Microhoria angulapex (C. Koch, 1935 )

Telnov, Dmitry, 2022, Revisional notes on the genus Microhoria Chevrolat, 1877 (Insecta: Coleoptera: Anthicidae) from the Eastern Mediterranean and Turkey, with new descriptions, an annotated catalogue, and a key, Baltic Journal of Coleopterology 22 (2), pp. 195-312 : 203-205

Microhoria angulapex (C. Koch, 1935) ( Fig. 3 ) Anthicus angulapex C. Koch, 1935: 260 (description).

Microhoria angulapex – Chandler et al. 2008: 438 (new combination, checklist); Kejval & Chandler 2020: 130 (assigned to the M. terminata species group); Telnov 2020a: 607 (checklist).

Type material. Lectotype male [here designated] MNHN: Rodi (Trianda) [printed] 2­ 5­ 32 [handwritten] A.Schatzmayr [printed] // [printed] // coll. Museo ent. ‘ Pietro Rossi’ Duino [printed, label pale yellow] // Typus [printed, label red] ; Paralectotype 1 male MSNM: Rodi (Trianda) [printed] 23­4­32 [handwritten] A. Schatzmayr [printed] ; Paralectotype 1 female MSNM: Rodi (Trianda) [printed] 2­ 5­ 32 [handwritten] A.Schatzmayr [printed] .

New material. 1 male ADC : Rodi (Trianda) 23.4.32, A. Schatzmayr ; 1 female ADC : Rodi (Trianda) 2.5.32, A. Schatzmayr ; 1 specimen SMNS : Rhodos , Lindos 16.–30.IV.1981 Köstlin leg. // Microhoria angulapex (Koch) det. G. Uhmann 1982 ; 7 specimens BMNH & 2 specimens DTC : Rhodos , M.V. Umg. Faliraki Friser, 1985 ; 1 specimen DTC : 7 MAY 2015 MALONAS RHODOS – GR; 1 specimen DTC : 10 MAY 2015 KALLITNEA [sic!] RHODOS­GR; 3 specimens DTC : 11 MAY 2015 SORONIA RHODOS – GR; 1 specimen DTC : 11 MAY 2015 APOLAKKIA RHODOS – GR; 5 specimens DTC : 13 MAY 2015 MALONAS RHODOS – GR; 2 specimens DTC : 14 MAY 2015 KALLITNEA [sic!] RHODOS­GR.; 4 specimens NME & 2 specimens DTC : GR Rhodes , Monolithos, E, 01.IV.2018, 250­ 300m N36°08’01”, E27°45’07” leg. A. Kopetz KLS ; 6 specimens NME & 1 specimen DTC : GR Rhodes, Apolakkia 3 km SW, 20 m, 04.IV.2018 N36°02’26”, E27°46’59” leg. A. Kopetz KLS, KF .

Nomenclature. Koch (1935: 26) described Anthicus angulapex from an unstated number of specimens from Rhodes without holotype designation in the original description: “Rodi: Trianda 23­ 4 e 2­ 5­ 1932; Villanova 1­ 5­ 1932; Golf 30­4­32, Castelrosso 8­5­1932 ”. These specimens becoming syntypes ( ICZN 1999: Article 73.2). Augusto Degiovanni (personal communication) studied the specimen from MSNM labelled “ Holotypus ” by unknown person (the label handwriting does not correspond with the one of C. Koch):

1 male MSNM: Holotypus [handwritten, label red] // Rodi (Trianda) [printed] 2.5.32 [handwritten] A.Schatzmayr [printed] // Prep. microscp. No. [printed] / 383 [handwritten] [label violet] // A. angulapex Koch [handwritten, label blue] .

However, this specimen is undoubtedly a mislabelled male of Microhoria schmiedeknechti (Pic, 1899) known from insular Greece and W Turkey, since the aedeagus of this specimen fully corresponds with that of type specimens of M. schmiedeknechti (see below) and with the figure given by Koch (1935: 259, Fig. 1 ). The aedeagus is evidently different from the one depicted on the next page of the same work for M. angulapex ( Koch 1935: 260, Fig. 2 ). The studied male at the MNHN (see Type material, above) indeed fully corresponds with the aforementioned figure from the original description of M. angulapex . The lectotype is therefore designated to maintain the nomenclatural stability.

