Sarandibrinus, Lackner, Tomas & Gomy, Yves, 2014

Lackner, Tomas & Gomy, Yves, 2014, Sarandibrinus, a new genus of Saprininae subfamily from Madagascar (Coleoptera, Histeridae) (Second contribution to the knowledge of the Histeridae of Madagascar), ZooKeys 427, pp. 109-125 : 111-112

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Histeridae

Sarandibrinus gen. n.

Type species.

Sarandibrinus araceliae sp. n.

Diagnosis.

Small, castaneous, shining Saprininae ; basal half of elytra glabrous, apical half covered with rugulose-lacunose punctation. Head comparatively large, frontal and supra-orbital striae absent, sensory structures of antennal club in form a single ball-shaped vesicle situated on internal distal side of the antenna under the apical slit-like orifice, pronotum wholly punctate, pronotal hypomeron ciliate; prosternal foveae large, round and deep. Meso- and metaventrite as well as first visible abdominal ventrite wholly punctate; spiculum gastrale only slightly constricted laterally instead of possessing a clear ‘head’ and ‘stem’ (sensu Caterino and Tishechkin 2013).

Differential diagnosis.

By the absent frontal and supra-orbital striae this taxon can be confused with two other sympatric genera: Gnathoncus Jacquelin du Val, 1858 (differing from it by the cuticular colour as well as presence of prosternal foveae) or Euspilotus Lewis, 1907, differing from it likewise by the metallic dorsum, ciliate pronotal epipleuron (both species of Euspilotus known from the region have glabrous pronotal hypomeron) or coarsely punctate frontal disk, with punctures forming elongate rugae (both Euspilotus species known from the region have their frontal disks covered with scattered punctures, never forming elongate rugae. The best differentiating character between the three taxa is probably the number of vesicles inside the antennal club: Gnathoncus possesses five, Euspilotus two or three, respectively, while Sarandibrinus has only one vesicle. The single vesicle character is present also in the sympatric genera Hypocaccus , Hypocacculus and Malagasyprinus , but the vesicle is pear-shaped vs. ball shaped in Sarandibrinus . Hypocaccus , Hypocacculus and Malagasyprinus furthermore, possess frontal and supraorbital striae, while Sarandibrinus lacks both. By the large oblique and deep prosternal foveae this taxon can be confused with the recently described genus Malagasyprinus Lackner & Gomy, 2013, differing from it by the cuticular colour (castaneous vs. dark blue/green) as well as absence of frontal and supra-orbital striae ( Malagasyprinus possesses supra-orbital striae and its frontal stria is widely interrupted and prolonged onto clypeus). See also Key to the genera of the Saprininae from Madagascar (below).

Biology.

The series of the new taxon was collected by sifting the litter in spiny forest (thicket) as well as by flight intercept (or yellow pan, Malaise) traps in desert scrub forest.

Distribution.

Madagascar, Toliara Province (Fig. 22).

Etymology.

The name of this new genus has been formed using the word “Sarandib” - one of the ancient names given by Arabs to the far-flung island that later became Madagascar and “rinus” - the two final syllabus of the name " Saprinus " to demonstrate its position as belonging to the Saprininae subfamily.