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Peucoglyphus ken sp. n., a new species from New Guinea is described. Adding the new species, this rare Wallacean genus from the tribe Staphylinini (subtribe Philonthina) currently includes five species. An updated identification key for the genus is provided.
Staphylinini, Philonthina Peucoglyphus, new species, New Guinea
Peucoglyphus Bernhauer, 1926 is a genus of the rove beetle tribe Staphylinini (subtribe Philonthina) that was enacted for Peucoglyphus corporaali Bernhauer, 1926, a species from Buru Island in Indonesia (
The holotype of the new species is kept at the Netherlands Centre for Biodiversity (Naturalis) at Leiden (NCBN, M.E. Gassó Miracle and A. van Assen). All photographs illustrating the description were taken by Ken Puliafico (Copenhagen) with a Leica DFC 420 camera attached to a Leica MZ16A microscope with the help of Leica Application Suite (Leica Microsystems, 2003-2007) and Automontage Pro (Synoptics Ltd, 1997–2004).
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:DCA914C6-A2E4-4EC1-9E89-7EFBAFD31FBD
http://species-id.net/wiki/Peucoglyphus_ken
Figs 1–5Indonesia (West Papua): Holotype [with antennomeres 4–11 and labial palps missing], male, “Neth. Ind. - Amer. New Guinea Exp. 1938 Lake Habbema, 3250–3300 m, Ult. VII-ult. VIII L.J. Toxopeus leg.”/ Defective Mysolius? [handwritten label in red ink]/ sec. M. Cameron”/ Holotype Peucoglyphus ken sp. n. A. Solodovnikov det. 2012” [here the labels are quoted verbatim, individual labels separated by a slash] (NCBN).
15.5 mm long (measured from apex of opened mandibles to apex of abdomen). Habitus: Figs 1, 2. Black and shiny, head and pronotum with deep dark blue metallic glance, elytra brilliant glossy, with strong metallic blue glance, scutellum brilliant, but darker, with violet glance; mouthparts dark brown to black; legs black, except femora at base dark brown; apex of abdomen beginning from segment VIII reddish-brown.
Head large, with rounded posterior angles, only slightly wider than long (head length from base of labrum to neck 2.5 mm; maximal head width, at eyes 2.7 mm); tempora 1.8 times as long as eyes, eyes posteriorly shifted dorsad; surface of head smooth with micropunctation faint and sparse at disk, but coarser and denser at tempora; frons with one pair of large setiferous punctures, each located near anterior part of internal margin of eye; other large, possibly setiferous punctures arranged in irregular groups behind eye and along posterior margin of head; tempora with one large setiferous puncture located closer to posterior margin of head than to posterior margin of eye; bilobed labrum with semi-membranous yellowish extension developed along its entire apical margin (Fig. 3). Pronotum slightly transverse (length along midline 2.5 mm, maximal width 2.8 mm), with parallel lateral sides, broadly rounded posterior angles and distinct anterior angles; at sides slightly sinuate in front of base and just posterior to anterior angles; micropunctation as on disk of head: very sparse and faint; large possibly setiferous punctures are grouped at anterior corners, 2–3 on disk on each side and some along posterior margin. Elytra wider and longer than pronotum (elytral length from base to apical margin 3.5 mm, maximal elytral width 3.7 mm), their surface with faint and sparse micropunctation and dense microsculpture, slightly longitudinally wrinkled at base and along apical margin; each elytron laterally without carina; scutellum faintly punctate. Metaventrite without conspicuous fold posterolaterally (illustrated in
Aedeagus in parameral view (Fig. 4) with median lobe having massive apical portion that is as wide as basal bulb, in lateral view (Fig. 5) slightly curved, with very short paramere consisting of two symmetrical lobes.
Known from the type locality only. No data about the collecting method or bionomics of the holotype is available.
With pleasure I dedicate the new species to Kenneth (Ken) Puliafico, currently a digitalization assistant at the Department of Entomology at the Natural History Museum of Denmark. Ken’s excellent work as a specimen photographer and database specialist, aiming to digitize thousands of Coleoptera types kept in our collection, is a notable contribution towards the better infrastructure for beetle systematics. The species name “ken” is a noun in apposition.
Based on the rather small eyes that are shorter than tempora (Fig. 1), the dark legs (Figs 1 and 2), and the distinct nuchal constriction (Fig. 1), Peucoglyphus ken can be placed near Peucoglyphus solomonicus Schillhammer, 2011, at least diagnostically. However, Peucoglyphus ken differs from Peucoglyphus solomonicus in proportions of the forebody (cf. Fig 1 and fig. 2 in
The new species matches the generic diagnosis of Peucoglyphus provided in
Peucoglyphus ken sp. n.: 1 habitus 2 body in ventral view 3 anterior portion of head 4 aedeagus in parameral view 5 aedeagus in lateral view.
1 | Eyes small, markedly shorter than tempora | 2 |
– | Eyes large, slightly to distinctly longer than tempora | 4 |
2 | Fore legs and mesofemora black or at least very dark brown; nuchal ridge sharp throughout its entire length, nuchal constriction distinct | 3 |
– | Fore legs and mesofemora reddish; nuchal ridge convex, rather fine, almost obsolete in middle, nuchal constriction indistinct | Peucoglyphus corporaali |
3 | Semi-membranous extension of labrum developed along median part of labral lobes only, laterally reduced; temporal carina formed by confluent punctural grooves present | Peucoglyphus solomonicus |
– | Semi-membranous extension of labrum developed along the entire width of labral lobes; temporal carina formed by confluent punctural grooves absent | Peucoglyphus ken |
4 | Legs entirely bright reddish. | Peucoglyphus balkei |
– | Legs black, pro- and mesofemora bright reddish | Peucoglyphus celebensis |
I am very thankful to the above mentioned curators at the Netherlands Centre for Biodiversity (Naturalis) for the loan of interesting material containing this new species. Special thanks go to my friends and colleagues Ken Puliafico (Copenhagen), who made digital photos for the illustrations, and Harald Schillhammer, who shared his opinion about some peculiar characters of this new species.