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

description: Maechidius popei (Frey, 1969) comb. nov.
Figs 76–77, 169–170, 247, 278, 336, 410, 511–512, 558, 697–699
Paramaechidius popei Frey, 1969: 508.
Type material
Holotype
PAPUA NEW GUINEA • ♀; “ Holotype [p, label circular, red frame] // N.E. New Guinea: S.E. Bismarck Range, Tapu. 6000ft. May 1940. F.Shaw Mayer. [p] // Rothschild Bequest. 1961-429. [p] // TYPUS [p, red label]// TYPE Paramaechidius Popei n sp [h] det. G.Frey,1967/68 [p]”; BMNH.
Paratype
PAPUA NEW GUINEA • 1 ♂; “ Paratype [p, label circular, yellow frame]// New Guinea: Papua. Boneno, 400ft. nr. Mt. Mura (30 m. N W. Mt. Simpson) Nov. 1940. F.Shaw Mayer). [p]//Rothschild Bequest. 1961- 429. [p]//PARATYPE [p, red label]// Paramaechidius Popei n sp. [h] det. G.Frey,1967/68 [p]”; BMNH.
Remarks
Frey (1969: 508) based his description of Paramaechidius popei comb. nov. on three specimens (1 ♂ and 2 ♀♀). Only two specimens were located in BMNH. Moreover, the ♂ paratype from the Papuan Peninsula (Boneno) is not mentioned in the original description, only 2 ♂♂ from the Bismarck Range. However, since the Boneno specimen contains Frey’s original labels (including partly handwritten ones) with same determination data (1967–1968), I consider this specimen part of the original type series as the second ♂ specimen (but with locality data omitted in the original description). The note by Frey (1969) “Type im Britischen Museum, Paratype in meinem Museum” indicates that the specimen labelled “TYPE” was selected as the holotype by Frey.
Some features as described by Frey (1969: 508–509) should be corrected as follows.
Description
Dorsum is partly covered with microscopical velvety pubescence. Female labroclypeus (Fig. 169) broadly emarginate on anterior margin, its lateral margins sinuous in both dorsal and lateral views. Male labroclypeus as in Fig. 170. Anterolateral angles of labroclypeus obtuse, somewhat protruding. Head punctures ovoid, deep. Intervening spaces variably large. Inconspicuous appressed to suberect seta rises from anterior margin of each puncture, surpassing its length. Pronotum broadly emarginate on anterior margin, basal margin slightly sinuous. Anterolateral angles of pronotum obtuse, slightly protruding. Lateral margin of pronotum in dorsal view gradually widened in anterior half, shallowly emarginate postmedially, delicately crenulate all along (Fig. 247). An inconspicuous scale-like seta present between every two crenulae. Lateral margin of pronotum sinuous in lateral view. Hypomeron sparsely circularly punctured, shallowly emarginate opposite to compound eye (to receive canthus separating compound eye), covered with long setae (Fig. 278). Antennal pocket deep. Pronotal punctures generally larger than those on head, of irregular shape, deep. Intervening spaces variably large, in part subopaque. Pronotal setae longer and stronger scale-like along lateral margins, slender and shorter along median part of disc. Elytral punctures irregular in shape, deep, somewhat irregularly clustered (Fig. 336) and generally smaller than those on pronotum. Intervening spaces generally larger than punctures, in part microscopically wrinkled. Setae scale-like, appressed, generally short and not surpassing length of corresponding punctures with some longer suberect setae scattered over elytral disc. Female protibia with nearly complete obtuse longitudinal carina, with two distal teeth on external margin (Fig. 410). Female pygidium with circular to ovoid moderately deep punctures, intervening spaces glossy and variably large; with largely unpunctured median longitudinal area. Setae of pygidium inconspicuous, suberect, sparse, arise from anterior margin of corresponding punctures, surpassing its length. Spiculum gastrale as in Fig. 558. Aedeagus as in Figs 697–699.
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 99-100, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2020.721.1127, http://zenodo.org/record/4122118