Gonocephalum ficifolium, a New Species of Tenebrionidae from Japan (Coleoptera)

Abstract

Gonocephalum ficifolium, a new species of Tenebrionidae is described from Japan, which is an injurious pest to fig trees cultivated in a vinyl house in Kagawa Pref. Gonocephalum jicifolium sp. nov. Oblong oval, dark brown, gently convex, wholly, densely covered with short hairs. Head weakly convex, rather densely granulate, every granule surrounded with narrow ridge, with a short hair at top of the granule. Clypeus roundly, strongly produced forwards, with a median deep notch in the middle, narrowly, strongly reflexed along the margin, clypeal suture strongly depressed, gena roundly, strongly expanded laterally, marginal part of eyes deeply grooved, with a row of long hairs along hind ocular margin; eyes rounded, rahter large, roughly faceted. Labrum with sides roundly warped outwards, with apical margin deeply, roundly sinuate; gena roundly, strongly expanded outwards; frons strongly convex. Antennae not reaching base of pronotum, relative length of each segment from base to apex: 8 :: 10 : 5 : 5 : 5 : 5 : 5 : 5 : 5 : 5, apical five segments loosely clavate. Pronotum transverse, 1.9 times as wide as long in the middle, medial 70% of dorsum weakly convex, remaining side areas depressed, marginal part roundly reflexed; disk wholly, densely granulate, each granule with a brown hair and surrounded with low and fine ridge; front margin deeply sinuate, front comers obtusely angulate, sides evenly arcuate, weakly constricted shortly in front of hind comers, hind angle acutely pointed latero-posteriorly, hind margin widely, bisinuate with a median faint cavity, shallowly grooved along hind margin on each lateral one- third. Prosternum transversely convex at a little behind median part, with subbasal part depressed in front of procoxal cavities, inter coxal area convex, with median part widely grooved. Scutellum wide pentagonal, irregularly punctate. Elytra with base a little wider than pronotal base, widest at a little behind middle part, narrowly, wholly marginate at sides except for subapical part, rather strongly convex dorsally, punctate-striate, interstices convex, with two or three longitudinal rows of short hairs. 1) Contribution from the Hikosan Biological Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu Uni-