Supplementary description. Belongs to the M. terminata species group. Syntype male. Total body length 2.5 mm. Forebody reddish brown, elytra dark brown to black­brown. Antennae, palps, and legs yellowish, femora distinctly darker than tibiae, antennomeres 7–11 darker than previous. Head barely longer than wide, head base rounded in one arc with tempora. Compound eye moderate, slightly longer than tempus, moderately protruding from lateral outline of head. Head dorsum moderately glossy, punctures distinct, dense. Intervening spaces smooth, generally as wide as punctures. Dorsal cranial setae whitish to yellowish, moderately long and dense, appressed.Antenna slightly thickened in apical half. Terminal antennomere bluntly pointed, about 2.3–2.4× as long as penultimate antennomere, slightly longer than combined length of antennomeres 9–10. Pronotum as long as wide to barely transverse, narrower than head across eyes, moderately glossy, broadly rounded at anterior margin. Lateral margins strongly constricted in posterior half. Latero­basal pronotal fovea broad and deep, with dense, curved setation. Pronotal disc flattened in dorsal aspect. Pronotal punctures distinct, dense, rather deep. Intervening spaces smooth, generally as wide as to slightly wider than punctures. Pronotal setation generally as that on head. Elytra about 1.5–1.6× as long as wide, laterally subparallel, dorsally flattened to barely convex. Humerus broadly rounded. Elytral disc glossy, punctures moderately dense, shallow. Intervening spaces smooth, generally as wide as to twice as wide as punctures. Apex of elytron modified, minutely, acute triangularly projected at opening of gland channel. Elytral setae whitish to yellowish, mainly appressed, moderately long and dense, directed posteriad. Legs without modifications, tibial terminal spurs paired. Tergite VII subtruncate at posterior margin. Morphological sternite VII broadly rounded at posterior margin.Aedeagus as in Fig. 3D . Tegmen rather short, apex broadly hooked; endophallic armature of a smaller U­shaped and a significantly larger U ­ shaped spine; fused baculi conspicuous, extending apically towards half endophallus length; ring­like primary gonopore distinct, rather large.

Sexual dimorphism. Female elytra comparatively less slender in dorsal view, elytron apex prolonged into distinct, acute spine significantly larger than that of male. Female tergite VII with deep median cavity at posterior margin. Female morphological sternite VII subtruncate and densely, short setose at posterior margin.

Interspecific variability. Some specimens with brown to black forebody, only pronotal base with reddish tinge.

Ecology. Occurs at low elevation.

Distribution. Greece ( Dodecanese Islands: Rhodes), W Turkey.

Chorotype. SW­Asiatic (1.13 SWA), restricted to Rhodes Island and W Turkey.

Figures

Fig. 3. Microhoria angulapex (C. Koch, 1935). A – Lectotype male, habitus, dorsal view; B – Female from Monolithos, Rodes Island, habitus, dorsal view; C – Lectotype male, forebody, dorsal view; D – Aedeagus, lateral view [not to scale; image D courtesy Augusto Degiovanni, Bubano, Italy].

Fig. 1. Microhoria akbesiana (Pic, 1896). A – Lectotype male, habitus, dorsal view; B – ditto, head, dorsal view; C – Male from Yevpatoria, Ukraine, forebody, dorsal view; D – ditto, tergite and morphological sternite VIII; E – Lectotype, aedeagus, lateral view; F–G – ditto, apical portion of endophallic armature, inverted; H – Male from Yevpatorya, Ukraine, aedeagus, lateral view; I – ditto, ventral view [not to scale; images C–D & H–I courtesyAugusto Degiovanni, Bubano, Italy].

Fig. 2. Microhoria alfierii (Pic, 1923) male from Al Waska, Egypt. A – Habitus, dorsal view; B – Forebody, dorsal view; C – Aedeagus, ventral view; D – ditto, apical portion [not to scale].