Acrotrichis superbioides Johnson 1969

Darby, Michael, 2014, Studies of Madagascan Ptiliidae (Coleoptera) 3: The genus Acrotrichis including twenty seven new species, Zootaxa 3866 (2), pp. 151-201 : 194

Acrotrichis superbioides Johnson 1969

( Figs. 31A –I)

Habitus Fig. 31A . Length 1.24 mm. Colour blackish brown, antennae and legs yellow. Antennomeres 3–11 0.5 mm long Fig. 31 C. Mentum and submentum chaetotaxy Fig. 31 I. Width across eyes 0.44 mm. Pronotum 0.75 mm wide, 0.44 mm long, sides strongly curved in posterior half, without a sinuation at the hind angles Fig. 31 B. Elytra 0.65 mm long, 0.71 mm wide. Posterior margin of mesoventral collar with a median point Fig. 31 F. Metaventral posterior margin between metacoxae short Fig. 31 G; metacoxal plates Fig. 31 G.

Male: aedeagus Fig. 31 E; ventrite six Fig. 31 H.

Female: spermatheca Fig. 31 D.

Remarks. This species was described by Johnson on the basis of a single female from the Baie d’Antongil, Ambohitsitondroina, leg. J.Vadon, ‘lavage de terre’, 1100 m, January 1953. The short description states that the base of the pronotum is ‘much broader’ than the elytra, which is confirmed by the accompanying photograph, and he placed the species provisionally in s.str. Flachiana. In his notes presented to the writer, however, he records 19 specimens from Plateau de Tampoketsae , leg H.Franz, 1500 m, mountain forest, 11 April 1969 as being this species, and states ‘There is no difference in the relative breadths of the pronotum and elytra, the type specimen being aberrant (as well as badly mounted) in this respect.’

Figures

FIGURE 31. A. superbioides. A, habitus; B, side of pronotum viewed at 45 ˚; C, antennomeres 3 – 11; D, spermatheca; E, aedeagus; F, mesoventral collar x 575; G, metaventral posterior margin and metacoxal plates x 345; H, ventrite six; I, mentum and submentum showing chaetotaxy.