Triodontus ankarafantsikae Frolov, Montreuil & Akhmetova

Frolov, Andrey V., Montreuil, Olivier & Akhmetova, Lilia A., 2016, Review of the Madagascan Orphninae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) with a revision of the genus Triodontus Westwood, Zootaxa 4207 (1), pp. 1-93 : 68-69

Triodontus ankarafantsikae Frolov, Montreuil & Akhmetova , new species

( Figs. 34 A–G)

Type material. Holotype ( Figs. 34 A–F), male, “ANKARAFANTSIKA AMPIJOROA 1.10-11-1973/ MUSEUM PARIS MADAGASCAR OUEST / Triodontus ankarafantsikae HOLOTYPUS Frolov et. al. 2010” ( MNHN) .

Diagnosis. Triodontus ankarafantsikae is similar to T. lemoulti new species in having the abdominal sternite 8 with a more or less developed tubercule medially, but differs from it in having the tubercule rounded apically (as opposed to being concave in T. lemoulti ) and lateral lobes of parameres with keel-shaped processes on proximal parts (in dorsal view, Fig. 34 D).

Description. Holotype, male. Body length 10.6 mm. Body strongly shiny ( Figs. 34 A–B). Color of head, pronotum and elytra dark brown; legs, antennae, and underside of the body light brown.

Frontoclypeus convex anteriorly, rounded laterally, anterior margin slightly crenulate and setose in dorsal view. Eyes relatively small (diameter slightly smaller than the distance between eye and gula in ventral view), incompletely divided by canthus into small dorsal and large ventral parts. Frontoclypeus with small tubercles mediad of each eye and with a long horn in center of frontoclypeus; horn is longer than width of head, acutely rounded apically, somewhat curved caudally, slightly rugose on posterior side.

Pronotum convex, almost smooth, feebly excavated anteriorly, with a medial bulge divided into 2 separated tubercles and 2 tubercles laterad of the bulge. Anterior margin with wide, smooth border, feebly sinuate medially. Posterior margin with fine border, not crenulate, punctate with small, narrow punctures.

Scutellum rounded apically, its visible part about 1/15 length of elytra.

Elytra convex, with distinct humeral humps. Maximum width approximately at the middle. Elytra with 10 feebly visible striae and with oblique line from base of 6th stria to approximately middle of 8th stria. Stria with small, indistinct punctures. Intervals with minute punctures, almost smooth. Base of elytra with an irregular row of coarse punctures each bearing small, yellow seta.

Abdominal sternite 8 with a developed tubercule medially, tubercule is rounded apically ( Fig. 34 F).

Parameres have outer lobes with keel-shaped processes on proximal parts (in dorsal view, Fig. 34 D) and long feebly sclerotized apices. Internal sac of the aedeagus with 1 strongly sclerotized somewhat pentagonal sclerite, and 2 additional similar sclerites ( Fig. 34 E).

Female. Unknown.

Distribution. The species is known from one locality in western Madagascar, from dry tropical forest area ( Fig. 34 G).

Etymology. The species name is derived from the name of the type locality, Ankarafantsika. This name should be treated as a noun in apposition.

Figures

FIGURE 34. Triodontus ankarafantsikae, holotype male. Habitus in dorsal (A) and dorsolateral view (B), labels (C), aedeagus in lateral view and parameres in dorsal and ventral view (D), internal sac of aedeagus (E), abdomen (F), distributional records (G).