Malachius (Malachius) saltinii, Franzini & Plonski, 2021

Franzini, Gabriele & Plonski, Isidor S., 2021, Short Communication Notes on the Malachiini of the East-Mediterranean region, with description of a new species (Coleoptera, Melyridae, Malachiinae), Natural History Sciences 8 (2), pp. 75-78 : 76-77

Malachius (Malachius) saltinii n. sp.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:A486A5F1-5459-4200-9D57-184A00F22CC2

Diagnosis

A medium-sized Malachius (TL: male: 5.2-5.6 mm, female: 5.7-6.5 mm) close to M. bipustulatus (Linnaeus 1758) with slender limbs and sharply bi-coloured antennae: first two antennomeres orange-yellow, the others black. Protibiae elongated and bent inward at apex. Male with frons deeply excavated between antennal bases, and another smaller depression just below, on clypeus. M. saltinii n.sp. differs from all other Malachius species by the peculiar characters of antennae and head of male, and the shape of protibiae.

Type material

Holotype ♂: labelled “N. LEBANON Horsh Ehden / Nature Reserve 34.19N / 36.00E 1,300–1,600 m / 29.V–4. VI.2001 B. Levey / NMWZ 2000 081” ( NMWC).

Allotype ♀: same data as the holotype ( NMWC).

Paratypes: 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀: same data as the holotype ( NMWC) ; 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀, labelled: “n. LIBANO caza Bchar- ré / Horsh Ehden m 1500 / 19.6.2009 leg. L. Saltini ” ( CLS) .

Typical locality: Horsh Ehden Nature Reserve, abt. 20

Km SE of Tripoli, in northern Lebanon.

Description of the Holotype ( Fig. 1 )

Measurements: TL 5.6 mm; HW 1.4 mm; IOW 1.1 mm; AL 4.4 mm; PL 1.2 mm; PW 1.4 mm; EL 3.7 mm; EW 2.0 mm. Body metallic bronze-green, shining, with yellow spot at elytral apex. Integument covered with two types of setae, long black erect and short whitish adpressed. Head sharply bi-coloured, anteriorly yellow to middle of eyes, metallic bronze behind middle; mandibles yellow, with some black setae on sides; genae and palpi black; antennomeres 1-2 yellow, 2 darkened distally; 3-11 black, with short white pubescence. Elytra with small and triangular yellow spot at apex, only covering the small apical area. Legs entirely bronze. Underside bronze, covered with long white setae; mesepimera yellow.

Head ( Fig. 2 ) as wide as pronotum; clypeus anteriorly with a median hemispherical depression; excitators shaped as a deep transversal furrow, with a carina and a bipartite tuft of yellow setae in the middle; frons deeply concave between antennae, concavity with sharp margins all around and a tuft of yellow setae in the middle of the front margin. Antennae reaching two thirds of elytra; antennomere 1 conical, with some long black setae at apex; 2 large, wedge-shaped; 3 compressed, narrower than 2; 4 wider than 3, compressed, parallel-sided; 5 trapezoidal, 6-11 serrate, gradually decreasing in width.

Thorax: pronotum slightly transverse, 1.2 times wider than long, with a distinct raised margin throughout the base; hind angles strongly reflexed.

Elytra parallel, about three times longer than wide, separately rounded at apex.

Legs very slender; protibiae distally bent inwards, elongated and slightly dilated.

Abdomen: Apical tergite slightly emarginate in the middle.

Description of the Allotype ( Fig. 3 )

Measurements: TL 6.0 mm; HW 1.5 mm; IOW 1.0 mm; AL 3.0 mm; PL 1.3 mm; PW 1.6 mm; EL 4.1 mm; EW 2.5 mm. Body metallic green, shining, with yellow

NATURAL HISTORY SCIENCES. ATTI SOC. IT. SCI. NAT. MUSEO CIV. STOR. NAT. MILANO, 8 (2): 65-68, 2021 77

spot at apex of elytra. Integument covered with two types of setae, long black erect and short whitish adpressed. Head bi-coloured: anteriorly yellow to middle of eyes, metallic green beyond middle, the green colour extending downwards on the frons; mandibles yellow, with some black setae at sides; genae and palpi black. Elytra with a small and triangular yellow apical spot covering only apex. Underside bronze, covered with long white setae; mesepimera yellow. Legs entirely bronze.

Head almost as wide as pronotum; frons slightly concave behind the clypeus and between antennae. Antennae reaching to one third of elytra, with short white pubescence; antennomere 1 conical, with a dark transverse band and some long black setae at apex; 2 small, transverse, yellow, darkened at centre; 3 black, triangular, wider than 2; 4 wider than 3, triangular with rounded apex; 5-11 narrower than 4, compressed, serrate, gradually decreasing in width.

Figures

Fig. 1 - Malachius saltinii n.sp. Holotype male (bar: 1 mm). / Olotipo maschio (scala metrica: 1 mm).

Fig. 2 - Malachius saltinii n.sp. Holotype male, head (bar: 0.5 mm). / Olotipo maschio, capo (scala metrica: 0,5 mm).

Fig. 3 - Malachius saltinii n.sp.Allotype female (bar: 1 mm). / Allotipo femmina (scala metrica: 1 mm).