Mesoceration natalensis, Perkins, 2008

Perkins, Philip D., 2008, Facial affect recognition in individuals at clinical high risk for psychosis, Zootaxa 1864, pp. 1-124 : 48-49

Mesoceration natalensis new species

( Figs. 68 , 74 , 103 )

Type Material. Holotype (male): South Africa: KwaZulu­Natal Province, Umkomaas River, where crossed by Himeville to Impendhle rd. , Stn. 3, marginal vegetation, (NAT 36X­Z), 29° 45' S, 29° 30' E, 14 June 1972, H. Metz. Deposited in the AMG . Paratypes (3): KwaZulu­Natal Province, Same data as holotype (1 AMG); Buffalo River System, Dorps River above Utrecht , rapids, BF 11U2, 27° 39' S, 30° 15' E, 23 February 1959, W. D. Oliff (2 AMG) .

Differential Diagnosis. Among concavum group members, M. natalensis individuals are similar in body form and pronotal sculpture to M. bicurvum and M. bispinum ( Figs. 62 , 67 , 68 ); distinguished therefrom by the more coarsely punctate elytra, and the smaller body size (ca. 1.41 vs. 1.60 mm). Males also differ from the compared species by the presence of a transverse impression on the clypeus, the emarginate metatibiae, and the absence of tubercles on abdominal ventrites 1 and 2. The aedeagus of M. natalensis , while distinct, clearly indicates a relationship to the compared species ( Figs. 66 , 71, 74 ).

Description. Size (length/width, mm) holotype: body (length to elytral apices) 1.41/0.52; head 0.25/ 0.36; pronotum 0.33/0.41; elytra 0.84/0.52. Head and pronotal disc dark brown, reliefs shining; pronotum laterally and elytra light brown to testaceous; maxillary palpi and legs testaceous; venter piceous.

Head with labrum impunctate, minutely microreticulate, apicomedially narrowly notched to about 1/2 length of labrum. Frons and clypeus finely, sparsely punctulate, interstices on frons disc 3–4xpd, punctures much smaller than eye­facet, interstices shining. Male clypeus with transverse depression on disc, adjacent to frontoclypeal suture; female simple. Oblique sublateral impressions of frons well marked, finely microreticulate. Mentum and submentum effacedly microreticulate, weakly shining. Eyes small, in dorsal aspect about 5 facets in longest series.

Pronotum cordate, widest near anterior 1/3; anterior margin shallowly arcuate over median 2/3, without hyaline border; anterior angles rounded, posterior angles almost rectangular; sides finely margined, weakly crenulate; reliefs strongly shining, very finely, very sparsely punctulate; anteriorly and posteriorly very strongly, almost rugosely, punctate; 10 dorsal foveae: two in midline, well separated, anterior narrower than posterior; one small round anterior and one small oval posterior admedian on each side; and one large moderately shallow and one small deep posterior sublateral; all foveae punctulate and effacedly microreticulate.

Elytra elongate­oval; apices subtruncate, sutural angle subacute, not excised nor denticulate; sides smooth, weakly explanate over median 2/3. Serial punctures large on disc, slightly larger than largest pronotal punctures, becoming smaller posteriorly, discal punctures ca. 3–4xef, interstices 1xpd or less, series 1 very weakly striate­impressed on anterior 1/2; punctures on disc each with minute granule at anterior margin. Seven series between suture and carina; series 5–6 confluent in basal 1/4. Intervals, except 8th, flat ca. 1xpd on disc, weakly shining, without granules; 8th interval sharply carinate from near shoulder to about posterior 1/4.

Thoracic venter and abdominal ventrites 1–4 entirely clothed with dense short setae, except glabrous proventral midlongitudinal line, glabrous dull mesoventral plaques, and glabrous shining basomedian small area of metaventrite. Metaventral disc shallowly concave. Base of 5th ventrite similarly clothed, apex of 5th and all of 6th glabrous, shining.

Legs of male apparently with two spiniform setae on apical protarsomere; metatibia emarginate on inner surface in distal 1/2, female simple. Femora and tibiae alutaceous.

Female similar to male in dorsal habitus.

Wings fully developed on holotype and all dissected males.

Aedeagus length ca. 0.30 mm; main­piece sinuate in ventral view, narrowest near basal 1/3, in lateral view markedly bent and sinuate, basal 1/3 wide, apex with short arcuate process; distal piece moderately long, markedly arcuate in lateral view, much wider in basal than apical 1/2; parameres shorter than main­piece, in lateral view curvature similar to that of main­piece ( Fig. 74 ).

Etymology. Named in reference to geographical distribution.

Distribution. Currently known only from two rather widely separated localities in KwaZulu­Natal Province ( Fig. 103 ).

Figures

FIGURE 62. Mesoceration bicurvum, dorsal and lateral habitus of holotype.

FIGURE 67. Mesoceration bispinum, dorsal and lateral habitus of holotype.

FIGURE 68. Mesoceration natalensis, dorsal and lateral habitus of holotype.

FIGURES 71–74. Mesoceration, aedeagi of holotypes. —71. M. bispinum. —72. M. curvosum. —73. M. longipennis. —74. M. natalensis.

FIGURES 103–104. Geographical distributions of Mesoceration species.

FIGURES 63–66. Mesoceration, aedeagi of holotypes. —63. M. integer. —64. M. drakensbergensis. —65. M. concavum. —66. M. bicurvum.