Trans. Shikoku Ent. Soc. Vol.16, Nos.1-2, pp.

77-82, December, 1982

NOTES ON THE GENUS NEOCSIKIA

OHIRA AND BECKER
(COLEOPTERA: ELATERIDAE)

By Wataru Suzuki
Laboratory of Entomology, Tokyo University of Agriculture,
Sakuragaoka 1-chome, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, 156

Neocsilu'a C>hira and Becker, 1972, is a small genus belonging to the family
Elateridae. It has so far included only the type-species N. nepalensis 6hira and
Becker from Nepal. Recently, I was able to examine two interesting elaterid
species from central Nepal and Darjeeling, which were found to belong to the genus
Neocsikia. The specimens from central Nepal were identified as N. nepalensis by
comparison with a female paratype and a male specimen determinated by Dr. E. C.
Becker, and the others are a new species.
C>hira and Becker (1972), when they established Neocsilda, placed it in the
subfamily Sendoniinae [sic!] which Stibick (1979), in his recent paper, regarded as
a subtribe of the tribe Denticollini. In this paper, however, it is treated as a
member of the subtribe Dimina.

Genus Neocsikia C>hira and Becker

Neocsikia 6hira and Becker, 1972 : 535.

Type-species: Neocsikia nepalensis 6hira and Becker, 1972.

A member of the subtribe Dimina of the tribe Denticollini.

Body oblong-ovate. Head rectangular, transverse, flat or slightly impressed
between eyes; frontal margin very slightly produced anteriorly, weakly impressed
in the middle, and distinctly ridged at sides ; maxillary palpus 3- or 4-segmented,
apical segment large and hatchet-shaped. Antennae filiform, relatively long,
reaching the middle of elytra, 2nd segment distinctly shorter than the 3rd. Pro­
notum rectangular, transverse in the middle, weakly rounded at sides; lateral
margin with a distinct carina which runs from the base to near the anterior angle;
anterior margin deeply emarginate ; anterior angles rounded and produced anterior­
ly ; antero- angular crevice absent; posterior angles relatively long, projecting
backwards, narrow and acute at the apex ; punctures moderately distinct; incision
of posterior margin large and distinct; prosternal lobe large; prosternal suture
double and straight ; prosternal process large, nearly horizontal behind procoxae,
obliquely or vertically truncate at the apex; sides of mesosternal groove weakly
protuberant in posterior half, but never pointed. Scutellum pentagonal, though the
anterior margin is weakly produced in the middle, surface flat with a faint longitudi­
nal carina. Elytra oblong--ovate, slighty flattened laterally. Legs moderate in
78 Transactions of the Shikoku Entomological Society Vol.16, Nos. 1-2

2
Figs. 1-2. 1, Neocsikia krislma sp. n., holotype, male; 2, N. nepalensis Ohira
and Becker. female.

length; hind coxal plate normal in shape, distinctly narrowed on outer two-fifths;
hind femora extending beyond outer margin of elytra ; 3rd tarsal segment with a
short ventral lobe, 4th with a slightly broader ventral lobe and long pubescence on
sides. Male genitalia elongate ; median lobe slender ; apex of paramere composed
of ventral and dorsal parts, the subapical hook arising from the latter as in Figs. 7-
11.
Distribution. Himalaya.
Remarks. The genus can be distinguished from all other genera included in the
subtribe Dimina by the following combination of characters : Body oblong-ovate,
more or less depressed above ; antennae filiform attaining the middle of elytra;
mandibles bifurcate at the apex ; posterior angles of pronotum relatively long and
distinctly narrowed at the apex ; pronotal punctures shallow, but moderately dis­
tinct ; prosternal suture straight ; prosternal process horizontal, the apex truncate,
never emarginate; hind coxal plate narrowing in outer two-fifths; scutellum pen­
tagonal, never cordate; apex of paramere composed of dorsal and ventral parts;
sides of mesosternal groove weakly protuberant, never pointed ; tarsi with 3rd and
4th segments lobed beneath; claws without setae.
December, ·l 982 W. Suzuki: Notes on the genus Neocsikia (Col.) 79

Neocsikia krishna W. Suzuki, sp. n.

(Figs. I, 3, 5, 7, ·8, 9)

Male and female. Length 7.54-8.79 mm; width 2.87-3.19 mm.

