Miridiba nigrescens ( Moser, 1916 ) Gao & Coca-Abia, 2021

Gao, Chuan-bu & Coca-Abia, María Milagro, 2021, Revision of the genus Miridiba Reitter, 1902 (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Melolonthinae): genital morphotypes and new taxonomic data, European Journal of Taxonomy 749, pp. 1-94 : 73-74

Miridiba nigrescens ( Moser, 1916) comb. nov.

Figs 91–93

Holotrichia nigrescens Moser, 1916: 185 (type loc.: Madurai, India).

Holotrichia nigrescens – Frey 1971: 216, 220, figs 28a–b (in key).

Diagnosis

External morphology of adult ( Fig. 91 ). Body size 11.7–13.3 mm. Dorsal surface glabrous, at most with short setae in each puncture hardly visible. Male antennal club as long as funiculus. Clypeus shorter than frons, almost flat, arcuate laterally, anterior edge emarginate at middle; surface with conspicuous and deep punctures. Frons with punctures similar to those of clypeus; frontal carina blunt and curved backward. Pronotal surface with strong and deep punctures, wrinkled appearance; anterior margin glabrous, widely flanged; posterior margin with a row of punctures and very short pubescence; lateral margins widely serrated and with short setae, elevated at anterior half; anterior angles almost right, moderately projected forward, posterior angles obtuse almost right and marked. Prosternal process slender and sharp. Scutellum glabrous, with punctures uniformly distributed. Elytral surface shiny, with punctures evenly distributed and softer than those of pronotum; epipleuron glabrous, with a few short setae at basal part. Foretibia with dorsal carina moderately developed. Meso- and metatibia with transverse carina complete and interrupted respectively, inner margin of dorsal surface with a few spines. Prepygidium with punctures regularly distributed, stronger at posterior margin. Pygidium with punctures irregularly distributed glabrous, at most with tiny setae in each puncture hardly visible; apex with sparse and short pubescence. Ventrites 1 and 2 with conspicuous decumbent short pubescence regularly distributed. Ventrites 3 and 4 glabrous. Ventrite 5 moderately depressed at posterior half, with a row of long setae. Ventrite 6 with strong and deep punctures, appearance wrinkled, moderately bulging at anterior margin, long pubescence near posterior margin. Male genitalia fits into morphotype VII “ Rugaticollis ” above described. Parameres ( Fig. 92 ) with notch of dorsal branch moderately developed, only a small concavity at distal end. Ventral branches slightly longer than dorsal one and with apices moderately raised. Endophallus ( Fig. 93 ) with an area of soft setae at distal half. Apophysis of temones ( Fig. 93 ) separated from each other at both ends. Female genitalia not studied.

Material examined

Lectotype (here designated)

INDIA • ♂; “Madura Ind. or” [Madurai, India]; “ nigrescens ” [in red]; “ Syntypus Holotrichia nigrescens Moser, 1916 labelled by MNHUB 2016”; “ Lectotype Miridiba nigrescens ( Moser, 1916) Chuan-bu Gao & Coca-Abia det. 2017”; MFNB.

Paralectotypes (here indicated)

INDIA • 1 ♂; “Dekan India”; “ Holotrichia nigrescens Type Mos”; “ nigrescens Mos ”; “ Syntypus Holotrichia nigrescens Moser, 1916 labelled by MNHUB 2016”; “ Paralectotype Miridiba nigrescens ( Moser, 1916) Chuan-bu Gao and Coca-Abia det. 2017”; MFNB • 1 ♀; “Dekan India”, “ nigrescens ” [in red]; “ Syntypus Holotrichia nigrescens Moser, 1916 labelled by MNHUB 2016”; “ Paralectotype Miridiba nigrescens ( Moser, 1916) Chuan-bu Gao & Coca-Abia det. 2017”; MFNB.

Remarks

Moser (1916) described Holotrichia nigrescens from a series of specimens from Deccan and Madurai ( India). We have studied three type specimens (MFNB) (two males and another one without abdomen that could be a female), which show external and genital features that characterize the genus Miridiba and the genital morphotype VII “ Rugaticollis ”. Hence, we transfer H. nigrescens to Miridiba and include it into this genital morphotype. Moreover, we designate lectotype and paralectotypes.

Distribution

India (Deccan, Madurai).

Species included in Morphotype VIII “Scutata”

The group is composed of two species, which are characterized by antenna 10-segmented, pronotal surface irregularly and scattered punctate (distance between punctures greater than diameter of puncture) and male and female genitalia as specified above.

Figures

Figs 90–93. 90. Miridiba rugaticollis (Moser, 1913), lectotype, ♂ (MFNB). Habitus in dorsal view. 91–93. M. nigrescens (Moser, 1916), lectotype, ♂ (MFNB). 91. Habitus in dorsal view. 92. Parameres in dorsal (A) and lateral (B) views. 93. Endophallus and temones in lateral view. Scale bars: 90–91 = 5.0 mm; 92–93 = 1.0 mm.