Themus (Telephorops) micheli Švihla, 2011, sp. nov.

Themus (Telephorops) micheli sp. nov.

Figs. 2, 30–31.

Type locality. Northeastern Laos, Houa Phan province, Mt. Phou Pane near Ban Saluei, 20°12–13.5ˏN 103°59.5ˏ– 104°E, 1340–1870 m a.s.l.

Type material. Holotype, male (NMPC), “Laos-NE, Houa Phan prov., Ban Saluei⊣Phou Pane Mt., 20°12– 13.5ˏN 103°59.5ˏ–104°E, 1340–1870 m, 15.iv.–15.v.2008, Lao collectors leg. [white label, printed]”. Paratypes (NHMB), same label data, 2 males.

Description. Coloration (Fig. 2). Head saffron yellow, mouthparts sienna to chestnut brown. Antennomere 1 saffron yellow, darkened on its inner side, antennomeres 2–3 sooty, yellow on their outer sides, rest of antennomeres entirely sooty. Prothorax, mesosternum and scutellum saffron yellow, metasternum and ventral side of abdomen metallic slate blue. Anterior femora saffron yellow with metallic slate blue tips and both anterior and posterior sides, tibiae metallic slate blue with saffron yellow outer sides, tarsi sooty, middle and hind femora and tibiae entirely metallic slate blue, tarsi sooty. Elytra dark blue with wide, transverse violaceous black stripe starting from ca elytral midlength and reaching ca two thirds of elytral length.

Male. Eyes of moderate size, protruding, head across eyes very slightly narrower than pronotum, head behind eyes very slightly narrowing posteriorly. Antennae reaching ca elytral midlength, antennomeres 4–9 with barely visible, narrow, longitudinal matt impression. Surface of head very finely and sparsely punctate, with sparse, fine, short, semierect brown pubescence, lustrous, pubescence on clypeus longer, yellow. Pronotum by more than one third wider than long, distinctly transverse; anterior margin of pronotum slightly bisinuate, anterior corners obtuse, slightly rounded, lateral margins moderately but distinctly diverging posteriorly, nearly straight, posterior corners rounded, posterior margin rather strongly bisinuate. Surface of pronotum punctate and pubescent like that of head, lustrous. Elytra only slightly narrowing posteriorly, apex of each elytron rounded. Surface of elytra covered by fine, sparse, short, semierect brown pubescence. Basal ca one third of elytra very finely and sparsely punctate, lustrous, rest of elytra roughly rugulose-lacunose, semilustrous, surface corresponding with violaceous black stripe, matt. Aedeagus as in Figs. 30–31, laterophyses flat, fused terminally.

Female unknown.

Length (male). 11.2–11.8 mm.

Differential diagnosis. Themus (Telephorops) micheli sp. nov. is by its small body form, coloration and the shape of the aedeagus most similar to Themus (Telephorops) minor Wittmer, 1997 (Yunnan), from which it differs by presence of transverse violaceous black stripe on elytra, apex of dorsal part of the aedeagus forming pair of rounded teeth, different apices of laterophyses and longer parameres extending beyond apex of dorsal part of the aedeagus (cf. Wittmer 1997a).

Etymology. Patronymic, dedicated to Michel Brancucci (NHMB), chief of the Naturhistorisches Museum Basel and National Museum Prague Expeditions to Laos.

Distribution. Northern Laos.