Masuria {Masuria) kleebergi sp. n.

Assing, Volker, 2006, New species and records of Masuria Cameron, with a key to species, Beiträge Zur Entomologie = Contributions to Entomology 56, pp. 141-154 : 143-145

Masuria {Masuria) kleebergi sp. n.

(Figs. 1-14)

Type material:

Holotype <5: Ost-Nepal, Rolwaling Himal / Rolwaling Tal , zw. Simigaon u. Nyimare , 2600 m, 17.05.2000, leg. A. Kleeberg / Holotypus <5 M asuria kleebergi sp. n. det. V Assing 2006 (cAss), Paratypes: 7 exs.: same data as holotype (cKle, cAss); 2 exs.: same data, but 2700 m (cKle, cAss); 8 exs.: Nepal, Rolwaling vail., Dugong Kharka, 2700- 2600 m, 17.05.2000, leg. J. Schmidt (cKle, cAss); 3 exs.: Ost-Nepal , Rolwaling Himal / Rolwaling Tal , Nyimare, 3300 m, 19.05.2000, leg. A. Kleeberg (cKle); 2 exs.: Ost-Nepal , Rolwaling Himal / Rolwaling Tal , Umg. Nyimare, 3300 m, Spritzmoos, 18.05.2000, leg. A. Kleeberg (cKle).

Description:

Species of intermediate size, 3.4-4.3 mm. Habitus as in Fig. 1. Blackish brown to black; legs brown to blackish brown, with the tarsi reddish brown and sometimes the bases of the meso- and metafemora paler; antennae dark brown to blackish brown, with the basal 1-3 antennomeres reddish brown.

Head with very dense, moderately coarse, and well-defined puncturation, interstices mostly reduced to narrow ridges and without microsculpture; eyes bulging, distinctly projecting from lateral outline of head (Fig. 2). Antennae rather slender (Fig. 3); preapical antennomeres only weakly transverse.

Pronotum relatively slender, 1.20-1.25 times as wide as head and approximately 1.15 times as wide as long; lateral margins weakly angled anterior to middle, shallowly concave between lateral and posterior angles; posterior angles well-marked; near posterior angles usually with distinct oblong impression; puncturation similar to that ofhead, predominantly well-defined; interstices without microsculpture (Fig. 2).

Elytra 1.25-1.30 times as wide and approximately 0.95 times as long as pronotum; puncturation similar to that of pronotum, but slightly sparser and sometimes slightly coarser; interstices on average narrower than diameter of punctures (Fig. 2). Hind wings fully developed. Metatarsus long and slender, metatarsomere I approximately as long as the combined length of II and III.

Abdomen approximately 0.80-0.85 times as wide as elytra, widest at base (segments III/ IV), gradually tapering towards apex; puncturation very dense and somewhat granulose in anterior impressions of tergites III-V, fine and very dense on posterior half of tergite III, and moderately dense on remainder of abdominal surface, distinctly sparser on posterior than on anterior tergites; pubescence greyish and decumbent; surface without distinct microsculpture; posterior margin of tergite VII with pronounced palisade fringe (Fig. 4).

c?: tergite VIII transverse and with convex posterior margin (Fig. 5); sternite VIII weakly oblong and with broadly convex posterior margin; median lobe of aedeagus large, ventral surface of ventral process distinctly excavate (Figs. 7-11).

9: tergite VIII transverse, its posterior margin obtusely angled in middle (Fig. 12); sternite VIII transverse and with broadly convex posterior margin; spermatheca as in Fig. 14, similar to that of other species of the subgenus M asuria.

Etymology: The species is dedicated to Andreas Kleeberg, who collected most of the material treated in the present paper, including the majority of the type specimens of this species.

Comparative notes:

M asuria k leebergi is most similar to M. spectata, from which it is distinguished especially by the different morphology of the aedeagus. In M. spectata, the median lobe is notched at the base of the ventral process. For distinction from the sympatric M. fo llita and other species of the genus see the comparative notes below and the key, respectively.

Distribution and bionomics:

The known distribution is confined to several localities in the surroundings of Nyimare, Rolwaling Himal, eastern Nepal, where the types were found at altitudes of 2600- 3300 m. At least two of the specimens were collected from wet moss in the vicinity of a waterfall. One dissected female had three mature eggs in the ovaries.