Ceracis luci Souza-Goncalves & Lopes-Andrade 2024, sp. nov.

Ceracis luci Souza-Gonçalves & Lopes-Andrade sp. nov. Fig. 1A–D; Fig. 2A–G; Fig. 3A–D; Fig. 4; Fig. 8 Type locality. Licínio de Almeida, coordinates 14º40’S 42º30’W (Bahia, Brazil). Etymology. In honor of Lucimar Soares de Araujo, a great colleague and friend, who is continually contributing to the Ecology and Taxonomy of Ciidae beetles. Diagnosis. Each antenna with eight antennomeres (Fig. 2D). Elytral punctation subseriate (Fig. 2D). Males with anterocephalic edge produced forward and slightly elevated upward forming a wide lamina with straight edge (when seen from above) (Fig. 1A, C), and anterior edge of pronotum produced forward as a plate deeply emarginate at middle forming two horns, almost parallel to each other and with rounded apices (Fig. 1A, C). Female ovipositor lacking gonostyli (Fig. 3D). Ceracis luci sp. nov. resembles Ceracis pullulus (Casey) in the cephalic and pronotal ornaments and general body features, but in the latter species each antenna has nine antennomeres (Fig. 6A), the pronotum is comparatively widest and the elytra comparatively shortest with seriate punctation. Additionally, in Cer. pullulus the anterior pronotal horns are slightly divergent with subrounded apices (Fig. 5A), and the female ovipositor has conspicuous gonostyli (Fig. 7C). Description, male holotype (Fig. 1A–D). Adult apparently not fully pigmented, lacking left metatibia and two tarsi. Measurements in mm: TL 1.26, PL 0.50, PW 0.44, EL 0.76, EW 0.44, GD 0.39. Ratios: PL/PW 1.14, EL/EW 1.74, EL/PL 1.53, GD/EW 0.89, TL/EW 2.89. Body elongate, convex, subparallel-sided, dorsum and venter reddish dark brown; antennae yellowish brown with dark brown club; palpi and tarsi yellowish brown; dorsal vestiture single, consisting of minute suberect setae barely visible in high magnification (100x); ventral vestiture of fine decumbent setae, easily discernible in high magnification (100x). Head with the anteriormost portion visible from above; dorsum widely concave, with a small elevation on vertexal disc; dorsal punctation single; anterocephalic edge produced forward, slightly elevated upward, forming a wide lamina with a straight edge (when seen from above). Antennae (Fig. 3B, left antenna of a female paratype) with eight antennomeres, length of antennomeres as follows (in mm, left antenna measured): 0.05, 0.04, 0.03, 0.01, 0.01, 0.04, 0.04, 0.05 (FL 0.05 mm, CL 0.13 mm, CL/FL 2.6). Eyes coarsely facetted, each with about 50 ommatidia; GW 0, 10 mm. Gula 0.36x as wide as head. Pronotum (Fig. 1D) coarsely, shallowly punctate; punctures of one size, scattered, separated from each other by 2–3 puncture-widths; interspaces, markedly microreticulate; vestiture single, consisting of minute suberect yellowish setae (<0.01 mm); anterior edge produced forward as a plate, deeply emarginate at middle forming two horns, almost parallel to each other and with rounded apices; lateral carinae not crenulate, not explanate and not visible when seen from above; anterior corners rounded and posterior corners broadly rounded. Scutellar shield (Fig. 1D) triangular, with few punctures, apparently glabrous; BW 0.08 mm; SL 0.04 mm. Elytra (Fig. 1D) punctation finer and shallower than pronotal punctation, subseriate, indistinctly dual; macropunctures about 2x as large as micropunctures, separated from each other by 1–2 macropuncture-widths; interspaces, rugose and shiny; vestiture single, consisting of minute suberect yellowish setae (<0.01 mm) arising from macropunctures. Metathoracic wings developed, apparently functional. Hypomera punctation fine, shallow; each puncture bearing one fine decumbent