Afromicracis crassa Jordal, 2021

Jordal, Bjarte, 2021, Small, uniform, and rarely collected-an integrated taxonomic revision of Afromicracis bark beetles (Coleoptera, Scolytinae), Zootaxa 4981 (1), pp. 70-88 : 74

Afromicracis crassa Jordal , sp. nov.

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( Figs 4, 7, 10, 11 )

Type material. Holotype, female: Tanzania [Morogoro province], Udzungwa Mountains near Mang’ula , 3-rivers, 1000 m [GIS: -7.868, 36.844], 12.Nov.2009, B. Jordal, leg. Allotype and paratypes (10): same data as holotype . Holotype, allotype and seven paratypes in ZMUB, two paratypes in NHMW.

Diagnosis. Plump species with abrupt transition from elytral disc to a long sloping declivity; declivity with interstrial rows of small granules; elytral vestiture hair-like; protibiae unusually narrow, with two tiny denticles on posterior face near apex, mucro very large and curved laterally; antennal scapus in females apically broader than pedicel.

Description, female. Length 1.8–2.0 mm, 2.5–2.6 × as long as wide; colour light brown. Frons convex and punctulate above, flattened and smooth on lower central half, vestiture of fine recumbent setae directed inwards. Eyes separated above by 2.4–2.5 × their width; antennal scapus at apex slightly broader than pedicel, with scant dorsal setae; club finely pilose, with one procurved suture on apical third. Pronotum with asperities on anterior half, separated on average by their size, more spaced near anterior margin; surface shiny, punctures obscure; vestiture consisting of hair-like setae. Elytral striae not impressed, interstriae finely granulate on declivity; vestiture consisting of erect hair-like setae in uniseriate interstrial rows, and microscopic strial setae. Ventrites. Vestiture on meso- and metaventrites consisting of long, unifid setae, each twice as long as interstrial setae. Legs. Protibiae very narrow, with two tiny socketed denticles at lateral and apical margin, mucro enlarged, curved laterally.

Male. Similar to female in most external aspects except shorter, 1.6–1.7 mm long, and stouter, 2.3 × as long as wide; frons glabrous on lower central half, antennal scapus not broader than pedicel.

Etymology. The name is a Latin feminine nominative adjective meaning thick or chubby, referring to the unusually thick body, especially metathorax, abdomen and elytra of males.

Distribution and biology. Tanzania. Dissected from a fallen branch 4 cm in diameter. Broods were large, with 38, 40, 45 and 48 teneral adults in four families, but the parental structure was not clear. It was taken together with a single specimen of A. robusta .

Figures

FIGURES 2–11. Dorsal lateral and front view of Afromicracis robusta paratype, from the holotype locality (2, 5, 8), Afromicracis crinita holotype (3, 6, 9), and Afromicracis crassa male allotype (4, 7, 10) and female holotype (11).