Nanocaecus, Schawaller & Purchart, 2012

Schawaller, Wolfgang & Purchart, Luboš, 2012, Nanocaecus hlavaci gen. & sp. nov. - first record of the tribe Gnathidiini (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae: Diaperinae) from the Socotra Archipelago, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 52, pp. 303-314 : 305

Nanocaecus gen. nov.

( Figs. 1–13 )

Diagnosis. Within the subtribe Anopidiina , Nanocaecus gen. nov. shares with Anopidium and Paranopidium the antenna with 10 antennomeres including a terminal club of 4 antennomeres, and the small but visible scutellum. For other genera see the key below. Anopidium can be separated by the antennomere 3 distinctly prolonged, about two times longer than antennomere 2 (contrary to antennomere 3 equal in length to antennomere 2 in Nanocaecus gen. nov. and Paranopidium ); and by the round shape of pronotum and elytra combined with the pronotum widest at base (contrary to long parallel shape with the pronotum widest in the middle). In Paranopidium the last four antennomeres form a fused club with irregular overall setation (contrary to a compact club with terminal setation of each joint in Nanocaecus gen. nov.); the clypeal suture is present (absent); pronotum and elytra without any setation (with microsetae); pronotum with sinuated anterior margin and prominent anterior corners (not sinuated with rounded anterior corners); elytra with 8 irregular rows of punctures and with short scutellar striolae (with irregular punctation and without scutellar striolae); base of elytra bordered laterally (completely unbordered); meso-and metaventrite with feeble, nearly invisible punctation (with striking large but not confluent punctation); and first abdominal ventrite with finger-like apophysis between hind coxae (with broad rounded apophysis).

Type species. Nanocaecus hlavaci sp. nov. by present designation.

Tribal assignment. According to DOYEN & LAWRENCE (1979) the existence of an exposed and visible membrane between clypeus and labrum, as well as the long and acuminate last maxillary palpomere are synapomorphic characters of the subtribe Anopidiina (members of the subtribe Gnathidiina have no visible membrane between clypeus and labrum, and truncate last palpomere is broadened). Four African genera of the Anopidiina ( Anopidium , Paranopidium , Peyrierasia Dajoz, 1974 , Pseudanopidium Dajoz, 1973 ) are keyed by DAJOZ (1974), mainly using characters of the antennae, scutellum and body shape. However, this key is incomplete because DOYEN & LAWRENCE (1979) subsequently added two other genera with African species to this subtribe ( Paralyreus Grouvelle, 1918 , Tyrtaeus Champion, 1913 , see the complete key and catalogue below).

Etymology. The generic name is composed of the Latin words nanus (= dwarf) and caecus (= blind); gender masculine.

Figures

Figs. 1–2. Nanocaecus hlavaci gen. & sp. nov., habitus. 1 – dorsal view; 2 – ventral view.

Figs. 3–8. Nanocaecus hlavaci gen.& sp. nov. 3 – head, dorsal view; 4 – head, ventral view; 5 – sensillae of maxillary palpus; 6 – tip of maxillary palpus; 7 – tip of labial palpus; 8 – antenna, ventral view.

Figs. 9–13. Nanocaecus hlavaci gen. & sp. nov. 9 – prosternal apophysis; 10 – protarsus; 11 – metatarsus; 12 – tip of aedeagus, dorsal view; 13 – tip of ovipositor, ventral view.