Microhoria persica 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 : 144

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.37520/aemnp.2020.007
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:7990B912-A3D4-40F7-B143-772FFDB5A119
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03C8343F-AA1E-1049-FED2-8E3FC77CFC36
treatment provided by	Tatiana
scientific name	Microhoria persica Kejval
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Microhoria persica Kejval , sp. nov.

( Figs 119 View Figs 119–122 , 157 View Figs 151–163. 151–155 )

Type locality. Iran, Fars Province, 29 km E of Yasuj, 30°41′N 51°43′E, alt. 2300 m.

Type material. HOLOTYPE:, ‘S Iran, 29 km E Yasuj , 2300 m, 16.- 17.6. 1973 [p] // Loc. no. 245 Exp. Nat. Mus. Praha [p] // Microhoria mollis (Desbrochers) det. G. Uhmann 1985 [p]’ ( NMPC) . PARATYPES: 44 33 ♀♀, same data as holotype ( NMPC, ZKDC, DCDC); 2 ♀♀, ‘S Iran, 42 km N Masírí, 2230 m, 12.6.1973 [p] // Loc. no. 238 Exp. Nat. Mus.Praha [p] // Microhoria mollis (Desbrochers) det. G. Uhmann 1985 [p]’ ( NMPC).

Description. Male (holotype). Body length 2.5 mm. Body dark brown, elytra slightly paler; femora brown, tibiae and tarsi yellowish, antennae partly yellowish, distinctly darkened on apical third, also basal antennomere brownish.

Head elongate, 1.1 times as long as wide, widely round- ed posteriorly; eyes small, moderately convex. Surface glossy, minutely but distinctly punctate; punctures distinctly spaced; setation short, subdecumbent. Antennae slightly enlarged for apical half; antennomeres X as long as wide, XI 2.5 times as long as wide.

Pronotum about as long as wide, narrower than head including eyes, widely rounded anteriorly; pronotal disc moderately convex, outline in dorsal view with lateral margins rather strongly, straightly narrowing posteriorly ( Fig. 157 View Figs 151–163. 151–155 ). Surface glossy, minutely punctate; setation and punctation as on head, latero-basal sides with some longer, more raised setae.

Elytra 1.5 times as long as wide, somewhat flattened medially in basal half; humeri distinctly protruding; omoplates slightly indicated; apices modified, channel of gland forming short tubular process. Surface moderately glossy, distinctly punctate; punctation and setation slightly coarser than that on head, with scattered short erect setae.

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

Abdominal sternum VII slightly produced and rounded apically; sternum VIII forming simple paired sclerites that are narrowly connected medially. Aedeagus ( Fig. 119 View Figs 119–122 ): slender apical portion of tegmen with slight tooth at mid- length, with longitudinal carina and bluntly pointed apex; endophallic armature with numerous minute spinules.

Female. Identical with male for most external characters; elytral apices simple; both sternum and tergum VII simple.

Variation. Body length (♀) 2.2–2.5 mm; body colour brown to black, head sometimes nearly evenly rounded posteriorly; punctation of head and pronotum varying in prominence, mostly rather inconspicuous.

Differential diagnosis. Microhoria persica sp. nov. belongs to the M. terminata species-group. Externally it can be easily confused with M. kermanica sp. nov., showing only slight differences, e.g. the rather widely rounded head base and anterior margin of pronotum (the latter somewhat angled antero-laterally in dorsal view). On the other hand, it can be easily distinguished from the latter species by characters of the aedeagus: the endophallus with numerous minute spinules, the lack of paired hook-like sclerites and longer spines, and the simple apex of the tegmen (cf. Figs 119 View Figs 119–122 versus 112).

Etymology. Named after the ancient empire Persia which once included the present-day region of Iran; adjective.

Distribution. Iran.