Maechidius longipes sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 933B9ADB-8E8F-459F-A4EB-30A79372D136

Figs 55, 138, 228, 319, 392, 443, 488, 551, 652–654

Differential diagnosis

Maechidius longipes sp. nov. is peculiar among all congeners primarily due to the lengthened tarsi and the shape of the male aedeagus.

Etymology

Named from the Latin ‘ longipes ’ (meaning ‘long-legged’) to highlight the conspicuously long tarsi of this species.

Type material

Holotype

COUNTRY UNKNOWN ( Island of New Guinea) • ♂; “New Guinea. [p] // Nevinson Coll.1918–14 [p]”; BMNH.

Paratype

COUNTRY UNKNOWN ( Island of New Guinea) • 1 ♂; same labels as for holotype; BMNH .

Remarks

Both holo- and paratype are mounted on the same card on one pin and share the same labels; the holotype is the specimen on the left, the paratype is the specimen on the right with completely missing head.

Description

MEASUREMENTS. Holotype, total body length 7.35 mm. Head 1.30 mm long, across eyes 1.60 mm wide. Pronotum 1.55 mm long, maximum width 2.45 mm. Elytral length 4.50 mm, maximum combined width 3.60 mm.

Dorsum and venter uniformly brown, labroclypeus, antennae, legs and lateral margins of pronotum paler. Head flattened dorsally, glossy dorsally and ventrally. Male labroclypeus (Fig. 138) broadly shallowly emarginate on anterior margin, anterolateral angles nearly right-angled, protruding anteriad. Lateral margins of labroclypeus sinuous in both dorsal and lateral views. Anterior and lateral margins of labroclypeus smooth. Underside of labroclypeus with sparse long delicate setae along anterior and lateral margins. Canthus broadly rounded in dorsal view. Punctures of frons circular to irregularly hexagonal, annular, large and shallow. Intervening spaces smaller than punctures, glossy. Setae inconspicuous, suberect; each seta rises from anterior margin of corresponding puncture, surpassing length of corresponding puncture. Antenna 9-segmented, club 3-lamellate. Pronotum transverse, flattened dorsally, subopaque dorsally and laterally. Anterior margin of pronotum broadly emarginate with protruding acute anterolateral angles, basal margin very broadly rounded. Lateral margin of pronotum broadly rounded, very shallowly emarginate postmedially, crenulate all along (crenulae at well defined intervals, not merged) (Fig. 228). Lateral margin of pronotum nearly straight in lateral view. Short suberect seta present between every two crenulae. Hypomeron separated from prosternum by low nearly arched carina. Antennal pocket shallow. Pronotal punctures larger than those on head, circular to irregularly ovoid, annular, shallow and very dense. Intervening spaces much smaller than punctures, glossy or in part microreticulate. Inconspicuous curved suberect seta rises from anterior margin of each puncture, generally surpassing its length. Scutellar shield narrowly rounded apically. Elytron opaque, without tracks of longitudinal carinae. Elytral punctures linear (elongate and narrow), incision-shaped, moderately deep (Fig. 319). Intervening spaces densely microreticulate. Inconspicuous suberect seta rises from anterior margin of each puncture, not surpassing length of corresponding incision. Male pygidium flattened dorsally, with large very shallow annular punctures (Fig. 488). Intervening spaces densely microreticulate, much smaller than punctures. Setae of pygidium inconspicuous, sparse, suberect. Male protibia with two acute external teeth (Fig. 319). Male protibial terminal spur short, thickened, slightly sinuous. Male lower metatibial terminal spur extraordinarily long (Fig. 443), pointed apically. In male all tarsi very long, tarsomeres lengthened; tarsus at least as long as or longer than corresponding tibia. Tarsal claws with pulvilli. Spiculum gastrale as in Fig. 551. Aedeagus as in Figs 652–654.

Sexual dimorphism

Female is unknown.

Ecology

Unknown.

Distribution

New Guinea, exact locality unknown.