Poecilomorpha minuta ( Pic, 1951 )

Rodríguez-Mirón, Geovanni M., 2025, Redescription of the African genus Poecilomorpha Hope, 1814 (Megalopodidae: Megalopodinae) and description of a new species, European Journal of Taxonomy 987, pp. 264-280 : 272-273

Poecilomorpha minuta ( Pic, 1951)

Fig. 3

Macrolopha minuta Pic, 1951: 42 .

Macrolopha minuta – Rodríguez-Mirón 2018: 278 (checklist).

Poecilomorpha minuta – Rodríguez-Mirón et al. 2021 (phylogenetic treatment, nomenclatural change).

Type material

Holotype

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO • ♂; “ MUSÉE DU CONGO , Equateur: Flandria , fine 1928, R. P. Hulstaert / Poecilomorpha passerinii G. E. Bryant det. Hope / sg. Monocolobaspis mihi / Macrolopha minuta n sp / R. DET., F, 5138 / R. DET. 5630 / HOLOTYPUS minuta Pic ”; RMCA.

Differential diagnosis

Poecilomorpha minuta differs from the other species of the genus by a finely punctate occiput ( Fig. 3G ) and scutellum with apex truncate. In the other examined species, the occiput is coarsely punctate. The scutellum in P. passerinii and P. pseudocribricollis sp. nov. is rounded at apex; in P. cribricollis the apex is mucronate. Poecilomorpha minuta can also be differentiated from P. passerinii based on shape of aedeagus.

Redescription

Male

MEASUREMENTS AND COLORATION. Body length 6.6 mm, width 2.4 mm. Entirely yellow orange except: antennae black, apex of mandibles brown, elytral basal thirds iridescent brown.

HEAD. Occiput finely punctate; interocular space convex, coarsely and densely punctate with long yellow setae, interspaces smooth less wide than puncture diameter ( Fig. 3G ); surface of ocular canthus convex; margin of antennal awning prolonged onto canthi; antennae extending beyond pronotal posterior edge; scape 1.8 × as long as antennomere III, III longer than VI, V as long as wide, VI–X wider than long; frontoclypeal groove straight ( Fig. 3G .); last maxillary palpomere conical, apex acute; last labial palpomere bullet-shaped, apex acute.

THORAX. Pronotal disc coarsely punctate, interspaces smooth, 1.5× as wide as puncture diameter ( Fig. 3F ); surface with yellow pubescence; base 1.4 × as wide as anterior margin. Scutellum subtriangular, apex truncate, deep punctate, with procumbent pubescence. Elytra with yellow pubescence, humeri weakly projected ( Fig. 3A, C ). Metaepisternum ( Fig. 3C ) finely punctate and pubescent, disc impunctate and glabrous. Metaventrite convex, sparsely punctate and pubescent. Tibiae swollen near apex, with decumbent pubescence; hind tibiae also curved.

ABDOMEN. Pygidium horizontally produced, sparsely punctate, sparsely pubescent, apex rounded; apex of last ventrite truncate and pubescent. Aedeagus ( Fig. 3E, H ) with median lobe apex rounded; struts twice as long as median lobe. Tegmen ( Fig. 3D ) slightly sclerotized, parameres mucronate at apex, tegmen ring pyriform; roof 1.3 × as long as parameres.

Female

Unknown.

Type locality

Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Remarks

Maurice Pic described Poecilomorpha minuta using material that he deposited in the Royal Museum for Central Africa at Tervuren ( Pic 1951: 42). He did not specify how many specimens he reviewed, nor did he indicate that there was more than one. The Megalopodidae section at the Royal Museum for Central Africa is well curated, and within this collection, there is only one specimen labeled as the holotype ( Fig. 2I ). Therefore, the designation of the holotype follows the recommendations outlined in Articles 72.4.1.1 and 73.1.2 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature.

Figures

Fig. 3. Poecilomorpha minuta, holotype, ♂ (RMCA). A. Dorsal view. B. Ventral view. C. Lateral view. D. Tegmen. E. Middle lobe. F. Pronotum. G. Frontal view. H. Middle lobe apex. I. Type labels.

Fig. 2. A–B, R. Poecilomorpha passerinii Hope, 1841, syntype, ♂ (OUMNH). A. Dorsal view.B. Ventral view. C. Poecilomorpha innotata Pic, 1946, syntype, sex? (MNHN), dorsal view. D–Q. Poecilomorpha passerinii Hope, 1841. D–K, N–Q. ♂ (MNHN). L–M. ♀ (MNHN). D. Dorsal view. E. Lateral view. F. Frontal view.G. Margin of the antennal awning.H. Antenna.I. Dorsal abdomen view.J. Mesoscutum. K. Metaepisternum. L. Sternite VIII female. M. Spermatheca. N. Spiculum gastrale. O. Tegmen. P. Middle lobe. Q. Middle lobe apex. R–S. Type labels.