Aristogethes pelikani Audisio, Jelínek & Liu, 2024

Aristogethes pelikani Audisio, Jelínek & Liu , sp. nov.

( Figs 1–7 View Figs 1–2 View Figs 3–7 )

Type locality. Oman, Dhofar Governorate, Mughsayl [= Maghsail], 2 km W of Wadi Ashawq [= Athwaq], 16°53′45.693″N, 53°46′23.940″E.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: ♁ ( NMPC), labelled: “ South Oman, Dhofar Gov., Maghsail, 2 Km W of Wadi Athwaq, 16°53.45.693N, 53°46.23.940E, 13 m a.s.l., 15.IX.2022, wadi rocks, beating small flowering Malvaceae, J. Pelikán lgt.” PARATYPES: 4 ♁♁ 11 ♀♀, same data as holotype ( CAR-MZUR, JPHK, NMPC).

Description. Male (holotype). Body rather short, oval, and transversely convex ( Figs 1–2 View Figs 1–2 ). Colouration uniformly orange-yellowish both dorsally and ventrally, legs, antennae and mouth parts uniformly yellowish-orange, testaceous ( Figs 1–2 View Figs 1–2 ).

Dorsal punctation. Surface moderately densely and not deeply punctate on pronotum (spaces between pronotal punctures ca. 1.0–1.5× their diameter), interspaces exhibiting feeble but distinct traces of shagreened surface, the latter however quite bright; elytra without traces of transverse strigose sculpturing, but with feeble traces of orange-peel like surface; surface densely, coarsely, and deeply punctate (spaces between elytral punctures ca. 1.0–1.5× their diameter), with very shining interspaces.

Head transverse, without dorsal fronto-genal and periocular grooves ( Fig. 1 View Figs 1–2 ). Clypeus distinctly but regularly arcuately emarginate. Pubescence rather sparse and conspicuous, moderately long. Antennal grooves on ventral side of head long and nearly parallel ( Fig. 2 View Figs 1–2 ). Antennae with club small, moderately elongate, symmetrical, without any sexual differentiation; HEWI/ANLE = 1.2; flagellar antennal portion with peculiarly short antennomeres IV to VIII ( Fig. 1 View Figs 1–2 ).

Prothorax. Pronotum with trapezoidal shape, widely arcuated lateral sides, maximum width nearly at its obtusely rounded posterior angles ( Fig. 1 View Figs 1–2 ); PRLE/ELLE = 0.77; PRWI/ELWI = 0.95; PRWI/PRLE = 1.55. Pubescence golden, rather sparse but conspicuous, each individual seta nearly as long as antennomere III. Notosternal sutures distinctly raised, short, on both sides delimiting barely distinct oval impression which houses antennal club when antennae are at rest. Flat portion of peculiarly wide prosternal process widely rounded distad, its maximum width nearly in distal two thirds of its whole length, here nearly 1.6× as wide as antennal club ( Fig. 2 View Figs 1–2 ).

Elytra rather wide and short, oval (especially posteriorly), ELLE/ELWI = 0.89 ( Fig. 1 View Figs 1–2 ). Pubescence as on pronotum or slightly longer.

Pygidium . Proximal base of pygidium with short, normal, “V” shaped carina in middle, directed backwards. Pygidium widely rounded distad ( Fig. 1 View Figs 1–2 ).

Metaventrite and abdominal ventrites ( Fig. 2 View Figs 1–2 ). Metaventrite wide, flat, without any impression. “Axillary line” on abdominal ventrite I simple, closely following posterior margin of metacoxae. Apical abdominal ventrite (hypopygidium) with distinct, flatly triangular, distal gibbosity. Lateral semicircular impressions close to penultimate ventrite’s posterior margin moderately deep, slightly larger than antennal club.

