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)

margin; elytra somewhat variable in colouration, usually black-brown, with light reddish-brown margins (Fig. 3) consisting of 7 large spots (one of them being common to both elytra as it is situated on suture about apex), a transverse fascia at base and a band along suture connected with fascia; anterior light spot on elytra usually connected with fascia. 2.1 to 2.3 mm long. New Guinea M. maculata sp. n. 20 (19) Body more elongate and less convex, 2.1 to 2.2 times longer than wide, 2.5 to 2.8 times longer than high. Median depression of metathorax very narrowly lanceolate, longer and reaching approximately to anterior quarter of metathorax (Fig. 13). Antennái club poorly distinct, 3- to 4-jointed; joint 9 usually slightly longitudinal (Fig. 16). Elytra punctured more coarsely. Colour black-brown or brown; prothorax, partly abdomen and legs, maxillary palpi and at least antennái joints 1 to 6 and apex of 11th or antennae completely, two transverse falcate spots situated in front of base of pronotum and medially divided by a dark space, as well as variable spotted markings on elytra and often a transverse bent backward band behind pronotal anterior margin (Figs. 1, 2) light reddish-brown to reddish. 2.2 to 2.5 mm long. New Guinea M. mutabilis sp. n. DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW SPECIES Microscapha africana sp. n. Localities: Congo-Brazzaville, Bonenza, catarract, <-f (holotype) - 30. 11. 1963, shifted in float, leg. Endrődy-Younga; Foret Classée, 30 km W. from Brazzaville, 1 rf (paratype) 26. 12. 1963, singled from trunk, leg. Endrődy-Younga. The types have been deposited in the Hungarian Museum of Natural History, Budapest. Description: Body oblong-oval, ca. 1.9 times longer than wide (Fig. 6), very convex more or less shining, dark reddish or black-brown, legs reddish-brown, antennae and maxillary palpi reddish-yellow. Body clothed with thin decumbent greyish pubescence. — Head rather narrow, elongate, bent down, moderately densely and coarsely punctured. Eyes large, deeply emarginated anteriorly, distance between eyes 1.4 to 1.5 times less than their height. Maxillary palpi 4-jointed; joint 2 longitudinal, joint 3 short, distinctly transverse, joint 4 large, irregularly oval, roundly obliquely truncate mesad at the apex, 1.4 to 1.5 times longer than 3rd one. — Antennae (Fig. 17) short, usually not exceeding posterior margin of pronotum; joints 1 and 2 large, distinctly longitudinal, subequal in length; joint 3 very short and thin, not less than 2.5 times thinner and 4 to 5 times shorter than 2nd; joints 4 to 6 short and thin, 7th and 8th ones broader than 6th; joint 8 distinctly transverse, short; joints 9 to 11 forming a rather well expressed club, 9th and 10th ones distinctly transverse, while 9th approximately 1.5 times as wide and 2.5 times as long as 8th; joint 11 oval, elongated, much longer than 10th, joints 9 to 11 ca. twice as long as joints 3 to 8 and only a little longer than joints 1 and 2 taken together. — Pronotum very finely and sparsely punctured and finely shagreen, much transverse (1.8 to 2.0 times longer than wide). — Scutellum short, transversely triangular. Elytra more or less oblong-oval, 1,55 to 1.6 times longer than wide, broadest at anterior third, punctured very finely ana" moderately densely (distance between punctures in transverse direction at anterior portion of elytra not less than 1.3 to 1.5 times greater than diameter of a puncture). — Legs rather short, procoxae narrowly divided by a triangular process of prothorax reaching to posterior third of procoxae; mesocoxae narrowly divided by a triangular process of mesothorax reaching to half of their length. Joint 1 of mesotàrsi slender but considerably shorter than tibiae and subequal in length to tarsal joints 2 to 4 taken together. Metatibiae triangularly enlarged at apex, their spurs subequal in length, and nearly reaching apex of the first tarsal joint ; the latter very long, a little longer than joints 2 to 4 taken together ; joints 2 and 4 subequal in length, distinctly longer than 3rd one each (Fig. 11). Claws simple, distinctly enlarged at base. — Metathorax medially smooth, its lateral parts rather densely and moderately finely punctured (distance between punctures usually not less than 1.2 to 1.3 times greater than diameter of a puncture), as well as transversely well shagreen; a long depressed median line reaching anterior third of length of metathorax (Fig. 9). Metepisterna relatively narrow, well developed, triangularly narrowing back10 Természettudományi Múzeum Évkönyve 1982