Cissidium montanum, Darby, 2020

Darby, Michael, 2020, A revision of Cissidium Motschulsky (Coleoptera: Ptiliidae) with seventy seven new species, European Journal of Taxonomy 622, pp. 1-188 : 55-57

Cissidium montanum sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:928ED73C-E9AC-47B6-8805-397115195829

Fig. 35

Etymology

The name is a reference to Kilimanjaro, the mountain in Tanzania where the specimens were collected.

Material examined

Holotype

TANZANIA • ♀; Kilimanjaro, Gebirgswald ob Marangu; H. Franz leg.; MMUE.

Paratypes

TANZANIA • 3 ♀♀, 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; 1 ♀ mounted verso; MMUE, BMNH.

Description

SIZE. Habitus ( Fig. 35A ), length 0.64 mm.

COLOUR. Dusky yellow, shining, pubescence, antennae and legs yellow. HEAD. With a setose foveate medial depression between the eyes, width across eyes 0.18 mm; antennomeres III–XI length 0.29 mm, III–IX length 0.17 mm, X–XI length 0.12 mm, globular; mentum and prementum obscured.

PRONOTUM. Length 0.19 mm, width 0.24 mm, sparsely pubescent, with a row of ten foveae of different sizes in two groups of five separated medially along the posterior margin, lateral margins evenly rounded, almost parallel-sided to rectangular hind angles, narrowly bordered, the borders not extending along the posterior margin which is almost straight, the emargination before the scutellum sinuous ( Fig. 35B ).

ELYTRA. Length 0.43 mm, width 0.32 mm, very sparsely pubescent and shallowly foveolate most noticeable towards the base.

MESOVENTRITE. Medial extension of collar with a central ridge, becoming bifurcate posteriorly and reaching to hind angles of the mid-keel; mid-keel widest anteriorly, hind angles not reaching mesocoxae; keel tapering to narrow point close to base of mesocoxae, without setae; mesoventral lateral margins serrate in posterior half; humeri toothed ( Fig. 35C ).

METAVENTRITE. Length 0.15 mm, sparsely pubescent, disc simple, width across spines 0.10 mm; posterior margins of mesocoxal borders serrate.

WINGS. Apterous in both sexes.

GENITALIA. Female spermatheca globular. Male aedeagus not detected in the dissection.

Remarks

The only species of Cissidium to have been described from Tanzania.

Figures

Fig. 35. Cissidium montanum sp. nov. A. Habitus. B. Pronotum, × 615. C. Mesoventrite showing median process of collar, mid-keel and keel, × 635.