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

description: Maechidius weigeli sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 9C17E972-B606-419C-AC72-6713B01D5546
Figs 6, 94, 191–192, 263, 354, 426, 531–532, 739–741
Differential diagnosis
Differs from all congeners in the shape of the aedeagus and in the setation and structure of the pygidium.
Etymology
Patronymic. This species is named after Andreas Weigel (Wernburg, Germany), a famous expert on oldworld Cerambycidae and my good friend.
Type material
Holotype
INDONESIA • ♂; “ INDONESIA or. Irian Jaya 170km S Nabire Epomani 1150m, 06.I.1996 leg. A. Weigel ”; NME.
Paratypes (5 specimens)
INDONESIA • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; same label as for holotype; NME • 1 ♂; same label as for holotype; DTC • 2 ♂♂; “ IRIAN JAYA:J.- Waropen Pr. Wapoga Riv., 100m, Kwadewa, loading [sic ♂ logging] road, km 80 1-2.III. 1999, leg. A.RIEDEL”; SMNS.
Description
MEASUREMENTS. Male holotype, total body length 6.60 mm. Head 1.40 mm long, across eyes 1.60 mm wide. Pronotum 1.40 mm long, maximum width 2.10 mm. Elytral length 3.80 mm, maximum combined width 2.90 mm. Selected paratypes 5.80–6.40 mm long.
With general features of the pauxillus group. Dorsal surface opaque except on anterior margin of labroclypeus. Frons with paired hump. Male labroclypeus (Fig. 191) broadly rather deeply emarginate on anterior margin. Anterolateral angles of labroclypeus acute in male, strongly protruding, raised up at angle of nearly 90° to frons in lateral view (Fig. 6). Female labroclypeus with comparatively less acute anterolateral angles (Fig. 192). Lateral margins of labroclypeus slightly sinuous in dorsal, but strongly in lateral view. Head dorsum except on anterior margin of labroclypeus covered with microscopic velvety pubescence. Head punctures elongate, very deep, moderately dense. Head with moderately long, appressed scale-like setae. Setae becoming distinctly longer, suberect to erect and stronger clavate on humps of frons (Figs 191–192). Antenna 9-segmented, club 3-lamellate. Pronotum transverse, slightly sinuous on anterior margin with protruding anterolateral angles. Basal margin broadly rounded, posterolateral angles right-angled. Lateral margin of pronotum in dorsal view almost straight to gradually widened towards middle, moderately strongly emarginate postmedially, crenulate all along (Fig. 263). Lateral margin of pronotum sinuous in lateral view. Two flat humps on anterior margin opposite to those on frons (Fig. 263). Pronotal punctures ovoid, variably large, very deep, dense. Pronotal dorsum and hypomeron covered with microscopic velvety pubescence. Pronotal setae minute, rise from anterior margin of each puncture, generally not surpassing midlength of corresponding puncture. Few slightly longer scale-like setae scattered over pronotal disc, not surpassing length of corresponding punctures. Posterolateral angles of pronotum with moderately long scale-like clavate setae. Setae on pronotal humps also long, erect, scale-like and clavate. Small group of large appressed setae on either side of pronotum along postmedian emargination. Hypomeron flange-like produced, slightly emarginate and very long setose opposite to compound eye. Antennal pocket deep. Scutellar shield rounded apically. Elytron with glabrous elevated broadly interrupted track of sutural carina. Elytral punctures irregularly shaped, deep and dense (Fig. 354) and generally smaller than those on pronotum. Setae minute, arising from anterior margin of each puncture, not surpassing midlength of corresponding punctures. Much longer suberect scale-like clavate setae arranged in irregular longitudinal rows across elytra. Male pygidium flattened dorsally, slightly impressed in anterior third, dense and deep moderately large punctate (Fig. 531). Intervening spaces opaque, microreticulate, covered with microscopical velvety pubescence. Setae of pygidium minute, with paired group of scale-like clavate suberect pubescence in median part. Female pygidium with setae more regular in size and shape (Fig. 532). Protibia with inconspicuous longitudinal dorsal carina, with two inconspicuous distal teeth (Fig. 426). Male protibial terminal spur strongly curved, female one shorter and nearly straight. Male lower meso- and metatibial terminal spurs curved, rather short. Male aedeagus as in Figs 739–741.
Sexual dimorphism
Female lamellae of antennal club shorter; anterior margin of labroclypeus nearly subtruncate, shallower (Fig. 192); tibial terminal spurs not curved.
Ecology
Occurs in lower montane rainforests at about 1150 m altitude.
Distribution
Hitherto known from the westernmost part of the Central Cordillera (Nabire surroundings; Wapoga River valley) of 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 125-126, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2020.721.1127, http://zenodo.org/record/4122118