin, anterior angles acute, posterior angles blunt, lateral side at posterior margin straight; and mesosternum not produced.</p> <p> The new species is the only species in the genus in which the ventral plate of the aedeagus is nearly straight and without a hooked process at tip (Fig. 52). The other species of the genus exhibit a ventral plate with a hooked tip (Figs. 49–51). Furthermore, <i>T. orientis</i> exhibits an anteriorly straight ventral plate with a raised lamina in middle and tip with a small pointed hook (Fig. 49). As discussed by Machatschke (1954), the ventral plate in <i>T</i>. <i>podagricus</i> is strongly curved with its tips pointed (Fig. 50) whereas in <i>T</i>. <i>umbrinus</i>, the ventral plate is filamentous, slightly curved with the tip strongly pointed and beak shaped (Fig. 51). See Table 1 for the identification of <i>T. annandalei</i>, <i>T. orientis</i>, <i>T</i>. <i>podagricus</i>, and <i>T</i>. <i>umbrinus</i>.</p>Published as part of <i>Gupta, Devanshu & Chandra, Kailash, 2017, Tropiorhynchus annandalei (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae), a new species from Maharashtra, India, pp. 509-522 in Zootaxa 4337 (4)</i> on pages 510-512, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4337.4.3, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/1034252">http://zenodo.org/record/1034252</a&gt