Physodeutera (Diarrhiza) murzini sp. n.

(Figs 1–5, 8–12)

Type specimens. Holotype, male, in NHMW (no 10/2004), labelled: ” Madagascar, env. Andringitra Nat. P., 40 km S Ambalavao, 1300 m, 3–5.XII.2003, S. Murzin & A. Shamaev leg.” [printed]. Allotype: 1 female in CCJM. Paratypes: 1 male, 1 female in MNHN, 5 males, 5 females in CCJM, 2 males, 2 females in CKWP, 1 male, 3 females in CJVB, 37 males, 38 females in CSMM. All with same locality labels and: ” Holotype (Allotype and Paratype respectively), Physodeutera (Diarrhiza) murzini sp. n., J. Moravec 2004 det.” [red, printed].

Type locality. Central Madagascar: Massif de l’Andringitra, 40 km S Ambalavao, 1300 m.a.s.l.

Diagnosis. Resembles Physodeutera (Diarrhiza) tricolorata (W. Horn, 1934) in having nearly identical elytral maculation, but distinguished by larger body, male antennomere 3 metallic black with testaceous apical third, antennomere 4 metallic­black with testaceous apical half (opposite colour combination than that in males of Ph. (D.) tricolorata where the apical areas of the antennomeres 3 and 4 are black), and by distinctly different shape of apical portion of the aedeagus.

Description. Body (Figs. 1–2) medium­sized, length 9.50–11.2 mm, width 2.80–3.30 mm (in holotype length 10.0 mm, width 2.90 mm), generally glabrous.

Head with large eyes, slightly narrower than body, width 2.60–3.00 mm. Frons metallic blue­green, slightly convex in middle, confluent with vertex by rounded frons­vertex fold, nearly smooth, coriaceous; supraantennal plates moderately elevated, dark metallic blue. Vertex metallic green with bronze and bluish reflections, slightly convex in middle with deep transverse anterior impression reaching eyes, and with two faint posterior impressions in female; surface parallel­longitudinally striate­rugose with rugae sparsely ramiform­anastomosing, wavy (more so in female); large juxtaorbital areas continuously striate­rugose; coarser rugae on posterolateral areas divergent and passing onto postgenae; posterior area transversely wavy­rugose in middle. Occiput concolorous with vertex, convex, irregularly shallowly transversely vermicular­rugulose, effaced in middle. Genae metallic blue­green or with bronze lustre, indistinctly shallowly wrinkled. Clypeus smooth, deep metallic blue­green or black­blue. Male labrum (Fig. 8) short, length 0.90– 1.00 mm, width 1.20–1.30 mm, with four whitish setae (holotype with one additional (anomalous) left anterior seta), testaceous with limited black­brown basolateral areas of central convexity, lateral margins subarcuate and constricted towards lateral teeth, median lobe indistinct, short, truncate or slightly arcuate with blunt lateral angles (lacking anterolateral teeth), only slightly surpassing blunt to subacute lateral teeth; female labrum (Fig. 9) as long as wide, length/width 1.25–1.35 mm, testaceous except for metallic blackbrown lateral margins and teeth, and with metallic black­green basolateral areas of central convexity, lateral margins subarcuate, constricted towards prominent subacute lateral teeth, median lobe short, consisting of indistinct (rounded) anterolateral teeth and protruding subacute median tooth. Mandibles slightly asymmetrical, cinnamon­brown in male, black­brown in female, juxtamolar and lateral areas ochre­testaceous. Palpi in male translucent, whitish­testaceous with only slightly darkened apices of terminal palpomeres, female palpi ochre­testaceous with black terminal palpomeres; penultimate palpomeres of labial palpi distinctly dilated (width up to 0.65 mm) with outer lateral margin arcuatedilated and inner margin nearly straight. Antennae (Fig. 3) sexually dimorphic in coloration: scape in male testaceous with darkened dorsal surface, or nearly black with only feebly testaceous lateral areas; pedicel metallic black­brown; antennomere 3 metallic black with testaceous apical area; antennomere 4 black­brown with ochre­testaceous apical half, antennomeres 5–8 brownish, 9–11 black darkened; in female antennomeres 1–4 metallicblack except for testaceous apical area of antennomere 4, antennomeres 5–11 brown, gradually smoky darkened.

