Maladera thirthahalliensis, 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 : 14-16

Maladera thirthahalliensis sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:FA7E5515-423F-429A-A61A-FA345DA2C4C7

Fig. 2 I–L

Diagnosis

The new species resembles in external shape the species of the Maladera lugubris group; it differs, however, from the latter by the entirely lacking serrated line of the anterior margin of the metafemur and the strongly asymmetric, unfused parameres. From the previous species it differs by its smaller body size, the weakly shining surface and the lacking basal lobe of the left paramere.

Etymology

The name (adjective in the nominative singular) refers to the type locality, Thirthahalli ( India).

Type material

Holotype

INDIA • ♂; “ Karnataka, Shimoga, Thirthahalli , 589m, 13°56′ N, 75°38′ E, 17.iv.2018, leg. R. Naveen / 1023 Sericini : Asia spec. / KS 0281 / ICAR-NBAIR-S12”; NBAIR.

Paratypes

INDIA • 1 ♂; “ Karnataka, Shimoga, Thirthahalli , 589m, 13°56′ N, 75°38′ E, 17.iv.2018, leg. R. Naveen / 1023 Sericini : Asia spec. / KS 0283 / ICAR-NBAIR-S13”; NBAIR • 1 ♂; “ Karnataka, Shimoga, Thirthahalli , 589 m, 13°56′ N, 75°38′ E, 17.iv.2018, leg. R. Naveen / 1023 Sericini : Asia spec. / KS 0285 / ICAR-NBAIR-S14”; NBAIR .

Description

MEASUREMENTS. Length: 5.9 mm, length of elytra: 4.4 mm, width: 3.9 mm.

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

HEAD. Labroclypeus wide and trapezoidal, widest at base, lateral margins weakly convex and convergent anteriorly, anterior angles moderately rounded, anterior margin distinctly sinuate medially, margins weakly reflexed; lateral margin and ocular canthus produce an indistinct angle; surface weakly evenly convex, rugosely and densely punctate, with a few erect setae anteriorly; frontoclypeal suture indistinctly incised, curved; 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 moderately shiny, with dense, coarse punctures and a few single setae beside eyes. Eyes small, ratio of diameter/ interocular width: 0.51. Antenna with ten antennomeres; club with three antennomeres and straight, distinctly shorter than remaining antennomeres combined. Mentum elevated and slightly flattened anteriorly.

PRONOTUM. Moderately transverse, widest at base, lateral margins evenly convex and moderately convergent anteriorly, anterior angles produced and sharp, posterior angles blunt; anterior margin slightly convex, with medially narrowly interrupted fine marginal line, base without marginal line; surface densely and coarsely 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 medially.

ELYTRA. Widest shortly behind middle, striae finely impressed, finely and sparsely punctate, odd intervals weakly convex, even ones flat, with fine, evenly moderately dense punctures on odd intervals 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 chitinous, fine rim of microtrichomes lacking (at ca 100× magnification).

ABDOMEN. Ventral surface shiny, dull on sides, coarsely and moderately densely punctate, glabrous, metasternal disc sparsely covered with fine, short setae, otherwise with fine, adpressed setae; metacoxa entirely covered with fine, adpressed setae, with a few longer and robust setae laterally. Abdominal sternites finely and densely punctate, punctures with short setae, each sternite with a transverse row of robust punctures each bearing a fine seta. Mesosternum between mesocoxae as wide as mesofemur. Ratio of length of metepisternum/metacoxa: 1/1.5. Pygidium weakly convex, moderately shiny, coarsely and densely punctate, with a wide short apical midline and a few robust setae along apical margin

LEGS. Moderately 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, without serrated line; posterior ventral margin smooth, weakly widened at ventral apex, dorsal posterior edge smooth, neither serrate, finely and shortly setose. Metatibia moderately short and wide, widest at apex, ratio of width/ length: 1/2.94, sharply carinate dorsally, with two groups of spines, basal group at one third, apical group at three thirds of metatibial length; lateral face longitudinally convex, shiny, impunctate along middle, only on sides coarsely punctate; ventral margin finely serrate, with four equidistant fine 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 as long as dorsal tibial spur. Protibia moderately long, bidentate; anterior claws symmetrical, basal tooth of both claws bluntly truncate at apex.

MALE GENITALIA. Aedeagus: Fig. 2 I–K.

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.