Microcosmodes persicus, Häckel, Martin & Azadbakhsh, Saeed, 2016

Häckel, Martin & Azadbakhsh, Saeed, 2016, Two new species of Microcosmodes Strand (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Panagaenini) from Oman and Iran, Zootaxa 4137 (4), pp. 553-560 : 555-557

Microcosmodes persicus sp. nov.

( Fig. 2 )

Type material. Holotype ♂: “CS Asia, Iran, Hormozgan Province, Shamil env, 10.III.2015 (N 27°29'27", E 56°52'25"). Leg. S. Azadbakhsh” ( NMPC, Figs 2 a–c, Fig. 6 ). Paratypes, 3♂, 6♀: (same data as holotype) (cMH, cSA, 1♂, 1♀ TNM); 1♀: “CS Asia, Iran (Hormozgan Prov.), N Bandar Abbas /Genu, N 27°42'39.7", E 56°18'21.2"). Seyahn vill. 559 m (partly irrigated garden/ wasteland, under stones) 10.III.2015 Wrase & Laser [19]” (cDW).

Description of holotype. Length 7.5 mm (maximum in PT 8.5 mm), width 3.1 mm (maximum in PT 3.5 mm). Proportions: Pronotum 1.50x wider than long, 1.9x wider than head, elytra 1.43x wider than pronotum.

Color: head, pronotum and elytra black, glossy; palps yellowish; mandibles and labrum reddish, legs and antennae ferrugineous. Each elytron either black or in some specimens with one or two yellow maculae; if maculae developed, humeral macula reaches from 2nd interval to margin and to epipleura, preapical macula reaches from 3rd interval to margin. Dorsal and ventral sides of body black, covered by yellow setae.

Head: large, wide, about twice narrower than pronotum; eyes strongly convex; temples short; labrum weakly excavated at anterior side; clypeus smooth; vertex flat, coarsely punctured; anterior part of frons smooth, posteriorly and laterally depressed, rugate, lateral margin with sulcus rimming it from antennal base to midlength of eyes; lateral pits shallow, rugate and coarsely punctured. Neck short, wide, smooth.

Pronotum: transverse (length to width ratio 1.50), widest behind midlength; lateral angles broadly rounded, arcuate and narrowing anteriorly; front angles distinct, open, not too rounded, not extending anteriorly; front margin narrower than base; lateral margins widening posteriorly, arcuate and narrowing toward base, hind angles each with a very small excision in front of angle, creating a small dent; base straight, very weakly oblique only near hind angle; lateral rims weakly developed, punctured, narrowing anteriorly; disc densely rugate and punctured; sagittal line indistinct; basal pits shallow, indistinct, coarsely punctured.

Elytra: ovoid, widest at midlength; humeri developed, weakly rounded; margins rounded, widening posterolaterally; basal rim indistinct, striae deeply impressed and regularly, deeply punctured; intervals strongly convex, sparsely and shallowly punctured, spaces between punctures without microsculpture.

Venter: black, metepisternum antero-posteriorly longer than wide, trapeziform, punctured, narrowing posteriorly, similarly shaped as in M. arabicus sp. n. ( Fig. 3 a). Ventrites laterally rugate, finely rugate at middle, sparsely covered by long yellowish setae.

Aedeagus: more robust than in preceding species, pointed termination of apex shorter, without indication of a hook ( Figs 2 b, c).

Differential diagnosis. Microcosmodes persicus sp. nov. differs from M. arabicus sp. nov. by the apex of the aedeagus and even more obviously in the elytral color pattern. In M. persicus the maculae are always more reduced and never form a Maltese cross ( Figs 6–9 ); the reduction is usually significant, with the humeral macula often indicated only as a trace of color and the apical macula absent ( Figs 6, 7 ), or both maculae absent ( Fig. 9 ). Etymology. Named for Iran, formerly Persia.

Distribution. Iran, Hormozgan Province.

Figures

FIGURE 2 Microcosmodes persicus sp. nov., HT (male): a. dorsal habitus; b. aedeagus, lateral view; c. aedeagus, dorsal view to apex.

FIGURE 3 Microcosmodes persicus sp. nov., PT female, protarsomeres of both sexes: a. left metepisternum; b. protarsomeres in male; c. protarsomeres in female; d. head, ventral view, detail with mentum, glossae and paraglossae (outlined in black).

FIGURES 4 – 11. Microcosmodes cruciatus group, dorsal habitus (Scale bar = 5 mm): FIg. 4. Microcosmodes arabicus sp. nov., HT (male). FIg. 5. Microcosmodes cruciatus (Dejean, 1831), HT (male, MNHN). FIg. 6. Microcosmodes persicus sp. nov., HT (male). FIg. 7. Microcosmodes persicus sp. nov., PT, female. FIg. 8. Microcosmodes persicus sp. nov., PT, female. FIg. 9. Microcosmodes persicus sp. nov., PT, female. FIg. 10. Microcosmodes flavopilosus (Laferté-Sénectere, 1851), male, Pakistan (Sind). FIg. 11. Microcosmodes laetus (Dejean, 1831), male, Sierra Leone (det. by Alluaud, MNHN).