Machleida devia ( Peringuey , 1899)

Kaminski, Marcin J., Kanda, Kojun & Smith, Aaron D., 2019, Taxonomic revision of the genus Machleida Fahraeus, 1870 (Tenebrionidae, Pimeliinae, Asidini), ZooKeys 898, pp. 83-102 : 83

Machleida devia ( Peringuey, 1899) Figs 1E , 2B , 3D , 4C , 5

Asida devia Péringuey, 1899: 258 [transferred to Machleida by Wilke (1925: 536)]

= Machleida capillosa Wilke, 1925: 536 [syn. nov.]

Material studied.

Syntype of Machleida capillosa (Berlin Mus.): "Natal Mus., / Maritzburg. / 1913-330", " capillosa / sp. n.". Two specimens (Transvaal Mus.): Tugela River / nr Kranskop / Lawrence & / Haacke; single specimen (Transvaal Mus.): "S. Afr.: Zululand / Hluhluwe Game Res. / 28.05 S– 32.04E ", "20.111992: E-Y: 2840 / fung. Trunk & litter / leg. Endrody - Younga".

Notes.

During the preparation phase for this study the holotype of Asida devia was not found in any of the queried collections, i.e. Iziko Museum of South Africa in Cape Town and the institutions listed in the Material and methods section. However, the original description indicates several unique morphological features of this species (i.e. large body size, presence of densely distributed microtubercles on the elytral disc), which were used to differentiate it from other congeners.

Redescription.

Length 13.0-14.0 mm, width of elytra 8.5-9.5 mm. Integument black, often densely coated with debris. Head: frons with longitudinal median depression, densely punctate (~0.2 diameters apart), each puncture with short yellowish rectangular, flattened scale-like seta; frontoclypeal suture medially indistinguishable, weakly indented at margins, with pair of lateral depressions; apical clypeal margin broadly and shallowly emarginate; clypeus projected toward front of body ( Fig. 1E ); apical margin of labrum strongly and sharply emarginate, densely punctate (~0.2 diameters apart), each puncture with short yellowish acuminate seta. Eye elongate oval, length approximately 8 × width, weakly emarginate around epistomal base. Mentum with rounded base, not fully filling buccal cavity; anterior margin weakly medially emarginate; densely punctate, each puncture with single rectangular flattened scale-like seta. Submentum semicircular, concave medially, densely punctate. Antenna moderately clothed in erect acuminate yellowish setae; length of antennomeres 10+11 equal to 0.8 of antennomere 3 length; length of antenna equal to 0.75 of pronotal length. Prothorax: pronotal lateral margin sinuate, slightly raised. Pronotum widest below middle. Disc with two median carinae merging in middle; lateral tubercles confluent with median carinae, forming convexities situated above half pronotal length; surface densely punctate (~0.2 diameters apart), each puncture with short yellowish rectangular, flattened scale-like seta; anterior margin strongly emarginate, anterior apices strongly produced; base bisinuate. Hypomeron with shallow antennal sulcus, densely punctate (~0.2 diameters apart), each puncture with short yellowish rectangular, flattened scale-like seta. Prosternal process strongly convex, without median sulcus (ventral view). Pterothorax: scutellum without median groove. Elytra widest behind middle, clothed with extremely short yellowish rectangular, flattened scale-like setae and microtubercles ( Fig. 3D ); marginal costae present, tuberculate, apex of each tubercle densely covered with acuminate setae, divided near humera, with marginal branch extending to approximately middle of 4th abdominal ventrite, dorsal branch extending to base of 3rd abdominal ventrite, terminal tubercles transverse; disc rugose, without any trace of intervals and rows, covered with microtubercles; ventral portion of elytra basally impunctate. Elytral slope steep (falling at angle of 75°). Epipleura clearly distinguishable. Mesanepisternum, mesepimeron, and metepimeron impunctate or sparsely punctate. Meso- and metaventrite densely punctate and covered with acuminate setae. Lateral regions of metaventrite (between coxae) extremely short. Legs: apex of profemora with small denticle on outer margin. Femora and tibia densely punctate and setose. Tarsi cylindrical, not flattened. Abdomen: ventrites 1-3 moderately punctate and weakly rugulose; ventrites 4 and 5 densely punctate and setose; ventrite 5 without submarginal sulcus. Terminalia: aedeagus bipartite, with apical part slightly shorter than basal portion ( Fig. 4C ). Female specimens were not dissected due to scarcity of available materials.

Notes on synonymy.

Type investigation of Machleida capillosa did not reveal any characters to support its taxonomic distinctiveness from Asida devia (e.g. both share a unique structure of elytral disc - surface densely covered with microtubercles) ( Péringuey 1899). Furthermore, both species have the same locus typicus ( “Maritzburg”, South Africa). As a result, M. capillosa is considered here as a junior subjective synonym of Asida devia .

Distribution.

Representatives of this species have been collected in the following ecoregions of South Africa ( Fig. 5 ): Drakensberg Montane Woodlands and Grasslands, Maputaland-Pondoland bushland and thickets.

Figures

Figure 1. Selected diagnostic characters proposed for Machleida and its species. A, B Pronotal disc with specific surface modifications C ventral aspect of postoral regions D antenna E, F dorsal aspect of head. Illustrated species: A, D Machleida zofiae B M. nodulosa C M. tarskii E M. devia F M. flagstaffensis.

Figure 2. Habitus images of the studied species. A Machleida banachi B M. devia C M. flagstaffensis D M. nodulosa E M. tarskii F M. zofiae.

Figure 3. Morphological details of selected Machleida species. A, B Lateral aspect of elytron C scutellum and D, E elytral disc. Illustrated species: A Machleida tarskii B M. banachi C M. zofiae D M. devia E M. nodulosa.

Figure 4. Female and male terminalia of Machleida. A, B Ovipositor and genital tubes of Machleida flagstaffensis C aedeagus of M. devia.

Figure 5. Distribution of species of the genus Machleida.