Microcydistus, 2019

Kundrata, Robin, Blank, Stephan M., Prosvirov, Alexander S., Sormova, Eliska, Gimmel, Matthew L., Vondráček, Dominik & Kramp, Katja, 2019, One less mystery in Coleoptera systematics: the position of Cydistinae (Elateriformia incertae sedis) resolved by multigene phylogenetic analysis, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 187, pp. 1259-1277 : 1270-1272

MICROCYDISTUS KUNDRATA ET AL. , GEN. NOV.

( FIGS 2, 5, 6)

URN:LSID:ZOOBANK.ORG:ACT: 8C286DEB-E556-448F- A2C8-F7FBBB9896D8

Type species: Cydistus minor Bolívar y Pieltain , 1913; here designated .

Diagnostic description: Adult male with body about 3.5–4.8 mm long, about 4.5–5.0 times as long as wide; coloration yellowish to light brown, head darker, elytral apices pale yellow, several apical abdominal segments dark brown; frontoclypeal region projecting at apex; antennomeres IV to XI with rami stout, less than three times as long as wide, only slightly longer than their respective stems; terminal antennomere suboval, apically narrowly rounded; labrum fused; mandible considerably reduced, barely visible, short, subtriangular, apically sharp; labial palp with one article; prothorax 1.2 times as long as wide; pronotal disc widest anteriorly, gradually slightly narrowed posteriorly, anterior margin widely rounded, anterior angles subrectangular, posterior angles inconspicuous, blunt; scutellar shield posteriorly emarginate; elytra shortened, exposing at least half of abdomen, together about 1.3 times as long as wide, about 1.6 times as long as pronotum, slightly dehiscent; hind wing about 2.1 times as long as wide, radial cell about 2.3 times as long as wide, AP 3 + 4 simple, not forked; sternite IX about 2.3 times as long as wide, apically narrowed, subacute; aedeagus with phallobase reduced, transverse, widely U-shaped; parameres robust, elongate, median lobe divided into dorsal and ventral lobes, ventral lobe distinctly reduced, transverse, T-shaped.

Comparison: This genus differs from Cydistus in having a smaller body, frontoclypeal region produced anteriorly (short and wide in Cydistus ; Figs 3B, D, F, 5A, D, E), antennal rami relatively shorter and stouter ( Figs 3A, B, G, H, 5A, E–I), labrum fused (free in Cydistus ; Figs 3D, F, 5D, E), labial palp with one article (with three articles in Cydistus ; Figs 3C, E, 5B, C), reduced hind-wing venation with a shorter radial cell ( Figs 3L, 5K), AP

3 + 4

simple, not forked (formed by two branches in Cydistus ; Figs 3L, 5K, L), abdominal sternite IX apically narrowed (rounded or truncate in Cydistus ; Figs 4D, 6D), phallobase small, transverse (robust, longer than wide in Cydistus ) and a fairly reduced ventral lobe on the median lobe (ventral lobe usually shorter than dorsal lobe but always distinct in Cydistus ; Figs 4E–G, I, J, 6F–L).

Etymology: The generic name Microcydistus refers to the small size of this genus (from Greek μικρός, small) and its relationship to Cydistus . Gender: masculine.

Composition: Monotypic, with only Microcydistus minor (Bolívar y Pieltain, 1913), comb. nov. included. lsid: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:8C286DEB-E556-448F-A2C8-F7FBBB9896D8

Distribution: Iran.