Mesoceration tabulare, Perkins, 2008

Perkins, Philip D., 2008, Facial affect recognition in individuals at clinical high risk for psychosis, Zootaxa 1864, pp. 1-124 : 55-56

Mesoceration tabulare new species

( Figs. 76 , 79 , 102 )

Type Material. Holotype (male): South Africa: Western Cape Province, Platteklip Gorge, north face of Table Mountain , 33° 58' S, 18° 25' E, 21 March 1954, H. Andreae. Deposited in the TMSA . Paratypes (69): Western Cape Province, Same data as holotype (38 TMSA) ; Cape Town, Table Mountain , elev. 731.52 m, 33° 58' S, 18° 25' E, 18 December 1950, Brinck & Rudebeck (SSAE 84) (2 LUM) ; Devil’s Peak , rivulet through moss on rock­face, elev. 609 m, 33° 56' S, 18° 27' E, 7 March 1954, J. Balfour­Browne (25 BMNH) ; Table Mountain , 33° 58' S, 18° 25' E, 22 October 1950, Brinck & Rudebeck (SSAE Stn. 13) (3 LUM) ; Table Mtn., bei Kirstenbosch, Skeleton Gorge , 33° 58' S, 18° 28' E, 3 April 1997, Hess & Heckes (1 NMW) .

Differential Diagnosis. M. tabulare individuals ( Fig. 76 ) are very similar to those of M. concessum in dorsal habitus, dorsal sculpture, and size. The elytral apices and the posterior extreme of the elytral carinae differ, but very slightly, in the two species. Reliable determinations will require examination of the male genitalia ( Figs. 78, 79 ).

Description. Size (length/width, mm) holotype: body (length to elytral apices) 1.49/0.57; head 0.28/ 0.35; pronotum 0.36/0.42; elytra 0.83/0.57. Dorsum and venter black or piceous, maxillary palpi and legs brunneous.

Head dull, entirely strongly microreticulate, punctation obscured. Eyes small, quite convex, in dorsal aspect five convex facets in longest series. Frons transversely quite convex on disc, anteocellar depressions deep, wide. Ocelli very distinct. Labrum apicomedially angulately emarginate to about 1/3 of labrum length. Submentum and mentum dull, microreticulate.

Pronotum subcordate, widest near anterior 1/3, anterior angles rounded, posterior angles obtuse; anterior margin shallowly arcuate over median 2/3, without hyaline border; 10 dorsal foveae as follow: elongate anterior obsoletely joined with smaller, elongate posterior median; oval anterior and twice as large oval posterior admedian; and large deep anterior and deep posterior adlateral on each side; disc dull, strongly microreticulate in foveae, effacedly microreticulate on reliefs, punctures small and sparse on reliefs, much larger and deeper near anterior and posterior borders; sides finely crenulate.

Elytra weakly depressed on disc, distinctly humped and transversely peaked at summit of posterior declivity; widest at about midlength; widening abruptly from humerus to about 1/10 of length, then gradually widened to midlength, behind midlength moderately abruptly attenuate to sharply rounded apices; sides weakly explanate. Cuticle shining, but reflections somewhat irregular due to slightly uneven surface. Serial punctures large, in basal 1/3 about as large as largest pronotal punctures, separated by 1–2xpd, not striateimpressed, becoming much smaller and more widely separated at and beyond summit of posterior declivity; series 5–6 confluent in basal 1/4; series 2–4 becoming confluent and confused slightly beyond summit posterior declivity. Each serial puncture with indistinct fine, short seta. A few minute, very indistinct granules on some intervals, no granules between serial punctures. Interval 8 strongly costate from shoulder.

Metaventral disc concave in basal 1/2, impression length equal width. Thoracic ventrites and abdominal ventrites 1–4 clothed with dense setae except glabrous midlongitudinal prosternal ridge, glabrous dull mesoventral plaques and small glabrous strongly shining inverted V­shaped basomedian area on mesoventrite in front of intercoxal sternite. Ventrite 1 with submedial basal carina on each side. Males abdominal apex produced; 5th ventrite similarly clothed except for semilunulate distal glabrous shining area; 6th shining, with transverse band of decumbent setae in distal 1/2. Females 5th ventrite with large glabrous area, posteriorly thickened on each side; 6th ventrite greatly reduced in size, held beneath 5th except apical margin.

Legs of male with three or four spiniform setae on apical protarsomere. Femora weakly shining, effacedly microreticulate, tibiae dull, distinctly alutaceous.

Wings reduced, length about 1/2 length of elytron.

Aedeagus length ca. 0.44 mm; main­piece straight in ventral view, with acute apical process on left side, angled toward right side; distal process angulate, in ventral view lobate on right side, gonopore large; parameres extended beyond apex of main­piece ( Fig. 79 ).

Etymology. Named in reference to the geographical distribution, Table Mountain.

Distribution. Currently known only from Table Mountain, in the Western Cape Province ( Fig. 102 ).

Figures

FIGURE 76. Mesoceration tabulare, dorsal and lateral habitus of holotype.

FIGURES 78–81. Mesoceration, aedeagi of holotypes. —78. M. concessum. —79. M. tabulare. —80. M. littlekarroo. —81. M. piceum.

FIGURES 101–102. Geographical distributions of Mesoceration species.