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)

ward, ca. 3.3 times longer than wide at their anterior margin. Aedeagus as shown (Fig. 20). 1.4 to 1.5 mm long. Remarks: This is the first representative of the genus found in Africa. Morphologically it seems to be more closely related to the Central and South American species than to the Australian ones, but differs in the length of metatibial spurs, reaching nearly the apex of the 1st joint of the hind tarsi. Microscapha major sp. n. Locality: New Guinea (NE), Mt. Wilhelm, 3900 m, 1 çf (holotype) - 13-24. IX. 1968, leg. J. BALOGH. The type has been deposited in the Hungarian Museum of Natural History, Budapest. Description: Body oval, 1.93 times longer than wide, very convex, reddish-brown; metathorax, pronotal hind margin, transverse fascia at middle of pronotum, and 3 much emarginated fasciae on elytra anteriormost of which with a light space within itself (Fig. 4), antennái joints 8-11 (except the latter's apex), as well as partly abdomen and legs darker, brown or black-brown; antennái joints 1-6 and maxillary palpi light, reddish-yellow. Body clothed with thin decumbent grey-yellowish pubescence, upper surface very finely transversely shagreen. Pronotum and elytra more or less shining. — Head rather small, moderately finely and densely punctured. Eyes large, rather coarsely faceted, anteriorly rather deeply emarginated; distance between eyes 1.6 times less than their height. Maxillary palpi 4-jointed; its 2 joint longitudinal, narrowly triangular; 3rd one broadly triangular, approximately as long as wide, considerably wider than 2nd, terminal joint large, roundly securiform, ca. 1.8 times wider and 2.5 longer than 3rd one and approximately 1.5 to 1.6 times longer than wide. — Antennae (Fig. 15) short, 11-jointed, a little exceeding base of elytra; joints 1 and 2 well developed, distinctly longitudinal, 2nd joint a bit longer than 1st one; joint 3 small, longitudinal, 2.4 times narrower and ca. 2.2 times shorter than 2nd one; joints 4 to 6 also small, a little shorter than 3rd, very poorly longitudinal or approximately as long as wide; joints 7 and 8 distinctly broadened, (7th a bit wider than 6th), each approximately as long as wide; joint 8 distinctly transverse and ca. 1.4 to 1.5 times longer and 1.6 to 1.7 times broader than 7th one; joints 9 to 11 form a well expressed club, 9th and 10th approximately as long as wide, each ca. 1.5 to 1.6 times wider and 1.6 to 1.7 times longer than 8th one, joint 10 just a bit shorter than 9th, 11th oblong-oval, 1.4 to 1.5 times longer than 10th and approximately 1.6 to 1.7 times as long as wide; club joints (9 to 11) approximately 1,4 to 1.5 times as long as antenna! joints 1 to 2 or 3 to 8 taken together. — Pronotum distinctly transverse, twice as long as wide, broadest at base, laterally much roundly narrowed, finely punctured (but with pronotal punctures well visible). — Scutellum short, triangular, ca. 1.3 times wider than long. Elytra more or less oval, approximately 1.63 times longer than wide, broadest in front of half, more backward roundly narrowed, rather finely and densely punctured, distance between punctures usually not exceeding diameter of a puncture. — Legs rather short. Procoxae divided by a triangular prothoracic process reaching in length to posterior third of procoxae; mesocoxae divided by a narrow subtriangularcuneiform mesothoracic process reaching to posterior third of mesocoxal length and set against a shorter and broader metathoracic process somewhat projected and directed forward. Mesotarsal joint 1 elongate, as long as joints 2 to 4 taken together ; joint 4 of pro- and mesotarsi well bilobated, longitudinal. Joint 5 of mesotarsi slender, elongate, ca, 1.4 times as long as 4th one. Claws of all tarsi basally distinctly enlarged. Metatibial spurs large, subequal in length and reach terminal third of first tarsal joint; latter approximately as long as subsequent tarsal joints taken together; joint 2 ca. 1.3 to 1.4 times longer than 3rd one and of subequal length with 4th one (length without claws). - Metathorax covered with punctures of moderate size, distance between punctures usually a little less than diameter of a puncture. Posterior medial portion of metathorax with a more or less lanceolate depression (Fig. 14). Metepisterna well developed, triangularly narrowing backwards, approximately 3.3 times longer than wide at anterior part. Aedeagus as depicted (Fig. 18). 3.5 mm long. Microscapha baloghi sp. n. Locality: New Guinea (NE), Mt. Kaindi, Wau, 1 rf (holotype) 24-25. 08. 1968, leg. J. BALOGH. The above specimen has been deposited in the Hungarian Museum of Natural History, Budapest.