Venezolanoconnus ranchoi Franz

(Figs. 63, 64, 67, 71–74)

Venezolanoconnus ranchoi Franz, 1988: 82; Fig. 26.

Material studied. Holotype: 3: three labels: "Rancho Grande / b. Maracay, Vene- / zuela, lg. Franz" with "SA244" or "Sa249" on the reverse side [white, printed; reverse handwritten], " Venezolanoconnus / ranchoi m. / det. H. Franz" [white, handwritten and printed], " Holotypus " [red, handwritten] (NHMW). Paratypes (8 exx.: 1 3, 7 ƤƤ): same data as for the holotype (NHMW).

Diagnosis. This species can be identified on the basis of nearly circular pronotal disc.

Redescription. Body of male (Fig. 63) strongly convex, elongate and moderately slender, with moderately long appendages, BL 1.48 mm; glossy, uniformly reddish-brown with slightly lighter legs and palps; vestiture slightly lighter than cuticle.

Head (Fig. 67) rhomboidal in shape, broadest at eyes, HL 0.25 mm, HW 0.25 mm; tempora slightly shorter than eyes, strongly convergent caudad; vertex strongly transverse, convex; frons confluent with vertex, slightly convex, subtrapezoidal and steeply, abruptly declining towards strongly transverse clypeus; supraantennal tubercles barely marked; eyes large and moderately strongly convex, kidney-shaped and transverse in relation to the long axis of the head, each composed of ca. 40 small and smooth ommatidia. Punctures on head dorsum fine and sparse, inconspicuous; setae short, sparse, erect, those on vertex and tempora directed mesally. Antennae (Fig. 63) slender, AnL 0.70–0.73 mm; antennomeres I–VII each elongate; VIII–X each slightly transverse; XI 1.5× as long as broad, with blunt subconical apex.

Pronotum (Fig. 63) in dorsal view nearly circular, broadest slightly behind middle, PL 0.38 mm, PW 0.40 mm; anterior margin long and evenly arcuate; lateral margins strongly rounded; hind pronotal angles indistinctly marked, obtuse; posterior margin nearly straight; base of pronotum without foveae. Punctures on pronotal disc fine, inconspicuous; setae long, moderately dense and strongly erect, those on sides of pronotum bristle-like, distinctly thicker than those in middle.

Elytra (Fig. 63) elongate oval and more convex than pronotum, broadest slightly behind middle, EL– 0.85 mm, EW 0.65–0.68 mm, EI 1.26–1.31; base of elytra straight; humeral calli moderately prominent, each sharply delimited mesally by subhumeral line as long as only 0.2× EL; elytral apices separately rounded. Punctures on elytral disc more distinct but sparser than those on pronotum, extremely shallow and with diffused margins; setae moderately long, moderately sparse and nearly recumbent, about as thin as those on vertex and distinctly thinner than those on sides of pronotum. Hind wings not studied.

Legs (Fig. 63) moderately long and slender; all tibiae nearly straight.

Aedeagus (Figs. 71–74) moderately stout, AeL 0.18 mm, with gradually narrowing subtriangular apical part; internal structures asymmetrical, lightly sclerotized and indistinctly delimited; parameres very broad, with apical or slightly subapical pair of setae.

Female. Externally similar to male, differs in much smaller eyes (Figs. 64) (each composed of only 6 ommatidia) and slightly shorter antennae. BL 1.48 mm; HL 0.25 mm, HW 0.25 mm, AnL 0.60–0.63 mm; PL 0.35–0.38 mm, PW 0.40 mm; EL 0.85–0.88 mm, EW 0.65–0.68 mm, EI 1.26–1.31.

Distribution. Northern Venezuela, Aragua State.

Remarks. Despite the data given in the original description (Franz 1988a), one of the paratypes turned out to be a male, not female.