Maechidius crypticus Telnov 2020, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Telnov, Dmitry
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2020
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Scarabaeidae
Maechidius
Maechidius crypticus

description: Maechidius crypticus sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: B63FE428-02B0-42E0-A347-510931841CAB
Figs 32, 112–113, 207, 299, 371, 465–466, 541, 598–600
Etymology
The name of this species is derived from the Greek “κρυπτός” (‘cryptic’), referring to its strong external similarity to several Papuan congeners (see description for the list of these similar species).
Type material
Holotype
PAPUA NEW GUINEA • ♂; “Stn. No. 137. [p] // NEW GUINEA: Morobe Dist., Herzog Mts., Vagau, C. 4,000 ft. 4-17.I.1965. [p]// M.E. Bacchus. B.M. 1965-120 [p] // P. pauxillus Hell. [h] det. G Frey. 1967/68 [p]”; BMNH.
Paratypes (7 specimens)
PAPUA NEW GUINEA • 2 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀; same labels as for holotype; BMNH.
Description
MEASUREMENTS. Male holotype, total body length 6.50 mm. Head 1.20 mm long, across eyes 1.50 mm wide. Pronotum 1.30 mm long, maximum width 2.10 mm. Elytral length 4.00 mm, maximum combined width 2.80 mm. Selected female paratype, total body length 7.85 mm. Head 1.35 mm long, across eyes
1.60 mm wide. Pronotum 1.50 mm long, maximum width 2.30 mm. Elytral length 5.00 mm, maximum combined width 3.70 mm.
With general features of M. lapsus sp. nov., M. owenstanleyi sp. nov. (see descriptions below) and M. pauxillus comb. rest. Frons strongly humped in lateral view. Male and female labroclypeus broadly emarginate on anterior margin. Anterolateral angles of labroclypeus strongly protruding, acute (Figs 112–113). Lateral margins of labroclypeus in both sexes slightly sinuous in both dorsal and lateral views. Antennae 9-segmented, club 3-lamellate. Dorsal surface in part covered with microscopic velvety pubescence. Head and pronotum with moderately long, suberect elongate scale-like setae; each seta rises from anterior margin of deep irregularly oblong puncture. Lateral margin of pronotum obtuse angulate medially, deeply emarginate postmedially (Fig. 207). Scale-like setae longer and broader on sides and anterior part of pronotal disc than along median part, also with numerous much smaller setae not surpassing length of corresponding punctures. Hypomeron flange-like produced. Antennal pocket deep. With or without tracks of two longitudinal carinae on each elytron, carinae incomplete, with interruptions. Sutural carinae incomplete and interrupted. Elytral punctures irregular in shape, deep, somewhat irregularly clustered (Fig. 299) and generally smaller than those on pronotum. Setae between puncture clusters longer, scale-like, stronger erect, arranged in several irregular longitudinal rows. Setae in puncture clusters minute, not surpassing length of corresponding punctures. Male and female pygidium deeply oblongo-punctate, with more or less dense scale-like elongate setae which point obliquely to middle (in main part) (Figs 465–466). Intervening spaces of pygidium in part covered with microscopical velvety pubescence. Protibia with inconspicuous longitudinal dorsal carina, in male with single inconspicuous distal tooth, in female with two acute teeth (Fig. 371). Metatibial terminal spurs in both sexes distinctly shorter than length of basal metatarsomere. Spiculum gastrale as in Fig. 541. Male aedeagus as in Figs 598–600.
Sexual dimorphism
Female is generally larger, with shorter lamellae of antennal club, straight and pointed protibial terminal spur and distally bidentate protibia.
Ecology
Occurs in lower montane rainforests at about 1220 m altitude.
Distribution
Hitherto known from the Herzog Mountains of East New Guinea.
description: Published as part of Telnov, Dmitry, 2020, A revision of the Maechidiini Burmeister, 1855 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae) from the Indo-Australian transition zone, and the first record of the tribe west of Wallace's Line, pp. 1-210 in European Journal of Taxonomy 721 on pages 38-39, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2020.721.1127, http://zenodo.org/record/4122118