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

description: Maechidius caperatus sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 9440F4C6-085C-46F1-BBDB-469D0D04AC53
Figs 30, 108, 208, 297, 369, 463, 540, 592–594
Differential diagnosis
This species strongly resembles Maechidius sturnus Arrow (Yapen Island), but differs readily in the shape of the aedeagus, less regular (stronger sinuous arranged) punctures of the elytra and in the absence of three long paired setae on the male abdominal sternites 2 and 3.
Etymology
The name of this species is derived from the Latin ‘ caperatus ’, meaning ‘wrinkled’, referring to the irregularly wrinkled pattern of the pronotum and elytra.
Type material
Holotype INDONESIA • ♂; “INDONESIA, Irian Jaya Nabire area, road Nabire–Ilaga, km 54, 03°29’517”S 135°43’913”E, 750m NN IV.1998, leg. M.Balke // Sammlung NATURKUNDEMUSEUM ERFURT”; NME.
Description
MEASUREMENTS. Male holotype, total body length 8.15 mm. Head 1.75 mm long, across eyes 2.00 mm wide. Pronotum 1.90 mm long, maximum width 3.20 mm. Elytral length 4.50 mm, maximum combined width 3.60 mm.
Dorsum and venter uniformly black, edges of labroclypeus, legs and antennae dark brown. Head transverse, glossy dorsally and ventrally, inconspicuously convex on frons. Male labroclypeus (Fig. 108) broadly V-shaped emarginate on anterior margin, its lateral margins sinuous in both dorsal and lateral views. Anterolateral angles of labroclypeus almost right-angular, protruding anteriad. Canthus sinuous in dorsal view. Head punctures circular to irregularly ovoid, very deep and dense, variably large. Intervening spaces glossy, much smaller than punctures except on labroclypeus. At least labroclypeus and areas around either compound eye covered with microscopical velvety pubescence. Head setae minute, rise from anterior margin of each puncture, in most cases not surpassing length of corresponding punctures. Pronotum strongly transverse, glossy dorsally and laterally, sinuous on anterior margin, anterolateral angles and mesal part almost equally slightly protruding anteriad. Basal margin of pronotum slightly sinuous. Irregular shallow dorsal impressions present on pronotum: small circular one on either side around centre of lateral margin, longitudinal one delimiting lateral third of pronotal disc from central part, and single median longitudinal one (Fig. 30). Lateral margin of pronotum in dorsal view broadly rounded, stronger constricted postmedially towards base than anteriad, delicately crenulate all along (Fig. 208). Inconspicuous appressed scale-like seta present between every two crenulae. Lateral margin of pronotum sinuous in lateral view. Hypomeron slightly emarginate and long setose on anterior margin which is flange-like protruding. Antennal pocket deep. Median anterior process of prosternum extraordinarily long brushy setose, flange-like raised. Pronotal punctures irregularly ovoid, very deep, dense, mainly positioned in sinuous rows. Punctures generally smaller and more regularly circular in areas of dorsal impressions. Intervening spaces glossy, in part wrinkled, smaller than punctures. Lateral margins, antero- and posterolateral angles and dorsal impressions covered with delicate microscopical velvety pubescence. Pronotal setae similar to those on head, rarely surpassing midlength of corresponding punctures. Scutellar shield covered with microscopical velvety pubescence, narrowly rounded apically. Elytra cylindrical, subopaque, maximum width in median third. Large obtuse hump on each elytron near apex. Elytral punctures irregularly ovoid, very deep and dense, mainly positioned in sinuous rows in various directions, building conspicuous “dactyloscopic” pattern (Fig. 297). Intervening spaces glossy, wrinkled, generally smaller than punctures. Elytral setae minute, rise from anterior margin of each puncture, not surpassing midlength of corresponding puncture. With few longer appressed scalelike clavate setae scattered over elytral disc; punctures bearing those longer setae partly or completely encircled with microscopical velvety pubescence (Fig. 297). Male abdominal sternites medially with somewhat longer and curved scale-like setae. Male pygidium (Fig. 463) with deep ovoid, rather small punctures. Intervening spaces glossy, generally larger than punctures, covered with microscopical velvety pubescence. Setae of pygidium scale-like, clavate, shorter on anterior, longer on median and posterior parts (surpassing length of corresponding punctures), becoming suberect and longer along distal margin. External margin of male protibia arched, with single acute distal tooth (Fig. 369). Male terminal protibial spur straight, short and pointed. Male lower meso- and metatibial terminal spurs large and strongly curved. Spiculum gastrale as in Fig. 540 Aedeagus as in Figs 592–594.
Sexual dimorphism
Female is unknown.
Ecology
Occurs in lowland rainforests at about 750 m altitude.
Distribution
Hitherto only known from the Bird’s Neck isthmus area 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 34-36, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2020.721.1127, http://zenodo.org/record/4122118