Amaurodera brevipes Assing 2017, spec. nov.

Amaurodera brevipes spec. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank. org:act: 9EEEC874-0C9A-4809-A8F5-B44EA72217BF

(Figs 12, 51, 136–140)

Type material: Holotype ♂: “ SUMATRA: W Sum. #21, Palopo Nat. Res. N Bukuttinggi, 900 m, 18–20.XI.1989, Löbl, Agosti, Burckhardt / Holotypus ♂ Amaurodera brevipes sp. n., det. V. Assing 2016” (MHNG). Paratypes: 4 exs.: same data as holotype (MHNG, cAss).

Etymology: The specific epithet (Latin, noun in apposition) alludes to the conspicuously short tarsi.

Description: Body length 3.9–4.7 mm; length of forebody 1.8–2.1 mm. Other measurements: head width: 0.53–0.58 mm; length of pronotum: 0.70–0.80 mm; width of pronotum: 0.53–0.61 mm; elytral length at suture: 0.40–0.48 mm; elytral width: 0.78–0.90 mm. Coloration (Figs 12, 51): forebody reddish-brown; abdomen reddish to reddish-brown with segment VI dark-brown; legs yellowish with the profemora and the apical portions of the meso- and metafemora brownish; antennae yellowish; maxillary palpi yellowish-brown with the terminal palpomere pale-yellowish.

Head (Fig. 51) approximately as long as broad or weakly oblong, broadest across eyes; postero-lateral outline between eyes and posterior constriction strongly convex (abruptly convex at posterior angles) in dorsal view; median dorsal portion not impressed; punctation moderately sparse and very fine; interstices without microreticulation and glossy. Eyes large and convex, nearly as long as distance from posterior margin of eye to posterior constriction. Antenna (Fig. 12) moderately long and moderately slender, 2.0– 2.3 mm long; antennomere IX approximately 1.5 times as long as broad and antennomere X weakly oblong.

Pronotum (Fig. 51) moderately slender, 1.26–1.31 times as long as broad, without sexual dimorphism; dorsal surface, except for the glossy median sulcus, with very dense microgranules and opaque; midline with narrow median sulcus reaching neither anterior nor posterior margins; antero-lateral portions with sparse moderately short setae.

Elytra (Fig. 51) approximately 0.6 times as long as pronotum; punctation fine and moderately dense; microreticulation extremely shallow, practically obsolete, traces visible only at high magnification. Hind wings fully developed. Tarsi remarkably short, metatarsus 0.60–0.65 mm long and approximately 0.6 times as long as metatibia; metatarsomere I barely as long as the combined length of II and III.

Abdomen narrower than elytra; tergites III–V with moderately deep anterior impressions; tergites III–VII with sparse punctures on disc (especially laterally) and at posterior margin; tergite VIII with sparse setiferous punctation in posterior third; tergites III–V with distinct microreticulation composed of transverse meshes; tergites VI–VII without, or with indistinct traces (especially anteriorly) of microsculpture; posterior margin of tergite VII with palisade fringe; posterior margin of tergite VIII weakly convex and serrate.

♂: median lobe of aedeagus (Figs 136–139) approximately 0.6 mm long; ventral process weakly curved and very acute apically (lateral view).

♀: spermatheca as in Fig. 140.

Comparative notes: Aside from A. kraepelini and A. nigra, three species have been recorded from Sumatra: A. varicollis, A. disparicollis, and A. spinans. Amaurodera brevipes is distinguished from all of them by smaller body size, a less slender pronotum, shorter and less slender antennae, shorter legs with much shorter tarsi, and by the primary sexual characters, from all the species except A. disparicollis also by uniformly yellowish antennae. The similar shapes of the aedeagus and the spermatheca suggest that A. brevipes, too, is closely allied to A. kraepelini. The aedeagus of A. brevipes, however, is much smaller, and the ventral process is slightly broader (ventral view), apically less acute, and subapically more strongly curved (lateral view). For illustrations of A. kraepelini, A. varicollis, A. disparicollis, and A. spinans see ASSING (2003, 2016b).

Distribution and natural history: The type locality is situated in West Sumatra, Indonesia. The specimens were collected at an altitude of 900 m.