Murmidius tachiranus, Jałoszyński & Ślipiński, 2022

Jałoszyński, Paweł & Ślipiński, Adam, 2022, Revision of the family Murmidiidae (Coleoptera: Coccinelloidea), Zootaxa 5109 (1), pp. 1-102 : 41-43

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5109.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:7B6C0651-0935-4C77-B157-3ABF53E3AD81
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/038B1141-9C65-7006-D4D8-FD6BEB9AFE1F
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Murmidius tachiranus
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Murmidius tachiranus sp. n.

( Figs 109–115 View FIGURES 109–115 , 127 View FIGURES 123–128 , 133 View FIGURES 129–134 )

Type material examined. Holotype ( Venezuela ): ♂, “ VENEZUELA: Tachira / Pueblo Hondo, 15 km. S.E. / Paramo La Negra, 2910 m / 8°14’50’’N, 71°52’31’’W / 27 MAY 1998; R.Anderson / VEN1 About VEN A98 045 ex: under dead leaves” ( KUNHM). GoogleMaps

Diagnosis. Body nearly circular and weakly convex, reddish brown; antennal club over twice as long as broad; anterior clypeal margin smooth; pronotum with distinct, sulciform lateral longitudinal impressions, lacking sublateral impressions; clypeus, frons, vertex and pronotum with strong microreticulation but relatively glossy; pronotum with fine, inconspicuous punctures; elytra entirely covered with large, distinct punctures partly forming irregular rows; prosternal carinae vestigial, not reaching 1/4 of prosternum; mesoventral plate with evenly rounded anterior margin and complete submarginal carina, lacking lateral carinae; elytral epipleura not narrowed at the level of metaventrite and extremely broad, near middle broader than width of mesofemur; metaventrite with sparse, large circular punctures distributed near middle and along each metaventral femoral line; penis relatively slender, in lateral view strongly curved and flattened; in ventral view parallel-sided up to subrectangular apex; tegmen broad, with indistinctly emarginate apex bearing four pairs of setae of which one long pair is directed distomesad and three shorter pairs ventrad.

Description. BL 1.43 mm; BL/EW 1.33. Body nearly circular ( Fig. 109 View FIGURES 109–115 ) and in lateral view weakly convex ( Fig. 111 View FIGURES 109–115 ); pigmentation reddish brown, legs indistinctly lighter; dorsum very finely setose and with large punctures on elytra, contrasting with fine punctures on head and pronotum; cuticle glossy, especially on elytra, less so on distinctly microreticulate clypeus, frons, vertex and pronotum.

Head ( Fig. 127 View FIGURES 123–128 ) 0.43 mm wide, entirely microreticulate; frons weakly convex, with indistinct and sparse punc- tures; clypeus slightly less glossy than frons; eyes large, strongly convex, coarsely faceted.Antennal club over twice as long as broad ( Fig. 109 View FIGURES 109–115 ).

Pronotum ( Figs 109 View FIGURES 109–115 , 133 View FIGURES 129–134 ) strongly transverse, widest at base; PL 0.33 mm, PW 0.88 mm, PL/PW 0.37; lateral margins weakly rounded and very strongly convergent anterad, with narrow lateral carinae; mesal corners of antennal cavities distinctly projecting anterad; lateral longitudinal impressions distinct, broad and deep anteriorly and reducing in width and depth toward pronotal base, posteriorly convergent with lateral pronotal margins; sublateral longitudinal impressions lacking; anterior pronotal margin not swollen and with indistinct marginal line. Punctures on disc fine but distinct, slightly unevenly distributed, those on median area separated by spaces 3–7 as wide as their diameters, large punctures lacking, surface of disc moderately glossy, with distinct microreticulation.

Prosternum ( Fig. 110 View FIGURES 109–115 ) with fine transverse microreticulation more distinct in anterior half and with fine, distinct punctures; prosternal carinae about as long as 1/5 of prosternum; notosternal carinae weakly sinuate, not reaching anterior prosternal margin, the latter with narrow marginal carina.

Elytra ( Figs 109, 111 View FIGURES 109–115 ) together oval, with strongly rounded sides, broadest distinctly in front of middle, EL 1.03 mm, EW 1.08 mm, EL/EW 0.95. Humerus lacking callus; elytra with large and sparse punctures all over, partly forming irregular rows; surface with indistinct, superficial traces of microsculpture, glossy.

Hind wings reduced, narrow and about as long as elytra, unfunctional.

Mesoventral plate ( Fig. 112 View FIGURES 109–115 ) lacking lateral longitudinal carinae; anterior margin evenly rounded, with complete submarginal carina.

Metaventrite ( Fig. 112 View FIGURES 109–115 ) with sparse, large, circular punctures unevenly distributed mostly near middle, with row of large punctures along each metaventral femoral line. Discrimen externally marked as shallow longitudinal impression.

Tarsi with conspicuously long setae on tarsomeres 1–3 ( Fig. 110 View FIGURES 109–115 ).

Aedeagus ( Figs 113–115 View FIGURES 109–115 ) 0.60 mm long, slender; penis in ventral view parallel-sided nearly up to subrectangular apex, in lateral view strongly curved and strongly flattened; tegmen stout, with indistinctly emarginate apex bearing 4 pairs of short setae of which one longer pair is directed distomesad and 3 short ones ventrad.

Distribution. Neotropical ( Venezuela).

Etymology. Named after Táchira State of Venezuela.

Remarks. Murmidius tachiranus is externally most similar to M. meridensis ; see Remarks for the latter species. Adults of this species have the flattest and most elongate body within the M. campbelli group, but examination of aedeagus is necessary to confirm determination.