Pediacus rufipes Grouvelle

Figs. 8 E–G.

Pediacus rufipes Grouvelle, 1908: 461 .

Diagnosis. Recognisable by the combination of the following characters: pronotum relatively strongly transverse, puncturation dense, disc deeply impressed anteriorly, lateral margins with small but distinctly produced denticles.

Description. Body length 4.4 mm (n=2), elongate, 3.00× longer than wide; colour dark red-brown, head and legs slightly paler; pubescence short, pale, appressed and inconspicuous; surface weakly glossy. Head transverse, 1.69× wider than long; puncturation moderately impressed and moderately dense medially, increasing in size and density laterally with punctures separated by about their diameter; setae short and appressed, inconspicuous; microsculpture absent, surface moderately glossy; eyes large, strongly projecting, ocular index 0.72, finely faceted, postocular denticle absent; antennae as in Fig. 8 F, antennomere VII and VIII subequal, larger than VI. Pronotum transverse, 1.33× wider than long, widest at about midpoint, sides weakly curved; lateral margins weakly explanate and moderately reflexed, denticles small, narrowly to broadly obtuse; disc deeply impressed anteriorly; puncturation dense medially, increasing laterally with punctures almost contiguous, with an indistinct, narrow, impunctate median strip in the basal half; setation as for head; microsculpture faintly reticulate. Elytra elongate, 2.05× longer than wide, sides subparallel, epipleura strongly explanate, reflexed; puncturation moderately dense but faintly impressed basally, becoming more dense and deeply impressed laterally, puncturation very faintly impressed on disc; setation moderately long, appressed and conspicuous; microsculpture granulate. Genitalia not examined.

Type material. Syntypes: “[India] Co- type [Round label with yellow margin] // Chambaganor Madura Inde. / / 1911–420. [Text on reverse] // Pediacus rufipes CoTy Grouv [Handwritten] // SYN- TYPE [Round label with blue margin]” (BMNH); “[India] 295 [Blue card] // Nilgiri Hills H.L. Andrewes. // H.L. Andrewes. Nilgiri Hills // Andrewes Bequest B.M. 1922–221. // Pediacus rufipes Ty Grouv [Handwritten] // Type [red card facing downwards] // SYN- TYPE [Round label with blue margin]” (BMNH).

Distribution. India.