Maechidius merdeka, Telnov, 2020

Telnov, Dmitry, 2020, A revision of the Maechidiini Burmeister, 1855 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae) from the Indo-Australian transition zone, and the first record of the tribe west of Wallace’s Line, European Journal of Taxonomy 721, pp. 1-210 : 77-78

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5852/ejt.2020.721.1127
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:89E62EF8-2E45-4C59-94B7-6A5603E8939B
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4344341
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/4CE118C9-AC74-47C5-93B3-82F7844A0000
taxon LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:act:4CE118C9-AC74-47C5-93B3-82F7844A0000
treatment provided by	Valdenar
scientific name	Maechidius merdeka
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Maechidius merdeka View in CoL sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:4CE118C9-AC74-47C5-93B3-82F7844A0000

Figs 61 View Figs 58–61 , 145 View Figs 145–156 , 232 View Figs 226–241 , 323 View Figs 317–332 , 396, 492, 664–666

Etymology

The name is derived from the Indonesian ‘merdeka’ (meaning ‘independent’, ‘free’) to celebrate the craving for spiritual freedom of the Papuan people. Noun in apposition.

Type material

Holotype

COUNTRY UNKNOWN ( Island of New Guinea) • ♂; “ New Guinea Doron xi.1921 R.Neill Rothschild B.M.1939-1”; BMNH.

Paratype

COUNTRY UNKNOWN ( Island of New Guinea ) • 1 ♂; same label as in holotype; BMNH .

Description

MEASUREMENTS. Male holotype, total body length 7.05 mm. Head 1.30 mm long, across eyes 1.50 mm wide. Pronotum 1.45 mm long, maximum width 2.30 mm. Elytral length 4.30 mm, maximum combined width 3.05 mm.

With general features of M. bintang sp. nov., M. crypticus sp. nov., M. lapsus sp. nov. and M. owenstanleyi sp. nov. (see descriptions above and below). Dorsal surface covered with microscopic velvety pubescence. Male labroclypeus ( Fig. 145 View Figs 145–156 ) straight on anterior margin. Anterolateral angles of male labroclypeus strongly protruding anteriad, acute. Lateral margins of male labroclypeus sinuous both in dorsal and lateral view. Head dorsal punctures deep, circular to ovoid. Antennae 9-segmented, club 3-lamellate. Head and pronotum covered with sparse, rather short suberect scale-like setae which are rounded apically. Pronotum constricted postmedially towards base. Obtuse median angulation on lateral margin of pronotum in dorsal view ( Fig. 232 View Figs 226–241 ). Pronotal punctures deep of different shape and size. Scales broader on sides of pronotal disc. With vague track of one longitudinal carina on each elytron; carina with multiple interruptions. Elytral punctures with ovoid to linear incision-shaped deep punctures ( Fig. 323 View Figs 317–332 ). Intervening spaces microreticulate, subopaque, larger than punctures. Elytral scale-like setae strongly vary in size from minute (more abundant) to clavate and strongly surpassing length of corresponding punctures. Sutural carinae partly present, with interruptions. Setae scale-like, extremely minute (miniseta rising from anterior margin of each puncture) with sparse large scales. Male pygidium with deep ovoid punctures, intervening spaces covered with microscopical velvety pubescence ( Fig. 492 View Figs487–503 ). Setae of pygidium scale-like, larger and clavate in median part (all pointing obliquely to the middle), minute and not surpassing length of corresponding punctures in most of anterior part of pygidium. Male protibia with two distal teeth on external margin (Fig. 396). Male metatibial terminal spurs distinctly shorter than length of basal metatarsomere. Spiculum gastrale rounded distally. Male aedeagus as in Figs 664–666 View Figs 652–666 .