Euops (Riedeliops) keiseri Voss

(Figs. 9, 10, 21–22, 57–59, 98, 112–113, 120, 127, 134, 148–152, 166, 173, 182, 187)

Euops keiseri (Voss), 1957: 98 –99 (type locality: Mavanella [probably vicinity of 07° 14´N 80° 12´E; ca. 100m], Sri Lanka).

Riedeliops keiseri (Voss): Legalov, 2003: 385.

Asynaptops keiseri Voss: Legalov, 2007: 225.

Diagnosis. Anterior margin of prothorax in front of procoxa angulately projecting; mesosternum with apically rounded, cone-shaped protrusion directed anteriad (Fig. 77); protibia in female (Fig. 134) with dorsal contour evenly convex; mesotibia in male (Fig. 127) with subapical dorsal extension moderately long, spiniform; ventrite 4 in male with median pit containing dense brush of erect setae, their tips pointing forward (Fig. 98); apex of pedon pointed (Fig. 151).

Material examined. Holotype, female (Figs. 57–59): labels: 1) [white, rectangular]: “ CEYLON Sab., Mavanella [probably vicinity of 07° 14´N 80° 12´E; ca. 100m], 18.XI.1953, F. Keiser [printed]”, 2) [white, rectangular] “ Euops keiseri n.sp. [handwritten], det. E. Voß [printed]” 3) [red, rectangular] “ TYPUS [printed]”; condition: fair, right foreleg broken and missing, right metatarsus broken and glued to card, originally card-mounted but point-mounted for examination (NHMB). Other specimens. 1 male, SRI LANKA, Balangoda [information from Google Earth: 06° 39´N 80° 42´E], 1776 ft [= 541m], 13–16.III.82, leg.G. Lewis (BMNH).

Distribution (Fig. 187).

Notes. Euops keiseri was described by Voss from a single female from Sri Lanka. Generally it is difficult to correctly interpret Euops species on the limited character set of the female, but in this case a male from Sri Lanka was found that closely matched the characters of the type. The species is very similar to E. indicus and E. pseudoindicus and evidently closely related. It occurs both in Sri Lanka and in India. The Indian specimens are larger (length 2.24–2.34 mm (n=3, x =2.29 ± 0.05), compared with 1.99–2.10 mm (n=2, x =2.05) in Sri Lanka) and differ in having a more prominent mesosternal protuberance, the sculpture of the pronotum more densely punctate between the wrinkles and the elytral interstriae more distinctly transversely rugose. They agree well with the Sri-Lankan specimens in all other characters. The genitalia of males of the indicus -group offer only characters diagnostic of the group but fail to show characters useful for a distinction of the species; thus they do not provide additional information on the status of this population. In view of the geographical separation and the slight morphological differences of the Indian population, it is here described as a subspecies of E. keiseri.