Elmas gorky Rodríguez, Asenjo & Pérez, sp. nov.

(Figs. 1–11)

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 6BEB4C40-8C46-4D7D-81CA-D51C479A7480

Type material (5 ♂♂). Holotype: PERU: ♂, labeled “ PERU: MD [Department of Madre de Dios], Manu, / Huepetuhe, 12°59’44.5’’ S, / 71°0’27.7’’ W, 1061 m, / 16.vii [July].2016, flight intercept / trap, G. Valencia leg.”; “ HOLOTYPE [red label] / Elmas / gorky sp. nov. / Desig. Rodríguez et al., 2019” (MUSM) . Paratypes (4): 4 ♂♂, labeled “ PERU: MD [Department of Madre de Dios], Manu, / Huepetuhe, 12°59’44.5’’ S, / 71°0’27.7’’ W, 1061 m, / 16.vii [July].2016, flight intercept / trap, G. Valencia leg.” (2 MUSM, 1 CEMT, 1 NHMUK), all paratypes labeled “ PARATYPE [yellow label] / Elmas / gorky sp. nov. / Desig. Rodríguez et al., 2019” .

Diagnosis. Elmas gorky sp. nov., E. spinosus Ashe & Chatzimanolis, E. falini Ashe & Chatzimanolis and E. gigas Ashe & Chatzimanolis share the submentum with prominent medial spine (Figs. 2, 4) but E. gorky sp. nov. can be differentiated from them because it bears a group of long setae in the middle of apical margin of sterna III–VI (Fig. 2). Furthermore, Elmas gorky sp. nov. differs from E. spinosus, E. falini and E. gigas by having the apical margin of paramere slightly emarginate (Fig. 9) (deeply emarginate in E. spinosus, E. falini and E. gigas, figs. 39, 48, 111: Ashe & Chatzimanolis 2003). Elmas gorky sp. nov. further differs by the median lobe in parameral view, which is strongly narrowed to an acute apex (Fig. 8) (narrowly rounded and weakly emarginate apically in E. spinosus, fig. 110: Ashe & Chatzimanolis 2003; broad and subtruncate apically in E. falini and E. gigas, figs. 39, 48: Ashe & Chatzimanolis 2003).

Description. Holotype male (BL: 17.8; BW: 4.6). Head, thorax and abdomen black (Fig. 1–4). Mandible brown (Fig. 3–4), antennomeres 1–4 completely black (Figs. 1, 3–4), antennomeres 5–11 dark brown with inner yellow band increasing gradually towards apex (Fig. 1), tarsi dark brown (Figs. 1–2).

Head transverse (Figs. 1, 3–4), wider than long (HW: 3; HL: 1.9; HW/HL: 1.6) with postclypeus deflexed in comparison with frons, postclypeus punctate similar to frons; frons without medial pit or depression; medial area between antennae with shallow longitudinal V-shaped groove; head punctures round, small (4–5 punctures/ 0.2 mm), uniformly distributed, very close, margins of punctures virtually contiguous, punctate surfaces shining; eyes large (YL: 1.1; YW: 0.5; YL/YW:2.2), length of eye 2.7 times the length of temples behind eyes, four setae near posterior margin of each eye and one setae in middle of inner margin of each eye (Figs. 2–4). Postmandibular carina present, prominent, two setae located along of postmandibular carina. Mentum broadly, shallowly and uniformly arched concave around insertion of labium. Submentum with medial spinose process (Figs. 2, 4). Gular sulci parallel except in middle, converging without joining (least width/length ratio: 0.18/1.17=0.15) (Fig. 4). Apical segment of maxillary palpus strongly dilated apically, apical width across oblique apex 2 times basal width (apical width: 0.29; basal width: 0.14), apex strongly oblique, outer length about 1.7 times inner length (outer length: 0.52; inner length: 0.31) (Figs. 1, 3–4). Apical segment of labial palpus strongly dilated apically, apex 2.3 times wider than base (apical width: 0.34; basal width: 0.14) and strongly oblique, outer length 1.5 times of inner marginal length (outer length: 0.56; inner length: 0.38) (Figs. 2, 4). Mandibles asymmetrical, right mandible acutely pointed, left mandible flattened, blade-like, apically rounded and slightly curved dorsally from horizontal plane of head (Figs. 1–4). Antennae flattened, asymmetric (Fig. 1); antennomeres 1–2 subcylindrical (AL 1: 1.04, AW 1: 0.32; AL 2: 0.32, AW 2: 0.23); antennomeres 3–4 slightly flattened (AL 3: 0.63, AW 3: 0.32; AL 4: 0.41, AW 4: 0.34); antennomeres 5–11 strongly flattened, apex wider than base, antennomeres 5–10 of similar size (AL 5: 0.45, AW 5: 0.36; AL 6: 0.47, AW 6: 0.36; AL 7: 0.47, AW 7: 0.38; AW 8: 0.47, AW 8: 0.38; AL 9: 0.47, AW 9: 0.38; AL 10: 0.45, AW 10: 0.38), antennomere 11 with short lateral projection (AL 11: 0.54, AW 11: 0.38).

