Malagophytus steineri Gimmel, 2013

Gimmel, Matthew L., 2013, <strong> Genus-level revision of the family Phalacridae (Coleoptera: Cucujoidea) </ strong>, Zootaxa 3605 (1), pp. 1-147 : 117

Malagophytus steineri Gimmel , sp. nov.

( Figs. 3b ; 42g )

Holotype. “ MADAGASCAR \ Fianarantsoa Prov., \ Namarona River 7 km \ W Ranomafana, 900 m \ 8–21 October 1988 \ W. E. Steiner // HOLOTYPE \ Malagophytus \ steineri Gimmel \ des. M.L. Gimmel 2011 [red label]” ( USNM), point mounted.

Paratype (1, BMNH). “ Madagascar [underlined in purple] \ 20 kms. N. of \ Ft. Dauphin \ 18.x.1970 // ex \ reed \ litter // Coll. \ P. Hammond \ B.M. 1970-603 // PARATYPE \ Malagophytus \ steineri Gimmel \ det. M.L. Gimmel 2011 [yellow label]”, card mounted .

Description. Total length 1.3–1.5 mm. Color brunneous, margins of head, pronotum, and elytra tending toward testaceous; appendages and underside testaceous, meso- and metaventral regions darker. Antennal club shorter than funicle; antennomere XI ovate. Head and pronotum with extremely sparse, weak punctation, latter with sparse recumbent microsetae. Elytron with distinct transverse microsculpture throughout, with sparse recumbent microsetae; with sutural stria (parallel to margin) extending about 2/3 length of elytron, with four additional engraved striae, striae beginning in basal 1/3 of elytron and extending obliquely to almost meet sutural stria at well-spaced intervals, last stria nearing sutural stria at about 1/6 from apex of elytron, additional striae faintly indicated. Prosternal process (with translucent projection) extending well beyond procoxae; with pair of short, stiff setae positioned subapically. Metaventrite without distinct punctures, setose medially; metaventral postcoxal lines narrowly arcuate, enclosing an area about ¼ length of metaventrite behind coxae. Metatarsomere I slightly longer than II.

Male and female genitalia unknown.

Diagnosis. This species may be recognized by the characters given in the generic diagnosis.

Distribution. Known only from two localities in southeastern Madagascar ( Fig. 44b ).

Etymology. Named for Warren E. Steiner, Jr. (Cheverly, MD), primary collector of three new genera of phalacrids from Madagascar, including this one. The epithet is a noun in the genitive case.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Key characters for Phalacridae. (a) Prosternal process of Acylomus aciculatus Sharp (scale bar = 0.5 mm). (b) First abdominal ventrite of Malagophytus steineri Gimmel. Ovipositor of (c) Phalacrus sp.; (d) Phalacropsis dispar (LeConte); (e) Olibrus aeneus (Fabricius); (f) Litostilbus testaceus (Fabricius) (scale bars = 0.5 mm).

FIGURE 42. Photographs. Grouvelleus n.sp., Africa: (a) dorsal; (b) ventral. Litochropus n.sp.: (c) dorsal; (d) ventral. Litochrus sp.: (e) dorsal; (f) ventral. Malagophytus steineri, holotype: (g) dorsal. Neolitochrus pulchellus: (h) dorsal; (i) ventral.

FIGURE 44. Collection localities. (a) Malagasmus thalesi distribution in Madagascar; (b) Malagophytus steineri distribution in Madagascar; (c) Antennogasmus cordatus distribution in southern Africa and Madagascar; (d) Paracylomus asiaticus distribution in Sri Lanka; (e) Platyphalacrus lawrencei distribution in Western Australia.