Micridium lineatum (LeConte 1863) as Ptenidium lineatum

(Figs. 4, 32)

Micridium lineatum Motschulsky 1869

Habitus Fig. 4. Length 0.53 mm. Colour dark yellowish brown, antennae light yellow. Antennomeres 3–11 length 0.16 mm. Width across eyes 0.17 mm. Head punctured and pubescent. Pronotum length 0.16 mm, width 0.21 mm, widest in middle, punctured and pubescent throughout, lateral margins slightly sinuate before hind angles Fig. 32. Elytra length 0.34 mm, width 0.25 mm, punctured and pubescent throughout as pronotum. Wings visible through elytra.

Remarks. The description, figure and measurements are taken from the syntype of Micridium lineatum Motschulsky in BMNH. This is mounted on a small piece of clear mica(?) and includes a few fragments of a second specimen now lost. Labels are present as follows: ' Micridium lineatum' (apparently in Matthews' hand, a third word is deleted); ' Micridium lineatum, Type from Motschulsky, N. America, 19, 1865' (in Matthews' hand on a light green card with the rear corners cut off); '1586, 1587' (Matthews/Mason collection numbers); 'Matthews coll. 1904 - 120' (BMNH accession number) and 'Syntype' (added by BMNH) (Fig. 4). A second specimen in the BMNH bearing a red label inscribed in Matthews' hand ' Micridium lineatum' and a Matthews/Mason number '3762' is not conspecific with the syntype. The holotype of Ptenidium lineatum LeConte is in the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, USA (imaged at http://mczbase.mcz.harvard.edu/guid/ MCZ:Ent:6629).

Details of the ventrum, viewed through the mount, were not sufficiently clear to enable positive determination to Micridium and for the reasons given above no attempt was made to detach the insect or to dissect it so that the sex is not known.