Body oblong-ovate, somewhat depressed above. Head and pronotum brown
with a reddish tint ; antennae slightly darker brown ; ventral surface of prothorax
and mesosternum yellowish brown to reddish brown; elytra with 6th to 8th intervals
and subapical spots brownish black, the latter situated between 4th and 5th or 4th
and 6th intervals ; metasternum and abdominal sternites dark brown ; legs yellow­
ish brown to brown. Surface densely clothed with fine, recumbent, pale yellow
pubescence.
Head a little broader than its length in the middle, scarcely impressed between
the eyes; frontal margin narrowly impressed in the middle ; surface moderately
densely covered with deep punctures, the punctures decrease in size towards the
base; maxillary palpus 4-segmented, 2nd segment 2.38 times as long as wide, 3rd
distinctly shorter than the 2nd, 4th somewhat longer than wide (1.4: 1.0). Antennae
slender, reaching the middle of elytra; 1st segment oblong, 2.2-2.3 times as long as
wide; 2nd about 1.9 times as long as wide; 3rd elongate, 1.65 times as long as 2nd ;
4th a little longer than 3rd (1.2: 1.0); 11th moderately elongate, 3.04 times as long as
wide.
Pronotum 1.68 times as broad as its length in the middle; disc feebly convex ;
punctures deep, sparse and small ; incision of posterior margin as figured (Fig. 3) ;
prosternal process with a distinct carina; apex of prostemal process broadly
rounded as in Fig. 5; punctures of propleura small and shallow ; metasternal punc­
tures elongate-ovate, very close, regularly spaced, separated by about a half their
own width. Scutellum about 1.2 times as long as wide.
Elytra 2.27 times as long as humeral width ; sides gradually widening from base
to the middle, thence narrowing towards the apex ; stria! punctures minute, shallow

.•··

3 4
Figs. 3-4. Left portion of pronotum of Neocsikia spp.
3, N. krislma sp. n., holotype, male ; 4, N. nepa!ensis Ohira and
Becker, male. Scale: 1.0 mm.
80 Transactions of the Shikoku Entomological Society Vol.16, Nos.1-2

5 6
Figs. 5-6.; Prosternal process of Neocsikia spp., lateral view.
5. N. l11islit1a sp. n., holotype, male; 6, N. nepa/ensis ◊hira and
Becker, male. Scale: 0.5 mm.

and sparse; intervals nearly flat, rather sparsely covered with minute punctures.
Male genitalia (Fig. 7) about 1.54 mm long, 3.87 times as long as wide. Median
lobe about 1.5 times as broad as the neck of paramere in apical fifth. Paramere
(Figs. 8 and 9) with the apex and subapical hook obtuse.
Holotype: cl"', Tiger Hill, 2,340-2,500 m alt., Darjeeling District, India, 5. viii.
1981, '-N. Suzuki leg. (in coll. W. Suzuki).
Allotype: -¥-, same locality as holotype, 12. viii. 1981, W. Suzuki leg. (in coll.
W. Suzuki).
Para types: 1 <fl, 1 -'L Daj. [ = Darjeeling], Janson Coll. Ex. Atkinson, 1903 130
(in coll. British Museum, Natural History); 2-¥- -¥-, collected with holotype (in coll.
W. Suzuki and Canadian National Collection); 1 -¥-, same locality as holotype, 13.
viii. 1981, W. Suzuki leg. (in coll. W. Suzuki).
Distribution. India (Darjeeling).
Remarks. This new species is very closely related to Neocsikia nepalensis
Ohira and Becker, 1972, from central Nepal, but can easily be distinguished from
the latter as shown in the following key :

1. Maxillary palpus 4·segmented ; stria! punctures of elytra moderate; dorsal angle of proster•
nal process broad!}' rounded; Darjeeling•··················································N. krislma sp. n.
Maxillary palpus 3.segmented; stria] punctures of elytra deep and distinct ; dorsal angle of
prosternal process acutely rounded; Central Nepal•···· ·······••N. nep alensis Qhira and Becker
December 1982 W. Suzuki: Notes on the genus Neocsikia (Col.) 81

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: R'
I

A
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}-: I ,!.....----"
'',,. '' r·
1
I �'
I I
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Figs. 7-11. Male genitalia of Neocsikia spp., ventral view.

