Microplinthus ganesha Meregalli, 2020

Meregalli, Massimo, 2020, Revision of the Nepalese genus Microplinthus Zherichin, 1987 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Molytinae), with description of 25 new species, Zootaxa 4794 (1), pp. 1-63 : 49

Microplinthus ganesha Meregalli n. sp.

http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:855D8910-2987-4B9C-BE4B-4900D9084773

Fig. 25

Material examined. Holotype ♀: “ NEPAL Ganesh Himal / SE Slope, 11.6.2000 / Rupchet [28°05’N 85°09’E] 35–3600 m // Expedition Iman Ghalé / Santos Tamang, Ram / Santa & Santé Gurung” ( NMEG).

Diagnostic description. Length 4.79 mm. Body oblong, integument dark brownish, matt, reticulate. Vestiture composed of slender slightly thickened setae, erect, on elytra more densely aligned in one row on odd intervals, very evident, and sparse short scales. Rostrum slender, dorsal sides broadened in basal half, slightly curvilinear, subsinuate anteriad, scarcely narrower at antennal insertion than at base, in lateral view scarcely curved in basal part, almost straight towards apex, uniformly thick from base to apex; dorsum very densely sculptured, with punctures merged in longitudinal rows, not regularly aligned, longitudinal lines not clearly delimited, present towards sides, median line absent, apical plate glossy, finely punctured, barely extended beyond antennal insertion in median part. Antennal scape sharply and strongly broadened at apex, with a few setae; funicle antennomere 1 slightly longer than wide, thick, 2 conical, narrower than 1, twice as long as wide, 3–6 globose, 7 larger; club oval. Eye oval, with almost 40 ommatidia. Pronotum longer than wide, sides weakly curved, maximum width before midlength, more sharply narrowed anteriad, anterior margin in lateral view sinuate, moderately prominent above head; dorsum with an irregular medial line, puncture dense, irregular, partly merged, partly individually impressed, particularly towards base, smaller and shallower towards apex, interspaces of punctures linear, more or less convex, apex with two rows of spatulate setae directed forwards, lateral margin of punctures with a long seta directed forwards. Elytra oblong, intervals continuous, linear, slightly convex, with low oblong humps, striae slightly deepened, 1–3 narrower than adjacent intervals, 4–7 as wide as intervals, with a series of small punctures evenly spaced, interspaces between punctures as wide as punctures. Femur thick, medially broadened medially, with an elongate and scarcely raised inner tooth. Tibia slender, with erect setae, apex long obliquely cut. Tarsomere 3 with regularly expanded symmetrical lobes, claws simple. Ventrites darker, scarcely narrowed from 1 to 5, 1 with large punctures relatively dense, interspaces at least as wide as punctures, 2 with slightly smaller and sparser punctures, 3–4 smooth, 5 elongate, with rugose-punctured sculpture. Female sternum VIII with a very short apodeme, arms thick, straight, lamina transverse, with marginal sclerotization, branches very short, straight.

Differential remarks. See M. helambuensis for differences from that species. Microplinthus gupta , living to the south-east, has the elytra with high tubercles. The species most similar morphologically is M. schmidti , differing in the slightly glossy integument, the slender setae on the elytra, the well-delimited longitudinal lines on rostrum, the female sternum VIII with long branches.

Origin of the name. This species name derives from Ganesha, or Ganesh, one of the best known deities in the Hindu pantheon. With his elephant head, he is known by many attributes, and is widely revered as the patron of arts and sciences.

Distribution. Central Nepal, on the mountains on the west side of the Trishuli river ( Fig. 30 ).

Figures

FIGURE 25. Microplinthus ganesha Holotype ♀. Body (A, B); rostrum (E, H); antenna (C); pronotum (F); elytra (D); femur (L); foretibia (J); apex of foretibia (M); tarsus (K); claws (N); ventrites (G); female sternum VIII (I). Bar: 2 mm.

FIGURE 30. Distribution map of some species of Microplinthus. Map data: Google Earth, Maxar Technologies, used according to Google Earth Terms of Service.