Rioneta inexpectata, Grebennikov, Vasily V., 2008

Grebennikov, Vasily V., 2008, A featherwing beetle without wings: re-discovery and second species of Rioneta (Coleoptera: Ptiliidae) from the Uluguru Mountains, Tanzania, Zootaxa 1732, pp. 45-53 : 49-50

Rioneta inexpectata sp. n.

( Figs 3, 4 )

Diagnosis. Differs from R. uluguruensis by markedly narrower body ( Figs 3, 4 ).

Description. With the characters of the genus. Body length 1.07–1.19 mm (mean 1.13 mm, n=4), pronotal length 0.27–0.29 mm (mean 0.28 mm; n=4); pronotal width 0.47–0.51 (mean 0.49; n=4); ratio pronotal width/ length 1.73–1.80 (mean 1.77; n=4).

Material studied. Holotype (dry mounted on card, not sexed): “ Tanzania: Uluguru Mts., W slope between Tchenzema vil. and Lukwangule Plateau, H- 2200 m. Oct. 19–21, 2002.V. Grebennikov leg.” ( MRAC). Paratypes: 39 (of them 27 dry mounted on cards and 12 mounted on two Euparal microscope slides; with same data as the holotype ( MRAC, CNC).

Etymology. The specific epithet is the Latin adjective expectatus (= exspectatus), - a, -um (awaited, looked for) negated by the prefix in and referring to the unexpected discovery of this species.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 4. Habitus images of Rioneta beetles. 1 — R. uluguruensis, female, dorsal; 2 — R. uluguruensis, male, ventral; 3 — R. inexpectata sp. n., male, dorsal; 4 — R. inexpectata sp. n., female, ventral. Scale = 0.2 mm.