Metophthalmus aalbui, Andrews, Fred G., 2001

Andrews, Fred G., 2001, New Species Of Metophthalmus (Coleoptera: Latridiidae) With Notes On The Genus In The Baja California Peninsula, Mexico, The Coleopterists Bulletin 55 (2), pp. 129-133 : 129-130

Metophthalmus aalbui new species

Figs. 1, 2, 3

Description. Length 1.0– 1.28 mm. Width 0.43–0.55 mm (n 5 12). Body short, subparallel, humped in profile, glabrous. Cuticle shining, pale reddish brown. White chalky exudate covering dorsum of head, low profile areas of pronotum, apex and lateral margins of elytra and most of the under surface of body except legs and terminal abdominal segments. Head short; lateral longitudinal carina extending length of head, sigmoid, widest between eyes; median longitudinal carina extending posteriorly four­fifths of head length (measured from clypeal suture); dorsal surface sculpture colliculate, less distinct in areas between longitudinal carina, short erect setae on carina dorsum. Lateral genal margin minutely rounded, serrulate, extending laterally to lateral margin of eyes. Antennae 11­segmented, segments 3 to 8 short, transverse; segment

3 trapezoidal, widest basally; 3­segmented club abruptly formed. Eyes 12 fac­

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eted, at posterior angles of head. Tempora lacking. Pronotum wider than long by ratio of 10:6; lateral margin rounded, micro serrulate, 19–21 setose serrulations; dorsal surface smooth, without punctures or setation; except longitudinal carina reduced to two anterior and two posterior colliculate, punctate nodes; pronotal cup reduced to slight depression between anterior nodes ( Fig. 1 ); transverse groove distinct. Elytra 6­striate ( Fig. 3 ); sutural striae 21­punctate; punctures small, round, uniform size; interstriae straight, interstriae 3 and 5 raised, rounded; anterior humeral angle, small, tooth­like. Ventral surface mostly smooth, without punctures or setae. Mentum transverse, posteriorly notched, two lines of transverse round punctures. Coxae round. Trochanters short, as long as wide. Mesocoxa narrowly separated, separation less than onehalf procoxal width. Metasternum posteriorly with large U­shaped depression ( Fig. 2 ); base of U contiguous with transverse depression on first abdominal sternite between metacoxa.

Type Series. Holotype. MEXICO: Baja California Sur, Isla Mestiza, VII­ 13/18–1999, 258469040/1118169580, Ethylene Glycol Pit Trap, R. Aalbu, K. Brown, I. Stahi & F. Pinero cols. Deposited in the California Academy of Sciences . Paratypes (12): Same data as holotype (3)[ CSCA] ; MEXICO: Baja California Sur: Isla Danzante, VII­13/18­1999, 258459320/1118159280, Ethylene Glycol Pit Trap, R. Aalbu, K. Brown, I. Stahi & F. Pinero cols. (7)[ CSCA] ; Isla Carmen, VII­13/18­1999, 258479120/118129460, R. Aalbu, K. Brown, & F. Pinero cols. (2)[ CSCA] . Paratypes deposited in California State Collection of Arthropods and in Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico .

Etymology. Named for Rolf Aalbu whose collecting has yielded many interesting and important bits of information on Coleoptera .

Remarks. Metophthalmus aalbui shares a six striate elytra with five Nearctic species, M. americanus Motschulsky , M. parviceps LeConte , M. trux Fall , M. sandersoni Andrews and M. rileyi Andrews ( Andrews 1976, 1998). Metophthalmus aalbui is geographically separated from all of the above species and can be separated from M. americanus , M. rileyi and M. sandersoni by trochanters that are as wide as long as opposed to distinctly longer than wide. Metophthalmus parviceps has a 10­segmented antennae while that of M. aalbui is 11­segmented. The only six striate elytral Metophthalmus species occurring in the Baja California Peninsula other than M. aalbui is M. trux , and they differ in that M. trux has a complete pronotal cup, complete internal longitudinal carina on the head, and the head is densely punctured. The head and pronotum on other Nearctic Metophthalmus , with the exception of the raised carina, are absent microsculpture, while the head of M. aalbui is colliculate sculptured.

Figures

Figs. 1–3. Metophthalmus aalbui. 1) dorsal habitus; 2) ventral habitus; 3) oblique habitus.