Achilia caracolana Jeannel, 1962

Figs 24, 30, 35, 41, 44, 47, 65, 67, 69, 84

Achilia caracolana Jeannel, 1962: 409 fig. 163 (aedeagus).

Type material (7 ex.): CENTRAL CHILE: Región Bío Bío: Concepción prov.: MHNS; 1 ♂ (holotype of Achilia caracolana n° 1685); Cerro Caracol; 24.V.1957; G. Kuschel. – MNHN; 2 ♂ and 4 ♀ (paratypes); Cerro Caracol; 36° 50’S; 23.V.1957; G. Kuschel.

Additional material (318 ex.): See Appendix 1.

Description: Body 1.5-1.8 mm long, entirely reddish or reddish brown, with palpi yellowish. Head with eyes longer than temples. Pronotum slightly wider than head, with maximal width on anterior half; median antebasal fovea smaller than lateral ones. First abdominal tergite with basal striae parallel, extending to about quarter of paratergal length, and separated at base by more than one-third of tergal width.

Male: Head as in Figs 65 and 67, with deep lateral pits surmounted on each side of eyes by small tooth apically truncated (Fig. 69); large frontal protuberance convex with distinct V-shaped median impression reaching anteriorly to vertexal sulcus. Antennae (Fig. 30) with scape and pedicel longer than wide; antennomere III as long as wide; antennomere IV slightly wider than long; antennomere V slightly longer than wide; antennomeres VI-VIII distinctly wider than long; antennomere IX transverse with protruding mesal margin pointed at middle and bearing two long setae; antennomere X barely longer than wide, wider and longer than IX, with mesal margin apically hollowed, basally projecting and bearing two long and large setae as well as a tuft of shorter setae; antennomere XI elongate, longer than VIII-X combined, its medial margin bearing long subbasal setae. Metasternum with deep and broad ovoidal median impression, posterior edges of the latter densely pubescent. Legs with ventral margin of mesotrochanters (Fig. 41) bearing two short spines; profemora (Fig. 35) strongly thickened, with ventral margin finely denticulate and bearing short modified setae on basal third; mesofemora slightly thickened; protibiae (Fig. 44) slightly thickened with mesal margin bearing small subapical spine; mesotibiae (Fig. 47) thickened with mesal margin bulging at middle and bearing apically pubescent subbasal spur; metatibiae slightly sinuate on distal half. Abdominal tergites unmodified; first abdominal ventrites with large median impression, all other ventrites flattened at middle; ventrite I with short median carina extending from posterior margin to posterior edge of median impression. Aedeagus (Fig. 24) 0.30-0.325 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 bifid. Parameres wide with very long seta on poorly developed outer lobe; tips strongly recurved posteriorly and bearing thin and short subapical seta.

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

Collecting data: Collected from September to May in Nothofagus, Cupressus and Eucalyptus forests; also in remnants, where it was found from sea level to about 1200 m. Most specimens were collected from sifted samples of leaf and log litter.

Distribution: Achilia caracolana is known from Central Chile, ranging from Chiloé Province to Talca Province (Fig. 84: green diamonds).