Meira gerundana, Pierotti & Bellò & Alonso-Zarazaga, 2010

Pierotti, Helio, Bellò, Cesare & Alonso-Zarazaga, Miguel A., 2010, 2376, Zootaxa 2376, pp. 1-96 : 13-14

Meira gerundana sp. n.

( Figs. 1 -Ba, 8b, 10b, 11b, 12b, 49b, 69)

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:79107372-5FFA-42A0-8C2C-D24C092690FA

Diagnosis. Species of very small size (2.4–3.1 mm), distinguished from other Iberian species of the genus by the characters in the key, mainly by the shape of hemisternites, which is a good diagnostic character in this genus.

Description. Dorsal vestiture composed of paler or darker ochreous scales, strongly imbricate on elytra, with metallic shimmer; setae on elytral interstriae not very dense, aligned, on dorsum elongate but moderately robust, weakly widened at apex, reclinate, semierect and more robust on declivity (rarely tear-shaped in males). Rostrum transverse, epistomal keel strong, pterygia prominent; prorostrum gibbose; frontal sulcus evident. Frons wide, with a small median fovea. Eyes normal, rounded, very prominent beyond genae, with a glabrous periocular sulcus. Antennae with very robust scape, even in first third; funicle short and robust with desmomeres 3–7 clearly transverse; club robust, elongate, evidently wider than funicle, first segment strongly cup-shaped. Pronotum with base more or less as wide as apex, transverse, scarcely sinuate at sides, disc with irregular deep punctures, covered with scales. Elytra subovoid, rather elongate, rounded at sides, weakly impressed at base, convex on dorsum, humeral calli more or less obsolete, striae with close punctures, interstriae flat, finely punctate. Legs with tibiae short and robust, protibiae on outer margin widely curved inwards before apex. Aedeagus in lateral view distinctly curved before apex, in dorsal view elliptical-elongate in apical region ( Fig. 12b); endophallic structures as in Fig. 8b. Hemisternites as in Fig. 10b; spiculum ventrale as in Fig. 11b; spermatheca as in Fig. 49b.

Etymology. The specific name is a Latin patronymic adjective referring to the inhabitants of the province of Gerunda (now Gerona).

Distribution. Iberian endemite: north-eastern Catalonia ( Fig. 69).

Material examined. Holotype male: Gerona, L’Estartit, El Montgri, 3.11.2000, leg. Bellò ( MMA); paratypes: Torroella de Montgri , 3.11.2000, leg. Bellò (26 in BEL, 1 OSE); do., leg. Pierotti (1 MMA, 1 OSE, 16 PIE, 1 VEC).

Biology. Collected under Thymus sp. (Lamiaceae) .