Mecyclothorax fefemata, Liebherr, James K., 2013

Liebherr, James K., 2013, The Mecyclothorax beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Moriomorphini) of Tahiti, Society Islands, ZooKeys 322, pp. 1-170 : 102-103

85. Mecyclothorax fefemata sp. n.

Diagnosis.

Of the eight Tahitian species in the Mecyclothorax globosus group with two supraorbital setae and one dorsal elytral seta - setal formula 2111 (Figs 41D, 42D, 45, 46 A–C) - this species can be diagnosed by the combination of: 1, eyes convex, ocular ratio 1.47-1.50 (n = 5), the ocular lobe protruded from gena at less than 135°, ocular lobe ratio 0.80-0.85; 2, microsculpture reduced, head glossy, pronotal disc and discal elytral intervals with indistinct transverse sculpticells visible only outside areas of reflected light; and 3, larger body size, standardized body length 4.7-4.9 mm. This species (Fig. 42D) shares a constricted pronotal base and broadly ovate, convex elytra with Mecyclothorax globosoides , Mecyclothorax globosus , and Mecyclothorax paraglobosus (Figs 45B, 46B, C), however given a male specimen, the aedeagus with downturned apex and elongate ostial canal (Fig. 43D) is easily told from the arcuate aedeagi without an apical expansion characteristic of the other three species (Figs 47 A–D). Head with frontal grooves well defined, narrow at depth, sinuously convergent to frontoclypeal suture; antennae elongate, filiform, antennomere 8 length 2.0 × maximum breadth. Pronotum moderately transverse, basally constricted, MPW/PL = 1.15-1.25, MPW/BPW = 1.66-1.71; pronotal hind angles right, to slightly obtuse or slight acute, lateral margins subparallel to slightly convergent anterad angles; median base moderately depressed relative to convex disc, ~16 distinct punctures each side isolated by glossy cuticle; anterior transverse impression obsolete medially, crossed by indistinct longitudinal wrinkles in median 4/6 of breadth, anteriorly carinate in lateral 1/6 each side; front angles little protruded, broadly rounded; lateral marginal depression narrow, margin beaded, slightly broader inside front angles; laterobasal depression a deep, narrow extension of the lateral depression, very small punctures present on mesal surface. Elytra ovate, lateral margins evenly curved posterad angulate humeri; disc convex, sides distinctly sloped to near vertical juncture with lateral marginal depression; discal elytral striae shallow but complete, minutely and regularly punctate along length; striae 2-4 obsolete basally, not reaching elytral basal groove, sutural stria complete basally, striae 5-6 broad and shallow basally, traceable to basal groove; discal elytral intervals broadly, slightly convex; sutural stria deep to apex, striae 2-3 shallow and broad apically, striae 4-6 obsolete, and stria 7 evident inside slightly upraised interval 8, that interval only slightly more convex than the inner intervals dorsad subapical sinuation; lateral elytral setae 7 + 6. Coloration of frons dark rufobrunneous, neck and clypeus rufous, labrum rufoflavous; pronotal disc rufopiceous, lateral margins narrowly rufous, base more broadly so; elytral disc dark rufous, sutural interval basally rufous, apically rufobrunneous; femora and tibiae rufoflavous, the femora with piceous medial cloud.

Male genitalia. Aedeagal median lobe robust, shaft broad with expanded ventral margin at ostium (Fig. 43D); lobe apex elongate, downturned at tip as a rounded ventral expansion; ostial canal long, traversing right face of lobe from apex of ostium to ventral expansion; internal sac with dorsal and ventral ostial microtrichial patches, the flagellar plate moderately elongate, length 0.48 × distance from parameral articulations to apical face.

Female reproductive tract. Bursa copulatrix columnar, length nearly 3 × maximal breadth when pressed under microslide cover slip (Fig. 44A), bursal membrane thin; basal gonocoxite 1 short and broad, with apical fringe of five setae, 5-7 smaller setae arrayed along mesal half of coxite (Fig. 9G); apical gonocoxite 2 broadly subtriangular, moderately expanded basolaterally; unilaterally with 2-3 lateral ensiform setae, a dorsal ensiform seta, and an apical sensory furrow with two apical nematiform setae and two furrow pegs.

Holotype male (MNHN) labeled: SOCIETY IS: Tahiti / Tahiti Nui Mont Marau / 1280 m el. 6-XI-1999 / D.A. Polhemus pyr. fog / sta. 1 Weinmannia for. // HOLOTYPE / Mecyclothorax / fefemata / J.K. Liebherr 2013 (black-bordered red label).

Allotype female (MNHN) labeled as holotype.

Paratypes labeled as holotype (CUIC, 2; NMNH, 1).

Etymology.

The species epithet compounds the Tahitian words fefe, or curved, and mata, meaning eyes or face. The name refers to the convex eyes that differentiate this species from the one below, Mecyclothorax maninamata .

Distribution and habitat.

This species is known from 1280 m elevation on Mont Marau. The type series comprised a portion of pyrethrin fog samples from moss-covered Weinmannia trees. Six other species were collected during this sampling; Mecyclothorax poria , Mecyclothorax ovalipennis , Mecyclothorax villiersi , Mecyclothorax arboricola , Mecyclothorax hemisphaericus , and Mecyclothorax globosus .