Acrotrichis heissi, 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 : 175

Acrotrichis heissi sp. n.

( Figs. 17A –I)

Habitus Fig. 17A . Length 0.85 mm. Colour brownish black, antennae and legs brownish yellow. Antennomeres 3–11 0.35mm long Fig. 17 C. Mentum and submentum chaetotaxy Fig. 17 I. Width across eyes 0.30 mm. Pronotum 0.51 mm wide, 0.28 mm long. sides strongly rounded Fig. 17 B. Elytra 0.46 mm long, 0.50 mm wide. Posterior margin of mesoventral collar sloped at shoulders and with a shallow medial excision Fig. 17 G. Posterior margin of metaventrum between metacoxae short Fig. 17 H; metacoxal plates Fig. 17 H.

Male: ventrite six with +/- 13 spines in two rows Fig. 17 F; aedeagus restricted before tip Fig. 17 E.

Female: spermatheca Fig. 17 D (if twisted slightly, as in some preparations, appears straighter).

Etymology. Johnson ms name in honour of his friend Herr Ernst Heiss of Innsbruck.

Remarks. A rather variable species similar externally to africana but smaller and narrower, and the pronotal sides are more strongly curved. The spermatheca is very similar to cuspida .

Type data. Holotype: ♀, Ranomafana NP, Vatoharanana RNF Sept 2012 GPS 209, sifting litter, Winkler app. extraction, S.21˚16’59.7” E.47˚25’ 30.3”, 1126 m, 5.x.2012, L.S.Rahanitriniaina ( BMNH). Paratypes: 8 examples same data as holotype; 1♀, Ankarafantsika N.P., AKF/05/2011, sifting forest litter, Winkler app. extr., S.16˚18’05.1” E.46˚49’08.3”, 89 m, 23.iv.2011, L.S.Rahanitriniaina & R. Raveloson ( BMNH); 1♀, 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♀, Montagne d’Ambre, x.1970, P. Hammond ( BMNH); 4♂ 9♀, Mt. d’Ambre, Mt. du Petit Lac, 1100–1300 m, forest, 21.v.1969, leg H.Franz (MM); 2♀, Perinet, 15.iv.1969, forest of transition, 928m, leg. H.Franz (MM).

Figures

FIGURE 17. A. heissi. A, habitus; B, side of pronotum viewed at 45 ˚; C, antennomeres 3 – 11; D, spermatheca; E, aedeagus; F, ventrite six; G, mesoventral collar x 535; H, metaventral posterior margin and metacoxal plates x 495; I, mentum and submentum showing chaetotaxy.