Achilia auriculata Jeannel 1962

Achilia auriculata Jeannel, 1962

Figs 25, 31, 49, 66, 68, 70, 83

Achilia auriculata Jeannel, 1962: 409, 410 fig. 164 (aedeagus).

Type material (2 ex.): CENTRAL CHILE: Región Bío Bío: Ñuble prov.: MNHN; 2 ♂ (holotype and paratype); Chillàn; 36° 54’S; P. Germain.

Additional material (4 ex.): See Appendix 1.

Description: Body 1.25-1.35 mm long, entirely reddish brown with darker abdomen and palpi yellowish. Head with eyes as long as temples. Pronotum narrower than head, with maximal width at midlength; median antebasal fovea smaller than lateral ones. First abdominal tergite with basal striae parallel, extending to about one-third of paratergal length, and separated at base by about one-third of tergal width.

Male: Head as in Figs 66 and 68, wider than pronotum, on each side with large lateral pit open behind and outer margin forming big tooth above eyes (Fig. 70); large frontal protuberance barely convex. Antennae (Fig. 31) with scape and pedicel longer than wide; antennomere III as long as wide; antennomeres IV-VIII wider than long; antennomere VIII with mesal margin protruding; antennomere IX transverse with mesal margin protruding; antennomere X strongly transverse, wider and longer than IX, wider than XI, with mesal side truncate and bearing broad flat area; antennomere XI elongate and longer than VIII-X combined, bearing long and large subbasal seta inserted in deep depression. Metasternum with median impression. Legs with profemora and mesofemora slightly thickened; mesotibiae (Fig. 49) with very small subapical tooth, in middle slightly bulging and bearing tuft of short setae; metatibiae slightly sinuate on distal half. Abdominal tergites unmodified; first abdominal ventrite raised at middle, remaining ventrites slightly flattened at middle; ventrite I with short median carina extending from posterior margin to about quarter of its length. Aedeagus (Fig. 25) 0.24-0.25 mm long; dorsal plate ovoid with dorsal longitudinal struts divergent; copulatory pieces consisting of pair of long medial sclerites recurved and strongly sclerotised at base, and apically slightly narrowed and pointed. Parameres wide with very long seta on poorly developed outer lobe; tips strongly recurved posteriorly and bearing short and thin subapical seta.

Female: Similar to male except: head unmodified, narrower than pronotum; antennomeres IX and especially X shorter and less thickened than male; metasternum, abdominal ventrites, and legs unmodified.

Collecting data: This species was collected from September to January at moderate elevations. The only ecological data available refers to a sample processed by a Berlese funnel, that consisted of leaf & log litter taken from the forest floor of a subtropical xerophytic forest.

Distribution: Achilia auriculata is known only from Bío Bío Region (Ñuble and Concepción Provinces) in Central Chili (Fig. 83: pink squares).