Mnioticus brucei, Esser & R, 2019

Esser, Jens & R, Afrotropical, 2019, Revision of Mnioticus COOMBS & WOODROFFE, 1962 (Coleoptera, Cryptophagidae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 51 (2), pp. 915-928 : 916-917

Mnioticus brucei nov.sp. ( fig. 13 )

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype ♂: " Congo; P. N. A., 19-VII-1963, RP M.-J. Célis 2135 / Massif Ruwenzori, Mahungu, camp des porteurs, 3.250 m, Ericetum" [ RMCA] . Paratypes: 2 ♀ " Congo; P. N. A., 18-VII-1963, RP M.-J. Célis 2132-33 / Massif Ruwenzori , Mahungu , riv. Katsambu, 3.300 m, Ericetum " [ RMCA, cES]; Congo; P. N. A., 16-25-VII-1963, RP M.-J. Célis 2144 / Massif Ruwenzori, ruis. Iterere, camp des bouteilles, 4.000 m, étage alpin » [ RMCA] ; 1 ♀ « Kanzuiri : 3400/ 3500 m dans les Mousses / Coll. Mus. Tervuren, Zaïre: Face N Ruwenzori, VII/VIII74, R. P. M. Lejeune » [ RMCA] .

E t y m o l o g y: Named after Nils Bruce (1883-1981) who did a large work on Cryptophagidae .

D e s c r i p t i o n: Male, 2.1 mm, reddish-brown, each elytron with an indistinct dark spot, shiny. Membranous wings absent. Legs and antennae slender, tarsi 5-segmented, anterior tarsomeres 1-3 widened (only in male). Antennae 11-segmented with a 3- segmented club. Segments 4-8 globular or nearly so, segment 3 elongated and pearshaped, segment 2 similar but shorter and broader. Segment 1 rounded square-shaped. Segments 9 and 10 moderately transverse, segment 11 fusiform and asymmetrical. Eyes large with coarse ommatidia, puncture on head fine and dense. Pronotum moderately transverse (1,5 times broader than long), broadest somewhat behind the middle, side nearly straight behind and before the broadest point, rounded very slightly anteriorly and straight to concave posteriorly. Basal furrow moderate, basal fovea short. Side margin smooth, anterior margin nearly straight, anterior angles obtuse. Hind margin rounded backwards in the middle, produced besides the cavities. Posterior angles acute, oriented backwards. Puncture of pronotum somewhat stronger than on head and distinctly more sparse. Elytra elongated, without any features, puncture stronger and denser than on pronotum.

C o m m e n t: General shape like many Cryptophagus HERBST, 1792 . Dark spot on elytra variable and not well circumscribed. Distinguishable from M. ruwenzoriensis nov.sp. by the shape of pronotum and more shiny surface. Similar also to M. holmi nov.sp., M. karisimbianus nov.sp. and M. scotti nom. nov. but with pronotum more transverse and elytra less strong punctured and more shiny. Mnioticus karsimbianus nov.sp. and M. scotti nom. nov. are not known from the Ruwenzori Mts.

Figures

Figs 13-16: (13) Mnioticus brucei nov.sp., holotype, male; (14) Henoticus montanus BRUCE, 1960, Tanzania; (15) Henoticus meruensis BRUCE, 1960, Tanzania; (16) Henoticus pilifer REITTER, 1888, Russia.