Microsaprinus therondianus (Dahlgren, 1973) comb. nov.

(Figs. 38, 60, 80, 125, 176, 471–490)

Saprinus therondianus Dahlgren, 1973: 193, Figs. A, B.

Saprinus (Microsaprinus) therondianus: KRYZHANOVSKIJ & REICHARDT (1976): 127, 185, Figs. 365, 366; MAZUR (1984): 63; SECQ & SECQ (1995): 30; MAZUR (1997): 232; MAZUR (2004): 97.

Type locality. Mongolia, Bajanchongor aimak.

Type material. PARATYPES: ♁, ‘ MONGOLIA: Bajanchongor / aimak, 22 km N von Pass / des Gebirges Ongon Ulaan / ul, 890–920 m / Exp. Dr. Z. KASZAB, 1967 [printed] // Nr. 865 / 29.VI.1967 [printed] // Paratypus 1971. / Saprinus / therondianus / G. Dahlgren [red-margined label, printed-written]’ (MNHN); ♀, with identical labels, except Nr. 864 instead of ‘Nr. 865’ (MNHN).

Additional material examined. IRAN: Yousef-Abad, Tazeh-Kand, 9.ix.1967, 1 ♁, M. Daniel lgt., by a trap on a lorry; Mashad, Fariman, 4.ix.1967, 1 spec., M. Daniel lgt., by a trap on a lorry. TURKMENISTAN: Kara-Kum, Orta Kuyu, 19.v.1953, 1 ♁, Kiryakova lgt., in the burrow of gerbil Rhombomys opimus Wagner, 1841 (TLAN). Kara-Kum Orta-Kuju, 17.v.[1]953, 1 ♁, Kirjakova lgt., bearing a paratype label of an unpublished species Saprinus steinbergi Kryzhanovskij, 1967 (MNHN).

Redescription. Body length: PEL: 1.575 –1.625 mm; APW: 0.475–0.55 mm; PPW: 1.20–1.25 mm; EL: 1.00– 1.05 mm; EW: 1.375–1.45 mm.

Body (Figs. 471–472) roundly oval, convex, cuticle yellow to light brown, without metallic luster, shining; legs, mouthparts and antennae yellow-brown.

Antennal scape (Fig. 475) with carinate margins, with two weakly sclerotized short setae; club (Figs. 473–474) elongate, apical surface with sensory area with very short sparse erect sensilla, remaining surface of club glabrous, only with very sparse minute sensilla; sensory structures of antennal club (Fig. 38) in form of two thin, slit-like pits situated on ventral side in vague sutures between antennomeres IX, X and XI and four vesicles situated in two pairs on the ventral side.

Mouthparts. Mandibles (Fig. 80) with straight outer margin, curved inwardly, mandibular apex acutely pointed; prostheca unusually wide, with dense row of minute prosthecal setae; labrum (Fig. 60) microscopically punctate, slightly depressed medially; labral pits inconspicuous, with single short weakly sclerotized seta; cardo of maxilla with few minute setae, stipes triangular, with two very short setae; terminal labial palpomere somewhat thickened, its width less than half its length; mentum (Fig. 478) sub-trapezoid, anterior margin (Fig. 125) asetose, slightly projected, with microscopic median notch; lateral margins with one row of sparse short ramose setae, disc of mentum glabrous; terminal maxillary palpomere elongated, its width about one-third its length; about twice as long as penultimate.

Clypeus flat, rounded laterally, rugulose-lacunose; frontal stria (Fig. 475) vaguely impressed, widely interrupted medially; supraorbital stria absent, frontal disc coriariouspunctate; eyes somewhat flattened, visible from above.

Pronotal sides (Fig. 471) weakly convergent anteriorly, apical angles obtuse, anterior incision for head shallow, pronotal foveae absent; marginal pronotal stria complete; disc punctate, punctures separated by about their own to twice their diameter, laterally forming tiny wrinkles; pronotal hypomeron glabrous; scutellum very small, inconspicuous.

