Acrotrichis truncata, Darby, Michael, 2014

Darby, Michael, 2014, Studies of Madagascan Ptiliidae (Coleoptera) 3: The genus Acrotrichis including twenty seven new species, Zootaxa 3866 (2), pp. 151-201 : 198

Acrotrichis truncata sp. n.

( Figs. 2 C, 34A–J)

Habitus Fig. 34A . Length 0.97 mm. Colour blackish brown, antennae and legs pale brown. Antennomeres 3–11 0.36 mm long Fig. 34 C. Mentum and submentum chaetotaxy Fig. 34 E. Width across eyes 0.37 mm. Pronotum 0.65 mm wide, 0.36 mm long, sides strongly rounded such that the angle with the posterior margin is almost obscured Fig. 34 B. Elytra 0.52 mm long, 0.62 mm wide Fig. 34 G. Posterior margin of mesoventral collar sloped at shoulders and with only a trace of a medial excision Fig. 34 F. Metaventrum short, the posterior margin between the metacoxae broad Fig. 34 F.

Male: no males are known.

Female: spermatheca Fig. 34 D.

Etymology. Named after the squarish appearance of this species..

Remarks. The spermatheca is only likely to be confused with clareae but the short and broad elytra make this species immediately distinguishable on external characters. The lack of males may indicate that the species is parthenogenetic..

