Venezolanoconnus caracasensis Franz

(Figs. 62)

Venezolanoconnus caracasensis Franz, 1988: 82 .

Material studied. Holotype: Ƥ: four labels: "Caracas Venezuela / Quebrada Aluriperez" with "SA259" on the reverse side [white, handwritten], " Venezolanoconnus / caracasensis / det. H. Franz" [white, handwritten and printed], "Ƥ" [white, printed], " Holotypus " [red, handwritten] (NHMW).

Diagnosis. This is the only species of Venezolanoconnus with distinctly transverse pronotum, flat median part of vertex and compact antennae with antennomeres III–IX each strongly transverse.

Redescription. Body of female (Fig. 62) strongly convex, elongate but rather stout, with moderately long appendages, BL 1.70 mm; glossy, uniformly light brown with distinctly lighter palps; vestiture slightly lighter than cuticle.

Head (Fig. 62) rhomboidal in shape, broadest at eyes, HL 0.25 mm, HW 0.33 mm; tempora distinctly shorter than eyes, strongly convergent caudad; vertex strongly transverse, convex on sides but distinctly flattened in middle; frons confluent with vertex, slightly convex, subtrapezoidal and steeply, abruptly declining towards strongly transverse clypeus; supraantennal tubercles barely marked; eyes large and strongly convex, nearly circular, each composed of ca. 12 relatively large and coarse ommatidia. Punctures on head dorsum fine and sparse, inconspicuous; setae short, sparse, erect, those on vertex and tempora directed caudad. Antennae (Fig. 62) strikingly short and compact, AnL 0.68 mm; antennomeres I–II each about as long as broad; III–X each strongly transverse; XI 1.5× as long as broad, with blunt subconical apex.

Pronotum (Fig. 62) in dorsal view approximately subtrapezoidal, broadest between middle and posterior third, PL 0.38 mm, PW 0.50 mm; anterior margin long and strongly, evenly arcuate; lateral margins strongly rounded, especially in posterior third, so that hind pronotal corners are not marked and sides form a regular arch with weakly arcuate posterior pronotal margin; base of pronotum with barely marked submedian pair of superficial transverse pits. Punctures on pronotal disc fine, inconspicuous; setae long, moderately dense and strongly erect, those on sides of pronotum bristle-like, distinctly thicker than those in middle.

Elytra (Fig. 62) broadly oval and more convex than pronotum, broadest slightly behind middle, EL 1.08 mm, EW 0.85 mm, EI 1.26; base of elytra straight; humeral calli moderately prominent, each sharply delimited mesally by subhumeral line as long as nearly 0.3× EL; elytral apices separately rounded. Punctures on elytral disc more distinct and denser than those on pronotum but only superficial and with diffused margins; setae moderately long, moderately sparse and suberect, about as thin as those on vertex and distinctly thinner than those on sides of pronotum. Hind wings not studied.

Legs (Fig. 62) moderately long and slender; all tibiae nearly straight.

Male. Unknown.

Distribution. Northern Venezuela, Capital District.