Miscophus mesocontinentalis Mokrousov & Proshchalykin, 2025

Miscophus mesocontinentalis Mokrousov & Proshchalykin , sp. nov.

http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:

( Figs 65–71 View FIGURES 65–71 )

Type material ( 4 ♀). Holotype — ♀, “ Тыва, оЗ. Торе-Холь / 27 км ЮЮЗ ЭрЗина / 50.022°N, 95.041°E, / 11- 12.VII 2014, Лелей / ПрЩалыкин, Локтионов // Holotype ♀ Miscophus / mesocontinentalis / Mokrousov et Proshchalykin” [ Russia, Tyva Republic, Tore-Khol’ Lake , 27 km SSW of Erzin village, 50.022°N, 95.041°E, 11, 12.VII.2014, A. Lelej, M. Proshchalykin, V. Loktionov collectors] [ ZISP] GoogleMaps . Paratypes: 2 ♀ with same label as holotype [ CMMN]; 25 km SE of Erzin village , 50.0798°N, 95.352983°E, 15.VII.2014 GoogleMaps , 1 ♀, A. Lelej, M. Proshchalykin, V. Loktionov [ CMMN] .

Diagnosis. Miscophus mesocontinentalis belongs to the M. aenigma species group that includes five described species, and is characterized by: body sculpture fine; flagellomeres relatively short (basal flagellomeres often nearly cubical); propodeal enclosure with central keel (sometimes with short transverse folds apicaly) and fine, grainlike sculpture without shiny interspaces; propodeal lateral surface grainlike microsculptured, without shiny interspaces; body size small (approximately 3–5 mm). The new species differs from M. nevesi de Andrade, 1952 by the distance between antennal socket and clypeal excision distinctly longer than socket diameter (nearly equal in M. nevesi ); from M. albomaculatus de Andrade, 1960 by entirely black mesosoma and dark tibiae (pronotal tubercles with an elongate creamy white patch above, and tibial outer surface yellowish or whitish in M. albomaculatus ); from M. minutus de Andrade, 1953 by elongate flagellomeres (F 1–2 as long as wide in M. minutus ) and by the presence of two forebasitarsal spines (lacking in M. minutus ); from M. aenigma Honoré, 1944 and M. carolinae Schmid-Egger, 2002 by entirely dark tibiae (at least hindtibia with basal white spot in M. aenigma and M. carolinae ). It is the largest species in the M. aenigma species group.

Description. Female. Body length 4.6–4.9 mm ( holotype 4.9 mm).

Head ( Figs 67–68 View FIGURES 65–71 ) ratio H:W = 0.89, ratio POL:OOL = 2.26. Frons distinctly convex, gena flattened. Anterior margin of clypeal median lobe slightly concave laterally ( Fig. 67 View FIGURES 65–71 ); ratio of clypeal median lobe width to clypeus width = 0.52. Flagellomeres elongate, all longer than wide; F 1 1.27× times as long as pedicel ( Fig. 71 View FIGURES 65–71 ). Uniformly shagreened, matt, with short white setae. Median part of clypeus anteriorly with large punctures.

Mesosoma. Pronotum, mesonotum and mesopleuron shagreened, slightly shiny. Pronotal collar without posterior depression, uniformly convex in lateral view. Propodeal enclosure with central keel and short transverse folds (longer apicaly), grainlike microsculptured, with quite numerous setae directed obliquely forward ( Fig. 70 View FIGURES 65–71 ). Propodeum almost rectangular, lateral surface microstriate, asetose.

Legs. Forebasitarsus with two spines, apical one shorter than second tarsomere ( Fig. 69 View FIGURES 65–71 ).

Metasoma. Indistinctly punctate, slightly shiny, without distinct tomentum.

Coloration. Black with brownish mandible (except amber apex), antenna and tarsi. Apical margin of metasomal segments discoloured.

Male. Unknown.

Etymology. The name derived from the geographical position of the type locality – near the geographic center of the Eurasian continent.

Distribution. Russia ( Tyva Republic).