seta; interspaces, markedly microreticulate. Prosternum in front of coxae concave; interspaces, markedly microreticulate. Prosternal process laminate, 1.4x as long as prosternum at midline. Protibiae (Fig. 2A) maximum width about one-third its length, expanded at apex; outer apical angle rounded and bearing a few thick spines; outer edge slightly sinuous and devoid of spines. Meso- and metatibiae (Fig. 2B–C) with slender spines in apical edge; outer edge almost straight, devoid of spines. Metaventrite punctation fine, shallow; interspaces, markedly microreticulate; discrimen indiscernible. Abdominal ventrites punctures fine, shallow, sparse, each with one slender decumbent yellowish seta; interspaces, markedly microreticulate; length of ventrites (in mm, from base to apex at longitudinal midline) as follows: 0.14, 0.05, 0.05, 0.05, 0.06; first abdominal ventrite with margined, circular, setose sex patch posteriorly of center, with transverse diameter of 0.05 mm. Male terminalia in a topotype (Fig. 2D–G): sternite VIII (Fig. 2D) apical edge slightly emarginate, with short setae at middle and long setae at broadly rounded corners; lateral edges diverging; anterior edge biconcave and subacute medially. Tegmen (Fig. 2F) 3.2x as long as wide, widest near base, apical portion deeply, narrowly emarginate; lateral edges subparallel-sided; basolateral edges wide (Fig. 2F, red arrows); basal portion triangular. Basal piece (Fig. 2E) subtriangular, as long as wide. Penis (Fig. 2G) elongate, 0.9x as long as tegmen, 6.1x as long as wide; lateral edges subparallel-sided, converging near apex to form two sclerotized struts (Fig. 2G, black arrows); basal portion rounded. Females (Fig. 3A–D). Like males, but without cephalic and pronotal ornaments, and abdominal sex patch. Female terminalia in a topotype (Fig. 3C–D): spiculum ventrale (Fig. 3C) 1.73x as long as ovipositor (Fig. 3D); ovipositor 0.55x as long as wide; paraprocts (Fig. 3D) 0.85x as long as gonocoxites; each baculus of paraprocts bowed and completely fused to the respective proctigeral baculus (Fig. 3D); gonocoxites (Fig. 3D) 0.44x as long as their combined widths, not distinctly lobed ventrally, each with subacute apex and without gonostylus. Variation. Males, measurements in mm (n= 13, including the holotype): TL 1.03–1.26 (1.13 ± 0.08), PL 0.38– 0.53 (0.44 ± 0.05), PW 0.39–0.46 (0.42 ± 0.03), EL 0.65–0.76 (0.69 ± 0.04), EW 0.40–0.48 (0.44 ± 0.03), GD 0.34–0.43 (0.38 ± 0.03), PL/PW 0.97–1.14 (1.04 ± 0.05), EL/EW 1.49–1.74 (1.58 ± 0.08), EL/PL 1.40–1.77 (1.60 ± 0.11), GD/EW 0.78–0.89 (0.85 ± 0.03), TL/EW 2.37–2.89 (2.56 ± 0.13). The degree of development of pronotal and cephalic ornaments varies between males (Fig. 4). Female, measurements in mm (n= 6): TL 1.03–1.13 (1.09 ± 0.04), PL 0.36–0.41 (0.40 ± 0.02), PW 0.38–0.41 (0.40 ± 0.01), EL 0.66–0.74 (0.69 ± 0.03), EW 0.41–0.45 (0.43 ± 0.01), GD 0.38–0.39 (0.38 ± 0.01), PL/PW 0.97–1.03 (0.99 ± 0.02), EL/EW 1.51–1.74 (1.60 ± 0.08), EL/PL 1.72–1.90 (1.76 ± 0.10), GD/EW 0.86–0.91 (0.87 ± 0.02), TL/EW 2.42–2.65 (2.52 ± 0.08). Type material. Holotype ♂ (CELC) “ \ BR: BA, Licínio de Almeida, APA Capão 07.i.2011 leg. P.A. Cota \ ex Trametes sp. \ Ceracis luci Souza-Gonçalves & Lopes-Andrade HOLOTYPUS [red paper; printed]”. Paratypes: 12 ♂♂ (11 CELC; 1 CERPE) and 6 ♀♀ (5 CELC; 1 CERPE), same data as the holotype. All paratypes are additionally labeled “ Ceracis luci Souza-Gonçalves & Lopes-Andrade PARATYPUS [yellow paper; printed]”. Host fungus. Trametes sp. (Polyporaceae), one breeding record. Distribution. Known only from the type locality at the Center-South mesoregion of the state of Bahia, an area dominated by the Caatinga biome (Fig. 8).