Faronus lefkamontium Assing & Brachat & Meybohm 2019, spec. nov.

Faronus lefkamontium BRACHAT spec. nov.

urn: lsid:zoobank.org:act: B5C36287-54F6-4CF0-B2BF-E3D8E4AF1029

(Fig.166)

Type material: Holotype ♂: “ N35°19' E023°51', GR Westkreta, Omalos-West, 1100 m, Meybohm 14.3.2001 / Faronus lefkamontium spec. nov. ♂, det. Brachat 2.2019 / Holotypus” (cBra). Paratypes (all in cBra): 1 ♂, 1 ♀: “ 24.3.86 West Kreta, Omalos Hochfläche, leg. H. Meybohm ”; 1 ♀: “GR-Kreta, Bez. Chania, Omalos Hochfläche, 21.– 22.5.1980 leg. Brachat ”; 1 ♀: “ N35°19' E023°54', GR Westkreta, Omalos, 1150–1480 m, Meyb ohm 13.3.2001 ”.

Etymology: The name is a noun composed of Lefka (the name of the mountain range where the type locality is situated) and the genitive of the Latin noun mons (mountain). The Greek word Ori denotes mountains.

Description: External characters as in F. meybohmi, except as follows:

Body length 1.5–1.6 mm. Head 0.22–0.24 mm long and 0.32–0.34 mm broad; temples rectangularly projecting and apically with a small oval impression. Eyes large, at least as long as postocular region in dorsal view, more strongly convex and more distinctly protruding from lateral contours of head. Pronotum 0.28–0.30 mm long and 0.36–0.38 mm broad, significantly longer and slightly broader than head. Elytra 0.31–0.35 mm long and 0.42– 0.44 mm broad, 1.3 times as broad as long and 1.1 times as long as pronotum. Hind wings completely reduced.

♂: antenna 0.64–0.68 mm long; tibia with minute apical spine; metatrochanter and metafemora unmodified; aedeagus (Fig. 166) 0.36 mm long, occasionally inverted.

♀: antenna 0.56–0.60 mm long.

Comparative notes: Faronus lefkamontium is distinguished from the otherwise similar F. meybohmi only by more convex eyes, unmodified male metatrochanters and metafemora, as well as by the shape of the aedeagus.

Distribution and natural history: At present, F. lefkamontium is known only from the Omalos region in the Lefka Ori. The specimens were sifted from litter and grass roots at altitudes of at least 1100 m.