Mnioticus choqanus, Esser & R, 2021

Esser, Jens & R, Afrotropical, 2021, Two new Mnioticus COOMBS & WOODROFFE, 1962 (Coleoptera, Cryptophagidae) from Ethiopia, Linzer biologische Beiträge 53 (1), pp. 49-53 : 50-51

Mnioticus choqanus nov.sp. ( figs 2 , 8 )

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotypus ♁: " Ethiopia, W-slope Mt. Choke , 3450 m, 22.II.2019, 10°38'09''N, 37°46'06''E, leg. D. Hauth, J. Schmidt, M. Yeshitl a, Yitbarek WW" [ MNE] . Paratypes: 5♀♀ with the same data as the holotype [ NME, cES] ; 4♁♁, 2♀♀ " Ethiopia, Amhara, W-slope Mt. Choke , 23.II. 2019, 3370 m, 10°36'07''N, 37°45'51''E, leg. D. Hauth, J. Schmidt, M. Yeshitla, Yibarek WW " [ NME, cES] ; 1♁ " Ethiopia, Amhara, Mt. Choke crater valley, 10°41'14''N, 37°50'07''E, 24.II.2019, 3700-3800 m, leg. D. Hauth, J. Schmidt, M. Yeshitla, Yibarek " [ NME] ; 1♀ " Ethiopia, Amhara, N-slope Mt. Choke , 10°43'16''N, 37°51'15''E, 3800- 3650 m, 26.II.2019, leg. D. Hauth, J. Schmidt, M. Yeshitla, Yitbarek WW " [ MNE] .

E t y m o l o g y: Named after the Mt. Choqa in Ethiopia, where the type series was collected.

D e s c r i p t i o n: Male, 2.1 mm, reddish-brown with a dark spot on each elytron. Membranous wings absent, legs and antennae slender. Shiny, surface with punctuation strong and dense on pronotum and on elytra, interspaces smaller than diameter. Covered with uniform pale pubescence, hairs decumbent on elytra. Pronotum with a few long hairs projecting the side margin partly.

Head without any features and eyes medium-sized. Punctuation on head strong and dense (as on pronotum).

Pronotum moderately transverse (1.4 x broader than long). Punctuation strong and dense. Side margin strongly rounded, concave before the posterior angles, posterior angles rectungalur, anterior angles obtuse, margin smooth. Basal margin rimmed between the fovea, slightly rounded apically.

Elytra elongated, slightly rounded, humeral calli indistinct. Pubescence short and decumbent. Punctuation indistinctly sparser and finer (basal third) as on pronotum.

Antennae moderately slender, 11-segmented including a 3-segmented club. Segment 1 short, nearly spherical, segment 2 fusiform, segment 3 longer and pear-shaped, smaller as 1 and 2. Segments 4 to 7 somewhat longer than broad, segment 8 nearly spherical. Segment 9 and 10 moderately transverse, 11 long as broad and asymmetrical.

Legs slender, anterior tarsomeres 1 to 4 slightly widened (not in female). Tarsal formula 5-5-4 (in female 5-5-5). Parameres shown in fig. 8.

C o m m e n t: Similar to Mnioticus baleanus nov.sp. ( figs 1 , 7 ), but distinguishable by its short and decumbent pubescence and stronger punctuation. M. rougemonti ESSER, 2014 (fig. 3, 6) shares the short and decumbent pubescence but is separated by finer punctuation. Also separated by the shape of parameres ( figs 6, 7, 8 ). Further resembling species are M. rhynchopetali (SCOTT, 1936) (fig. 4) or M. gugheanus ESSER, 2019 (fig. 5).

D i s t r i b u t i o n: Currently known only from Mount Choqa (Amhara, Ethiopia).

Figures

Figs 1-2: Habitus of Mnioticus sp. (1) M. baleanus nov.sp., holotype; (2) M. choqanus nov.sp., holotype.

Figs 6-8: Parameres of Mnioticus sp. (6) M. rougemonti ESSER, 2014; (7) M. baleanus nov.sp.; (8) M. choqanus nov.sp.