Erro, Darby, 2017

Darby, Michael, 2017, Erro gen. n. a new genus of featherwing beetles (Coleoptera: Ptiliidae) from Angola and Madagascar, Zootaxa 4299 (1), pp. 137-140 : 138

Erro gen. n. ( Ptiliinae )

Type species Erro impiger , sp. n. (gender masculine).

Etymology. From the Latin meaning a vagabond and reflecting the insect's likely wandering lifestyle, gender masculine.

Description. Small (+/- 0.8 mm long), dark brown/black, pubescent, shining, with yellow legs and antennae ( Figs. 1, 2 ). Head either smooth or tuberculate, with a clearly marked row of larger setae-bearing tubercles on the posterior margin (Figs. 6,7) and two shallow depressions either side of the disc. Antennae long, antennomeres 4–11 with basal corolla, 10 with sensillae (not branched) ( Fig. 3 ). Lateral borders of mentum slightly sinuate, broadest at anterior corners, with three rows of setae anterior to posterior: 6 (includes two longer lateral setae), 2, 2; submentum with 6–8 setae ( Fig. 8 some setae missing). Eyes prominent with +/- 40 facets. Pronotum pitted and/or tuberculate, with two shallow depressions either side of disc; lateral margins narrowly explanate, strongly sinuate before right-angled posterior corners, anterior margin narrowly bordered, posterior margin narrowly bordered at sides ( Fig. 6, 7 ). Scutellum with two shallow depressions at anterior corners. Elytra truncated, without epipleura, elytral setae arising from shallow depressions. Legs long, meso- and meta-femora and tibiae narrow. Metascutellum without lateral spines. Proventrum narrow in front of coxal cavities and with a row of elongate, +/- rectangular depressions along the anterior margin. Mesoventrum reticulate, without pubescence; collar not extending onto humeri, strongly sinuate medially before a narrow, posteriorly directed median extension contiguous with keel extending anteriorly from between mesocoxae, hind margin slightly sinuate before rounded anterior angles and with a row of +/- rectangular depressions similar to those on the anterior border of the proventrum ( Fig. 10 ); humeri strongly toothed. Metaventrum reticulate, pubescent, posterior margin between metacoxae with two sharp points at corners; metacoxae with small plates ( Fig. 9 ). Visible abdominal tergites II, III, IV with wing folding spicule patches ( Hammond, 1979), pygidium not composed of two sclerites fused, both it and the preceding sclerite with posteriorly directed spines at anterior corners. Wings of usual ptiliid type. Spermatheca globular ( Figs. 4, 5 ). Males not known.

Diagnosis. The form of the mesoventral collar and narrow attenuated keel together with the truncated elytra distinguish these species from other genera in the subfamily.

Comment. The long antennae, large eyes and long legs suggest a very mobile species with a placement near to the Discheramocephalini but differing from that tribe in not possessing a perforated mesoventrum.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 10. Erro impiger sp. n. 1. habitus; 3, antennomeres 3 – 11; 4, spermatheca; 6, pronotum x 395; 9, metaventrum and abdomen x 395; 10, mesoventrum x 720.