Microdera abdullohi N. Bekchanov et Nabozhenko, 2025

Bekchanov, Norbek Kh., Nabozhenko, Maxim V., Bekchanov, Khudaybergan U. & Bekchanova, Mokhira Kh., 2025, A review of the genus Microdera Eschscholtz, 1831 (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) of Uzbekistan, Zootaxa 5590 (4), pp. 451-480 : 453-456

Microdera abdullohi N. Bekchanov et Nabozhenko , sp. nov.

( Figs 1 , 2 )

Microdera globulicollis : Pirnazarov, 1970: 27 (partly, record from “Sultanuizdag” = Sulton-Uvays Mts.)

Microdera convexa : Bekchanov et al., 2023: 152 (part, only one specimen from Beruni Distr.).

Type material. Holotype, ♂ ( ZIN) and paratypes, 2♂, 4♀ (ZIN, PCMN), 1♀ ( PCNB), Uzbekistan, Karakalpakistan, lava fields in the foothills of Sulton-Uvays Mts opposite Lower Amudarya State Biosphere Reserve , 42°01ʹ49ʺN / 60°24ʹ25ʺE, h = 100 m, 24.04.2024 (M.V. and S.V. Nabozhenko, N.Kh. Bekchanov, U.E. Duschanov); 2♀ ( ZIN), Uzbekistan, Karakalpakstan, Beruni District, turning from the road to Lower Amudarya State Biosphere Reserve , 42°01ʹ27ʺN / 60°26ʹ34ʺE, 24– 25.04.2023 (M.V. and S.V. Nabozhenko, N.Kh. and Kh.U. Bekchanov); 1♂ ( ZIN), 1♂, 3♀ ( PCNB), the same locality, 19.03.2024 (N.Kh. Bekchanov, Kh.U. Bekchanov and M.Kh. Bekchanova).

Description. Male. Body slender, convex, shiny, black, with long and slender antennae and legs, distal parts of legs and antennae brown. Measurements: Body length 10 mm, width 3.6 mm; PH w = 1.3; P 1 P w =1.13; E l E w =1.55; EH w =1.85; EP w = 1.42; EP l =2.47.

Head ( Fig. 1D, E ) dorsally widest at eye level, where 1.03 times as wide as at genal level and 1.3 times as wide as interocular space. Eyes comparatively large (in length dorsally), moderately convex. Temple not protruding and not forms angle with posterior edge of eye (lateral edge of head not angular at level of temple and eye), visual area of eye lateral. Supraorbital keels slightly sinuous, long. Prong of anterior margin of epistoma slightly asymmetric, rounded, not separated as a subparallel small process; margins of prong not emarginated ( Fig. 1E ). Puncturation of head coarse and dense dorsally: punctures sparser in anterior half of head than on frons; punctures smaller and denser along margin of head (especially prong and margin of gena). Puncturation of head ventrally sparse; mentum with small and round punctures; temples ventrally with sparse punctures, every puncture has a small seta. Antennae long, with 3 distal antennomeres extending beyond base of pronotum. Antennomere 3 longest (length to width ratio: 3.6–3.7), 1.95 times as long as 2nd antennomere and 1.7 times as long as 4th antennomere; antennomeres 1 and 8 widest (1.2 times as long as wide for the latter). Proximal antennomeres moderately coarsely and densely punctured, while three distal antennomeres with very fine and sparse punctures.

Prothorax ( Fig. 1D, F, G ). Pronotum transverse, trapezoidal, widest at anterior fourth. Anterior margin almost straight, lateral margins very weakly rounded or almost straight in basal two thirds and strongly rounded in apical third, base evenly weakly rounded. Antero-lateral corners widely rounded; postero-lateral corners obtuse. Anterior edge margined only on sides, while lateral margins and base completely margined. Base much wider margined. Disc of pronotum strongly evenly convex, sparsely punctured by round moderately coarse punctures (inperpuncture distance 3–4 time wider than punctures). Prosternum sparsely but distinctly punctured by fine punctures, smoothly wrinkled on sides. Prothoracic hypomera with moderately coarse distinct sparse puncturation ( Fig. 1G ) or sparse and finer puncturation and smooth wrinkles ( Fig. 1F ), some specimens have smaller or almost invisible and sparser punctures than on prosternum. Prosternal process with sharp bend between dorsal and vertical portions ( Fig. 1F, G ).

Pterothorax ( Fig. 1A, C ). Elytra oval, widest at middle. Puncturation of elytra very fine and sparse, much sparser and finer than on pronotum. Anterior half of mesoventrite with transverse rasp-like bracket-like foveae or roughly merged foveae (one male specimen has rough lines); posterior half with thin long transverse grooves; intercoxal process of mesoventrite convex, widely longitudinally depressed in middle, finely and sparsely punctured. Mesepisterna, mesepimera and metepisterna sparsely and finely punctured; metepimera not punctured. Metaventrite with sparse rasp-like larger punctures at anterior half and very sparse and almost invisible punctures at posterior half.

