Poecilomorpha pseudocribricollis, Rodríguez-Mirón, 2025

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 : 275-277

Poecilomorpha pseudocribricollis sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:44A210F5-B5C5-4031-AE52-5D43B7FE4F1E

Fig. 5

Type material

Holotype

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO • ♀; “ COLL. MUS. TERVUREN , Luluabourg [= Kananga ] (Kasal [sic. Kasaï ]), 30-I-1963, Jan Deheegher / Macrolopha (Microlobaspis) cribricollis, G.M. Rodriguez-Mirón det. 2016”; RMCA.

Differential diagnosis

Poecilomorpha pseudocribricollis sp. nov. differs from P. cribricollis by the following combination of character states: last labial palpomere bullet-shaped, apex blunt; last maxillary palpomere bullet-shaped, apex blunt ( Fig. 5D ); apex of scutellum rounded; metaventrite with longitudinal groove ( Fig. 5B, I ). In P. cribricollis , the last labial and maxillary palpomeres almond-shaped ( Fig. 4F ); the apex of the scutellum is mucronate and the metaventrite concave.

Description

Female

MEASUREMENTS AND COLORATION. Body length 6.5 mm, width 2.5 mm. Head, antennae, pronotum, elytral basal thirds orange; elytral apical two-thirds iridescent black-violet; mandibles, legs and abdomen brown.

HEAD. Occiput coarsely punctate; interocular space coarsely and densely punctate, with long brown pubescence, interspaces smooth, same wider than puncture diameter ( Fig. 5C ); frons convex, impunctate, glabrous; surface of ocular canthus convex; margin of the antennal awning prolonged onto canthi; length of antennae not exceeding pronotal posterior edge; scape 2.7 × as long as antennomere III; III longer than VI; V and VIII as long as wide; VI, VII, IX and X wider than long; frontoclypeal groove straight ( Fig. 5C ); last labial palpomere bullet-shaped, apex blunt; last maxillary palpomere bullet-shaped, apex blunt ( Fig. 5D ).

THORAX. Pronotum ( Fig. 5E ) with disc coarsely punctate, with black pubescence, interspaces smooth, 1.5× as wide as puncture diameter, base 1.35 × as wide as anterior margin, posterior angles blunt. Scutellum subtriangular, apex rounded, weakly punctate, with procumbent pubescence. Elytra ( Fig. 5A ) with humeri weak, pubescence black; surface without carina. Metaventral process with edge curved. Metaepisternum finely punctate and pubescent, posterior portion impunctate and glabrous. Metaventrite with longitudinal groove ( Fig. 5B, I ), sparsely punctate, pubescent. Tibiae subcylindrical, with decumbent pubescence; metatibiae also slightly curved.

ABDOMEN. Pygidium horizontally produced, triangular with base longer than lateral margins, sparsely punctate, pubescent, apex rounded. Last abdominal ventrite with apical edge emarginate; projection in abdominal cavity triangular, apex rounded.

GENITALIA. Spermatheca complex ( Fig. 5G ); proximal part of spermathecal capsule with velum truncate, common duct globose; stem and terminal portion of capsule joined; terminal portion L-shaped, more robust than stem; sternite VIII trident-shaped ( Fig. 5F ), external prongs bifid; spiculum gastrale symmetrically forked ( Fig. 5J ).

Male

Unknown.

Distribution

Democratic Republic of Congo.

Figures

Fig. 5. Poecilomorpha pseudocribricollis. sp. nov., holotype, ♀ (RMCA). A. Dorsal view. B. Ventral view. C. Frontal view. D. Maxillary and labial palps. E. Pronotum. F. Sternite VIII. G. Spermatheca. H. Lateral view. I. Metaventrite. J. Spiculum gastrale. K. Type labels.

Fig. 4. Poecilimorpha cribricollis, holotype, ♂ (RMCA). A. Dorsal view. B. Ventral view. C. Frontal view. D. Pronotum. E. Lateral view. F. Maxillary and labial palps. G. Type labels.