Pseudomicracis coronata Jordal, 2022

Jordal, Bjarte H., 2022, The strongly dimorphic bark beetle genus Pseudomicracis (Coleoptera, Scolytinae) in Madagascar-an integrated taxonomic revision, Zootaxa 5125 (3), pp. 325-343 : 330-331

Pseudomicracis coronata Jordal , sp. nov.

( Figs 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10 )

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Type material. Holotype, male: Madagascar, Fianarantsoa, Ranomafana, Centre ValBio , GIS: -21.25, 47.42, alt. 950 m, ex Cryptocarya log, 28.ix.2012, B. Jordal, leg. Allotype, female and paratypes (10): same data as HT. Holotype and six paratypes deposited in ZMUB, four paratypes in NHMW .

Diagnosis. Elytral apex in both sexes long and very broadly mucronate, between apex and posterolateral edge of elytra very deeply serrated; interstriae with uniseriate rows of truncated short setae; male declivity demarcated by a circular edge of granules.

Description, male. Length 1.6–2.1 mm, 2.7–2.9 × as long as wide; colour brown to dark brown. Frons convex, very slightly impressed on lower third, surface finely but sharply granulated, nearly glabrous except a few short setae on epistoma. Antennal scapus rounded, with few setae as long as the combined length of scapus and pedicel; club with two strongly procurved sutures, basal segment corneous. Eyes separated above by 2.6–3.1 × their width. Pronotum strongly asperate on anterior three-fifth, smooth along the anterior margin; posterior third smooth and impunctate. Elytral disc flat on anterior two-thirds, then abruptly descending, apex shaped like a very broad and bended mucro; declivity circumscribed by a ring of granules, between posterolateral and apical margin deeply serrated; striae with deep punctures of variable size, interstriae increasingly granulated on posterior half on disc; vestiture mainly restricted to posterior central part of disc and all of the declivity, consisting of short truncated spatulate setae in uniseriate interstrial rows, and much smaller recumbent strial setae. Protibiae with one lateral and two apical socketed denticles along its outer margin.

Female similar to male, except frons less granulated, more strongly impressed on lower third; scapus broadly triangular with dense tuft of plumose setae; strial punctures smaller, less deep; interstriae posteriorly only very finely granulated, declivity not demarcated by ring of granules, interstrial setae only narrowly spatulate.

Etymology. The Latin feminine participle coronata , means crowned, referring to the granulated circumscribed edge of the male declivity.

Distribution and biology. Madagascar. Only known from the type locality in Ranomafana. Mature broods were dissected from the bark (and not the phloem) of a Cryptocarya log ( Lauraceae ).

Remarks. This species is highly dimorphic not only in the head, but also on the posterior part of the elytra. Males vary in the size of granules and thereby the degree of demarcation of the declivity.

Figures

FIGURES 2–10. Dorsal, lateral and front view of Pseudomicracis verrucosa male holotype (2, 5, 8); Pseudomicracis coronata male holotype (3, 6, 9), and female allotype (4, 7, 10).