Madagaster franzi (Jäch), Jach

Perkins, Philip D., 2017, Hydraenidae of Madagascar (Insecta: Coleoptera), Zootaxa 4342 (1), pp. 1-264 : 181-184

Madagaster franzi (Jäch)

Figs. 175 (habitus), 177 (aedeagus), 301 (map)

Gondraena franzi Jäch (1994: 92) Type Material. Holotype (male): " Madagascar, Plateau du Tampoketsz lg. H. Franz [11.IV] 1969" ( NMW) (examined).

Differential Diagnosis. Refer to the diagnosis of M. simplissima .

Description. Size: holotype (length/width, mm): body (length to elytral apices) 1.70/0.73; head width 0.46; pronotum 0.40/0.61, PA 0.49, PB 0.51; elytra 1.05/0.73. Dorsum and venter dark brown to piceous, legs brown, ocelli light brown.

Entire dorsum dull, with very small, closely spaced granules, each with a short recumbent seta. Labrum with V-shaped apicomedian notch, very sparsely punctate and microreticulate. Anterior margin of clypeus not overhanging labrum. Labroclypeal suture moderately deep. Short, deep sulcus in front of each ocellus. Frons with deep concavity between ocelli. Maxillary palpi ca. as along as antenna, almost as long as protibia, last palpomere widest at midlength, distinctly tapering to pointed apex. Antenna with penultimate antennomere larger than ultimate. Posterior margin of eye not carinate.

Pronotum with two narrowly separated midlongitudinal fovea, anterior ca. twice as long as posterior; each side with two admedian and two sublateral foveae; transverse fovea along base on each side; lateral margin rounded. Postocular emarginations very shallow.

Elytral suture raised. Each elytron with four very low, subcostate unilinear rows of granules, rows terminating before reaching elytral margin. Areas between rows of granules with four very irregular rows of granules, each granule with short seta. Elytral apices truncate.

Mentum small, punctate and microreticulate, dull; postmentum contiguously micropunctulate and microreticulate, dull.

Mesoventrite without tubercle on intercoxal process. Metaventrite densely micropunctulate and with very short dense vestiture, very finely microreticulate or micropunctulate; midlongitudinal depression shallow. First four Abdominal ventrites and anterior margin of fifth with hydrofuge pubescence.

All tibiae straight, with sparse short spines.

Remarks. The "putative synapomorphy" of the shape of the antennal club, specifically the terminal article being shorter than the preterminal, noted by Perkins (1997: 179) must now be put aside. After more species were studied it was found that the relative sizes of the antennomeres varies in both Madagaster and Gondraena .