Mecyclothorax jeanyvesi, Liebherr, James K., 2013

Liebherr, James K., 2013, The Mecyclothorax beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Moriomorphini) of Tahiti, Society Islands, ZooKeys 322, pp. 1-170 : 22-23

7. Mecyclothorax jeanyvesi sp. n.

Diagnosis.

The pronotum of this species is uniquely shaped among known members of this species group, with the lateral margins concave anterad slightly projected, acute hind angles (Fig. 13C). The eyes are convex and moderately protruded; ocular ratio 1.48, ocular lobe ratio 0.78. Only the posterior supraorbital and lateral pronotal setae are present, leading to a setal formula of 1101. Microsculpture of the dorsal body surface is well developed, the head with isodiametric and transverse sculpticells mixed in a regular mesh, the pronotal disc with a mixture of shallow isodiametric and transverse sculpticells, and the discal elytral intervals with a shallow transverse mesh, sculpticell breadth 2 –3× length supporting indistinct iridescence. Standardized body length 6.0 mm. Head with broad, shallow, ill-defined frontal grooves, transverse wrinkles emanating from the grooves mesally onto frons; antennae short, moniliform, antennomere 8 length 1.55 × maximal breadth. Pronotum moderately transverse, MPW/PL =1.33; pronotal base nearly as broad as maximal breadth, MPW/BPW = 1.05; front angles close together, APW/BPW = 0.65, the pronotal margin anteriorly rounded laterad the pronotal juncture with the neck; median base indistinctly depressed relative to disc near midline, more depressed laterally where juncture is marked by indistinct longitudinal wrinkles; laterobasal depression broad, impunctate, explanate lateral margin transversely wrinkled to canaliculate anterad hind angle; anterior transverse impression obsolete, mostly indicated by minute longitudinal wrinkles. Elytra moderately convex, maximally elevated from the depressed scutellum posteriorly to the apex of the parascutellar striole; striae 1-6 moderately incised, finely and regularly punctate throughout much of length, smooth in apical quarter, elytral intervals moderately convex; stria 7 shallow but continuous basally, finely incised, smooth at elytral apex where it is associated with the subcarinate eighth interval, that interval nearly vertically convex dorsad subapical sinuation; lateral elytral setae 7 + 6. Coloration of head capsule evenly rufobrunneous; antennomere 1 flavous, 2 rufoflavous, 3-11 rufobrunneous; pronotal disc dark rufous, anterior portion of lateral depression and laterobasal depression rufoflavous; elytral disc rufobrunneous, the sutural interval pale rufous near scutellum, rufoflavous apically; elytral apex graded to rufoflavous; femora flavous, tibiae flavous with a smoky cast.

Female reproductive tract. The single female specimen as not dissected.

Holotype female (MNHN) labeled: French Polynesia: Tahiti Nui / Pito Hiti el. 2070 m 2-VI- / 2006 lot 01 pyrethrin fog / 17°36.813'S, 149°27.842'W / E.M. Claridge // HOLOTYPE / Mecyclothorax / jeanyvesi / J.K. Liebherr 2013 (black-bordered red label).

Etymology.

The species epithet honors Dr. Jean-Yves Meyer, botanist extradordinaire, who accompanied Dr. Claridge on the expedition to Pito Hiti. The epithet is derived in a manner parallel to that of Mecyclothorax gerardi - to which this species bears close similarity - as that species was named to honor Gerard H. Perrault, a specialist on Formicidae , Tahitian collecting colleague, and the describer’s brother.

Distribution and habitat.

The single specimen was collected in a pyrethrin fog sample of moss-covered vegetation at 2070 m elevation on Pito Hiti, only 40 m elevation below the summit.