Mesoceration durabilis, Perkins, 2008

Perkins, Philip D., 2008, Facial affect recognition in individuals at clinical high risk for psychosis, Zootaxa 1864, pp. 1-124 : 30-31

Mesoceration durabilis new species

( Figs. 38 , 40 , 101 )

Type Material. Holotype (male): South Africa: Western Cape Province, 2 mi SW of Citrusdal , elev. 150 m, 32° 37' S, 19° ' E, 30 April 1958, E. S. Ross & R. E. Leech. Deposited in the TMSA . Paratypes: Same data as holotype (7 CAS) .

Differential Diagnosis. M. durabilis individuals are recognized among distinctum group members by the coarsely punctate pronotal reliefs, the granulate elytra, and the large size (ca. 1.94 mm) ( Fig. 38 ). The aedeagus is quite distinct from that of the other members of the group ( Fig. 40 ).

Description. Size (length/width, mm) holotype: body (length to elytral apices) 1.94/0.76; head 0.32/ 0.46; pronotum 0.39/0.53; elytra 1.20/0.76. Dorsum of head, pronotal disc, and venter piceous; lateral margins of pronotum, elytra, and maxillary palpi rufobrunneous.

Head with labrum effacedly microreticulate, weakly shining. Clypeus effacedly microreticulate, moderately densely, moderately coarsely punctate, interstices ca. 1xpd. Frons microreticulate laterally, disc shining, more sparsely punctate than clypeus, interstices ca. 2xpd; anteocellar sulci deep. Ocelli distinct. Mentum and submentum microreticulate.

Pronotum cordate, widest in front of middle; anterior angles rounded, posterior rectangular; sides finely margined, feebly crenulate; anterior margin shallowly arcuate over median 3/4, without hyaline border; dull, microreticulate, densely and coarsely, almost rugosely, punctate, punctures on reliefs ca. 3xef; with 10 distinct foveae: two median, an anterior elongate and round posterior, shallowly confluent; a small round anterior and larger oval posterior admedian; and a large anterior and large deep posterior adlateral on each side; each puncture with a fine short seta.

Elytra almost parallel­sided, apices subtruncate; sutural apices rectangular; sides smooth, weakly explanate. Serial punctures small at base, smaller than largest pronotal punctures, progressively finer apically, discal punctures separated by ca. 2xpd; series 1 near base weakly striate­impressed; anterior rim of socket of each punctural seta with minute granule; seven series between suture and carina, 5th and 6th series separated by 6th interval. Intervals, except 8th, flat, with irregular surface, dull, very finely unilinearly punctulate, some punctures with minute granule at anterior rim of socket; width on disc about 2–3xpd; 8th strongly costate. All punctures bearing a short fine seta.

Thoracic ventrites and abdominal ventrites 1–4 densely clothed with short setae, except glabrous posterior part of proventral midlongitudinal ridge, mesoventral plaques, and small glabrous strongly shining triangular area basomedially on metaventrite. Metaventral disc flat, with shallow midlongitudinal groove in posterior 1/ 2. Abdominal ventrites as follow: 1st with submedial and sublateral basal carina on each side; 5th similarly clothed in basal band, posterior 2/5 glabrous and shining; 6th glabrous and obsoletely microreticulate, with posterior band of piliferous punctures.

Legs of male with two spiniform setae on apical protarsomere. Femora and tibiae effacedly microreticulate.

Females with elytral explanate margin slightly wider, elytral apices more widely, roundly truncate; pronotal anterior angles more produced than in males.

Wings fully developed on holotype and all dissected males.

Aedeagus length ca. 0.44 mm; main­piece rather slender in both views, arcuate in basal 1/ 2 in lateral view, apex flat, short; distal piece short compared to length of main­piece, markedly angulate in lateral view; parameres terminating slightly beyond apex of main­piece ( Fig. 40 ).

Etymology. Named in reference to the hard dorsal cuticle.

Distribution. Currently known only from the type locality near Citrusdal, in western Western Cape Province ( Fig. 101 ).

Figures

FIGURE 38. Mesoceration durabilis, dorsal and lateral habitus of holotype.

FIGURES 40–43. Mesoceration, aedeagi of holotypes. —40. M. durabilis. —41. M. disjunctum. —42. M. repandum. —43. M. reticulatum.

FIGURES 101–102. Geographical distributions of Mesoceration species.