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

description: Maechidius babyrousa sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: E9202A3D-800A-47B0-B9D0-884E 101246 ED
Figs 25, 106–107, 203, 293, 365, 438–440, 449–450, 458–459, 538, 582–585
Differential diagnosis
This species is most similar to M. peregrinus Lansberge, M. deltouri sp. nov., M. legalovi sp. nov. and M. suwawa sp. nov. (all from Sulawesi). This new species readily differs from them and other congeners only in the shape of the male genital organs, labroclypeus, apically unidentate (males) or bidentate (females) protibiae, and the presence of a transverse median hump on the female pygidium. Two vague circular impressions on the pronotal disc are also present in M. deltouri sp. nov.
Etymology
Named after Babyrousa Perry, 1811, a genus of enigmatic Suidae endemic to Sulawesi and the Moluccas. Noun in apposition.
Type material
Holotype INDONESIA • ♂; “INDONESIA: SULAWESI UTARA Gng. Ambang F. R. nr Kotamobagu 30.v – 2.vi 1985. // Gng Muajat summit area ca 1780m// light [h, upper side of label] R.Ent.Soc.Lond. PROJECT WALLACE B.M. 1985-10 [underside of label]”; BMNH.
Paratypes (13 specimens)
INDONESIA • 3 ♂♂, 1 ♀; same labels as for holotype; BMNH • 2 ♂♂, 6 ♀♀; “ INDONESIA SULAWESI UTARA Gng. Ambang F.R. nr. Kotamobagu 18-24 May 1985. // Yellow pan trap // R.Ent. Soc.Lond. PROJECT WALLACE B.M. 1985-10”; BMNH • 1 ♀; “ INDONESIA SULAWESI UTARA Gng. Ambang F.R. nr. Kotamobagu 18-24 May 1985.// Gng. Muajat 1750-1780 m [h]// Yellow pan trap // R.Ent.Soc.Lond. PROJECT WALLACE B.M. 1985-10.”; BMNH.
Description
MEASUREMENTS (exposed abdominal ventrites not included). Male holotype, total body length 6.95 mm. Head 1.25 mm long, across eyes 1.60 mm wide. Pronotum 1.40 mm long, maximum width 2.40 mm. Elytral length 4.30 mm, maximum combined width 3.34 mm. Selected female paratype, total body length 8.20 mm. Head 1.50 mm long, across eyes 1.70 mm wide. Pronotum 1.70 mm long, maximum width 2.70 mm. Elytral length 5.00 mm, maximum combined width 3.52 mm.
Dorsum uniformly black to black-brown (elytra somewhat paler brown than forebody) with castaneous labroclypeus, mouthparts, legs and venter. Head transverse, trapezoid, slightly convex dorsally between eyes, glossy dorsally and ventrally, with large not prominent eyes occupying over half side of head. Male labroclypeus (Fig. 106) slightly emarginate on anterior margin, with lateral margins smooth, slightly sinuous in both dorsal and lateral views. Anterolateral angles not protruding anteriad, strongly obtuse, bent up almost perpendicularly to axis of frons in lateral view. Female labroclypeus (Fig. 107) rather deeply emarginate on anterior margin, with slightly protruding, strongly obtuse anterolateral angles. Punctures circular to hexagonal. Intervening spaces glossy, smaller than up to as large as punctures. Pubescence dirty yellowish, moderately long and suberect, each seta rises from anterior margin of corresponding puncture. Labroclypeus laterally and frontally with more delicate setae. Few longest setae present near eyes. Male antenna 9-segmented, club 3-lamellate. Scape large, bulbous dorsally in distal half, provided with few long erect setae on posterior and distal margins. Antennomere 2 short, slightly transverse. Pronotum transverse, glossy dorsally and laterally. Anterior margin slightly sinuous with anterolateral angles (stronger) and mesal portion (slightly) protruding anteriad. Basal margin broadly rounded. Lateral margin of pronotum evenly broadly rounded, delicately crenulate all along (Fig. 203). Pronotal disc with two vague circular postmedian impressions on either side of disc (this feature not visible in holotype). Lateral margin of pronotum hardly sinuous in lateral view. Punctures of pronotum ovoid to circular, deep and coarse. Intervening spaces glossy and glabrous, smaller than punctures on disc, becoming larger along lateral margins. Setae shorter than on head, stronger curved. Clavate scale-like seta present between every two crenulae on lateral margin of pronotum. Lateral and basal margins, antero- and posterolateral angles partly covered with microscopical velvety pubescence. Hypomeron smooth, sparsely covered by circular punctures. Hypomeron flange-like, with large emargination opposite to eye (to receive canthus separating compound eye) covered with long setae. Antennal pocket deep. Scutellar shield triangular, narrow apically. Elytra cylindrical, maximum width in median third, glossy and slightly convex dorsally, with rounded humeri and slightly elevated omoplates. Indistinct track of one–two flat longitudinal carinae on each elytron. Sutural carinae not indicated. Rather large obtuse hump on each elytron near apex. Disc and lateral sides of elytra irregularly densely punctured, punctures of irregular size and form (circular to ovoid) (Fig. 293). Intervening spaces glossy, smaller than punctures. Moderately long suberect setae arranged in irregular longitudinal paired rows. Inconspicuous very short setae not surpassing length of corresponding punctures positioned between longitudinal rows of longer setae. Each seta rises from anterior margin of each puncture. Epipleuron with row or two (in broad anterior part) of suberect setae. Male pygidium with shallow annular punctures and glossy intervening spaces (Fig. 458). Female pygidium similarly punctured as in male, with obtuse transverse median hump (Fig. 459). Seta rises from centre of each puncture of pygidium. Abdominal ventrites glossy, covered with large annular punctures, each provided with short seta. Legs slender, femora and tibiae covered with delicate whitish setae. Outer margins of meso- and metatibiae densely denticulate. Male protibia with one (apical) strong tooth on external margin, female protibia with two teeth (Figs 449–450). Male lower meso- and metatibial terminal spurs strongly curved (Fig. 439–440), female ones straight (Fig. 438). Distal margin of metatibia in both sexes with projection over basal metatarsomere. Metatibial terminal spurs paired, shorter than basal metatarsomere in male but almost as long as in female. Tarsal claws with pulvilli in both sexes. Male aedeagus as in Figs 582–585. Spiculum gastrale as in Fig. 538.
Sexual dimorphism
Female is generally larger, with shorter lamellae of antennal club; protibial spur slightly curved distally in male, straight in female; metatibial spurs somewhat longer in female than in male; protibia bidentate in female; female pygidium with modifications (see above); female lower meso- and metatibial terminal spurs slender, slightly curved apically.
Ecology
Occurs in lowland rainforests. Attracted to yellow pan traps (anthophilous?). Possibly nocturnal.
Distribution
Hitherto only known from North Sulawesi.
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 26-29, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2020.721.1127, http://zenodo.org/record/4122118