Espeson microphthalmus FAUVEL, 1902: 36 (Figs 5a,b, 16E)

Type material examined:

French Guyana: 1 female, without further data (holotype, IRSNB)

Diagnosis:

Compared to the other yellow species, E. microphthalmus can be differentiated by the overall parallel shape of the body that resembles a species of the genus Pseudespeson; but abdominal segment III is slightly narrowed and tergite VIII is without central spine. The pronotal emargination is deep and its sides are nearly parallel with a distinct lateral margin, whereas they are concave in the other yellow Espeson species and lateral margins are absent or extremely narrow. A dorsal impression is absent as in E. adisi, but in E. adisi the shape of the pronotal emargination is concave and abdominal segment III and IV are narrowed at base. Unfortunately, only the type female is known.

Description:

Length: 1.9 mm. Colour: yellow, antennae and legs lighter yellow.

Head: 0.25 mm long, 0.30 mm wide; eyes as large as temples; temples smoothly rounded; punctation dense and deep; distance between punctures half as wide as diameter of punctures; without microsculpture; surface polished.

Antennae shorter than head and pronotum combined; 2 nd globular, 3 rd conical, both antennomeres equal in length; following 3 antennomeres at least slightly wider than long and not wider than preceding antennomeres; antennomeres 7 to 11 distinctly wider than preceding ones and distinctly wider than long; 8 th antennomere slightly smaller than preceding and following antennomere and three times wider than long; penultimate antennomeres twice as wide as long.

Pronotum: 0.28 mm long, 0.38 mm wide; distinctly emarginate in front of posterior edge; with deep impression in the emargination; widest in the middle and slightly narrowed to the anterior angles; deeply and densely punctate on the disc, punctation partly coriaceous; without microsculpture; surface polished.

Elytra: 0.45 mm long, 0.43 mm wide; punctation irregularly dense; distance between punctures as wide as or smaller than diameter of punctures; without microsculpture; surface polished.

Abdomen with similar punctation as on elytra and weak microsculpture; surface shiny, but less shiny than elytra; tergite of last abdominal segment rounded.