Tibipectinus Tshernyshev, 2020

Tshernyshev, S. E. & Shcherbakov, M. V., 2020, A new genus and species of the soft flower beetles tribe Apalochrini (Coleoptera: Malachiidae) from Africa, Far Eastern Entomologist 416, pp. 1-9 : 4-6

Genus Tibipectinus Tshernyshev , gen. n.

http://zoobank.org/NomenclaturalActs/59839a93-76af-445e-a635-1271467418d5

Type species: Tibipectinus caeruleoviolaceus Tshernyshev sp. n., here desig-

nated.

DIAGNOSIS. Diagnosis is based on male characters only. Moderate sized (about

4.0– 5.2 mm) soft-winged flower beetles with the body elongate, subparallel and expanded posteriorly. Upper side metallic blue-green, blue-violaceus or green-bronze and underside black-brown, antennae, femora, tibiae and tarsi of anterior and intermediate legs, and bases of femora and tibiae in posterior legs yellow-brown,

dark area varies between different species. Antennae filiform with anteriorly widened intermediate antennomeres, 3rd and 4th antennomeres elongate, triangular,

5th-10th antennomeres subquadrate, 4th antennomere 1.3 times as long as the 1st

antennomere, antennae not long, extending beyond the middle of pronotum. Head small and flat, narrower than pronotum, eyes simple, not large, slightly protruding.

Pronotum subquadrate, equilateral, with evenly rounded angles, slightly produced anteriorly and straight posteriorly and with distinct margination of sides; disc depressed at the base, with posterior margin elevated and swollen, surface almost completely lacking puncturation, strongly shining. Elytra subparallel, expanded just behind the base, densely and coarsely punctured, with protruding shoulders, apices evenly rounded, simple, suture distinctly marginate and slightly elevated, distinct from scutellum to apices of elytra. Anterior tarsi with small transverse comb above the 2nd segment, 1st segment subquadrate or trapezoid, enlarged, 2nd tarsomeres in anterior and intermediate legs half as long as those of posterior; anterior tibiae widened and excavate, possess curved lamellate widened lobe above, apical fourth depressed and elongate, with outer spur strong and straight; intermediate tibiae widened distally, stout, with thin strong elongate appendage in outer side distally,

inner side of the tibiae complicatedly impressed, intermediate tarsi with elongate and enlarged, often strongly pubescent 1st tarsomere; femora in anterior and posterior legs slightly swollen, in posterior legs simple, thin, intermediate femora with round emargination in inner side.

Metathorax evenly swollen and weakly bituberculate, lacking appendage or tuft of hairs. Pygidium undivided, evenly rounded distally with straight apical margin;

lateral lobes of the 8th ultimate abdominal ventrite bilaciniate, indistinctly adjoined,

narrowed distally, with triangular emargination in middle; aedeagus almost completely straight and wide, with small and slightly curved ventrally lamella; two strong black horn-like bristles are visible in inner sack in distal half of the aedeagus.

Tegumen narrow, wide, with short and very thin parameres.

Species of the genus is similar to representatives of Hapalochrops Bourgeois and differs in the smaller size (4–5 mm), anterior tibiae dilated and provided with flattened lobe, not reaching distal fourth, first tarsomere subquadrate, slightly enlarged, not flattened and widened, second tarsomere with a simple black comb above,

not velum-shape, antennae not flabellate, slightly dilated upwards, intermediate femora excavate in inner side, not thin, weakly swollen, intermediate tibiae not extremely stout, moderately widened and with a thin elongate appendage outwardly near the apex, aedeagus not thin and elongate, but wide, with a small and weakly curved ventrally lamella and well visible strong black horn-like bristles from both sides of endophallus near the distal lobe of the aedeagus.

ETYMOLOGY. The name of the genus is a combination of two words: Tibia –

referring to the legs, and Pectinus – is a name of the genus proposed by Evers to

African species possessing a comb in anterior tarsi. The name of the genus is given to reflect specific male character of the new genus, pectinate dilated lobe on the anterior tibia.

SPECIES INCLUDED. Six species are distributed in East and South Africa: T.

appendicifer (Pic, 1904), comb. n. (East Africa: Mozambique, Zanzibar; South

Africa: Cape Province, KwaZulu-Natal); T. fissipes (Champion, 1920) , comb. n.

( Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, Uganda); T. caeruleoviolaceus Tshernyshev , sp. n. ( Tanzania, Coast Region); T. claripes (Evers,

1990), comb. n. ( Congo, Parc national de l'Upemba); T. dilaticornis (Champion,

1920), comb. n. ( Nigeria, Onitsha); T. testaceicornis (Pic, 1914) , comb. n. ( Congo,

Nyangwe; Uganda).