Ophionea vvrei Sudhakar Anagha & Sabu 2024, sp. nov.

Ophionea vvrei sp. nov.

(Figure 2A–G)

Type material. Holotype male, Paratypes (2 males). Labelled: “ India: Kerala: Kannur: Chambad (11°52’23.5”N 75°30’24.5”E), ‘Light trap’, 29.i. 2022. coll. Shigina K ”, deposited in ZSI-WGRC Calicut.

Description. Dorsal and ventral habitus (Figs 2A, B).

Color: Head black. Labrum and mandibles reddish-brown. Maxillary palpi and labial palpi yellowish except terminal segment, which is brownish with paler apex. Antennomeres blackish-brown, except 1 st –3 rd and basal half of 4 th that are brownish. Prothorax blackish-brown. Elytra reddish-brown at base, to brown at apex. Elytral spots yellowish-white, elytral transverse fascia black. Femora yellowish with black apex. Tibiae yellowish-brown. Tarsi dark yellowish-brown. Ventral black to reddish-brown, except last three ventrites yellowish-brown.

Head elongated, rhomboidal, broader than prothorax. Neck very narrow, not separated from vertex. Eyes large. Post orbital part oblique, almost straight.Anterior and posterior supraorbital setae present, posterior seta slightly away from the posterior margin of the eye. A carina along the inner margin of eye. Mandibles rather straight and incurved apically. Mentum and submentum separated. Mentum with triangular tooth, a pair of setae present behind the tooth. Labrum rectangular, isodiametrically reticulated, with 6 setae. Clypeus with a pair of setae. Fronto-clypeal suture distinct. Frons with a ‘V-shape’ impression in the middle, frontal furrow short and shallow. Frons isodiametrically reticulated and vertex transversely reticulated. Latero-ventral surface of vertex with very short pilosity. Antennae elongate, filiform, surpassing the base of prothorax, pilose from apex of 4 th antennomere onwards.

Prothorax narrow, elongate, bottle shaped, almost twice as long as wide. Dorsal surface convex, transversely reticulated and transversely striated, broadened slightly behind middle, constricted towards base. Lateral margin distinct with a marginal seta at middle. Short pilosity along dorso-lateral surface. Median line distinctly impressed but effaced towards base and apex.

Elytra (Fig. 2C) elongate, broadens towards apex, reaching maximum width slightly behind middle; surface convex with a shallow depression before black fascia; isodiamentrically reticulated; sparsely pubescent in lateral and apical areas. Striae represented by row of punctures, that become faint towards base and apex; interval 3 with 4 setiferous punctures. Anterior spot is small, narrow, located outside the transverse fascia on interval 5. Posterior spot is larger than anterior spot, located on intervals 4–5 and completely embedded in black fascia. Hind wings fully developed.

Ventral (Fig. 2B): Abdominal ventrites smooth and glossy. Proepisternum with row of coarse punctures. Metepisternum longer than wide. Male terminal abdominal ventrites bisetose and emarginated at apex.

Legs elongate and slender. Tarsomere 4 with deep excision, first three protarsomeres of males are with adhesive hairs. Claws simple.

Male genitalia: Genital ring elongate, almost parallel sided and narrowed towards apex (Fig. 2G). Median lobe of aedeagus elongate, moderately slender and arcuate. Orificium wide. Apex moderately narrow and elongated with knobbed tip. Parameres dissimilar in shape. Left paramere larger than right (Figs 2D–F).

Measurements. Holotype (male), TLB = 7.63 mm, PL = 1.83 mm, PW = 0.78 mm, EL = 3.82 mm, EW = 2 mm; Paratype (n = 2), TLB = 7.30–7.54 mm, PL = 1.56–1.77 mm, PW = 0.77–0.85 mm, EL = 3.72–3.91 mm, EW = 1.80–1.91 mm.

Etymology. Named in honor of Professor V. V. Ramamurthy, India, for his contributions to Indian coleopteran taxonomy.

Remarks. Ophionea vvrei sp. nov. is morphologically more similar to O. malickyi. However, it differs from O. malickyi in having the long and narrow prothorax, smaller and narrower elytral spots, elytral interval 3 with 4 setiferous pores, the transverse fascia on elytra forming ‘V-shape’ at anterior edge towards the suture and the posterior edge of the transverse fascia is entire.

Distribution. India: Kerala (Kannur: Chambad).