Micranops subapterus (Cameron)

(Figs 131–133, 176, 177)

Scopaeus subapterus Cameron, 1951: 28.

Geoscopaeus subapterus (Cameron, 1951): Fagel 1973: 29.

Micranops subapterus (Cameron, 1951); Frisch & Herman 2014: 70.

Type specimens examined: Lectotype ♂, Angola, Lunda Sul: Chiumbe River; labelled “Para- / type” (round, printed, yellow edged label), “ANGOLA / R. Chiumbe / 15.5.49” (handwritten), “Ang. 1493.13” (handwritten), “ M. Cameron / Bequest / B.M. 1955-147.” (printed), “LECTOTYPE / Scopaeus subapterus / CAMERON, 1951 /des. J. Frisch, 2025 ”; here designated. Paralectotypes: 1 ♂, 7 ♀, same labels as lectotype, but “ M. Cameron det., 1950 / Scopaeus / subapterus / COTYPE Cam” (handwritten except for first line)”, “PARALECTOTYPE / Scopaeus subapterus / CAMERON, 1951 / des. J. Frisch, 2025 ”.

The original description of Scopaeus subapterus (Cameron 1951: 28) contains no information regarding the number of underlying specimens. In the NHML collection there are two males and seven females of S. subapterus that bear the round, subsequent type label of that collection. However, they are syntypes, as Cameron (1951: 28) did not specify a holotype by original designation (ICZN 1999: Article 73.1.1.). Their locality labels are handwritten by Cameron (cf. handwritten label example in Horn et al. 1990: 447) and agree with the type locality published in the original description. To stabilize the name S. subapterus according to ICZN 1999, Article 74.1., I designate as lectotype a male that Cameron had marked by a handwritten ♂ on the mounting card. It is probably the specimen that Cameron (1951: 28) referred to when describing the male features.

Redescription: Microphthalmous, micropterous species without palisade fringe of abdominal tergite VII. Body color including appendages light yellow brown. Body surface subnitid with relatively fine, setose punctation; head and pronotum with puncture interspaces about as wide as puncture diameters and more or less distinctly microreticulated. Head approximately 1.1–1.2 times longer than wide, with moderately convex temples and straight posterior margin.Eyes strongly reduced, 0.27– 0.32 times as long as temples, in longitudinal diameter comprising 4–5 ommatidia. Nuchal groove broad, 0.35– 0.37 times as wide as greatest head width. Trichobothrial cavity subparallel, about 1.5 times as long as wide, due to eye reduction located about its length posterior of eye, but connected to it by fine line (groove?). Antenna short, compact; pedicellus and antennomere 3 subquadrate or slightly elongate, antennomeres 4–10 increasingly transverse; antennomere 10 about 0.5 times, antennomere 11 about 1.0–1.1 times as long as wide. Elytra narrow, across shoulders somewhat narrower than pronotal width, along suture 0.65–0.71 times as long as pronotal length.

Total body length 2.1–2.5 mm; forebody length 1.0– 1.1 mm.

Male: Protarsomeres 1–4 not dilated, about as wide as long.

Abdominal sternite VII in about median third of straight posterior margin with slight emargination with two submedial rows of three short macrosetae pointing medioposteriorly, and with distinct, oval depression in almost posterior half of sternite length and medial fourth of posterior sternite width (Fig. 176).

Abdominal sternite VIII with subbasal ridge in median third curved posteriad and posterior margin triangularly incised to about 0.3 of sternite length; incision of posterior sternite margin with noticeably concave lateral margins; lateral setae very long, up to about 0.4 times as long as sternite length (Fig. 177).

Aedeagus in lateral view with short, wide, dorsally convex apical portion; ventral margin of apical portion straight, more strongly sclerotized than remainder of apical portion, and almost 0.5 times as long as dorsal length of ventral process (Fig. 131); phallobase vestigial with broadly convex end feebly extended beyond circoforamen (Fig. 131); in dorsal view, aedeagus long-oval, about three times as long as wide measured without ventral process (Fig. 133). Distal lobes of apical portion of aedeagus membranous apically, not clearly distinguishable in Figs 131–133, also due to everted endophallus. Ventromedial endophallic lobe and strongly sclerotized endophallic sclerites absent.Ventral process slender, straight, aligned distoventrad, projecting strongly beyond apical portion of aedeagus, in lateral view with shallow, ventral denticle slightly distally of middle of ventral length, and slightly tapered toward narrow, round apex (Fig. 131); in ventral view, ventral process at base about 0.6 times as wide as aedeagus at same level, parallel in basal portion up to ventral tooth, then gradually tapered toward narrow apex (Fig. 132). Dorsodistal opening of phallobase and dorsomidlongitudinal split indistinct. Postforamen considerably projecting distoventrad, long triangular in lateral view (Fig. 131). Circoforamen slightly longer than median foramen (Fig. 132). Length of aedeagus 0.27–0.29 mm.

Female: Protarsomeres 1–4 not dilated, about as wide as long.

Distribution: Micranops subapterus is only known from the type locality at the Chiumbe River in northeastern Angola. The micropterous, flightless species is probably not widespread.