Maladera sujitrae, Sreedevi & Ranasinghe & Fabrizi & Ahrens, 2019

Sreedevi, Kolla, Ranasinghe, Sasankha, Fabrizi, Silvia & Ahrens, Dirk, 2019, New species and records of Sericini from the Indian subcontinent (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae) II, European Journal of Taxonomy 567, pp. 1-26 : 12-14

Maladera sujitrae sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:BF3746FB-E5C4-45B7-B0F8-2D7151BCA942

Fig. 2 E–H

Diagnosis

The new species resembles the species of the M. lugubris group but differs from all other species of the group by the incomplete serrated line of the anterior margin of the metafemur and the relatively long and medially unfused parameres, as well by the large, curved motile basal lobe of the left paramere.

Etymology

This new species name (noun in the genitive case) is dedicated to the collector of the new species, M. Sujitra.

Type material

Holotype

INDIA • ♂; “ India: Kerala, Kasaragod , 19 m, 12°31′ N, 74°59′ E, 17.vi.2018, leg. M. Sujitra / 1022 Sericini : Asia spec. / KS 0233 / ICAR-NBAIR-S11”; NBAIR.

Description

MEASUREMENTS. Length: 8.9 mm, length of elytra: 6.8 mm, width: 6.0 mm.

HABITUS AND COLORATION. Body oval ( Fig. 2H ), dorsal and ventral face dark brown, antennae yellowish, dull, labroclypeus shiny, except some single setae on dorsal surface of head nearly glabrous.

HEAD. Labroclypeus wide and trapezoidal, widest at base, lateral margins convex and strongly convergent anteriorly, anterior angles strongly rounded, anterior margin weakly sinuate medially, margins weakly reflexed; lateral margin and ocular canthus produce an indistinct angle; surface flat, finely and densely punctate, with a few erect setae anteriorly; frontoclypeal suture distinctly incised, angled medially; smooth area anterior to eye flat, 1.5 times as wide as long; ocular canthus moderately long and broad (⅓ of ocular diameter), finely densely punctate, with a terminal seta. Frons dull, with moderately dense, fine punctures, with a few single setae beside eyes. Eyes small, ratio of diameter/ interocular width: 0.57. Antenna with ten antennomeres; club with three antennomeres and straight, a little shorter than remaining antennomeres combined. Mentum elevated and slightly flattened anteriorly.

PRONOTUM. Transverse, widest shortly before base, lateral margins evenly convex and convergent anteriorly, anterior angles produced and sharp, posterior angles widely rounded; anterior margin weakly convex, with complete, fine marginal line, base without marginal line; surface moderately densely and finely punctate, with minute setae in punctures; anterior and lateral margin finely sparsely setose; hypomeron carinate, not produced ventrally. Scutellum wide, triangular, with fine, moderately dense punctures, impunctate along middle at apex.

ELYTRA. Widest at middle, striae finely impressed, finely and sparsely punctate, intervals weakly convex, with fine, evenly moderately dense punctures concentrated along striae, with minute setae in punctures, odd intervals with a few single, short setae; epipleural edge robust, ending at bluntly rounded external

apical angle of elytra, epipleura sparsely setose; apical border of elytra narrowly membraneous, with a very fine rim of microtrichomes (visible at ca 100× magnification).

ABDOMEN. Ventral surface dull, coarsely and moderately densely punctate, glabrous, metasternal disc sparsely covered with fine, short setae; metacoxa with a few longer setae laterally. Abdominal sternites finely and densely punctate, punctures with minute setae, each sternite with a transverse row of punctures, each bearing a fine seta. Mesosternum between mesocoxae as wide as mesofemur. Ratio of length of metepisternum/metacoxa: 1/1.8. Pygidium weakly convex, dull, finely and densely punctate, with a wide midline, with a few robust setae along apical margin.

LEGS. Short and wide, shiny; femora with two longitudinal rows of setae, finely and sparsely punctate. Anterior margin of metafemur acute, anterior row of setae complete, its punctures serrate, but complete serrated line missing; posterior ventral margin smooth, weakly widened at ventral apex, dorsal posterior edge smooth, neither serrate, finely and shortly setose. Metatibia short and wide, widest at middle, ratio of width/length: 1/2.35, sharply carinate dorsally, with two groups of spines, basal group shortly before middle, apical group at three quarters of metatibial length, with fine setae and a serrated line basally subparallel to dorsal margin; lateral face longitudinally convex, shiny, base and only on sides finely punctate, with minute setae in punctures; ventral margin finely serrate, with four equidistant robust setae; medial face smooth and glabrous; apex finely serrate, moderately concavely sinuate interiorly near tarsal articulation. Tarsomeres dorsally impunctate, glabrous, neither laterally nor dorsally carinate, moderately setose ventrally; metatarsomeres glabrous and with a strongly serrated ridge ventrally and a smooth, subventral longitudinal carina; first metatarsomere slightly shorter than following two tarsomeres combined and slightly longer than dorsal tibial spur. Protibia moderately long, bidentate; anterior claws symmetrical, basal tooth of both claws bluntly truncate at apex.

MALE GENITALIA. Aedeagus: Fig. 2 E–G.

Female

Unknown.

Figures

Fig. 2. A–D. Maladera naveeni sp. nov., holotype, ♂. E–H. Maladera sujitrae sp. nov., holotype, ♂. I–L. Maladera thirthahalliensis sp. nov., holotype, ♂. A, E, I. Aedeagus, left side lateral view. C, G, L.Aedeagus, right side lateral view. B, F, J. Parameres, dorsal view. D, H, L. Habitus. Scale bars: 0.5 mm. Habitus not to scale.