Macratria fijiana, Telnov, 2021

Telnov, Dmitry, 2021, The easternmost record of Macratriinae LeConte, 1862 (Coleoptera: Anthicidae) with a new species from Fiji and a genus-rank synonymy in Macratriini LeConte 1862, Zootaxa 4965 (1), pp. 191-200 : 192-196

Macratria fijiana sp. nov.

( Figs 1-12 )

http://zoobank.org/ EF47C41D-A1D3-456A-92C7-51C3B795CB03

Material. Holotype ♂ BMNH: 14. 2. [19]46. [handwritten] R. A. Lever [printed] Naduruloulou C. [handwritten] Fiji [printed] 1928 [handwritten] / Pres. by Comm Inst Ent B.M. 1981-315. [antennomeres 6–11 of the right antenna and right metatibia- and tarsus are missing].

Paratype 1♀ [ BMNH]: R. A. LEVER [printed] C [handwritten] FIJI [printed] 1228 Karova 23.8.[19]41 [hand-written] / Pres. by Comm Inst Ent B.M. 1981-315. [left elytron is missing] .

Description. Measurements. Holotype, total length 3.75 mm. Head length without cranial neck 0.7 mm, width across compound eyes 0.61 mm. Pronotal length 0.94 mm, maximum width 0.62 mm. Elytral length 2.1 mm, maximum width 0.95 mm. Paratype is 3.7 mm long.

Dorsum brown, pronotum darker, head reddish-brown. Mouthparts, antennae and legs yellowish-brown. Venter brown, reddish-brown on head.

Head glossy dorsally, with large, moderately prominent, compound eyes. Interfacetal setae long and dense. Frontoclypeal suture or impression not observed. Posterolateral angles rounded, head base subtruncate, with distinct moderately broad median notch. Punctures on frons and vertex gentle, intervening spaces glossy, same length to 3x as large as punctures. Setae golden, moderately long, suberect. Several much longer, erect tactile setae around compound eyes and on vertex. Antenna slender, extending slightly over base of elytra. Second antennomere nearly as long as third antennomere. Antennomeres 4–8 long and slender, 9–10 somewhat thickened and slightly widened distally. Terminal antennomere strongly elongate, slightly asymmetrical, obtusely pointed apically, in male distinctly longer than, in female about as long as combined length of antennomeres 9–10. Terminal maxillary palpomere cultriform. Pronotum glossy and flattened dorsally, broadly rounded on anterior margin, gradually constricted laterally towards slightly narrower base. Punctures on pronotal disc rather large, in part coarse on basal one third, intervening spaces glossy, as large as to (generally) narrower than punctures. Setae yellowish, long and dense, appressed. On pronotal disc and along its lateral margins with several much longer, erect tactile setae. Scutellar shield small, truncate apically. Elytra subopaque, flattened dorsally, elongate and slender. Punctures on elytral disc circular, rather large and dense, arranged into 5–6 partially confused longitudinal rows on each elytron. Punctures becoming flat on postbasal half of elytra. Intervening spaces generally as large as punctures. Setae whitish to yellowish, long and dense, appressed. Longer erect tactile setae scattered over elytral disc. Legs with clavate femora. Tibiae covered by long and dense setae. Terminal tibial spurs paired, apically pointed. Male basal metatarsomere longer than combined length of remaining tarsomeres, in female—same long as combined length of remaining tarsomeres. Male tergite VII broadly emarginate at posterior margin ( Fig. 6 ), sternite VII subtruncate and irregularly microtuberculate at posterior margin ( Fig. 7 ). Female tergite VII and sternite VII broadly rounded at posterior margin. Sternites VIII–IX and tergite VIII as in Fig. 8 . Aedeagus with parameres dentate subapically on inner margin ( Figs 9–11 ). Median lobe longer than parameres, tripartite apically, with triangular “cap” covering the apex ( Figs 10–11 ).

Sexual dimorphism. Female terminal antennomere and basal metatarsomere significantly less elongate than in male, terminalia rounded at posterior margin (not as in male).

Differential diagnosis. Macratria fijiana sp. nov. is readily differentiated from all congeners by the shape of the male terminalia and genitalia, particularly the aedeagus.

Etymology. Toponymic. Named after Fiji, the country of origin.

Distribution. Only known from Viti Levu Island, Central Division, Fiji Archipelago ( Fig. 12 ).

Note. Lever , R. J. A. W., was an applied entomologist based in Fiji and published on entomology and biogeoraphy of Fiji and New Caledonia ( Evenhuis 2008). The Macratria fijiana sp. nov. specimens came to the BMNH after the closure of the Commonwealth Institute Collection. The codes “1928” and “1228” on the original labels of holotype and paratype probably refer to sample numbers / crops / fields or land near fields, but no records for what exactly they mean are available (M. Barclay, personal communication) .

Figures

FIGURE 12. Map of Melanesia with schematic distribution of Macratria fijiana sp. nov. (on Fiji) and nearest Macratria records on New Caledonia and the Solomon Islands.

FIGURES 1–3. Macratria fijiana sp. nov., holotype ♂ (BMNH). 1—general view, dorsally, 2—head, dorsal view, 3—pronotum dorsal view. Not to scale.

FIGURES 4–5. Macratria fijiana sp. nov., paratype ♀ (BMNH). 4—general view, dorsally, 5—forebody, laterodorsal view. Not to scale.

FIGURES 6–11. Macratria fijiana sp. nov., holotype ♂. 6—tergite VII, dorsal view, 7—morphological sternite VII, ventral view, 8—morphological sternites VIII and IX, tergite VIII (on a background), ventral view; 9—aedeagus; 10–11 apical portion of aedeagus, ventral and dorsal view. Not to scale.