Parabrachida persimilis Cameron, 1944

Parabrachida persimilis Cameron, 1944 View in CoL

( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 )

Parabrachida persimilis Cameron, 1944: 158 View in CoL (original description; type locality: “Cochin China” [ Cochinchina; Southern Vietnam]).

Type material examined. Lectotype, here designated, male, “ Cochin / China // M. Cameron. / Bequest. / B.M. 1955-147. // NHMUK 015665389 About NHMUK ” ( BMNH) . Paralectotypes: 2 exs, Cochin China ( BMNH) .

Diagnosis. Parabrachida persimilis is distinguished from Pa. decipiens by the not elongate (only as long as wide) male tergite VIII, the more slender median lobe of aedeagus (especially in ventral view), the short flagellum of the median lobe of aedeagus, and the nearly triangular sclerite located slightly right of the flagellum.

Redescription. Measurements of lectotype. BL: 2.02; FBL: 1.22; HW: 0.55; PL: 0.44; PW: 0.72; EL: 0.56; EW: 0.82 .

Body ( Fig. 3A View FIGURE 3 ) black, robust.

Head sparsely punctured; punctures shallow with short setae; microsculpture indistinct, composed of slightly transverse meshes. Antennae short and stout.

Thorax. Pronotum transverse (PW/PL: 1.64), wider than head (PW/HW: 1.31), sparsely punctured; punctures shallow with short setae; microsculpture indistinct, composed of slightly transverse meshes. Scutellum with short setae; microsculpture composed of transverse meshes. Elytra transverse (EW/EL: 1.47), longer than pronotum (EL/ PL: 1.27), wider than pronotum (EW/PW: 1.14), with distinct large scale-shaped microsculpture; entire elytra also covered with fine, indistinct microsculpture composed of broken almost isodiametric to transverse meshes; setae longer than those of pronotum.

Abdomen narrowed posteriad.Abdominal tergites III–VI densely punctured, posterior half of tergite VII without distinct puncture; III–V with distinct scale-shaped microsculpture; also covered with fine, indistinct microsculpture composed of broken almost isodiametric to transverse meshes; setae as long as or shorter than those of pronotum.

Male. Tergite VIII ( Fig. 3C View FIGURE 3 ) truncate apically. Paramere of aedeagus with long styliform apical lobe with small protrusions; with short setae located near apical end. Median lobe of aedeagus slender, asymmetrical, and curved ventrally; with short flagellum and some indistinct sclerites; sclerite located right of flagellum nearly triangular in shape.

Distribution. Vietnam.

Remarks. In Parabrachida decipiens , body size varies considerably, with pronounced differences in the shape of male tergite VIII between large and small individuals ( Klimaszewski et al. 2010). If similar body size variation occurs in Pa. persimilis , the shape of male tergite VIII may not be limited to what is shown here.

According to Cameron (1944), this species was described based on four specimens, but we were able to examine three of them.