Micrencaustes (Mimencaustes) serratimaculata, Li, Jing, Zhao, Yan-Chen, Ren, Guo-Dong & Cheng, Zhiqiang, 2017

Li, Jing, Zhao, Yan-Chen, Ren, Guo-Dong & Cheng, Zhiqiang, 2017, Taxonomic study on specimens of the genus Micrencaustes deposited in the Bernice P. Bishop Museum (Coleoptera, Erotylidae), ZooKeys 645, pp. 27-35 : 32-34

Micrencaustes (Mimencaustes) serratimaculata sp. n.

Type material.

Holotype. Female, Australia: Queensland, Hambledon [Note: Now named Edmonton], 17.0165°S, 145.7487°E, November 1921, Pemberton leg.

Diagnosis.

Body oblong oval, convex, general color dark, shiny. Pronotum with one transverse, zigzag dark red mark. Each elytron with two dark red bands. Clypeus anterior border feebly emarginated. Antennae short, antennomere III 1.7 times as long as IV; relative lengths of antennomeres II–XI: 22: 58: 34: 36: 34: 34: 30: 42: 27: 30. The terminal segment of maxillary palpus triangular, with rounded sides, nearly 2.9 times as wide as long. Pronotum widest at middle, with a group of coarse punctures on each side of base. Scutellum almost triangle, not transverse. Mesoventrite broad, with coxal lines. Abdomen finely and closely punctured. The last segment of abdomen covered with very large punctures along the outside edge. Mesotibia with outer edge of apex acutely toothed.

Description.

Body (Fig. 11) oblong oval, convex, length: 20.0 mm, width: 7.0 mm; general color dark, shining. Pronotum with one transverse, zigzag dark red mark occupying the sides and most of the center, with three waves at anterior border, with posterior border four waves. Each elytron with two dark red bands; anterior band at the base surrounding the humeral angle, leaving a black part at humerus; posterior band near the apex, neither touching the side nor suture, with posterior border curved.

Head (Fig. 12) finely and sparsely punctured on vertex, strongly and sparsely punctured behind the vertex, with ocular lines. Clypeus strongly and sparsely punctured, with anterior border feebly emarginated, with a fovea on each side of base. Eyes large, moderately prominent laterally, coarsely faceted. Antennae (Fig. 13) short, approaching posterior border of pronotum; antennomere III 1.7 times as long as IV; antennomere VIII slightly shorter than VII; antennomere IX triangular; antennomere X crescent-shaped; antennomere XI semicircle; relative lengths of antennomeres II–XI: 22: 58: 34: 36: 34: 34: 30: 42: 27: 30. The maxillary palpus terminal segment triangular, sides rounded, nearly 2.9 times as wide as long. Mentum (Fig. 14) with plate triangular, both sides concave; submentum (Fig. 14) depressed on each side of middle area, with strong puncture and a few long golden setae.

Pronotum (Fig. 15) widest at middle (pl/pw = 0.71); sides slightly curved, strongly margined, with some coarse punctures on the surface; anterior margin straight in the middle, margined behind eyes; basal margin weakly sinuate. Pronotum finely and sparsely punctured; with a group of coarse punctures on each side of base. Anterior angles projected; posterior angles obtuse.

Prosternum (Fig. 16) sparsely punctured laterally, with some shallow and oblique rugulae; a depression in the middle area; surface with short golden setae.

Prosternal process triangular, produced into a blunt point at apex, emarginated on posterior border, sparsely punctured on point, with longitudinal rugulae at front. Prosternal femoral lines converging anteriorly and slightly exceeding to the front edge of coxae.

Scutellum almost triangle, posterior angle blunt, and surface with fine and sparse punctures.

Elytra widest near base, then gradually narrowing to apex. Each elytron with seven striae; intervals finely punctured and wrinkled.

Mesoventrite (Fig. 17) broad, almost no punctures, with a transverse arched depression medially, with coxal lines; sternum with fine and sparse punctures.

Metaventrite finely and sparsely punctured, with a longitudinal depression on posterior seven eighth.

Abdomen finely and closely punctured, covered with short golden hairs, with smooth areas laterally on the surface of abdominal segments. The last segment of abdomen covered very large punctures along the outside edge.

Mesotibia with outer edge of apex acutely toothed.

Female genitalia (Fig. 18) with narrow styli at apex of coxite, and styli rounded apically, covered with setae at apex. Female spermatheca was not found.

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality (Australia: Queensland, Edmonton).

Remarks.

Micrencaustes (Mimencaustes) serratimaculata is most similar to Micrencaustes (Micrencaustes) gigas MacLeay 1887, due to the similar form and color pattern of body. The new species can be distinguished from it by the mesosternum with coxal lines; very shiny body surface; scutellum not transverse; and the abdomen finely and closely punctured. Micrencaustes (Micrencaustes) gigas is without mesocoxal lines, only moderately shiny, scutellum is transverse, and the ventral surface is sparsely punctured.

Etymology.

The species is named for the zigzag mark on pronotum.