Ochodaeus iniquipes Paulsen, 2019

Paulsen, M. J., 2019, New species of Ochodaeus Dejean from Madagascar II (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea: Ochodaeidae), Insecta Mundi 706 (706), pp. 1-10 : 6-7

Ochodaeus iniquipes Paulsen , new species

Type material. Holotype male ( CASC; Fig. 3a ), labeled: a) “ MADAGASCAR: Tulear / Tsifota, 20 km N Manombo / 1 km E of Tsifota Village / 26 Jan–4 Feb 2009 / 22° 49.08′ S 43° 22.36′ E ”; b) “ Calif. Acad. of Sciences / coll: M. Irwin, R. Harin›Hala / malaise trap, elev 15 m / spiny forest MG-48-12”; c) c) on red paper, “ Ochodaeus / iniquipes / Paulsen / HOLOTYPE ” ( Fig. 3d ).

Female paratype ( MJPC) labeled: a) “ MADAGASCAR: Tulear / Tsimanampetsotsa National / Park, Mitoho Forest / 25 March–2 April 2009 / 24° 2.91′ S 43° 45.14′ E ”; b) “ Calif. Acad. of Sciences / coll: M. Irwin, R. Harin › Hala / malaise, transitional forest / elev 120 m MG-53C-21”. Male paratype ( DKC) labeled: a) “ Madagascar / Camp Catta 40 km S Ambalavao / 810 m, 26.XI-2.XII.2003 / S. Murzin & A. Sharnaev leg.” .

Both paratypes (n = 2) with label: on yellow paper, “ Ochodaeus / iniquipes / Paulsen / PARATYPE ” .

Description. Holotype male ( Fig. 3a ). Coleoptera : Scarabaeoidea: Ochodaeidae . Length 7.6 mm. Width 4.1 mm. Color: Everywhere reddish brown, surface shiny. Head: Surface strongly granulate; granules setose, shiny; surface between granules shagreened. Eyes large, globose, lacking ventral projection of canthus. Antennal club moderately large, approximately size of eye in distal view. Mandibles broadly concave, basal angle broadly rounded, apices falcate; left mandible with triangular internal tooth and second tooth behind; right mandible with internal teeth weakly developed. Frons weakly convex. Frontoclypeal suture triangular (projecting posteriorly, not transverse). Clypeus rhomboidal, long (about 1/2 as long as wide), with small horn on posterior margin; anterior margin distinctly beaded throughout, bead slender, bisinuate. Labrum with deep, U-shaped emargination. Mentum slightly wider than long, anteriorly emarginate with broad, subtriangular fovea. Pronotum: Form convex. Surface densely granulate everywhere (except furrowed midline in basal fourth); granules shiny, with short seta; surface shagreened between granules. Elytra: Form convex, distinctly narrower than pronotum, slightly elongate, elytra together as long as wide. Surface with striae moderately impressed, punctate, surface smooth between punctures (except sutural stria with connecting groove); strial punctures large, separated by ~1 puncture diameter, lacking setae. Intervals irregularly tuberculate; tubercles uniformly small, setose; setae slightly longer than diameter of largest strial punctures. Legs: Protibia broad ( Fig. 3b ), tridentate externally, with moderately long pollex. Profemur with strong, apical and median teeth ( Fig. 3b ). Mesofemur and metafemur with apical teeth large, acute. Metatibia flattened, dorsal surface with internal margin blade-like basally. Venter/Abdomen: Metasternum and abdomen sparsely punctate; punctures large with long, golden setae. Last abdominal segment with erect setae. Pygidium rugopunctate, setose, setae sparse. Stridulatory peg oblong ( Fig. 3c ). Male genitalia: Sclerotized patch on internal sac between parameres broadly triangular, apex rounded; internal sac lacking complex armature.

Paratype variation. Male (n = 1; length 7.4 mm; width 4.0 mm). Female (n = 1; length 8.2 mm; width 4.5 mm). The female specimen has much narrower protibiae, the median tooth on the profemur is reduced, and the setae on the last abdominal segment are recumbent rather than erect.

Remarks. Ochodaeus iniquipes has the clypeal armature most strongly developed, clearly referable to as a small horn rather than a shiny tubercle or bump. The frontoclypeal suture is produced posteriorly to the horn, which lies on the suture itself, whereas in O. umbonulus the suture is straight. The profemur has an anteromedian tooth in all three known specimens, although it is reduced in the female paratype. This tooth would presumably be partially or entirely obsolete in smaller individuals, and the largest specimens of O. umbonulus have the median tooth weakly indicated. In such a case, the clypeal character will better serve to distinguish the two species. The deep U-shaped labrum is also diagnostic for O. iniquipes .

Etymology. The name is a Latin noun in the nominative singular derived from ‘iniquus’, dangerous or evil, with “pes”, legs. The evil legs are the heavily armed profemora, with a large apical tooth and also a median tooth on the anterior margin ( Fig. 3b ).

Distribution. This species is distributed in the southern third of the island ( Fig. 9 ).

Figures

Figure 3. Ochodaeus iniquipes Paulsen, new species. a) Dorsal habitus, male holotype. b) Right front leg, dorsal view. Arrow indicating median tooth of anterior margin of profemur. c) Right stridulatory peg, dorsal view (elytra lifted). d) Holotype labels.

Figures 9–10. Distributions of new species of Madagascar Ochodaeus. 9) Blue squares = O. iniquipes Paulsen, new species; orange circle = O. meridialis Paulsen, new species. 10) White circles = O. umbonulus Paulsen, new species.