Pronotum (Fig. 1) slightly wider than long (PW: 3.4; PL: 3.1; PW/PL=1.1); antero-lateral angles strongly angulate and carinate; punctures small (6–7 punctures/ 0.2 mm), numerous, uniformly distributed, very close, rounded on disk of pronotum, slightly elongated in longitudinal or postero-lateral direction near postero-lateral margin; shining, medial longitudinal asetose area absent; depressed area close to medio-lateral margin; asetose and smooth areas close to postero-lateral and postero-medial margins; punctate surface shining.

Elytra (Fig. 1) longer than wide (EL: 4.3; EW: 4.6), anterior margin curved, posterior margin emarginate, with punctures small (3–4 punctures/ 0.2 mm), moderately well defined, slightly elongated in longitudinal or postero-lateral direction; with patch of setae on lateral margins directed mediad to posteromediad; without lateral purplish iridescence; punctate surface shining.

Legs (Figs. 1–2). Front and hind coxae contiguous; middle coxae widely separated; hind tibiae slightly flattened, with broad and long longitudinal groove, broadly asetose at internal margin; protarsomeres 1–4 uniformly covered with short, spatulate setae; mesotarsomere and metatarsomere 1 longer than next three tarsomeres combined, tarsal claws of middle and hind tarsi short and uniformly curved.

Abdomen (Figs. 1–2). Segments III–VII with two pairs of paratergites each. Terga III–VIII with an area between basal margin and subbasal carina with transverse and undulate microsculpture, area between subbasal carina and apical margin with transverse and longitudinal microsculpture, surface shining; sterna III–VIII with an area between basal margin and subbasal carina with transverse and undulate microsculpture, area between subbasal carina and apical margin with transverse and longitudinal microsculpture, surface shining; sterna III–VI with a group of long setae in the middle of apical margin; apical margin of tergum VII entire, not emarginate, fimbriate (Fig. 1); apical margin of sternum VII with very broad and shallow emargination (Fig. 5); apical margin of tergum VIII entire, not emarginate; apical margin of sternum VIII with very broad and deep emargination (Fig. 6); apical margin of sternum IX with very broad and shallow emargination (Fig. 7).

Aedeagus (Figs. 8–10). Paramere parallel-sided in dorsal aspect, apical margin subtruncate, asymetrical, slightly emarginate, 14–16 peg-setae distributed in a longitudinal row on each side, apex distinctly broadened in lateral view; median lobe with two dorsal separated teeth, strongly narrowed to acute apex.

Female. Unknown.

Habitat. Lower montane forest [Bosque basimontano de Yunga] (MINAM 2018).

Distribution. Only known from the type locality, Huepetuhe, Manu at 1061 m of altitude (Fig. 11).

Etymology. This new species is dedicated to our friend, the Peruvian entomologist Gorky Valencia. This specific epithet is a noun in apposition.

Comments. The holotype is lacking the segments 8–11 of the right antenna and protarsomeres 4–5 of the right leg. The new species Elmas gorky sp. nov. is included in Elmas based on the followings character states established in the phylogeny proposed by Ashe & Chatzimanolis (2006): 11(2) mandibles asymmetrical, right mandible acutely pointed, left mandible flattened and blade-like (Figs. 2–3), 12(2) apical segment of maxillary palpus with numerous small setae (Fig. 3), 13(2) apical segment of labial palpus with numerous small setae (Fig. 4), 22(2) tarsomeres of middle and hind tarsi slightly to strongly flattened (Figs.1–2), 23(2) first tarsomere of middle and hind tarsi as long as or longer than the next three combined (Figs.1–2), 26(2) elytra with patch of setae on lateral margins directed mediad to posterior-mediad (Fig. 1). However, Elmas gorky sp. nov. does not possess the character state 15(2) (apical segment of labial palpus slightly dilated apically), since it has the apical segment of labial palpus strongly dilated apically (15 (3)) (Figs. 2, 4). Based on the original descriptions and redescriptions of Elmas species (Sharp 1876; Bernhauer 1915; Ashe & Chatzimanolis 2003, 2006) and the examination of the pictures of the holotype of E. falini (SEMC) and the species cited in ‘Additional material examined’, the group of long setae in the middle of posterior margin of sterna III–VI present in Elmas gorky sp. nov. is a unique structure since no other Elmas species has that structure (Fig. 2).