Type data. Holotype: ♀, Ambohitantely Spec. Res., ABT/11/2011, sifting plant residues under Pandanus, Winkler app. extr., S.18˚11’44.6” E.47˚17’13.3”, 1609 m, 19.iv.2011, L.S.Rhanitriniaina & R. Raveloson ( BMNH). Paratypes: 21♀, same data as holotype; 5♀, Ambohitantely Spec. Res., ABT/ Sept./2011/01, sifting forest litter under Pandanus, Winkler app. extr., S.18˚11’45.1” E.47˚17’13.4”, 1604 m, 1.ix.2011, L.S.Rahanitriniana ( BMNH); 3 examples, Ambohitantely Spec. Res., ABT/ Nov/2011/16, sifting plant residues under Pandanus, Winkler app. extr., S.18˚11’42.6” E.47˚17’10.8”, 1620 m, 21.xi.2010, L.S.Rhanitriniaina ( BMNH); 25 examples, Ambohitantely Spec. Res., ABT/12/2011, sifting plant residues under palm tree, Winkler app. extr., S.18˚11’48.9” E.47˚17’10.5”, 1602 m, 19.iv.2011, L.S.Rhanitriniaina & R. Raveloson ( BMNH); 1♀, Ambohitantely Spec. Res., ABT/ Nov/2011/13, sifting forest litter, Winkler app. extr., S.18˚10’56.9” E.47˚17’21.9”, 1497 m, 18.xi.2011, L.S.Rhanitriniaina ( BMNH); 1♀, Ambohitantely Spec. Res., ABT/08/2011, sifting forest litter forest edge, Winkler app. extr., S.18˚11’51.8” E.47˚17’03.5”, 1523 m, 19.iv.2011, P. Banar & R. Raveloson ( BMNH);1♀, Ambohitantely Spec. Res., ABT/ Nov/2011/18, sifting litter under group of palm trees, Winkler app. extr., S.18˚11’48.7” E.47˚17’11.3”, 1614m, 22.xi.2011, L.S.Rhanitriniaina ( BMNH); 3♀, Ambohitantely Spec. Res., ABT/ Nov/2011/19, sifting forest litter, Winkler app. extr., S.18˚10’56.9” E.47˚21’17.9”, 1497m, 23.xi.2011, L.S.Rhanitriniaina ( BMNH); 1♀, Ambohitantely Spec. Res., ABT/Nov/2011/ 0 8, sifting forest litter, Winkler app. extr., S.18˚11’48.5” E.47˚17’09.3”, 1595 m, 18.xi.2011, P. Banar ( BMNH); 6♀, Ambohitantely Spec. Res., ABT/10/2011, sifting plant residues under Pandanus, Winkler app. extr., S.18˚11’39.2” E.47˚17’12.6”, 1674 m, 19.iv.2011, L.S.Rhanitriniaina & R. Raveloson ( BMNH); 3♀, Ambohitantely Spec. Res., ABT/18/2011, sifting forest litter, Winkler app. extr., S.18˚11’43.9” E.47˚17’16.1”, 1613 m, 11.1.13, L.S.Rhanitriniaina & R. Raveloson ( BMNH); 1♀, Ambohitantely Spec. Res., ABT/17/2011, sifting forest litter, Winkler app. extr., S.18˚11’43.1” E.47˚17’19.3”, 1636 m, 20.iv.2011, L.S.Rhanitriniaina & R. Raveloson ( BMNH); 13♀, Ambohitantely Spec. Res., ABT/ Nov/2011/01, sifting forest litter under bog Pandanus, Winkler app. extr., S.18˚11’52.7” E.47˚17’04”, 1603 m, 16.xi.2011, L.S.Rhanitriniaina & P. Banar ( BMNH); 15♀, Ambohitantely Spec. Res., ABT/ Nov/2011/02, sifting forest litter, Winkler app. extr., S.18˚11’49.1” E.47˚17’05.6”, 1547m, 16–17.xi.2011, L.S.Rhanitriniaina & P. Banar ( BMNH);1♀, Ambohitantely Spec. Res., ABT/10/2011, sifting plant residues under Pandanus, Winkler app. extr., S.18˚11’39.2” E.47˚17’12.6”, 1674 m, 19.iv.2011, L.S.Rhanitriniaina & R. Raveloson ( BMNH); 2♀, Ambohitantely Spec. Res., ABT/ Sep. 2011/08, sifting forest litter, Winkler app. extr., S.18˚11’42.9” E.47˚17’20.3”, 1640 m, 17.ix.2011, L.S.Rhanitriniaina ( BMNH); 5♀, Ambohitantely Spec. Res., ABT/ Nov. 2011/17, sifting forest litter wet material close to forest stream, Winkler app. extr., S.18˚11’48.6” E.47˚17’05.7”, 21.ix.2011, P. Banar ( BMNH); 1♀, Ambohitantely Spec. Res., ABT/ Sep. 2011/ 25, sifting forest litter under Pandanus and palm tree, Winkler app. extraction., S.18˚11’43.6” E.47˚17’22.4”, 1642 m, 5.ix.2011, L.S.Rhanitriniaina ( BMNH); 2♀, Ambohitantely Spec. Res., ABT/ Sep. 2011/06, sifting forest litter under big rock by stream, Winkler app. extraction., S.18˚10’52.5” E.47˚17’21.2”, 1476 m, 2.ix.2011, L.S.Rhanitriniaina ( BMNH); 1♀, Ambohitantely Spec. Res., ABT/ Sep. 2011/03, sifting forest litter under Pandanus, Winkler app. extraction., S.18˚11’46.4” E.47˚17’09.9”, 1570m, 1.ix.2011, L.S.Rhanitriniaina ( BMNH); 3 examples, Ambohitantely Spec. Res., ABT/ Nov. 2011/03, sifting forest litter, Winkler app. extraction., S.18˚11’42.9” E.47˚17’20.3”, 1640 m, 17.xi.2011, L.S.Rhanitriniaina ( BMNH); 7 examples, Ambohitantely Spec. Res., ABT/ Nov. 2011/09, sifting forest litter, Winkler app. extraction., 1610m, 18.xi.2011, P. Banar ( BMNH); 13 examples, Ambohitantely Spec. Res., ABT/ Nov. 2011/21, sifting forest litter under Pandanus, Winkler app. extraction., S.18˚11’48.5” E.47˚17’06.1”, 1656 m, 25.ix.2011, L.S.Rhanitriniaina ( BMNH); 1 example, Ambohitantely Spec. Res., ABT/ Nov. 2011/15, sifting forest litter under Pandanus, Winkler app. extraction., S.18˚11’32” E.47˚17’08.7”, 1634 m, 21.xi.2011, L.S.Rhanitriniaina ( BMNH).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Skeletal features. A, A. barclayi, pronotum and scutellum / elytra x 465; B, A. exigua pronotum x 2480; C, A. truncata pronotum x 2220; D, A. exigua elytra x 4550; E, A. hammondi elytra x 2020; F, A. subafricana elytra x 2460; G, A. strenua metaventrum x 840; H, A. strenua mesoventrum x 840; I, A. barclayi, microtrichia on abdominal sclerites x 1640; J, A. subafricana, abdominal ventrites x 735; K, A. cuspida palisade fringe on abdominal sclerite x 1620; L, A. cuspida, spines on abdominalventrite 6 x 550.

FIGURE 34. A. truncata. A, habitus; B, side of pronotum viewed at 45 ˚; C, antennomeres 3 – 11; D, spermatheca; E elytron and submentum showing chaetotaxy; F, meso- and metaventrum x 400; G, mentum.