Micrambe camerunensis, Otero, Jose Carlos & Pereira, Jose Manuel, 2018

Otero, Jose Carlos & Pereira, Jose Manuel, 2018, On a new species of Micrambe from Africa (Coleoptera, Cryptophagidae), ZooKeys 748, pp. 47-56 : 47

Micrambe camerunensis sp. n. Figures 1-5

Material examined.

"Holotype m*. CAMEROON. Mt Cameroon, Ist. Plateau, 12.I.1932 /10.000-12.000 ft (Leg. M. Steele)/B.M. 1934-240 (placed in BMNH) ”//“ Paratype, 5 m*m* and 3 f*f*, same locality, date and legtor as Holotype"// "1 f*, Mt Cameroon, Highest Point/13,360 ft (leg. M. Steele), B.M. 1934-240 ”//” 1 f*, Mt Cameroon, Mann’s Quelle/7,400 ft, 3.II.1932 (leg. M. Steele), B.M. 1934-240".

Diagnosis.

Morphologically, Micrambe camerunensis is very similar to other Micrambe in many external features, but can be distinguished by the configuration of the male genital apparatus.

Description.

Length: 1.7-1.9 mm. Body oval, elongated and convex. Reddish grey-brown; appendages and first antennal articles yellowish grey-brown. Pubescence simple, short (L= 0.025-0.040 mm) and flattened. Metathoracic wings absent.

Transverse head (WL = 1.9-2.1). Punctation well -marked and dense; distance between punctures shorter than their diameter ( Ø = 0.014-0.016 mm). Normal eyes (L = 0.127 mm), hemispherical or sub-hemispherical and protruding (E = 1.1-1.2). Eye facets smaller ( Ø = 0.012 mm) than head punctures. Short antennae (Fig. 2) (L = 0.580 mm), not surpassing the base of the pronotum. 1st antennomere spherical; 2nd and 3rd as long as 1st but narrower; 4th and 6th 1.8 times shorter than 3rd; 5th 1.3 times longer than 4th; 7th sub-squared and 1.1 times as long as 6th; 8th transverse and as long as 7th; 9th and 10th equally long and strongly transverse; 11th elongated.

Pronotum (Figs 1, 3) slightly transverse (WL = 1.5). Callosity oval, elongated, large (1/4 times as long as side); not surpassing the lateral margin of the pronotum. Callosity margin strong. Callosity side not visible from above. Gland pore present but not visible. Callosity not angled rearwards but forming a 38.33°-39° angle with the body axis. Lateral margins parallel from the callosity to the basal quarter and converging from there to the base. Posterior angles obtuse. Basal groove reduced. Basal foveae not visible. Punctation well -marked and dense; distance between punctures shorter than their diameter ( Ø = 0.016-0.018 mm).

Elytra three times as long and 1.2 times as wide as pronotum. Punctation more dispersed than on pronotum; distance between punctures greater than their diameter ( Ø = 0.016-0.018 mm).

Mesosternum with a narrow medial area, strongly concave, with sides slightly lifted, curved and converging towards a weakly emarginate apex.

Tarsal formula 5-5-5 in males and 5-5-5 in females.

Aedeagus (Fig. 4) apically expanded and narrowed in anterior third. Ventrally, lateral margins showing strong protuberances in basal third. Endophallic orifice visible in the basal third of the aedeagus. Preputial sac comprising two membranous lobes. Endophallic armature made up of small spines. Long and narrow parameres (Fig. 5). Scarce pores with or without setae. Two apical setae as long as paramere.

Biology.

On moss.

Etymology.

Derived from Cameroon, where the type locality of this new species is found.