Microperus latesalebrinus, Smith & Beaver & Cognato, 2020

Smith, Sarah M., Beaver, Roger A. & Cognato, Anthony I., 2020, A monograph of the Xyleborini (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Scolytinae) of the Indochinese Peninsula (except Malaysia) and China, ZooKeys 983, pp. 1-442 : 1

Microperus latesalebrinus sp. nov. Fig. 68A, B, I

Type material.

Holotype, female, China: Hong Kong, Tai Po Kau, 3.vi.2016, Skelton, Carlson (IZAS). Paratypes, female, as holotype, SAX 235 (MSUC, 1), SAX 248 (MSUC, 1).

Diagnosis.

1.6 mm long (mean = 1.6 mm; n = 2); 2.67 × as long as wide. This species is distinguished by the elytral disc flat with short and steep obliquely truncate declivity; posterolateral carina denticulate; and declivital interstriae 2 and 3 strongly laterally broadened from base to declivital midpoint then narrowing towards apex.

Similar species.

Microperus kirishimanus , M. nudibrevis , M. perparvus .

Description

(female). 1.6 mm long (mean = 1.6 mm; n = 2); 2.67 × as long as wide. Appearing bicolored: head, anterior slope of pronotum and elytra dark brown, remainder of pronotum, antennae, and legs light brown. Head: epistoma entire, transverse, with a row of hair-like setae. Frons weakly convex to upper level of eyes, subshiny, punctate; punctures large, shallow, moderately dense, glabrous; punctures in lateral areas bearing a long, erect hair-like seta. Eyes shallowly emarginate just above antennal insertion, upper part smaller than lower part. Submentum large, distinctly triangular, slightly impressed. Antennal scape short and thick, shorter than club. Pedicel as wide as scape, shorter than funicle. Funicle 4-segmented, segment 1 shorter than pedicel. Club longer than wide, obliquely truncate, type 2; segment 1 corneous, transverse on anterior face, occupying basal 2/5 club, nearly covering posterior face; segment 2 narrow, soft; segment 1 present on posterior face. Pronotum: 1.0 × as long as wide. In dorsal view basic and parallel-sided, sides parallel in basal 3/4, rounded anteriorly; anterior margin without serrations. In lateral view elongate with disc much longer than anterior slope, type 8, summit low, at apical 2/5. Anterior slope with densely spaced, broad asperities, becoming lower and more strongly transverse towards summit. Disc shagreened, alutaceous, finely punctate, glabrous, some moderately long hair-like setae at margins. Lateral margins obliquely costate. Base weakly bisinuate, posterior angles acutely rounded, almost subquadrate. Elytra: 1.78 × as long as wide, 1.78 × as long as pronotum. Scutellum minute, convex, slightly raised above elytral surface. Elytral mycangium present as a dispersed median setal tuft of setae extending along elytral base. Elytral base transverse, edge oblique, humeral angles rounded, parallel-sided in basal 4/5, then narrowly rounded to apex. Disc flat, subshiny, striae not impressed, with small shallow punctures separated by one diameter of a puncture, glabrous; interstriae flat, impunctate, setose, setae short, sparse, erect-hair-like. Declivity occupying 1/3 of elytral length, truncate, its margins denticulate, strongly shagreened, dull; striae flat, glabrous, impunctate; interstriae irregularly denticulate along their lengths, denticles uniformly sized, each bearing a short erect hair-like seta, interstriae 2 and 3 strongly laterally broadened from base to midpoint and then narrowed to apex. Posterolateral margin rounded, denticulate to interstriae 7. Legs: procoxae contiguous; prosternal coxal piece tall, pointed. Protibiae slender, broadest at apical 1/3; posterior face smooth; apical 1/3 of outer margin with six moderate socketed denticles, their length approximately as long as basal width Meso- and metatibiae flattened; outer margin evenly rounded with seven and eight large socketed denticles, respectively.

Etymology.

L. latus = broad; salebra = rough road; - inus = likeness. Named in reference to the wide shagreened second declivital interstriae. An adjective.

Distribution.

China (Hong Kong).

Host plants.

Castanopsis ( Fagaceae ).

Figures

Figure 68. Dorsal, lateral and declivital view of Microperus latesalebrinus holotype, 1.6 mm (A, B, I), M. minax holotype, 1.95 - 2.0 mm (C, D, J), M. nudibrevis, 1.5 - 1.6 mm (E, F, K), and M. nugax, 1.8 - 1.9 mm (G, H, L).