Eucurtiopsis pascali Tishechkin 2009, n. sp.

Eucurtiopsis pascali n. sp. (Figs 12; 13)

HOLOTYPE. — “ VANUATU: Santo I., Cumberland Peninsula, Saratsi Range at 14.9638°S 166.6362°E. 500 m. Flight intercept FL5A-1. 27-28.xi 2006. A. K.Tishechkin AT796 / HOLOTYPE Eucurtiopsis pascali sp. n. A. Tishechkin des. 2008”, ♂ point-mounted (MNHN).

PARATYPES (29). — Same locality as the holotype, flight intercept trap, 27.XI-1.XII.2006, A. K.Tishechkin coll., one also bears the following label “Caterino DNA Voucher Extraction: MSC-1213 Species: Eucurtiopsis Extraction Date: i.26.2007”, 11 ♂♂ (MNHN), 9 ♂♂ (coll. AKT [including DNA voucher]), 2 ♂♂ (LSAM). — Saratsi Range, 14.9626°S, 166.6485°E, 300 m, flight intercept trap, 23.XI-1.XII.2006, A. K.Tishechkin coll., one also bears the following label “Caterino DNA Voucher Extraction: MSC-1230 Species: Eucurtiopsis Extraction Date: ii.2.2007”, 6 ♂♂ (MNHN [including DNA voucher]), 1 ♂ (coll. AKT).

ETYMOLOGY. — Th e species is named after Olivier Pascal of Pronatura International in recognition of his enthusiastic efforts in organization and support of biotic inventories and conservation of tropical forests and commemoration of our joint field experience in Panamá and Vanuatu.

DESCRIPTION

L: 1.87; W: 1.26; E/Pn L: 1.75; E/Pn W: 1.35; Pn W/L: 1.36; E L/W: 1.00; Pr/Py: 0.94; sterna: 0.61, 0.11, 0.47; tibiae: 0.56, 0.61, 0.61. Body (Fig. 12A) rectangular, robust, dark reddish brown, with antennae and legs somewhat paler, prothorax substantially narrower than elytra, entire body surface with scattered or clustered minute, appressed, inconspicuous scale-like setae. Frons (Fig. 12D) 1.2 times longer than wide, sides nearly straight, incised at antennal bases, narrowed anteriorly, covered with deep, small, sparse, circular punctures, with two parallel longitudinal rows consisting of three irregular blunt tubercles arranged into indistinct ridges, each tubercle with a cluster of setae; labrum weakly convex, semicircular, with few setae and punctures similar to that on frons; mandibles strongly bent, with long narrow tips, with few setae and deep small punctures on smooth outer edges; maxillar palpi with three palpomeres, labial palpi with two palpomeres, mentum present as separate sclerite; antennal scape elongate triangular, 1.4 times longer than wide, with inner edge weakly inwardly arcuate, its surface more or less flat, with apical angle bluntly rounded, outer edge with blunt strong angle, disc densely punctate throughout with circular, dense punctures, with setae present in anterior half; antennal funicle and club (of male) about two-thirds of, and same length as scape, respectively.

Pronotum (Fig. 12A, C) with posterior margin shallowly obtusely angular, with sides unmargined, straight, faintly narrowed anteriorly; antennal cavities partially visible from above, with pronotal margin not elevated above; medial portion of pronotal margin unelevated, straight; marginal striae visible from above in basal third, then abruptly descending downwards to meet supracoxal striae, ascending again anteriorly towards antennal sockets; pronotal dorsum strongly convex, densely and deeply punctate throughout with small circular punctures, with eight parallel, longitudinal rows of blunt tubercles arranged into indistinct ridges, two outer ridges on each side much less regularly linearly arranged than discal ridges, each ridge consisting of 4-6 tubercles, clumps of short setae present on every tubercle, two similar tubercles present on each lateral lateral margin in median third. Prosternum (Fig. 12B) with anterior margin broadly concave, marginal stria complete; prosternal disc evenly convex, keel in the same plane as the rest of prothorax, flattened, slightly expanded posteriorly, emarginate at apex, disc sparsely punctate throughout, punctures circular, intervals raised creating honeycomb sculpture, intervals bearing setae throughout the prothorax surface.

Scutellum (Fig. 12A) invisible. Elytra (Fig. 12A, C) with sides weakly arcuate, widest around trichome gaps; humeral trichome prominent, elevated, longitudinally oriented, both processes evenly rising obliquely, conical in shape, surface of anterior process deeply concave, of posterior one convex; trichome deeply excavate beneath setose fringe, with setae along all edges of trichome gap and narrow triangular inward expansion on elytral disc plane reaching middle of elytron width, width of the fringe about half of elytral width, trichome gap wide, about one-fifth of elytra length, fringe setae long and densely packed, short and even denser in inward extensions; dorsum of elytral disc strongly convex, with punctuation occupying most of posterior half reaching lateral margins and bases of posterior trichome elevations and narrow band of punctures along anterior margin, narrow band of punctures may connect those two areas along elytral suture, varying from four or five punctures wide band to total absence of punctutes; punctures small, deep and elongate, sparsely spaced, setae sparsely scattered throughout, being more abundant in anterior third; sutural stria fine, but distinct, complete; epipleuron smooth and glabrous, with sparsely scattered setae and few punctures along margin in posterior half; marginal epipleural stria distinct, elevated above metafemur, continuous with complete marginal elytral stria; no traces of accessory epipleural stria present.

Mesoventrite (Fig. 12B) wide, short, weakly convex, bluntly projecting at middle, no traces of marginal stria present, surface with dense, shallow, circular punctures; mesometaventral suture complete, distinct, median suture of metaventrite finely impressed, abbreviated both anteriorly and posteriorly, lateral striae of metaventrite present, elevated, enclosing largely impunctate depression for mesotibiae in repose; disc of metaventrite punctate around margins, with large, ocellate, circular punctures, shallow longitudinal impression present (in males) along longitudinal suture; first abdominal ventrite similarly punctate, punctures being on average smaller and scattered throughout disc, with postmetacoxal line originating at metacoxa, extended directly posteriorly close to edge of sternite, curving laterad, terminating freely just before reaching epipleuron; surfaces of meso- and metaventrite and first abdominal ventrite with sparsely scattered setae. Profemora (Fig. 12B, C) with dense punctures, with posterior margins obtusely angular in basal third, meso- and metafemora with row of puntures along margins, those arcuate, metafemora much more robust than mesofemora; protibia with prominent angle around midpoint of outer margins, meso- and metatibiae with outer margins more bluntly angulate, around midpoint; all tibiae longitudinally convex, meso- and metatibia with longitudinal sulci along inner edge; tarsi weakly compressed laterally about 0.6-0.7 times length of corresponding tibiae; tarsal claws simple, divergent, almost straight, about 0.4 times length of corresponding apical tarsomere.

Propygidium twice as wide as midline length, weakly convex; pygidium nearly as long as wide, weakly convex; both with punctures and setae as on the posterior half of elytral disc, but spaced more sparsely. Male genitalia as on Figure 13.