Naviauxella horii Wiesner and Phyu 2021, new species

Naviauxella horii Wiesner and Phyu, new species

(Fig. 1–10)

Type depository. Holotype male in OMNS, one paratype male each in JWGC, and FSKU, one paratype female each in MHWJ, RHUC, and YAUM.

Type status. Holotype male, type labels: “ Shar Dow, 10km SE from / Loikaw, Kayah State, / MYANMAR / May 25-26, 2018 / M. HORI & M. H. Phyu leg.”, “ HOLOTYPE / Naviauxella / horii n. sp. / Wiesner & Phyu ded. 2021 [printed, red]”.

Paratypes: 2 males and 3 females each with same label, and “ PARATYPE / Naviauxella / horii n. sp. / Wiesner & Phyu ded. 2021 [printed, red]”.

Distribution. Myanmar (Kaya State).

Etymology. This new species is cordially dedicated to one of its discoverers, Prof. Dr. Michio Hori.

Diagnosis. Using Matalin (2018: 297), N. horii new species keys out to N. declivitatis Naviaux, 1991 and N. shooki Wiesner, 2010 (number 15 of the key). From the former it is distinguished by the larger elytral dots and the apical shape of the aedeagus, which is tapered and rounded in N. declivitatis. From the latter it is distinguished by the light brown labrum (dark brown in N. shooki), the marginally expanded basal dot and the apical shape of the aedeagus, which is widely rounded and blunt in N. shooki.

Description. Size: Total length (without labrum) 6.0– 7.8 mm (mean = 7.0 mm, n = 5). Head: Brownish dark above, genae bluish green; surface smooth, glabrous, with two setigerous punctures next to each eye in front and at center; strong longitudinal striae on orbital plates, vertex irregularly transversely waved; genae roughly longitudinally striated. Width of head slightly smaller than width of elytra, ratio of width of head and eyes together to elytra, mean = 1.1. Labrum of males (Fig. 3) light brown, somewhat darker at middle tooth, distinctly wider than long, ratio of width to length, mean = 0.6; with four to six marginal setae and three apical acute-angled teeth; with a wide, low, central carina. Labrum of females (Fig. 4–5) light brown, slightly darker at margin, distinctly wider than long, ratio of width to length, mean = 0.7; with four to six marginal setae and three protruding, acute-angled apical teeth, middle tooth longer than outer teeth; with a wide, low, central carina. Mandibles yellowish, darkened on apical and inner teeth in males and completely darkened except at base in females. Labial and maxillary palpi completely light brown in males, last palpomere apically darker in females; basal labial palpomere with long, erect white setae. Antennae slender, long, reaching posteriorly one-third of elytral length in males, a little shorter in females; antennomeres one and two blackish, with metallic luster; antennomeres three and four brighter; scape with one long apical seta, following three antennomeres almost glabrous; antennomeres five to eleven dark blackish brown, dull, finely, and evenly pubescent. Thorax: Pronotum slightly longer than wide (ratio of width to length, mean = 1.1), sides somewhat rounded between transverse constrictions; glabrous, fine transversely waved, v-shaped at shallow middle furrow; color brownish dark, lateral margins bluish green; proepisternum longitudinally striated. Sterna and episterna metallic bluish black or coppery black, pro- and mesothoracic coxae with some white setae, several white setae on lateral margin of metathoracic coxae and on metasternum and metepisternum, otherwise glabrous. Mesepisternum of females with a longitudinal furrow in posterior half. Elytra: (Fig. 6–8) twice as long as wide, ratio of width to length, mean = 1.9; parallel-sided, slightly enlarged posteriorly in female, colour brownish dark on disk, coppery green at lateral margin, with a dull, longitudinal, impunctate area on disc, parallel to the suture. Surface with fine microsculpture on disc, with small, shallow, roundish metallic punctures throughout; apical microserration fine; apical border distinctly rounded and restricted towards suture (more in females, than in males), with a tiny sutural spine. Elytral testaceous maculation consists of a longish humeral dot in males and a tiny roundish one in females, a marginally expanded basal dot, and a central dot, which can be larger, smaller or divided into two small dots, and a large comma-shaped subapical dot. Epipleura light brown. Ventral aspect: Venter glabrous, brownish black; trochanters, femora and tibiae light brown in males, distal tips of segments and femora and tibiae of females darker; tarsi dark brown; legs covered with some white setae. Aedeagus: (Fig. 2) in left lateral view slender, indistinctly bent apically, with a short apical tip (total length, mean 1.9 mm).

Habitat. The specimens (Fig. 9) were collected in an open and sparse teak forest (Fig. 10) at Shar Dow, 10 km SE of Loikaw, Kayah State on May 25 and 26, 2018. The coordinates are N19°39′39.3″ E097°21′12.6″. In the forest, other tiger beetle species as follows were collected: Carochroa interruptofasciata (Schmidt-Goebel, 1846), Cylindera spinolae (Gestro, 1889), C. viduata (Fabricius, 1801), C. holosericea (Fabricius, 1801), C. fallaciosa (Horn, 1897), Prothyma asamii Wiesner, Phyu and Hori, 2019, P. fallaciosa Rivalier, 1964, Naviauxella davisonii (Gestro, 1889) and Neocollyris sp.