Elytral epipleura with scattered microscopic punctures, area between marginal epipleural stria and elytral margin smooth; marginal epipleural stria fine, complete; marginal elytral stria straight, fine, continued as weakened complete apical elytral stria. Humeral elytral stria well impressed on basal third, occasionally doubled; inner subhumeral stria present medially as a short median fragment; elytral disc with four weakly impressed thin dorsal elytral striae 1–4, striae about the same length, approximately reaching elytral half apically, first dorsal elytral stria somewhat longer, fourth dorsal elytral stria basally connected with sutural elytral stria; sutural elytral stria fine, in shallow punctures, complete, apically connected with apical elytral stria; entire elytral disc with fine shallow punctures separated by about 2–3 times their own diameter, extreme elytral apex smooth.

Propygidium almost entirely concealed by elytra, pygidium about as long as wide, with even sparser and finer punctation than that of elytra.

Anterior margin of median portion of prosternum (Fig. 479) almost straight, rounded laterally; marginal prosternal stria weakly impressed anteriorly as a short fragment; prosternal process flattened, surface between carinal prosternal striae slightly imbricate with very sparse microscopic punctation, laterally prosternal process imbricate-punctate; pre-apical foveae absent; carinal prosternal striae well-impressed, divergent on prosternal apophysis, thence subparallel, slightly divergent on anterior end, not united in front; lateral prosternal striae well-impressed, subparallel, strongly carinate, widely ‘open’ anteriorly.

Anterior margin of mesoventrite deeply emarginate medially; discal marginal mesoventral stria thin, slightly carinate, complete; disc of mesoventrite with sparse fine punctation; meso-metaventral sutural stria slightly undulate; intercoxal disc of metaventrite somewhat convex, with scattered microscopic punctures; lateral metaventral stria well impressed, slightly carinate on outer margin, almost straight, shortened apically; lateral disc of metaventrite (Fig. 480) slightly concave, imbricate-punctate, next to metaventral-metepisternal suture a short carinate stria present basally; metepisternum + fused metepimeron (Fig. 480) on basal two-thirds imbricate-punctate, punctures separated about twice their own diameter, on apical third almost glabrous, punctation much sparser; metepisternal stria intermittent.

Intercoxal disc of the first abdominal sternite almost completely striate laterally; with scattered microscopic punctation, interspaces finely imbricate.

Protibia (Figs. 476, 481) flattened and slightly dilated, outer margin with about ten short denticles gradually decreasing in size in proximal direction, denticles continue ventrally along apical margin; setae of outer row extremely sparse and short; setae of median row likewise very sparse and short; protarsal groove deep; anterior protibial stria inconspicuous; single tiny tarsal denticle present apically; protibial spur tiny, growing out from apical protibial margin; outer part of posterior surface of protibia (Fig. 481) imbricate-punctate, distinctly separated from imbricate median part of posterior surface, along basal two-thirds with sparse row of about six microscopic denticles; posterior protibial stria complete, thin, terminating in two tiny, well separated inner-posterior denticles; inner margin with single sparse row of short setae.

Mesotibia slender, outer margin with two sparse rows of thin short denticles, growing in size apically; setae of outer row very sparse; setae of median row inconspicuous; posterior mesotibial stria shortened apically; anterior surface of mesotibia imbricate; anterior mesotibial stria shortened apically; mesotibial spur thin, short; apical margin with three thin short denticles; claws of apical tarsomere longer than half its length; metatibia (Fig. 477) basically similar to mesotibia, but longer and slenderer and denticles on outer margin extremely sparse.

Male genitalia. Eighth sternite (Figs. 482–483) sickle-shaped, widely longitudinally separated medially, mesally with thin short velum without setae; eighth tergite and eighth sternite not fused laterally (Fig. 484). Morphology of 9 th tergite (Figs. 485–486) typical for the subfamily; spiculum gastrale (Fig. 489) thickened on basal half, expanded on both ends. Basal piece of aedeagus (Figs. 487–488) rather short, ratio of its length: length of parameres 1: 4; parameres separated medially almost along their entire length; aedeagus slightly curved ventrad (Fig. 488).