Myrmeanthrenus frontalis Armstrong, 1945

Kiselyova, Tatiana, 2008, Description of the Larval Stage ofMyrmeanthrenus frontalisArmstrong andAnthrenocerus stigmacrophilusArmstrong (Coleoptera: Dermestidae), with a Discussion of their Phylogenetic Relationships, The Coleopterists Bulletin 62 (2), pp. 333-343 : 333-343

Myrmeanthrenus frontalis Armstrong

Larva ( Fig. 1 ). Length 3.9–4.4 mm. Body strongly convex dorsally and flattened ventrally. Integument of head, terga, and legs weakly sclerotized, yellowish; sterna hyaline. Head and body dorsally covered with short, pale, clubshaped spinulate setae ( Fig. 2 ). Stemmata absent. Nota and terga laterally fringed with longer spicisetae and some simple setae, posteriorly sparsely fringed with club-shaped spinulate setae. Normal hastisetae absent, but short hastisetae with blunt apices ( Fig. 3 ) present on the terga. Venter sparsely covered with pale, fine spicisetae.

Antennal segment 2 about 3 times longer than segment 3; sensorium subapical, with a narrow, elongate base and conical apex ( Fig. 4 ). Labro-epipharyngeal margin with 8 setae in the outer series. Epipharynx ( Fig. 5 ) with 9–12 sensory cups in the proximal transverse series; distal sensory papilla in 2 groups: the proximal group of 2 and the distal of 4; epipharyngeal rods slender. Mandible ( Fig. 6 ) with a short, asperate prostheca; mesal surface at the apex excavated and delimited by the rounded cutting edges dorsally and ventrally. Apex of galea with strong recurved setae ventrally ( Fig. 7 ) and slender setae dorsally ( Fig. 8 ). The apical seta in the dorsomesal series on lacinia slightly recurved ( Fig. 8 , arrow), as thick as the lacinial spur. Ligula bilobed, with 3 pairs of strong setae apically; hypopharynx with a deep median furrow and numerous scale-like asperities. Hypopharyngeal sclerome hyaline.

Setal patterns of abdominal tergum 1 as illustrated ( Fig. 9 ). Antecostal suture present on abdominal terga 1 through 8. Acrotergites without setae 1, their integument sculptured with scale-like pattern. Segment 9 small, partially withdrawn into segment 8, with a crescent-shaped tergum and membranous sternum. Tergum 9 densely set with short spicisetae, except for a small median depression ( Fig. 10 ). Pretarsal setae of equal length.

Figures

Fig. 1. Myrmeanthrenus frontalis. Lateral habitus. Scale line 1 mm.

Figs. 2–8. Myrmeanthrenus frontalis. Figs 2, 3 scale line 0.05 mm; figs 4–8 scale line 0.1 mm. 2, club-shaped spinulate setae from pronotum; 3, hastisetae from pronotum and abdominal tergum 1; 4, left antenna, ventral, segments 2 and 3; 5, epipharynx; 6, left mandible, dorsal; 7, apex of maxilla, ventral; 8, apex of maxilla, dorsal.

Figs. 9–10. Myrmeanthrenus frontalis. 9, abdominal tergum 1, right half, lateral setae abbreviated, scale line 0.5 mm; 10, abdominal segment 9, denuded, scale line 0.1 mm.