Thinobius paramicros sp. n.

(Figs 11–12, 19, 38–40, 45, 51–54)

Type material – Holotype (♂): [ALGERIA: Tamanrasset,] Hoggar, Aguelmane Imerrha [Imeghra, 23°26’57’’N, 5°47’06’’E], u. 2000 m [1850m], 23-25.III.1928, [leg. Peyerimhoff, dans le sable humide au bord de la poche d’eau] Mission du Hoggar Février- Mai 1928 (MNHP); Paratypes (5): same data as holotype (2 MNHP, 1 ♂, HNHM, 1 ♀, coll Bernhauer, FMNH, 1 ♀, coll Bernhauer via Scheerpeltz, FMNH).

Description – Measurements (in mm, n = 6): HW = 0.24 (0.23–0.24); TW = 0.23 (0.225 – 0.235); PW = 0.27 (0.255 –0.275); SW = 0.28 (0.26–0.29); AW = 0.31 (0.29–0.32); HL = 0.20 (0.19– 0.21); EL = 0.07 (0.07–0.08); TL = 0.06 (0.06–0.07); PL = 0.20 (0.19–0.21); SL = 0.35 (0.33–0.36); SC = 0.31 (0.29–0.33); FB = 0.73 (0.61–0.89); BL = 1.31 (1.25–1.37). Body (Fig. 54) very slightly bicoloured. Head, pronotum and abdomen slightly reddish dark brown, elytra reddish medium brown with a darker area behind scutellum extending to shoulders. Legs and mouthparts medium brown, apices of femora and both ends of tibiae often lighter, together with tarsi; basal part of antenna much lighter (yellowish) than apical articles, latter often significantly blackish. Forebody with very fine coriaceous microreticulation, rather dull. Punctation on forebody rather dense and so fine that hardly discernible. Discs of abdominal tergites with a particular type of transversal microsculpture and longitudinal microsetation arranged in the minute transversal ridges that causes a slight iridescent effect. Pubescence on forebody depressed and very short, fine and dense (on elytra the most dense), on abdomen apices of tergites with a row of long hairs, and a sparse setation composed of similar but shorter hairs; abdominal sides and apex with a few darker and stronger bristles. Strong dark bristle on outer side of supraantennal tubercle at anterior border of eye (those near outer posterior edge of vertex weakly developed), similar ones right behind anterior pronotal corner and on side at 3/5 length. Setation anteriorly directed on head and pronotum, direction posterior on elytra and abdomen. Antennae with longer, darker hairs on basal articles, legs and mouthparts with very short, not conspicuous setation, except for the stiff, darker mid-tibial hairs ond ones near apices of femora. Sides of elytra with three such stiff setae about equally distributed on length of side.

Head (Fig. 11) slightly wider than long, temples usually straight, with a gentle curve on the side, rounded on posterior part. Middle of vertex with a slight transversal impression. Anterior border of neck is strongly marked with a shiny, arched, deep groove. Frontoclypeal suture appearing as indistinct groove and a dark line (visible only if head lighter) connecting supraantennal tubercles, similarly darker spots situated at both sides on middle of vertex. Supraantennal tubercles moderately developed, separated from vertex by longitudinal impression. Antennae medium long (Fig. 19), 6th antennomere appearing as wide as adjacent ones.

Pronotum (Fig. 12) weakly transverse, 1.35× wider than long, just a little wider than head, anterior middle part of disc transversally a little impressed, a very slight longitudinal impressed line near anterior corners. Anterior corners moderately weakly rounded, posterior corners very broadly, sides almost in arch with posterior margin. Pronotal marginal bead visible on posterior margin, anterior margin slightly pulled ahead in middle but without visible marginal bead. Scutellum small, if exposed, shinier than adjoining areas. Elytra rather long, one elytron about twice as long as broad, quite flat and parallel-sided (very gently dilating posteriorly). Shoulders moderately developed. Along suture without even traces of marginal bead; sutural corners broadly rounded. Legs of medium length, tarsal lobes small and thin, inconspicuous, tibiae fusiform, appear much wider in middle than at ends.

Abdomen very weakly fusiform, sides more or less straight and parallel; widest at 1/3 length, just very slightly less wide than elytra at broadest point. Posterior margin of tergite VII with palisade fringe and posterior corners broadly rounded.

Primary and secondary sexual features: Sexes not appearing different in regular dorsal view. Posterior edge of tergite VIII (similar in both sexes) gently concave, arched. Male sternite VIII as in Fig. 38, tergite IX as in Fig. 39, sternite IX as in Fig. 40. Aedeagus as in Fig. 45. Female genital appendage as in Fig. 51, spermatheca as in Figs 52–53.

Etymology – The specific epithet refers to the close relationship to the sister species, Thinobius micros.

Distribution – As opposed to T. micros that reaches as far south as the Northern Atlas Mountains in Algeria, this species occurs in the Southern Algerian Hoggar Massiv, and is probably endemic to it.

Remarks – The members of the T. linearis group can now be divided into three different species complexes. One contains T. heterogaster alone, the other is constituted by the T. micros – T. paramicros pair, while the T. linearis complex contains all the remaining species: T. linearis, T. petzi, T. bicolor, T. brunneipennis, T. holdhausi. Of course, this is subject to change as more species become known worldwide.