Microhoria basithorax (Pic, 1941)

Telnov, Dmitry & Degiovanni, Augusto, 2024, Notes On Some Greek Microhoria Chevrolat, 1877 (Insecta: Coleoptera: Anthicidae) With New Descriptions And Synonymy, Acta Biologica Universitatis Daugavpiliensis 24 (1), pp. 81-127 : 83-86

Microhoria basithorax (Pic, 1941) ( Figs. 1‒ 3 )

= Microhoria cerrutii Bucciarelli, 1976 syn. nov.

‘ Anthicus Magnini [nomen nudum] subs. basithorax ’ – Pic 1941a: 3 (description: Crete).

Anthicus basithorax – Chandler et al. 2004:

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Dmitry Telnov, Augusto Degiovanni

150 (taxonomy); Chandler et al. 2008: 425 (checklist; general distribution: Greece (Crete )); Telnov 2020a: 577 (checklist; general distribution: Greece (Crete )).

Microhoria basithorax – Kejval & Chandler 2020: 131 (new combination, taxonomy, assigned to the M. terminata species group).

‘ Microhoria (Platyhoria) cerrutii ’ – Bucciarelli 1876: 139 (description: ‘Is. Creta’).

Microhoria cerrutii – Uhmann 1996: 34 (records: ' Kreta, Akroriri, Chania Umg.', ' Kreta, Herakleion'); Kejval & Chandler 2020: 131 (assigned to the M. terminata species group); Chandler et al. 2008: 439 (checklist; distribution: Greece: Crete); Telnov 2020a: 608 (checklist; distribution: Greece: Crete).

Type material examined, M. basithorax . Syntype 1♀ MNHN: Ile de Créte [handwritten] // Magnini subs. basithorax Pic [handwritten] .

Type material examined, M. cerrutii . Holotype ♂ SMZR ( Fig. 1C ): IS. CRETA (Iraklion) Gérgeri, m 600 M. Cerruti 25 e 30.IV.1971 [printed] // HOLOTYPUS [printed, label red] // Holotypus ♂ Microhoria (Platyhoria) cerrutii n.sp. det. Bucciarelli,1974 [handwritten, label red].

New material examined. 1 specimen DTC: Creta occ: Acrotiri (Baie Sudha) 5 m . St. 18 14-IV-’31 ( Orch. ) [printed] // R. Mus. Hist. Nat. Belg. I. G. 9.642 [printed] ; 1 specimen IRSNB: Creta or. Hiraklion (Kassabonos) 5m . St. 54 26-IV-’31 ( Orch. ) [printed] // Reg. Mus. Hist. Nat. Belg. I.G. 9642 [printed] ; 1♂ DTC: Kreta,M.V.87 Chersonnissos [sic!] leg. R.Frieser [printed] // Microhoria ionica (Pic) det. G. Uhmann 1992 [printed] ; 1♂ DTC: GR – Kreta 1988 Agia Varvara 24.4. leg.:R. PESCHEL ; 1♂ ADC ( Fig. 1A‒B ): GRECIA- CRETA: CHANIA OMALOS m. 1000 / 1500 G. SAMA LEG. [printed] 22|6|89 [handwritten] ; 1 specimen HNHM: GREECE, Crete, Prov. Iraklio, Vourvoulitis , 13.V.1993, I.Rozner [printed] ; 1 specimen HNHM: GREECE, Crete, Prov. Irakleio, Amoudara

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[printed] // Mt. Keri, 200 m, 9-10.V.1993, leg. A.Podlussany [printed]; 1 specimen BMNH: Crete: E. Phaistas 3.V.1998 R.T.Thompson // BMNH (E)1998-107; 2 specimens NME & 1♂ DTC: CRETE-E, Ierapetra , E, 0-20mNN 17.- 23.04.2000 leg. A.Kopetz ; 1♀ DTC: GR Kreta Umgeb. Matala 17.-23.4.01 Sieber [printed] ; 1♂ ADC: GR CRETA 1000 m ALTOPIANO DI OMALOS 29 LUG 04 PYRUS, CRAT. M. BERRA LEG. [printed] .

Note. Pic (1941a) described ‘ Anthicus magnini basithorax ’ from Crete as a subspecies. Since the original description of ‘ Anthicus magnini ’ is unknown and likely was never published, this name was treated as nomen nudum by Chandler et al. (2004: 150) and the subspecific taxon - as Anthicus basithorax ( Chandler et al. 2004, 2008, Telnov 2020a). Kejval & Chandler (2020: 131) placed this taxon in Microhoria based on the examination of the syntypes ( MNHN) of an apparently undescribed ‘ Anthicus magnini ’. We managed to allocate a female syntype of M. basithorax and herewith confirm the generic placement of this species in Microhoria .

Synonym. Only a single female syntype of M. basithorax was available for the present study. The specimen generally agrees in external morphology with the holotype of M. cerrutii and the additional specimens discussed herein and is slightly different from the externally similar specimens from Crete described herein as M. berrai , M. mammuthus , and M. melecisi spp. nov. Since the shape and structure of male terminalia and genital organs of the examined specimens cannot be compared with those of the type material of M. basithorax , our concept of this species is tentative. However, considering the external similarity of the studied female syntype of M. basithorax with the comparative specimens and the type material of M. cerrutii , we introduce a new synonym.

