Microhoria kabulensis Kejval, 2020

Kejval, Zbyněk & Chandler, Donald S., 2020, Generic revision of the Microhoriini with new species and synonymies from the Palaearctic Region (Coleoptera: Anthicidae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 60 (1), pp. 95-154 : 140-141

Microhoria kabulensis Kejval , sp. nov. ( Fig. 111 )

Type locality. Afghanistan, Kabul env., alt. 1740 m.

Type material. HOLOTYPE:, ‘ J. Klapperich Umgeb. v. Kabul 1740 m, 14.5.52 O. Afghanistan [p]’ ( NMPC).

Description. Male (holotype). Body length 4.2 mm. Head black, pronotum dark reddish, elytra yellowish, with brownish-black base, apex and larger paired spots at about midlength; abdomen dark brown with distinctly paler, yellowish terminal segments VII and VIII; antennae and legs reddish.

Head rather wide, at most 1.2 times as long as wide, unevenly rounded posteriorly; eyes small, moderately convex. Surface moderately glossy, distinctly punctate; punctures distinctly spaced; setation short, subdecumbent. Antennae moderately enlarged in apical half; antennomeres X 1.1 times, XI 2.8 times as long as wide.

Pronotum about as long as wide, as wide as head including eyes, somewhat widely rounded anteriorly, pronotal disc evenly and moderately convex, outline in dorsal view with lateral margins nearly straightly narrowing posteriorly. Surface moderately glossy; punctation and setation as on head, with few short and inconspicuous erect setae.

Elytra 1.7 times as long as wide, somewhat flattened medially in basal half; humeri distinctly protruding; apices modified, channel of gland forming short tubular process at apical margin. Surface moderately glossy; punctation somewhat weaker, setation slightly longer than on head, with scattered short erect setae.

Legs slender, simple; all tibiae with paired terminal spurs.

Abdominal sternum VII simple, at most slightly produced and rounded apically; sternum VIII forming paired, subtriangular sclerites that are narrowly connected medially, moderately angled and setose apically; tergum VII simple; tergum VIII simple. Aedeagus ( Fig. 111 ): tegmen strongly elongate, narrowed, and distinctly hooked apically; endophallic armature with pair of long, slender sclerites and numerous shorter, more delicate spines.

Female. Unknown.

Differential diagnosis. Microhoria kabulensis sp. nov. belongs to the M. terminata species-group. Among the species with elytral colour patterns, it resembles especially M. nepticula from Afghanistan by the wider head and simple tegmen. However, the apical portion of the tegmen is markedly more elongate and slender, having a clearly hooked apex (the tegmen is wider, somewhat sinuously narrowing, and simply rounded apically in M. nepticula, see BONADONA (1964: Figs 9, 10 )). Additionally, M. nepticula also exhibits a rather distinctly produced and nearly truncate apex of male sternum VII.

Etymology. Named after the type locality; adjective.

Distribution. Afghanistan.

Figures

Figs 105–111. 105 – Microhoria heracleana sp. nov., aedeagus in lateral view; 106 – same, apex of tegmen in dorsal view; 107 – same, apex of everted endophallus, ventral view; 108 – M. impavida sp. nov., aedeagus in lateral view; 109 – M. inobscura (Pic, 1908), stat nov., aedeagus in lateral view; 110 – same, apical part in ventral view; 111 – M. kabulensis sp. nov., aedeagus in lateral (left) and ventral (right) view. Scale bars: 0.2 mm – A (Fig. 111), B (Figs 105–109).

Figs 7–14. Mesothorax in ventral (left) and lateral (right) view: 7, 8 – Neocrohoria melanura (Fairmaire & Germain, 1863), Chile, Malleco prov., 4 km W Victoria (DCDC); 9, 10 – Aulacoderus mutatus (Gemminger, 1870); 11, 12 – Liparoderus venator (Dufour, 1849); 13, 14 – Microhoria oedipus (Chevrolat, 1860). Scale bars: 100 μm (Figs 7–10); 200 μm (Figs 11–14).