Legs. Protibiae rather narrow, long, PTLE/PTWI = 2.8, with series of five sharp almost perpendicular teeth placed on outer edge in distal half, with two large perpendicular teeth separated by series of three much smaller teeth ( Fig. 1 View Figs 1–2 ); protarsi nearly 0.75× as wide as antennal club ( Fig. 1 View Figs 1–2 ); meso- and metatibiae rather wide, simple, not sinuated ( Fig. 1 View Figs 1–2 ), their regularly arcuate outer edge with distinct series of moderately long spinules (MTLE/MTWI = 2.5). All tarsi characterized by exhibiting their ultimate tarsomeres with long, fine, and at base acutely toothed tarsal claws ( Fig. 1 View Figs 1–2 ).

Male genitalia. Distinctly shaped, rather small, with tegmen elongate, only slightly arcuate on sides, with maximum width near middle ( Fig. 3 View Figs 3–7 ), and roundly pointed apex of each paramere; DTIN/LETE = 0.26–0.27, excision’s inner margins nearly U-shaped, rather narrow, parameres distad slightly but distinctly convergent towards middle; LETE/WITE = 1.78. Aedeagal median lobe moderately long and subparallel-sided, markedly narrowed in its distal fifth, with maximum width near its distal third; roundly pointed distad ( Fig. 4 View Figs 3–7 ); LEAE/WIAE = 1.70.

Female. Protarsi narrower than in male, more distinctly narrower than antennal club. Ovipositor of intermediate size, rather conically pointed distad, uniformly coloured, hyaline, with moderately long styli placed at a distance from apex that is slightly lower than their length (STLE/ DSIA = 1.28; Fig. 5 View Figs 3–7 ). “Central point” placed ca. at its distal four ninths (OVPL/GONL = 0.43), without any distinct spicule directed proximad. STLE/CGOW = 0.40.

Variation. In some specimens the number of smaller teeth between the two larger ones on outer edge of protibiae is four instead of three ( Fig. 2 View Figs 1–2 ).

Measurements. Body length 1.8–2.3 mm (holotype 2.2 mm); width 1.0– 1.2 mm (holotype 1.1 mm).

Differential diagnosis. As reported above, the new species certainly belongs to the Aristogethes fuerschi / eremita species group (as first outlined by AUDISIO et al. 1998), more closely related to A. rufofuscus [from dry areas of northern South Africa, southern Namibia, and Botswana ( Fig. 8 View Figs 8–9 ); Table 1], sharing with this species the peculiar shape of the front tibiae, the pale body color, and the general shape of both male and female genitalia. The new species is otherwise unmistakable due to its smaller (on average) body sizes (body length: 1.8–2.3 mm in A. pelikani sp. nov, 1.9–2.6 mm in A. rufofuscus ), body color constantly and uniformly yellowish, more convex pronotum and elytra (the latter more oval distad), markedly deeper and coarser elytral punctuation, narrower and at base much more acutely toothed tarsal claws, as well as by distinctly narrower median distal incision of the tegmen.

Habitat. Locality data and the collector’s memories indicate that the new species prefers sub-desert or dry shrublands among rocks, along dry wadi close to the sea ( Fig. 11 View Figs 10–11. 10 ).

Phenology. The type series was collected in mid- September, which likely indicates adult local activity in early spring (probably from late August to early October). Host plant. All specimens of the new species were collected on flowering shrublets of Hermannia (Mahernia) paniculata Franch. ( Malvaceae ). The native range of this species is NE Tropical Africa to NE Kenya, and south of the Arabian Peninsula ( GHAZANFAR 2003, GWYNNE- EVANS 2015). It is a subshrub and grows primarily in the desert, sub-desert or dry shrubland biome ( Figs 10–11 View Figs 10–11. 10 ).

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the surname of the collector, the Czech entomologist Jan Pelikán (Hradec Králové).

Distribution. Known so far only from the type locality in Dhofar Governorate, Southern Oman ( Fig. 9 View Figs 8–9 ).