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

description: Maechidius similis sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 3727E57E-1211-4A7A-BC4A-804DBF844DAF
Figs 82, 175–176, 252, 343, 415, 516, 708–711
Differential diagnosis
This species is generally close to Maechidius subcostatus Heller, 1895, but readily differs primarily in the shape of the male aedeagus. The aedeagus of M. similis sp. nov. is similar to that in M. hirtipes Arrow, 1941 (cf. Figs 620–622, 708–711), but specifically different in the dorsal and lateral aspects, with a broader dorsal opening of the parameres with their lateral and posterior margins somewhat raised and visible in lateral view.
Etymology
Named from the Latin ‘ similis ’ (meaning ‘similar’), because of the similarity in external morphology to Maechidius subcostatus.
Type material
Holotype
PAPUA NEW GUINEA • ♂; “Stn. No. 51. [p] // NEW GUINEA: Madang Dist., Finisterre Mts. Budemu c. 4000 ft. 15-24.x.1964 [p] // M.E. Bacchus. B.M. 1965-120. [p]”; BMNH.
Paratypes (12 specimens)
PAPUA NEW GUINEA • 6 ♀♀; same labels as for holotype; BMNH • 2 ♀♀; “Stn. No. 46. [p] // NEW GUINEA: Madang Dist., Finisterre Mts. Damanti 3,550 ft. 2-11.x.1964 [p] // M.E. Bacchus. B.M. 1965-120. [p]”; BMNH • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; “Stn. No. 46. [p]// NEW GUINEA: Madang Dist., Finisterre Mts. Damanti 3,550 ft. 2-11.x.1964 [p]// M.E. Bacchus. B.M. 1965-120. [p] // Maechidius hirtipes Ar. [h] det. G.Frey,1967/68 [p]”; BMNH • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; “Stn. No. 174. [p] // NEW GUINEA: E. Highlands Dist., Wanatabe valley. Nr. Okapa, c. 5,000 ft. 5.ii.1965 [p] // M.E. Bacchus. B.M. 1965-120. [p] // Maechidius tarsalis ♀ Ar. [h] det. G.Frey,1967/68 [p]”; BMNH.
Description
MEASUREMENTS. Holotype, total body length 9.45 mm. Head 1.65 mm long, across eyes 2.15 mm wide. Pronotum 1.90 mm long, maximum width 3.00 mm. Elytral length 5.90 mm, maximum combined width 4.80 mm. Selected paratypes 8.80–10.30 mm long.
Dorsum uniformly black-brown, venter and appendages brown. Head flattened dorsally between compound eyes, glossy dorsally and ventrally. Male labroclypeus (Fig. 175) deeply and broadly V-shaped emarginate on anterior margin, its lateral margins strongly sinuous in both dorsal and lateral views. Anterolateral angles acute, apically rounded, strongly protruding, raised up at angle of nearly 90° to frons in lateral view. Female labroclypeus (Fig. 176) with much less protruding anterolateral angles. Anterior and lateral margins of labroclypeus smooth. Upper- and underside of labroclypeus with sparse setae along anterior and lateral margins. Canthus broadly rounded in dorsal view. Punctures of frons irregularly hexagonal, variably large, deep and dense. Intervening spaces glossy, much smaller than punctures, in part wrinkled. Head setae inconspicuous, appressed to suberect, not or hardly surpassing length of corresponding punctures. Antenna 9-segmented, club 3-lamellate. Pronotum transverse, flattened dorsally, glossy to subopaque dorsally and laterally. Anterior margin broadly emarginate with slightly protruding anterolateral angles, basal margin broadly rounded. Lateral margin in dorsal view slightly gradually widened towards middle, deeply emarginate in basal third, crenulate in anterior half (crenulae acute angulate at area of emargination), irregularly rugulose in emargination area. Lateral margin of pronotum arched in lateral view. Inconspicuous erect seta present between every two crenulae (Fig. 252). Hypomeron separated from prosternum by moderately high nearly straight carina which is obtusely angulate medially, with long setae on its anterolateral margin opposite to compound eye. Antennal pocket moderately deep. Punctures of pronotal disc irregularly hexagonal, large and coarse, deep and dense. Intervening spaces glossy, distinctly smaller than punctures, in part wrinkled. Pronotal setae inconspicuous; seta rises from anterior margin of each puncture, not surpassing length of corresponding puncture. Scutellar shield narrowly rounded apically. Elytron opaque, with tracks of 3–4 variously broadly interrupted glabrous longitudinal carinae, including sutural one. Elytral punctures linear (elongate and narrow), incision-shaped, moderately deep. Intervening spaces densely microreticulate. Appressed to suberect seta rises from anterior margin of each incision, not surpassing length of corresponding incision (Fig. 343). Slightly longer setae present along remnants of longitudinal carinae. Male and female pygidium flattened dorsally, with large shallow dense irregularly circular punctures. Intervening spaces microreticulate, much smaller than punctures. Male and female pygidium flattened dorsally, opaque, with dense large and shallow annular punctures (Fig. 516). Setae of pygidium inconspicuous, short and suberect, in anterior slightly, in distal part distinctly surpassing length of corresponding punctures. Protibia slender, with three external teeth: two distal acute and rather large, basal one situated close to midlength of protibia very inconspicuous (Fig. 415). Male protibial terminal spur long and straight, female one longer and stouter. Tarsal claws with pulvilli. Aedeagus as in Figs 709–711.
Sexual dimorphism
Female generally more robust, with comparatively shorter antennal lamellae, longer protibial terminal spur and apically rounded (not pointed) metatibial terminal spurs.
Ecology
Occurs at altitudes of 1080–1520 m.
Distribution
Hitherto known from Finisterre Mountains and Central Cordillera (Eastern Highlands Province), 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 106-108, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2020.721.1127, http://zenodo.org/record/4122118