Kaszab Zoltán (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 74. (Budapest 1982)

Nikitsky, N. B. ; Below, V. V.: The false darkling beetle genus Microscapha LeConte (Coleoptera, Melandryidae)

rowly lanceolate, reaching approximately to anterior third of metathorax (Fig. 8). Distance between eyes ca. 1.4 to 1.5 times less than their height. Antennae short or at best slightly exceeding base of pronotum, joints 9 to 11 forming a club. Joint 8 a little transverse, considerably shorter and thinner than the 9th. Joints 9 and 10 subequal, each approximately as long as wide. Joints 9 to 11 ca. 1.6 to 1.7 times longer than joints 3 to 8 taken together. Body oblong-oval, 1.85 times longer than wide, colour black-brown, surface slightly shining, lower surface somewhat lighter, legs reddish-brown, antennae and maxillary palpi reddish-yellow. Pronotum extremely finely and sparsely punctured and very finely transversely shagreen. Elytra finely, but still much more coarsely and densely punctured and shagreen (distance between punctures at anterior parts of elytra usually 1.4 to 1.5 times larger than the diameter of a puncture). 1.5 mm long. Brasil (Rio de Janeiro) M. pulicaria CHAMPION 8 (7) Median depression along posterior portion of metathorax often thinner, very narrowly lanceolate or in the form of a depressed line usually reaching anterior quarter of metathorax. 9 (10) Body less elongated, 1.75 to 1.84 times longer than wide. Smaller: 1.55 to 1.7 mm long. Antennái joint 8 (unlike in M. pulicaria) much transverse, joint 9 also more or less transverse. Joints 9 to 11 forming a good separated club ca. 1.7 times longer than joints 3 to 8 taken together. Colour light reddish-brown or brown, legs lighter, antennae and maxillary palpi reddish-yellow. Upper surface finely transversely shagreen. Elytra finely and sparsely (at least at basal part) punctured, more or less shining. Mexico. Guatemala M. minuta CHAMPION 10 (9) Body more elongated, 1.9 to 1.94 times longer than wide. Larger: 1.7 to 2.0 mm long. Antennái joint 8 approximately as long as wide, joints 9 to 11 form a good separated club; joints 9 to 10 subequal in length and width, 11th one oblong-oval, acuminate at the apex, approximately as long as joints 9 to 10 taken together. Body oblong-oval, convex, upper surface black-brown, more or less shining. Head, hind or also anterior margins of pronotum and sometimes humeral and apical part of elytra a bit lighter, legs reddish-brown, antennae and maxillary palpi reddish-yellow. Body clothed with fine decumbent greyish pubescence, upper surface very finely transversely shagreen. Elytra finely and moderately densely punctured. Argentina M. bruchi Pic 11 (6) Hind tibial spurs longer, first joint of hind tarsi less than 1.2 times longer than the longest of the spurs (Fig. 11). Smaller: 1.4 to 1.5 mm long. Median depression of the posterior portion of metathorax narrow in the form of a depressed line reaching approximately to anterior quarter of metathorax (Fig. 9). Antennái joints 9 and 10 slightly transverse (Fig. 17). Body oblong-oval, ca. 1.9 times longer than wide (Fig. 6). Colour black-brown or dark reddish-brown, surface more or less shining, legs reddish-brown, antennae and maxillary palpi reddish-yellow. Elytra very finely and rather densely punctured and transversely shagreen. Congo-Brazzaville M. africana sp. n. 12 (1) Elytra bichrome (Figs. 1-5), dark reddish-brown or rusty reddish with black markings which are sometimes (in M. nigronotata) unclear and present as a dim dark spot. Larger: 2.1 to 3.5 mm. 13 (14) Body oval (1.85 times longer than wide), dark reddish-brown, more or less shining; metathorax, abdomen (partly) and pronotum (except for its anterior and hind margins) black or black-brown; each elytron with a large dim dark spot leaving light: a basal fascia broadening laterally from scutellum, a band along the suture,