Supplementary description. Male from the Omalos Plateau collected 22.6.1989, total body length 2.5 mm. Head 0.6 mm long, across compound eyes 0.5 mm wide,

Notes on Some Greek Microhoria Chevrolat, 1877 ( Insecta: Coleoptera : Anthicidae ) with New Descriptions and Synonymy pronotum 0.4 mm long, maximum width 0.4 mm, elytra 1.5 mm long, maximum combined width 0.95 mm. Dorsum and venter uniformly black to black-brown, basal grove of pronotum dorsally and laterally reddish brown (dark in the second studied male, reddish brown in the female syntype). Mouthparts, antenna and legs yellowish brown, four terminal antennomeres and femora darker brownish. Head slightly longer than wide, head base and posterior temporal angle rounded in one broad arc. Compound eye moderate, moderately protruding from lateral outline of head, about 1.6‒1.7× as long as converging-rounded tempus. Head dorsum slightly glossy, moderately dense and rather large punctate. Intervening spaces smooth, about 1.5× as wide as punctures. Dorsal cranial setae yellowish, moderately long, rather dense, subdecumbent. Antenna hardly enlarged in apical third. Antennomeres 8‒10 trapezoidal, shortened compared to antennomeres 1‒5. Penultimate antennomere as long as wide. Terminal antennomere elongate, apically rounded, about 1.9× as long as penultimate antennomere, shorter than combined length of antennomeres 9‒10. Terminal maxillary palpomere securiform. Pronotum as long as wide, slightly narrower than head across eyes, subtruncate medially at anterior margin, broadly rounded at anterolateral angles. Pronotal disc slightly glossy, flattened in dorsal aspect. Anterior portion of pronotum moderately wider than posterior, lateral margins slightly converge in posterior half. Latero-basal pronotal fovea broad and deep. Pronotal punctures less deep and sparser than those on head dorsum, generally elliptical. Intervening spaces as wide as to twice as wide as punctures, smooth. Dorsal pronotal setation similar to that on head. Scutellar shield small, apically broadly rounded, minutely punctate. Elytra about 1.6× as long as wide, laterally slightly rounded, rounded at apex, dorsally flattened. Humerus distinct, broadly rounded. Apex of elytron modified, with a bunch of short setae at gland channel opening. Elytral surface slightly glossy, smaller and sparser punctate than forebody. Intervening spaces variable, gene-rally as wide as to 3× as wide as punctures, smooth. Elytral setae yellowish, moderately long and dense, subdecumbent, directed posteriorly. Metathoracic wings fully developped (functional). Legs without modifications, tibial terminal spurs paired. Basal metatarsomere as long as to slightly longer than combined length of remaining metatarsomeres. Tergite VII truncate at posterior margin ( Fig. 2F ). Morphological sternite VII broad, shallowly emarginate medially at posterior margin, with a long seta each side of emargination ( Fig. 2E ). Tergite VIII rounded at posterior margin, with several moderately long setae ( Fig. 2G ). Morphological sternite VIII narrow, rounded and medially emarginate at posterior margin ( Fig. 2H ). Morphological sternite IX Y-shaped, lateral arms long, basal stem short ( Fig. 2I ). Aedeagus ( Fig. 2A–D ) subcylindrical, apex of tegmen hooked; endophallic armature with long, paired, sicklelike, basally bifurcate ( Fig. 2C ) or widened ( Fig. 2B ), apically acutely-angulate spines and a group of shorter, subparallel, apically variably obtuse-shaped spines.

Intraspecific variability. Pronotum is entirely reddish or pronotal base is yellowishbrown in some specimens. Density of dorsal punctures vary, especially those on forebody.

Sexual dimorphism. Female body somewhat more robust, elytra comparatively wider, elytral apex without modifications, tergite VII apically shallowly, morphological sternite VII – rather deeply emarginate, morphological sternite IX rod-like ( Fig. 3 ).

Differential diagnosis. This species is primarily specific in the shape and structure of the male aedeagus and the morphological sternite VII and the female tergite and morphological sternite VII.

Ecology. Occurs from coastal lowlands (5 m) to the Omalos Plateau at 1000‒1500 m.

Distribution. Greece: Crete.

Chorotype. E-Mediterranean (3.03 EME).

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Figures

Figure 1. Microhoria basithorax (Pic, 1941). A – ♂ from Chania Omalos, Crete, habitus, dorsal view; B – ditto, dorsal forebody; C – Holotype ♂ M. cerrutii Bucciarelli, 1976, habitus, dorsal view; [not to scale]. Images: A. Degiovanni & D. Telnov.

Figure 2. Microhoria basithorax (Pic, 1941), male genitalia and terminalia. A – ♂ from Omalos Plateau, Crete, aedeagus, lateral view; B – ditto, ♂ from ‘Chersonnissos’, Crete, apical portion, magnified; C – ♂ from Omalos Plateau, Crete, aedeagus, endophallic armature; D – Holotype ♂ Microhoria cerrutii Bucciarelli, 1976, aedeagus, lateral view; E – ♂ from Omalos Plateau, Crete, morphological sternite VII, ventral view; F – ditto, tergite VII, dorsal view; G – ditto, tergite VIII, dorsal view; H – ditto, morphological sternite VIII, ventral view; I – ditto, morphological sternite IX [not to scale]. Images: A. Degiovanni & D. Telnov.

Figure 3. Microhoria basithorax (Pic, 1941), specimen from Matala surroundings, Crete, female terminalia. A – Morphological sternite VII, central view; B – Tergite VII, dorsal view; C – Morphological sternite IX [not to scale]. Images: A. Degiovanni & D. Telnov.