Falliellus richardi, Bellamy, 2001

Bellamy, C. L., 2001, The Madagascan Coraebini Bedel (Coleoptera: Buprestidae: Agrilinae): A New Genus And Species, The Coleopterists Bulletin 55 (2), pp. 167-171 : 168-170

Falliellus richardi , new species

( Fig. 1 )

Description of Holotype. Small: 6.8 mm, maximum length from intra­ocular projecting lobe to tip of elytral spines; 2.2 mm, widest point opposite humeri; surface asperate generally, transversely rugose on pronotal disc; color black with deep cupreous reflections; dorsal integument glabrous except for dense covering of cream­colored squamose setae as follows: frontoclypeus in the form of a ‘‘+’’, between and posterior to projecting lobes, transverse band twice the width as longitudinal band; two thin posteriorly diverging vittae on pronotum on either side of disc and two very short contiguous extensions on anterior portion of elytra discad humeri; one broader elytral fascia at about posterior 1/3 and this contiguous with wide band on 2nd abdominal sternum; ventral surface with moderate covering of faintly translucent recurved setae concentrated along medial longitudinal strip, surface nearly or completely glabrous laterally; legs with short, adpressed faintly translucent setae; femora with longer, strongly recurved setae on inner margin opposite tibiae in repose. Head with one pair of projecting lobes between eyes, frontovertex depressed between lobes, frontoclypeus evenly transverse ventrad lobes; eyes moderately large, inner margins diverging dorsally, circumocular groove extending around inner margin from dorsal apex to ventral apex; antennal cavities moderately size, relatively close, separated by narrow parallel­sided extension of frontoclypeus; lateroventral portion of frontoclypeus and gena beneath eye transversely de­ pressed for reception of basal antennameres in repose; gena with rounded subobtuse lobe; antennamere 1 stout, arcuate; 2 longer than wide, much shorter than 1; 3 shorter than 2, feebly subserrate; 4–10 triangularly serrate, slightly longer than wide; 11 narrow, obtuse; pronotum 1.3 times as wide as long, widest at about midpoint; anterior margin with moderately produced medial arcuate lobe; posterior margin with feeble convex lobe medially, on either side weakly concave before obtuse lateroposterior angles; lateral margins arcuate, entirely carinate; disc entire, only weakly depressed laterally; scutellum triangular, anterior margin very weakly arucate, lateral margins slightly more so; elytra wider opposite humeri than widest portion of pronotum; lateral margins subparallel from humeri to beyond midpoint, then gradually narrowing to rounded lateroapical angles, then subtruncate, finely serrate to stout tooth on either side; each tooth with inner margin straight, continuous to sutural margin, outer margin arcuate, entire; disc mostly entire except for slight depressions between humeri and suture and just anterior to lateroapical angles; epipleura broadest from near anterior margin, narrowing and with margin subparallel to elytral margin until before lateroapical angles; pygidium with single projecting medial stout spine, visible between elytral apical teeth; prosternum without mentonniere, anterior margin entire; process subparallel between procoxae, slightly expanded posterior then tapering to broadly acuminate apex; mesepimeron partially hidden beneath anterolateral abdominal projection; metacoxal plate widest laterally; abdominal sternum 2 shorter than 1; 3 and 4 subequal in length; 5 longer than 3 or 4, shorter than 2, narrowing to broadly arcuate apex with premarginal groove, parallel to margin, entire; femora subfusiform, narrowing apically; tibiae only feebly arcuate apically, without apical spines, but with partial ring of short, stout black setae around apical margin at insertion of basal tarsomere; tarsi with ventral pulvilli on first four tarsomeres, pulvilli on 3 and 4 feebly bilobed; tarsomere 1 at least 1.5× longer than 2, 2 longer than 3, 3 longer than 4, five subequal in length to 2–4 together, narrow; claws appendiculate basally; genitalia unremarkable, parameres subparallel in basal half, then widening to apical third before narrowing to separately rounded apices; lateroapical portion with narrow premarginal unsclerotized band with sensory setae; medium lobe with sides subparallel to subangulate apex; disc evenly transversely convex until preapical area that is declivous laterally before dorsally flattened apical area.

Variation. The two male paratypes are virtually identical in size, while the single female paratype is the largest of the four specimens: 7.5 × 2.8 mm. The surface color, sculpture and vestiture is identical. The holotype, one male paratype and the female paratype each have the elytral apical tooth on the left side noticeably shorter than that on the right side; in the other male paratype, the teeth are almost exactly equal.

Specimens Examined. Holotype Ƌ ( MNHN): MADAGASCAR, Perinet , ii.1972, Peryrieras; 3 paratypes, 2 ƋƋ, 1 ♀: same data . Paratypes in MNHN (2) and LACM (1).

Etymology. The species epithet is dedicated to Richard P. Fall, as explained above.

Remarks. According to Viette (1991), Perinet is some 30 km east of Moramanga and is now set aside as forest station in a special reserve known as Analamazaotra­Perinet. This new species is distinct from all known taxa of Madagascan Coraebina, i.e., 103 species and one subspecies currently placed in 27 genera and one subgenus. There are specimens in the MNHN repre­ senting an estimated 500–600 new species, many of which will need new generic taxa to contain them.

Figures

Fig. 1. Falliellus richardi, new genus and species, dorsal habitus.