Megalopinus seideli, Mainda, 2025

Megalopinus seideli nov.sp.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:

T y p e m a t e r i a l: ϐ Holotype: two white labels " VIETNAM: Cao Bằng Pro., Phia Oac Nat. Park, main road below "Salmon Station”, 22°35’43”N 105°52’52”E, ca. 1270 m, 02.vi.2024, M. Seidel leg., loc. 41” / "small hillock at road side, secondary forest, fogging of decaying tree" / red label "ϐ HOLOTYPE, Megalopinus seideli nov. sp., design. Mainda, 2025” (NHMW).

D e s c r i p t i o n: Measurements of the holotype: BL: 2.75 mm, DE: 0.48 mm, EL: 0.78 mm, EW: 0.93 mm, FBL: 1.68 mm, HW: 0.90 mm, PL: 0.60 mm, PW: 0.70 mm, SL: 0.58 mm.

Habitus as in Fig. 1 View Figs 1-8 . Dark brown to orange brownish, without microsculpture; head and pronotum brown; elytra brown with orange brownish crossband in anterior third ( Fig. 3 View Figs 1-8 ), three rows of punctures on each elytron; tergites VII-VII of abdomen lighter brown in posterior half; antennae and legs orange-brownish.

Head almost as broad as elytra, frons coarsely and densely punctured.

Pronotum 1.17 times as broad as long, broadest in anterior third; with four transverse rows of coarse and deep punctures, first row divided medially by planar area of eight punctures in anterior half ( Fig. 1 View Figs 1-8 ), between third and fourth row with medially impunctate Y-shaped area; punctures always separate; one large puncture in posteriolateral third on both sides. Each side of pronotum with four distinct denticles.

Elytra 1.19 times as broad as long; humeral calli prominent. Scutellum with a few deep, irregular punctures; each elytron with deep, narrow longitudinal impression along entire length next to suture. Punctures on left elytron: slr (6), shr (6), dsr (6); punctures on right elytron: slr (4), shr (5), dsr (5). Broadest in middle; lateral margins convexly rounded anteriorly and posteriorly.

Abdomen narrower than head, shiny, with distinct paratergites. Basolateral striae of tergite V in anterior third of tergite, not extending to middle; tergite VII with membranous fringe at posterior margin (metathoric wings fully developed).

Male: Antennomere XI 2.50 times as long and 1.23 times as wide as antennomere X. Sternite VIII shallowly impressed at posterior margin; tergite VIII without special features; sternite IX spatula-shaped; tergite X shiny, widely punctured. Aedeagus ( Fig. 5 View Figs 1-8 ) slender,

with two strong apically thickened bean-shaped brownish internal sclerites and two proximal blackish fields of denticles; parameres with 4-6 apical setae.

Female: Unknown.

D i f f e r e n t i a l d i a g n o s i s: Megalopinus seideli nov.sp. is related to some smaller species of the M. acutangulus group with impunctate sutural third of elytra, relatively broad head and short lateral striae on tergite V. The species is distinguished from M. nepalensis PUTHZ, 2012 and M. hirashimai NAOMI, 1986 by shorter lateral striae of tergite V and by the inner structure of aedeagus. It is separated from the very similar M. brancuccii PUTHZ, 2021 by presence of a planar area of punctures in anterior half of pronotum; scutellum with irregular punctures, in contrast to two longitudinal impressions in M. brancuccii ; dark posterior sutural third of elytra; denser punctate tergite X; distinctly broader median lobe and thicker, more compact internal sclerites of aedeagus (compare Figs 5 and 6 View Figs 1-8 ).

D i s t r i b u t i o n: Sofar, M. seideli nov.sp. is only known from the Phia Oac National Park in northern Vietnam.

Habitat and collecting method: The only known specimen of M. seideli nov.sp. was captured by fogging a decaying tree in a secondary forest of the Phia Oac National Park at 1,270 m ( Fig. 8 View Figs 1-8 ).

E t y m o l o g y: With the choice of the species epithet " seideli ” (derived from the German surname Seidel, noun), I dedicate this new species to its collector and my friend Dr. Matthias Seidel (Naturhistorisches Museum Wien, Vienna, Austria), who kindly supports me in my taxonomic work since years with interesting material.