Microdaccus assingi, D.W, 2009

D. W, 2009, A new species of Microdaccus SCHAUM 1864 from Cyprus (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Lebiini), Linzer biologische Beiträge 41 (1), pp. 367-372 : 368-371

Microdaccus assingi nov.sp.

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype 3: " CYPRUS – 35 km SW Platres, Kidasi [village]; ca 300 m Diarizo-Ufer 11.IV.1995 Assing" . Paratype: 1♀, same data as holotype (holo- and paratype in Coll. Wrase, Berlin) .

D i a g n o s i s: Atypical Microdaccus species of small size (with all characters given by MATEU 1981: 344), with body dark, tibiae and tarsi yellowish, femora darkened, and with antennae completely weakly infuscated. Similar to M. opacus ( SCHAUM 1857) in dark coloration and in possesion of a tooth at internal upper margin of mandibles but (beside other differences) much smaller in body size and with a different construction of the median lobe of the aedeagus including its internal sac. Habitus see Fig. 1.

D e s c r i p t i o n: Body length 3.4 mm (holo- and paratype); width 1.44 mm (holotype), and 1.36 mm (paratype), respectively.

Colour: Body unicolorous dark piceous, mandibles (except tips), labrum, clypeus at its apical margin, and palpomeres yellowish, femora infuscated, tibiae and tarsi yellowish, all antennomeres weakly but distinctly infuscated throughout.

Head ( Fig. 1 ) large, almost as wide as pronotum (ratio PW / HW in holotype: 1.09; in paratype: 1.06). Eyes fairly large, almost hemispherical. Antennae slender. Last maxillary palpomeres subacuminate at apex, not truncate .

Pronotum ( Fig. 1 ) almost cordate, distinctly wider than long (ratio PW/PL in holotype and paratype: 1.30), widest at about end of anterior fourth (at insertion of lateral seta). Anterior margin distinctly emarginate, anterior angles obtuse-angled, rounded at tip, distinctly projecting forward, from there slightly curved laterally till insertion of lateral seta. Strongly sinuate before posterior angles which are large, obtuse-angled, sharp at tip, directed outwards, and distinctly reflexed. Base medially slightly convex or almost rectlinear, laterally before posterior angles with almost angulate excision ( Fig. 2 ), posterior angles somewhat shifted forward (ratio PW/PBaW in holotype: 1.26, in paratype: 1.30). Lateral furrows narrow throughout, anterior transverse impression obsolete, posterior transverse impression distinct and connecting both deep and large basal impressions. Medial longitudinal impression at base deep, reaching basal margin, toward apex becoming shallow and terminated at large distance before anterior margin.

Elytra ( Fig. 1 ) elongate, sub-parallel, ratio EL/EW: 1.44 (holotype) – 1.48 (paratype); ratio EW/PW 1.64 (paratype) – 1.73 (holotype). Scutellar pore puncture present, no scutellar stria, no pore puncture in interval 3 (as usual in Microdaccus species ). Humeri completely rounded, elytra widest at about beginning of posterior fifth. Striae only suggested, intervals moderately convex. Hindwings fully developed.

Microsculpture mesh pattern of upper surface in both sexes consisting of strongly engraved more or less isodiametric meshes, causing a shagreened and matt appearance.

Aedeagus ( Figs 3 a-c): Median lobe slender, ventrally almost rectlinear, with apical lamella small, somewhat reflexed. Internal sac (in inverted condition) with two chitinized lamellae somewhat before middle and close to ventral margin of median lobe. Right paramere ( Fig. 3c ) with apical part triangular, apically at left side broadly rounded, at right somewhat acute. Left paramere ( Fig. 3b ) elongate, apically broadly rounded.

C o m p a r i s o n s: Similar to M. opacus ( SCHAUM 1857) , recorded from Greece, Cyprus and Turkey ( KABAK 2003: 422), and redescribed by GRIDELLI 1930: 60, and MATEU 1981: 346, in dark coloration and in possession of a tooth at internal upper margin of mandibles but much smaller (body size of M. opacus (SCHAUM) in my specimens 4.5-4.9 mm, in literature the size is given with 4.5 mm ( GRIDELLI 1930: 60), with 4.5-5 mm (TRAUTNER & GEIGENMÜLLER 1987: 456) and with a different construction of the median lobe including its internal sac (compare Fig. 3a with Fig. 1 in MATEU 1981: 346). Additionally, the lateral excision of the pronotal base before the posterior angles ( Fig. 2 ) is distinct and almost angulate, while in M. opacus the excision is only shallow. Further, M. opacus has the first three antennomeres somewhat lighter than the remaining ones, and the maxillary palpomeres 3 are subtruncate at apex, whereas in the new species the antennomeres are somewhat darkened throughout, and the maxillary palpomeres 3 are subacuminate.

All other congeners of Microdaccus have the elytra bicoloured (yellow orange to testaceous with black apex), therefore M. assingi nov.sp. on colour alone cannot be confused with these species.

Interestingly, it seems that the new species might already have been mentioned but not named in literature. GRIDELLI (1930: 60) dealing with M. opacus (SCHAUM) , and in reporting specimens of this species he has seen from Greece and Cyprus in the Vienna Museum, noted in a short footnote that there was behind a specimen from Cyprus another one without locality label which differed by smaller size (3.5 mm). Most probably, it could belong to M. assingi nov.sp.

E t y m o l o g y: Cordially dedicated to my friend and colleague Dr Volker Assing (Hannover), excellent specialist in Stapylinidae, who, over the years has kindly donated to me numerous very interesting Carabidae that he has collected during his field excursions, and who collected the specimens of this new species.

D i s t r i b u t i o n: Up to now only known from the type locality on Cyprus (at Kidani village, district of Paphos) and most likely an endemic species. AUSTIN et al. (2008: 114) underline in their catalogue of the Carabidae of Cyprus that there are no topic findings of a Microdaccus species and that there are only citations for Microdaccus opacus (SCHAUM) on basis of examinations of 19 th century collections after GRIDELLI 1930 and MATEU 1981.

H a b i t a t: The type locality is situated in a floodplain forest at the Diarizo river bank. The material was collected either by sifting alder and maple leaf litter or (more likely) from under stones.

Figures

Figs 1-3: Microdaccus nov.sp.: (1) Habitus; (2) Posterior angle of pronotum; (3a) Median lobe of aedeagus including internal sac, lateral view; (3b) Left paramere; (3c) Right paramere; Scale bar 1 mm (1), 0.3 mm (3a-c).