Abdomen ( Fig. 1C, H, I ). Abdominal ventrites evenly punctured with sparse and fine punctures. Intercoxal process of abdominal ventrite 1 not margined at apex. Abdominal ventrite 5 widely roundely emarginated at apex, without vertical plate in middle ( Fig. 1H, I ). Male terminalia and genitalia ( Fig. 2A–F ). Inner tergite VIII shortly emarginated at apex, while inner sternite VIII with deep triangle emargination in middle and acute apices. Inner sternite VIII more sclerotized in basal sides ( Fig. 2E ). Spiculum gastrale with transverse triangular blades having long lateral processes ( Fig. 2F ). Apical piece of tegmen unevenly narrowed from base to apex, bisinuate, lateral margins shortly emarginated in basal fourths and widely emarginated in middle, widest at base, apex acute; basal piece 1.3 times as wide and 1.1 times as short as apical piece, widest at basal third ( Fig. 2A, B ). Median lobe has the same length as tegmen of aedeagus, narrow, widest at basal stem ( Fig. 2C, D ). Apical piece of tegmen and median lobe laterally bent ( Fig. 2B ).

Legs long and slender. Femora dorsally with the extensor side punctured sparsely and setated with short setae, ventral surface of femora additionally with sparse and short spines. Metatibia on the extensor side shiny, with fine and sparse puncturation ( Fig. 1J ). Metatibiae can be curved ( Fig. 1J ) or straight. Ratio of length of pro-, meso- and metatibiae: 1: 1.1: 1.2. Ratio of length of protarsomeres: 1.65: 1: 1: 1: 3.3; mesotarsomeres: 1.55: 1: 1: 1: 2.1; metatarsomeres: 2.1: 1: 1: 1.8.

Female ( Fig. 1B ). Body length 8.5–10.5, width 3.2–3.8. Tarsi and antennae shorter than in male. Pronotum widest at anterior third (widest at anterior fourth in male), 1.23 times as wide as long, 1.3 times as wide as head. Elytra 1.35–1.4 times as wide as pronotum and 1.9–2 times as wide as head.

Ovipositor ( Fig. 2G ). Paraproct moderately long, 2.2 times as long as coxite; coxite lobe I large, with transverse baculi, coxite lobes II–IV merged; lobe IV with strongly sclerotized slightly curved, rounded at apex apical processes (blades).

Etymology. The species is named in honour of Abdulloh Khudayberganov, the beloved son of the first co-author and the grandson of the third co-author, who, despite his small preschool age, assists us collect beetles.

Comparative diagnosis. The new species differs from all known Microdera by various characters, especially the long antennae with 3 (male) ( Fig. 1A ) or 2 (female) ( Fig. 1B ) antennomeres extending beyond the base of the pronotum. It can be compared with the taxa without vertical plate at the apex of abdominal ventrite 5 and the non-depressed elytra. Externally M. abdullohi sp. nov. is slightly similar to M. convexa ( Tauscher, 1812) in the strongly convex pronotum, but differs in the much longer and slender legs (the metatarsi half or less shorter than metatibiae ( Fig. 1A ), while in M. convexa metatarsi are shorter than half length of the metatibiae ( Fig. 4A )) and the antennae (not reaching the base of the pronotum in M. convexa ( Fig. 4A )), the shiny body (the elytra also entirely shiny vs opaque elytral lateral sides and the apical part with disappearing puncturation in M. convexa ) and the shiny smooth outer (extensor) side of metatibiae with fine sparse punctures ( Fig. 1J ) (with dense and coarse confluent puncturation, appear rough at M. convexa ( Fig. 4G )). The new species differs (in addition to the long and slender antennae and legs) from M. campestris and M. minax in the strongly convex pronotum vs slightly convex in the two mentioned species ( Fig. 3C , 13B ).

Distribution. Uzbekistan: Sulton-Uvays Mts.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Microdera abdullohi sp. nov., habitus, details. A = male dorsally; B = female dorsally; C = male ventrally; D = male, head and pronotum; E = epistome; F = prothorax ventro-laterally; G = pro- and mesothorax ventro-laterally; H = abdominal ventrite 5, strictly horizontally; I = apex of abdominal ventrite 5, posterior view; J = metatibia, extensor side.

FIGURE 2. Microdera abdullohi sp. nov., genitalia. A–F = male; G = female; A = tegmen, ventrally; B = aedeagus laterally; C = median lobe dorsally; D = median lobe laterally; E = inner sternite and tergite VIII; F = spiculum gastrale; G = ovipositor.

FIGURE 3. Microdera campestris, habitus, details. A = male, dorsally; B = epistome; C = head and pronotum; D = prothorax ventro-laterally; E = mesoventrite; F = abdominal ventrite 5, strictly horizontally; G = apex of abdominal ventrite 5, posterior view; H = metatibia, extensor side.

FIGURE 4. Microdera convexa (E Ustyurt), habitus, details. A = male dorsally; B = epistome; C = head and pronotum; D = prothorax laterally; E = abdominal ventrite 5, strictly horizontally; F = apex of abdominal ventrite 5, posterior view; G = metatibia, extensor side.

FIGURE 13. Microdera minax, habitus, details. A = male, dorsally; B = ditto, dorso-laterally; C = head and pronotum; D = epistome; E = abdominal ventrite 5, strictly horizontally; F = apex of abdominal ventrite 5, posterior view; G = prothorax, ventro-laterally; H = metatibia, extensor side.