Madecorphnus saintemariensis Frolov, 2014

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 : 38-40

Madecorphnus saintemariensis Frolov, 2014

( Figs. 18 A–D)

Madecorphnus saintemariensis Frolov, 2014: 36 .

Type material examined. Holotype ( Figs. 18 A–C), male, " MADAGASCAR: Toamasina Prov. , Ile Sainte Marie, Foret Ambohidena , 22.8 km 44°NW Ambodifotatra, el 20m 21 November 2005 / 16°49′28″S, 049°57′51″E California Acad. of Sciences coll. Brian L. Fisher et al. sifted litter, littoral rainforest coll. code: BLF12840” ( CASC) .

Paratype: female with the same data as the holotype ( CASC) .

Diagnosis. Madecorphnus saintemariensis differs from other species of the genus in having the internal sac of the aedeagus with 2 tooth-shaped sclerites, 1 longer sclerite, and a few fields of minute spinules, 1 of which forms a finger-shaped process of the sac ( Fig. 18 C); and in the parameres having large lateral teeth ( Fig. 18 B).

Description. Male. Body length 6.9 mm. Color uniformly dark brown, pronotum and disc of head almost black, legs somewhat paler ( Fig. 18 A).

Right mandible almost 1.5 times longer than left, without tooth behind apex. Labrum trapezoidal, with broadly rounded sides, length about 1/6 width (in dorsal view). Frontoclypeus asymmetrical, apically obtuse, with 4 setae on the apical margin, 3 are displaced to the left side. Canthus and frontoclypeus depressed apicomedially. Head finely punctate with minute punctures separated by 5–10 puncture diameters.

Pronotum approximately 1.6 times wider than long, widest medially. Disc of pronotum convex, without any depressions, tubercles, or ridges. Punctation on pronotum is similar to that on head. Margins with relatively wide border, lateral margins with 4 long setae: 1 seta on basal angle, 1 seta approximately in the middle of lateral margin, and 2 setae on the apical angle. Base with a row of longitudinally elongate punctures (smaller and sparser than in M. fisheri ).

Scutellum triangular, right angled apically, about 1/11 length of elytra.

Elytra convex, with distinct humeral humps, widest at basal third, glabrous. First stria distinct and reaching the apex of elytron, other striae indistinct. Disc of elytra with double punctation consisting of large, sparse punctures and minute punctures. Epipleura with long, sparse, brown setae. Base of elytron with border from scutellum to humeral humps.

Protibiae with 3 outer teeth, lateral margin basad of outer teeth not crenulate. Apex with robust, spur-like seta and a few smaller setae basally. Mesothoracic and metathoracic legs similar in shape. Longer tibial spur longer than first basal tarsomere in mesothoracic legs and as long as 2 tarsomeres in metathoracic legs.

Parameres relatively large, about 1.4 time shorter than phallobase, wide, with large lateral teeth ( Fig. 18 B). Internal sac of aedeagus with 2 tooth-shaped sclerites, 1 longer sclerite, and a few fields of minute spinules, 1 of which forms a finger-shaped process of the sac ( Fig. 18 C).

Female. Females differ from males in having mandibles of subequal length, and apical spur of protibia.

Distribution and habitat. Madecorphnus saintemariensis is the only Madecorphnus species found outside Madagascar mainland, and the only orphnine species found in Sainte Marie Island (Nosy Boraha), a small island 6 km off the eastern coast of Madagascar ( Fig. 18 D). Primary vegetation of the island, consisting of low altitude rainforest and coastal forest, is largely disturbed ( Du Puy & Moat 1996). Madecorphnus saintemariensis is one of the few orphnine species inhabiting coastal forests in Madagascar.

Figures

FIGURE 18. Madecorphnus saintemariensis, holotype. Habitus in dorsal view (A), aedeagus in lateral view and parameres in dorsal view (B), internal sac of aedeagus (C), distributional records (D).