Thorax. Pronotum (Fig. 10) elongate, length 1.95–2.20 mm, width 1.45–1.70 mm, metallic green with golden­bronze and blue lustre and metallic­cupreous lateral areas of posterior lobe; anterior and posterior sulci deep, anterior rim well developed, lateral margins of disc moderately rounded; notopleural sutures hardly visible in dorsal view; discal surface densely transversely striate­rugulose, rugae occasionally anastomosing; median line thin but developed in nearly throughout discal length; posterior lobe bordered with distinct basal rim, dorsal portions of posterior lateral angles forming elongate­bulbous keels; prosternum, proepisterna, and metepisterna deep metallic blue­green with bronze lustre, mesosternum with delimited black­cupreous anterior area and with goggle­shaped metallic green areas; metasternum metallic blue­green with triangular black median area; mesepisterna metallic­green, pits of female coupling sulci absent.

Elytra (Figs. 11–12) elongate, 5.90–6.70 mm long; slightly convex in male, more distinctly so in female, juxtahumeral impressions and basodiscal convexity distinct, discal impression and apical impressions moderate, lateral margins subparallel, with rounded anteapical angles, apices rounded, with very faint sutural emargination (more obvious in female), lacking sutural spine; epipleura well seen in dorsal view except for humeral portion, juxtaepipleural area with sparse and short whitish setae, apical microserrulation very fine; elytral surface punctate except for smooth basohumeral limited area, punctures distinct on anterior and lateral areas, occasionally anastomosing on basodiscal convexity where several larger setigerous punctures with elevated anterior margin, bearing short and inconspicuous white setae are present, central­discal area posterior of discal impression covered with smaller and sparser punctures which are nearly effaced towards apices, juxtasutural area on posterior declivity and anteapical angles nearly smooth with only row of sparse punctures along sutures, apices with shallow punctures; elytral colour iridescent metallic green with bluish lustre on thin juxtaepipleural area in male; in female bright metallic blue­green to blue with diffusing velvet­black central­discal area; elytral maculation consisting of white humeral macula in male (cinnamon­darkened in female) merging with large and elongate, cinnamon posterior band, white (mostly slightly longitudinal) sublateral­median macula, elongate (usually posterior­mesad directed) ochre­yellow central macula with thin cinnamon border, large (almost rounded), ochre­yellow anteapical macula, and smaller (nearly rounded), ochre­yellow apical macula.

Abdomen. Abdominal sterna metallic black­blue with green reflections and black marginal areas of central convexity, smooth and glabrous except for two lateral setae.

Legs. Coxae with only one apical seta on procoxae in both sexes, male mesocoxae with one basal and one central seta, female mesocoxae with one basal and three central setae; metacoxae in both sexes with one basal and one apical seta; coloration of legs sexually dimorphic: male coxae testaceous except for metallic­green basolateral areas of metacoxae, female procoxae and mesocoxae testaceous with black lateral zone, metacoxae black­green with testaceous apices; trochanters testaceous in both sexes, female metatrochanters somewhat brownish darkened; dorsal area of profemora, basoventral area of mesofemora, and basal quarters of metafemora in male ochre­testaceous and diaphanous; male tibiae ochre­testaceous with black­brown lateral and apical areas, tarsi brownish testaceous with black apices; female femora, tibiae and tarsi metallic black except for indistinctly testaceous basal areas of femora (more distinct in metafemora).

Aedeagus (Figs. 4–5) markedly sclerotised, dark black­brown, elongate, length 2.65– 2.80 mm, width 0.60–0.70 mm, with dorsally arcuate, moderately bent (ventrally directed) beak­like but obtuse tip; internal sac with long voluminous composite ventral arc piece with dark­sclerotised margins, accompanied with underlying, dorsally placed, short arciform piece, large dorsal membranous piece, and composite, membranous, basodorsal plate.

Etymology. Named after experienced Russian entomologist Dr. Serguei Murzin, Moscow, one of the collectors of the new species.

Biology and Distribution. Known only from the type locality (1300 m.a.s.l.) in the evergreen rainforest of the Andringitra massif, near the Andringitra natural reserve (”Réserve naturelle intégrale no 5”), 40 km S Ambalavao, central Madagascar. According to the collectors (pers. com.) adults flew onto trunks of trees and occasionally run in spirals along the trunks and twigs.

Remarks. All other species of the subgenus Diarrhiza Jeannel, 1946, including those with similar maculation, are distinguished especially by differently shaped aedeagi and different structures of their internal sacs. Compare descriptions and illustrations in Moravec (2002).