Leiomicracis Jordal, 2021

Jordal, Bjarte H., 2021, A phylogenetic and taxonomic assessment of Afrotropical Micracidini (Coleoptera, Scolytinae) reveals a strong diversifying role for Madagascar, Organisms Diversity & Evolution 21 (1), pp. 245-278 : 254

Leiomicracis Jordal , gen. nov urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:4876A2E7-5058-49C8-ADB3-

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Type species. Leiomicracis aureus Jordal , sp. nov., monotypic.

Etymology. From Greek Leios, meaning smooth, referring to the lack of asperities on the anterior part of the pronotum, and the Greek genus name Micracis . Gender feminine as explained for Micracis by Alonso-Zarazaga and Lyal (2009).

Diagnosis. Typical micracidine by the twisted lateral edge of the protibiae with only a single socketed denticle present on the posterior face; inner mucro large, curved posteriorly. Female scapus longer than funiculus, with a triangular tuft of setae on its dorsal side. Antennal carinulata ; 24 Lanurgus sp. ; 25 Pseudolanurgus sp. ; 26 Leiomicracis aurea ; 27 Dendrochilus sp.

funicle 5-segmented; club setose, without sutures. Pronotum asperate in middle, smooth on posterior half, lateral thirds and anterior sixth. Interstriae with a single row of scale-like setae. Setae on ventrites simple, unifid. Hindwing precosta with a single seta, radial cell with two setae. Proventriculus with anterior plate much longer than posterior plate, longitudinally, broadly divided, with bundles of strong, long crop teeth; apical teeth enforced, forming U-shaped structure.

Distribution. Tanzania.

Remarks. Leiomicracis is phylogenetically isolated as the sister group to all other Micracidini . The basal position in Micracidini was also confirmed by adding DNA sequences to the previously published 182 Scolytinae taxa dataset of Pistone et al. (2018). The new genus is distinguished from all other genera in the tribe by the smooth anterior sixth of the pronotum and by the scattered long setae forming a triangular tuft on the scapus.