Exaesiopus laevis Therond , 1964

Lackner, Tomas, 2015, Revision of the genus Exaesiopus Reichardt, 1926 (Coleoptera, Histeridae, Saprininae), ZooKeys 479, pp. 65-108 : 87

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Histeridae

Exaesiopus laevis Therond, 1964 Figs 89, 90-97

Exaesiopus laevis Thérond 1964: (3) 72; Mazur (1984): 101; Mazur (1997): 264; Mazur (2011): 210.

Type locality.

Guardafui, Somalia.

Type material examined.

Holotype, ♀, mounted on its side on a triangular point, right protibia missing, with printed label: "SOMALI REP. / North region", followed by another printed label: "Guardafui / XI. 1959 / C. Hemming"; with another printed-written label: "J. Thérond det., 1962 / Exaesiopus / laevis n. sp." and a red label attached to it (printed-written): "TYPE / Esemplare / unico"; with another yellow, pencil-written label: “D08-092”, added by myself (MSNM).

Diagnostic description.

Body length: PEL: 2.375 mm; APW: 0.825 mm; PPW: 1.75 mm; EL: 1.50 mm; EW: 2.00 mm.

Body (Fig. 89) without metallic tinge; legs, mouthparts and antennae light brown; antennal club amber. Antennae as in Exaesiopus grossipes ; sensory structures of the antennal club not examined. Mouthparts: mentum (Fig. 90) glabrous, sub-quadrate, shallowly inwardly arcuate on anterior margin; anterior margin with several rather long setae intermingled with short sparse ramose setae; rest of the mouthparts as in Exaesiopus grossipes . Clypeus and frons (Fig. 91) similar to those of Exaesiopus henoni . Pronotum almost smooth, only laterally and behind head with vague patches of shallow sparse punctation; otherwise similar to that of Exaesiopus henoni . Elytra: inner subhumeral stria absent; elytral disc entirely smooth. Propygidium and pygidium (Fig. 92) similar to other congeners, but only sparsely punctate, punctures separated by several times their own diameter. Prosternum (Fig. 93): prosternal foveae tiny, almost invisible; prosternal process otherwise similar to that of other congeners. Mesoventrite (Fig. 94) glabrous, about as long as wide; metaventrite smooth; lateral disc of metaventrite and metepisternum similar to those of Exaesiopus henoni . Intercoxal disc of first abdominal sternite similar to that of Exaesiopus henoni . Protibia (Figs 95-96) similar to that of Exaesiopus henoni , but outer margin of teeth topped by large triangular denticles, more similar in size than those of Exaesiopus henoni , furthermore outer part of posterior surface of protibia of Exaesiopus laevis obscurely variolate, whereas it is glabrous in Exaesiopus henoni . Mesotibia generally similar to that of Exaesiopus henoni , but denticles on outer margin shorter. Metatibia (Fig. 97) likewise generally similar to that of Exaesiopus henoni , but denticles on outer margin more numerous.

Male unavailable.

Differential diagnosis.

This species is most similar to Exaesiopus henoni , from which it differs by almost impunctate pronotum (punctate in Exaesiopus henoni ), smooth elytra (punctate in Exaesiopus henoni ) and obscurely variolate posterior surface of protibia (glabrous in Exaesiopus henoni ). From the rest of Exaesiopus species it differs by the characters given in the Key to species (below).

Biology.

Unknown, possibly similar to the congeners.

Distribution.

Known only from north-extreme tip of Somalia: Guardafoui.

Remarks.

This species is morphologically rather similar to Exaesiopus henoni , which is known also from the neighbouring Djibouti. The discovery of a male of Exaesiopus laevis would help to elucidate the identities of the two respective species.