Micridium elegans, Darby, Michael, 2017

Darby, Michael, 2017, Taxonomic review of the genera Micridium Motschulsky, 1869 and Micridina Johnson, 1969 (Coleoptera: Ptiliidae) with eleven new species including the first records from South America and Madagascar, Zootaxa 4242 (2), pp. 233-254 : 241-242

Micridium elegans sp.n.

( Figs. 8, 23, 36, 44, 57, 66, 74, 83a/b)

Habitus Fig. 8. Length 0.66 mm. Colour: dark, almost black, pubescence, antennomeres and legs brown. Antennomeres 4–8 widest medially and narrowed before base and apex; length of 3–11 0.29 mm, Fig. 44. Width across eyes 0.20 mm. Mentum narrowed towards base, sides straight, submentum with 3 setae, Fig 36. Pronotum length 0.14 mm, width 0.24 mm, widest in front of middle, with two distinct linear depressions in basal half narrowed anteriorly, Fig. 23. Elytra length 0.44 mm, width 0.29 mm. Mesoventrum: collar without clear humeri, keel flattened between mesocoxae, Fig. 57. Mesepiventra without clear reticulation, smoothly rounded to mesocoxae which are more widely separated than species with a narrow keel, Fig. 57. Metaventrum: metepiventral sutures close to lateral margins and reaching posterior margin, Fig. 66, posterior intercoxal process straight between lateral points. Wings of usual ptiliid type.

Male: aedeagus strongly humped with a large median and two shorter lateral projections Figs. 83 a/b.

Female: spermatheca Fig. 74.

Etymology. Named after the rather elegant appearance of the species.

Diagnosis. The very dark colour, length of antennomeres 4–7, lack of mesoventral humeri, and form of both the female and male genitalia quickly distinguish this species.

Type data: Holotype: ♀, Peru, Cusco Dept., Villa Carmen field station, 1.7 km west cafeteria research transect, Flight intercept trap, 12.89250S 71.41917W, 555m, 21–22.v.2011, D.J.Bennett & E. Razuri ( MUSM) . Paratypes: 6 examples, same data as holotype ( MUSM, SEMC, BMNH) .