Xixuthrus ripertae Delahaye, Marazzi, Marazzi & Missori, 2024

Xixuthrus ripertae Delahaye, Marazzi, Marazzi & Missori View in CoL , n. sp.

( Fig. 1 - 9)

ZooBank:https://zoobank.org/ 2FB4B3E6-7505-45A9-BE5D-2C5E0B126C8A

Holotype, ♂, Indonesia, West Papua ( Irian Jaya), Highland Papua Prov., Wamena , VII.2023, NDPC (n°12149);

Allotype, ♀, Indonesia, West Papua ( Irian Jaya), Highland Papua Prov., Wamena , IX.2023, NDPC (n°12157);

Additional paratypes ( 5 ♂, 2 ♀)

- 1 ♂ & 1 ♀, Indonesia, West Papua ( Irian Jaya), Highland Papua Prov., Wamena , VII.2023, NDPC (n°12147 & 12150);

- 1 ♂ & 1 ♀, Indonesia, West Papua ( Irian Jaya), Highland Papua Prov., Wamena , IX.2023, NDPC (n°12158 & 12159);

- 3 ♂, Indonesia, West Papua ( Irian Jaya), Highland Papua Prov., Wamena , II.2024, GVMPC, ELPC & NDPC (n°12152).

Description of holotype

Overall look. – Robust shape; integument dark ochre-brown.

Head. – Large, median groove distinct between antennal tubercles, absent on vertex. Antennal tubercles weakly punctate, very low, not contiguous basally. eyes protruding; Dorsal interocular space larger than width of one upper eye lobe. Forehead without pubescence, coarsely punctate; with lateral band less punctate and with yellow setae; vertex wrinkled without pubescence. In dorsal view, clypeus

2 3

4. VII.2023 (60,9 mm) NDPC (n°12150). 5. II.2024 (56,4 mm) GVMPC. 6. II.2024 (61,5 mm) NDPC (n°12152). 7. II.2024 (62,1 mm) ELPC. 8. IX.2023 (60,4 mm) NDPC (n°12159).

9 10

9. VII.2023 (58,9 mm) NDPC (n°12147). 10. IX.2023 (57,4 mm) NDPC (n°12158).

triangular-shaped; in frontal view, rounded; coarsely punctate, with sparse, short yellow setae. Mandibles long, robust, curved at their slightly tapered apices, with two teeth on inner surface, with dense, shallow punctation on dorsal surface.

Antenna. – Composed of eleven well-formed articles, slighty surpassing the middle of elytra; scape not attaining pronotum, gradually and slightly enlarged apically, with sparse, distinct punctation on smooth surface, almost twice longer than antennomere III; III almost cylindrical, rectilinear, rounded apically, sparsely, finely punctate, without spines, glabrous; IV–X gradually and slightly enlarged apically, sparsely, finely punctate, with similar length; XI flattened and striated, about as long as X.

Prothorax. – Transverse, trapezoidal; sides divergent backward (maximum width: 15 mm),crenulated between anterolateralangles and lateral tubercle of prothorax, which is spiniform and located on posterior quarter; sides convergent from lateral tubercles of prothorax and posterolateral angles. Pronotum slightly rough punctate, and two parallel smooth bands on anterior half; covered with short golden pubescence; anterolateral angles rounded, posteriorly about as wide as elytral humeral width.

Scutellum . – Large, transverse, semicircular, without sulcus.

Elytra. – Densely and regularly punctate, covered with dense, short golden pubescence; lateral margin explanate; maximum width located about middle; with four distinct costae not attaining apex, without pubescence, with a few intercostal transverse costae on distal side; apex individually rounded, with small spine at sutural apex.

Legs. – Forelegs longer than mid- and hindlegs, slender, covered with few small spicules on ventral surface of femora and tibiae; protibiae arched, punctation gradually dense from base toward apex; profemora reticulate; meso- and metafemora with sparse, fine, glabrous punctures; meso- and metatibiae densely granular;protarsi broad, covered with short yellow setae dorsally; protarsomere III longer than wide, somewhat acute on apex of lobes; tarsomere V the longest.

Allotype female. – Similar to males, differing by the slender body, prothorax more distinctly trapezoidal, lateral tubercles of prothorax more spiny and long, and antennae shorter and reaching anterior third of elytra.

Remarks. – Comparing the paratypes, we can see that the shape of the prothorax varies from trapezoidal to almost rectangular. This variation does not allow the new species to be considered equal to any of the other known species.

Examination of several specimens and the recent descriptions of new species showed that the species of Xixuthrus present a high rate of endemism by island or even by biotope (low or high altitude). All specimens previously identified as Xixuthrus helleri are now considered three different species.

Length. – 56.4–69.6 mm (from apex of mandibles to elytral apex).

Etymology. – This species is dedicated to Blandine Ripert of the CNRS, director of the French Institute of Pondicherry, for her support and involvement in the French influence of France in Indian sciences.

Comparison with species from the same group

We define the group of species, Xixuthrus helleri , X. lameerei and X. ripertae characterized by their general shape and coloration whose speciation criteria we define.