Pseudomeira petrensis Bellò & Baviera, 2011, sp. n.

Pseudomeira petrensis sp. n.

(Figs. 8, 34, 82, 96)

Diagnosis: Small (3.25–3.95 mm), elongate; epistoma inconspicuous, clypeus longitudinally excavate; frons wide and shallowly impressed; elytra with rounded humeri, clothed by dense imbricate earth-brown scales here and there paler, and almost recumbent short spatulate pale setae, disc quite flat.

Type series: Holotype female (BEL) with the following labels: [transparent label with genitalia in DHMF], Ƥ[white, printed], "S.[icilia], Palermo, Madonie, (b), Piano Battaglietta, m.1650, 16.VI.08 " [white, printed], "al vaglio, legg. Baviera C. & Rando A." [white, printed], "coll. Cesare Bellò" [green, printed]; " Pseudomeira petrensis sp. n., Holotype, det. Bellò 2010 " [red, partly printed]. Paratypes: 2 females, "Sicilia (Palermo) 10 Km. NW Petralia Soprana, P.R. Madonie, 1400 m., 37°51'45'' N 14°00'39'' E, 13.X.2002, leg. Stüben" (STU); 1 female, " Italy: Sicilia (Palermo) 10 Km. NW Petralia Soprana, P.R. Madonie, 1000 m. 37°50'29'' N 14°00'39'' E, 13.X.2002, leg. Stüben" (STU); 1 female, " Italy: Sicilia (Palermo) 9 Km. NW Petralia Soprana, P.R. Madonie, 1400 m., 37°51'45'' N 14°02'52'' E, 13.X.2002, leg. Stüben" (PIE); 1 female, ibidem, leg. Stüben (BEL); 2 females, "Sic.[ilia], Palermo, Madonie, Piano Battaglietta, m.1650, 24.IV.08, legg. Bellò, Chemello, Baviera & Rando" (BAV, BEL); 1 female, "Sicilia, Palermo, Madonie, Piano Battaglietta, m 1600; 30.V.07, leg. Bellò" (BEL); 4 females, "Sicilia, Palermo, Madonie, Piano Battaglietta B, 1600 m, 23.IX.10, Acer, N 37°51' 838' E 13°25' 033'', leg. Baviera" (BAV, BEL). Types are 16 females, genitalia of 3 were studied and molecular data was obtained from another.

Holotype female: Length: 3.25 mm. Rather elongate, subparallel sided. Dorsal vestiture of largely overlapping, earth-brown scales and almost recumbent short pale more or less widely spatulate setae; paler small markings on disc of both elytra and pronotum.

Rostrum transverse, subparallel sided. Epistoma and plate inconspicuous; pterygia just slightly protruding; clypeus slightly convex, with longitudinal depression not continuing on frons; frons almost twice as wide as clypeus between antennae. Eyes small, round, almost hemispherical. Antennae short and quite robust; scape just slightly more robust than funicle, curved at basal third and progressively thickening towards apex; all seven funicular segments with clubbed setae; first segment as long as combined length of following two, second twice as long as third, segments 4–7 pearl-shaped; club short, fusiform and with first segment widely conical.

Pronotum slightly transverse (length: 0.80 mm, width: 0.90 mm), sides sinuate, disc with punctures usually hidden by scales.

Elytra rather elongate (length: 1.95 mm, width: 1.40 mm), disc almost flat, humeri short, round and slightly prominent. Striae inconspicuous, catenulate, interstriae feebly convex.

Legs short and robust; femora clubbed, edentate; tibiae almost straight, external margin of apex of protibiae blunt, internal margin devoid of spines but with mucro; protarsi short and robust, third joint shortly bilobed, onychium curved, claws short and fused at base.

Spiculum ventrale: see Fig. 82; spermatheca: see Fig. 96.

Paratypes: Holotype and paratypes differs only in size dimensions. Length: 3.25–3.95 mm. All paratypes are females.

Distribution: Known only from the Sicilian Madonie mountain range above 1000 m a.s.l. (fig 108).

Etymology: From the town of Petralia Soprana whose name comes from the Greek πέτρα λεία (smooth stone).

Ecology: This is a montane species collected in beech and oak woods sifting roots of Astragalus sp. and Euphorbia sp.. Adults appear in spring, with a probable life span of some months until autumn, and possibly overwintering.

Reproduction: Apparently parthenogenetic.