7-9, N. krislma sp. n., paratype; 10-11, N. nepalensis Ohira and
Becker. Scales: 0.5 mm (Fig. 7), 0.1 mm (Figs. 8 and 10), 0.05 mm
(Figs. 9 and 11).

Neocsikia nepalensis Ohira and Becker

(Figs. 2, 4, 6, 10, 11)

Neocsikia nepalensis Ohira and Becker, 1972: 535-536, Figs. A-D.

Male and female. Length 7.99-10.5 mm; width 2.86-4.0 mm.

Colour variable from yellowish brown to slightly darker brown; legs usually
yellowish brown to brown ; 5th to 8th intervals rarely brownish black ; abdominal
sternites slightly darker than elytra. Pubescence as in N. l?rishna.
Head flat between the eyes, weakly impressed between the antenna! insertions ;
punctures deep and moderatly dense ; maxillary palpus 3-segmented, 2nd (II+ III)
segment elongate, 2.78 times as long as wide, 3rd (IV) large, 1.68 times as long as
apical width. Antennae with 2nd segment elongate-conical, distinctly longer than
wide (1.67 : LO) ; 11th elongate, 3.68 times as long as wide.
Pronotum about 1.6 times as broad as its length in the middle ; anterior angle
strongly rounded ; incision of posterior margin as figured (Fig. 4) ; dorsal angles of
prosternal process acutely rounded as in Fig. 6.
Elytra 2.24 times as long as humeral width ; striae with deep and distinct
82 Transactions of the Shikoku Entomological Society Vol. 16, Nos.1-2

punctures; intervals weakly convex, rather sparsely scattered with minute punc­
tures.
Male genitalia about 1.79 mm long, 3.74 times as long as wide. Median lobe
about twice as broad as the neck of paramere in apical fifth. Paramere (Figs. 10
and 11) with the apex and 'subapical hook pointed.
Type material examined. 1 � (paratype), Ktmd. [ = Kathmandu], Godavari,
Nepal, 6,000 ft., 30. vii. 1967, Can. Nepal Exped. (in coll. Dr. H. <Jhira).
Other material examined. 1 c?1, similar data as paratype except 2. viii. 1967 (in
coll. Canadian National Collection); 1 c?1, 1 �. Tanaphedi, 1,900 m alt., Tare Bhir,
Kathmandu Valley, Nepal, 22. ix. 1979, M. Sat6 leg. (in coll. National Science
Museum, Tokyo); 2 � �. Godavari, 1,580-2,000 m alt., Kathmandu Valley, Nepal,
26. vii. 1981, W. Suzuki leg. (in coll. V·l. Suzuki); 1 �, ditto, 2. viii. 1981, W. Suzuki
leg. (in coll. W. Suzuki).
Distribution : Central Nepal.
Remarks. Neocsikia nepalensis is unusual in that maxillary palpi are 3-seg­
mented. This is believed to be an apomorphic condition derivated from an ancestor
which possessed 4-segmented maxillary palpi.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I wish to express my sincere thanks to Miss C. M. F. von Hayek of the British

Museum (Natural History), for reading through the manuscript and for her kind
advice. Many thanks are due to Dr. E. C. Becker of the Biosystematics Research
Institute, Agriculture Canada, Dr. H. Ohira of the National Institute for Physiologi­
cal Sciences, Okazaki, and to Prof. M. Sato of the Biological Laboratory, Nagoya
Women's University, Nagoya, for the loan of valuable material or helpful advice. I
am also indebted to Prof. H. Sawada and Prof. Y. Watanabe of the Laboratory of
Entomology, Tokyo University of Agriculture, for their constant guidance.

REFERENCES

Cand�ze, E., 1863. Monographie des Elatl!rides, IV. Mem. Soc. roy. Sci. Liege, 17: 1-534, 6 pis.
6hira, H. and E. C. Becker, 1972. Elateridae (Coleoptera) from the Canadian Nepal Expedition
1967. 3. Description of new species and records of Dima, Penia and Neocsikia new genus.
Orient. Insects, 6: 531-537.
Stibick, J. N. L., 1979. Classification of the Elateridae (Coleoptera). Relationships and classifi­
cation of the subfamilies and tribes. Pacif bisects, 20: 145-186.
Szombilthy, C., 1910. Elatl!rides nouveaux ou peu connus appartenant au Musee National
Hongrois. Annis. his/. -nat. Mus. natn. hung., 8: 353-360.