Meleagros laticeps, Gildenkov, 2020

Fedorenko, D. N., 2020, New species of Meleagros and Tarsagonum (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Platynini) from the Oriental region, Russian Entomological Journal 29 (2), pp. 139-147 : 142-143

Meleagros laticeps Fedorenko, sp.n.

Figs 1 , 7, 9 .

MATERIAL. Holotype ♂ ( ZMMU): ‘S[outh] Vietnam, Lam Dong Prov [ince]., Bi Doup — Nui Ba Nat [ure]. Res [erve]., 12°07´N / 108°39´44´´ E, Bi Doup Mt. , N [orthern] slope, h= 1700–1900 m, 6.V.2009, leg. D. Fedorenko’ . Paratypes ( SIEE): ♂, same data, except for 3.V.2009 ; 1♀, same data, except for 108°39´20´´ E, ..., 16.IV.2008 .

DESCRIPTION. BL 12.6–13.8 mm. Body ( Fig. 1 ), including femora and antennal scape, shiny violaceous, tibiae, tarsi and abdominal sternites V–VII black, sternite VII paler apicad; antennae black, with segments 5–11 more or less reddish along edges; trochanters and extreme apices of coxae reddish. Microsculpture obliterate on head and pronotum; isodiametric meshes hardly traceable on frons and vertex. Pronotum with similar yet moderately transverse meshes on sides of disc, with barely more distinct meshes along base, meshes being isodiametric medially to slightly transverse on sides. Elytral microsculpture superficial, consisting of slightly to very transverse meshes. Body glabrous, except for microscopic punctures with almost indistinct cilia hardly traceable on ventrite 3, metacoxae, and abdominal sternites VII and II–III between metacoxae.

Head large, hexagonal, with neck almost thrice as wide as small protruding eyes, HnW/OL 2.88–2.99 (2.95); genae barely shorter than eyes, GL/OL 0.77–0.84 (0.81), meeting neck at very obtuse angle; neck constriction distinct yet rather shallow. Supra-ocular seta just before the level of posterior margin of eye, distant rather far from very deep supra-ocular groove. Frontal foveae as round and deep pits behind clypeus, extended into shallow striae diverging to eyes and obliterated behind the level of anterior margin of eye or almost reaching supra-ocular seta. Frons medially smooth (holotype) or with a median impression before eyes (paratypes), which is either deep and transverse (♀) or faint, V-shaped, interrupted medially (♂). Genae laterally and ventrally densely cross-striated (plicated). Antennae long filiform, surpassing elytral base by segments 7–11. Labrum symmetric.

Pronotum convex, cordate subhexagonal, PW/PL 1.34– 1.38 (1.36), PW/HW 1.28–1.36 (1.31), broadest almost a fifth from apex, PLw/PL 0.36–0.41 (0.39). Base and apex subtrunctate and subequally wide, PB/PA 1.05–1.11 (1.07); basal and apical angles right, the latter slightly projecting. Sides obtusely angulate, subconvex before, converging and straight to subsinuate behind, parallel in basal fifth. Basal bead entire; apical bead interrupted just medially. Explanate lateral margin fairly wide and slightly reflexed at lateral angle, very narrow before, rather narrow and strongly reflexed behind; lateral bead fine, traceable in front of lateral angle only. Median line thin, moderately deep, obliterate basally and apically. Apical transverse impression barely traceable just medially; basal transverse impression deep wshaped. Very deep basal foveae just outside, reaching to surpassing middle. Basal foveae up to lateral groove and base just inside finely and densely punctate and slightly cross-striated. Disc very finely and rather densely cross-striated.

Elytra subquadrate, EL/EW 1.50–1.56 (1.54), EW/PW 1.41–1.44 (1.43), truncate basally, with humeri rounded, broadest behind middle; sides straight and barely diverging in basal half, rounded behind, each with a slight preapical sinuation; apices separated and blunt. Basal ridge sinuous, with nearly indistinct humeral angle opposite stria 5. Striae deep, very finely punctate; intervals subconvex on disc, convex basally, apically and laterally; stria 3 adjoining apical bead; stria 8 narrow and costate apically. Discal seta d1 adjoining stria 3, d2 and d3 adjoining stria 2; interval 7 bisetose apically (posterior seta in interval 3). USS: 19–21, US sparser in middle third

Underside: Prosternal process flat, not beaded. Sides of metaventrite, metepisterna and base of abdominal sternite I densely punctate; mesepisterna anteriorly with slightly spars- er punctures, propleura basally with fine sparser punctures; surface otherwise impunctate.

Legs: pro- and mesotarsi flat and wide in both sexes, distinctly wider than metatarsi; these slightly wider than usual in Platynini , with tarsomeres 1–4 subequally wide; metatarsomeres 1–3 deeply bisulcate-tricarinate; mesotarsomeres 1–3 bisulcate, with fine lateral carinae and blunt median carina; protarsomere 1 without (♂) or with (♀) rather shallow lateral sulci in male, protarsomeres 2–4 with two finest and vague lateral carinae. Profemur with one anterior seta and three posterior setae, with an additional seta near basal one (the additional seta is ventromedial in holotype while basal unilateral in paratypes); metafemur bisetose.

Aedeagus median lobe ( Figs 7, 9 ) with apex triangular; internal sac unarmed.

Female gonocoxite with five outer ensiform setae.

DIAGNOSIS. The largest species in the genus, with the head fairly large; body integuments glabrous; pronotal sides subconvex in front of lateral angles (vs. concave to straight); protarsi almost glabrous dorsally in male, and prosternal process not beaded. Meleagros sikkimensis as the most similar species is distinctive from the new species also in the pronotum smaller (PW/HW 1.1, EW/PW 1.7), prosternal process beaded, and USS consisting of 17–18 US only.

NAME. Refers to the head which is rather wide relative to the eye.

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. Only known from the type locality.

Figures

Figs 1–3. Dorsal habitus of holotypes: 1 — Meleagros laticeps sp.n.; 2 — M. pseudosinicola sp.n.; 3 –– M. setulosus sp.n. Рис. 1–3. Габитус голотипов, дорЗально: 1 — Meleagros laticeps sp.n.; 2 — M. pseudosinicola sp.n.; 3 –– M. setulosus sp.n.

Figs 7–16. Median lobe of aedeagus in holotypes: 7, 9 — Meleagros laticeps sp.n.; 8, 10 — M. pseudosinicola sp.n.; 11–13 — Tarsagonum (Louwerensium) breve sp.n.; 14–16 — T. (L.) indicum sp.n.; 7, 8, 11, 15 — left aspect; 9–10, 13–14 — ventral aspect; 12, 16 — right aspect. Scale bars: 0.5 mm. Рис. 7–16. СреднЯЯ долЯ Эдеагуса голотипов: 7, 9 — Meleagros laticeps sp.n.; 8, 10 — M. pseudosinicola sp.n.; 11–13 — Tarsagonum (Louwerensium) breve sp.n.; 14–16 — T. (L.) indicum sp.n.; 7, 8, 11, 15 — слева; 9–10, 13–14 — вентрально; 12, 16 — справа. Масштаб: 0,5 mm.