Taisia Frolov, Ocampo, Akhmetova

Frolov, Andrey V., Ocampo, Federico C., Akhmetova, Lilia A. & Vaz-de-Mello, Fernando, 2017, A new genus and species of the termitophilous Neotropical Hybosorinae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea: Hybosoridae) associated with Cornitermes (Isoptera: Termitidae) in the Cerrado ecoregion in Brazil, Journal of Natural History (J. Nat. Hist.) 51 (29 - 30), pp. 1759-1765 : 1760

Taisia Frolov, Ocampo, Akhmetova et Vaz-de-Mello, gen. nov.

Type species

Taisia cornitermitis Frolov, Ocampo, Akhmetova et Vaz-de-Mello, sp. nov. (by monotypy).

Diagnosis

Among the Neotropical Hybosorinae , the new genus is similar to Dicraeodon Erichson and Aporolaus Bates. Taisia gen. nov. can be easily distinguished from these genera and the rest of the Neotropical Hybosorinae by the following combination of characters: mandibles lobate, mandibular teeth long and robust ( Figure 1 (a)); pronotum with serrate lateral margins; scutellum with two deep, transverse, rectangular fossae basally ( Figure 2 (a)); metatibial apex protruding. Males of T. cornitermitis gen. et sp. nov. can be recognised by the feather-like setae on the three basal tarsomeres of meso- and protarsi ( Figure 1 (e)).

Species composition and distribution

Only one species is known, from two localities in central Mato Grosso, Brazil ( Figure 2 (e)).

Etymology

The new genus is named after the daughter of AVF and LAA, Taisia . The gender is feminine.

Figures

Figure 1. Taisia cornitermitis, holotype male (a, c, d, e), paratype female (b, f). Habitus in dorsal view (a, b), aedeagus in lateral view (c, d), mesotarsi (e, f).

Figure 2. Taisia cornitermitis. Mesonotum (a, fossae arrowed); nest of Cornitermes cf. bequaerti and the beetles coming out from the ventilation hole (b–d); locality map (e).