Nesiodrypta Jeannel, 1949

Sciaky, Riccardo & Anichtchenko, Alexander, 2020, Taxonomic notes on the tribe Dryptini Bonelli, 1810 with description of a new genus and species from China (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Dryptini), Zootaxa 4731 (4), pp. 522-530 : 525

Nesiodrypta Jeannel, 1949

Type species: Drypta perrieri Fairmaire, 1834

= Goniodrypta Jeannel, 1949 Type species: Drypta iris Castelnau, 1840

This genus, described by Jeannel (1949) at the same time as the preceding one, has been regarded as systematically close to it because of its well developed pronotal bead. Jeannel (1949) also described a subgenus Goniodrypta , distinct on the basis of an evident angle in the middle of the lateral pronotal margins. Although very evident, this character does not seem to us sufficient for a subgeneric distinction, so we agree with the opinion of Lorenz (2005), who regards it as a synonym of Nesiodrypta s. str.

This genus contains 18 species primarily occuring in Madagascar (15 species), but marginally also in continental Africa (3 species), with two species in East Africa ( Kenya and Tanzania) and one in Gabon, recently described ( Facchini & Czeppel, 2011).

The unique combination of characters distinguishing this genus is: pronotal bead well marked, with sides not serrate (fig. 13); punctuation on head sparse, often leaving the frons smooth, on pronotum often limited to the lateral parts, the disc covered with transversal wrinkles; elytral microsculpture well developed; elytral pubescence limited to some small and sparse punctures, only in few cases some more regular punctures are aligned along the striae (except N. setigera , that shows a punctuation on head, pronotum and elytra almost as dense as in Prionodrypta ; it is possible that future studies will show the necessity to isolate this species in a separate genus); scutellar pore single; intervals rather convex; tarsal claws thick, strongly curved, smooth on inner side; no setae, or a rudimental one, on outer side of stylomere ( fig. 5 ).

Figures

FIGS. 4–8. Stylomere structure of: 4—Megadrypta mirabilis gen. n. sp. n.; 5—Nesiodrypta waterhousei (Oberthür, 1881); 6—Prionodrypta lugens (Schmidt-Goebel, 1846); 7—Drypta lineola W. S. MacLeay, 1825; 8—Dendrocellus australis (Peringuey, 1896).