Bradymerus mookambikanus, Hegde & Ruzzier, 2025

Bradymerus mookambikanus sp. nov.

( Figs 1–2 1 View FIGURE 1 View FIGURE 2 –13)

Materials. Holotype: ♂; India, Karnataka, Shimoga district, Mookambika WLS, Abbi falls (Talasi waterfalls), 13.708 N, 75.068 E, 592.4 m, 5.XII.2022, V. D. Hegde & Party, ZSI/WGRC/IR/INV. 27236 [ ZSIK] GoogleMaps . Paratypes: ♂; India, Karnataka, Shimoga district, Mookambika WLS, Abbi falls (Talasi waterfalls), 13.708 N, 75.068 E, 592.4 m, 5.XII.2022, V. D. Hegde & Party, ZSI/WGRC/IR/INV. 27237 [ ZSIK] GoogleMaps . ♀; India, Karnataka, Shimoga district, Mookambika WLS, Abbi falls (Talasi waterfalls), 13.708 N, 75.068 E, 592.4 m, 5.XII.2022, V. D. Hegde & Party, ZSI/WGRC/IR/INV. 27238 [ ZSIK] GoogleMaps .

Description

General aspect. Body length 10 mm; rectangular, parallel-sided in dorsal view; dorsum matt ferruginous, devoid of any metallic shine ( Figs 1 1–2 View FIGURE 1 View FIGURE 2 ).

Head. Wider than long (HL: 1.2 mm; HW: 1.6 mm; HL/HW: 0.75); integuments densely and coarsely punctured, punctures confluent; frons without distinct supraorbital keel but with a reduced, posteriorly oriented, supraorbital furrow; epistoma trapezoid, anterior margin almost straight in dorsal view; epistomal suture distinct but only gently impressed; labrum trapezoid, anterior region bordered and longitudinally wrinkled ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 5); antennae 11 segmented, last four antennomers forming a club; all antennomeres sparsely covered with small setae, setae on last four antennomers relatively longer ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 8). Underside of the head darker, coarsely punctate with deep setigerous punctures, gular area lighter in color. Palpi lighter in color; maxillary palpi four-segmented, apical palpomere securiform; labial palpi three-segmented, first segment smallest and transverse, second segment longer than the first, apical palpomere the longest; mentum trapezoid, presenting a wavy median keel surrounded on either side by depressed rugae ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 6).

Prothorax. Pronotum broad (PL: 2 mm; PW: 2.8 mm), widest in the middle; anterior corners of pronotum not protruding, lateral margin with feeble crenulation, slightly sinuated at the base; both anterior and posterior margins bordered; posterior margin slightly emarginated; pronotal disc coarsely punctuated with distinct confluent punctures, granules present between punctures; median impression present ( Fig. 1 3 View FIGURE 1 View FIGURE 2 View FIGURE 3 ). Prosternum with coarse and deep punctures; prosternal process prominent, flat, rugopunctate, bordered and broadly ending at the apex ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 4).

Pterothorax. Elytra parallel sided (EL: 6.8 mm; EW: 3.5; EL/EW: 1.9) in dorsal view. Elytra with punctural rows without striae, punctures deeply impressed, all elytral intervals not keeled but slightly raised with rows of granules, granules not confluent ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 9). Mesosternum coarsely punctate, slightly keeled medially with a Vshaped ridge between the mid coxae. Metasternum with a median longitudinal furrow, finely punctate in the middle but laterally coarsely punctate ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 10).

Legs. Legs covered with sparse golden-colored setae. Femur and tibia not sexually dimorphic. Femora on underside finely punctated with setigerous punctures; tibiae rugopunctate and externally without distinct keels; tarsi on underside bearing pads of sparse golden setae.

Abdomen. First and second ventrite finely punctate at the middle but coarsely punctate on sides; third ventrite coarsely punctate and last two ventrites finely punctate; punctures setigerous. Intersegmental membranes visible between ventrites 3–4, and 4–5; last ventrite unbordered ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 10).

Aedeagus. Elongated in dorsal view, narrow at apex, basale 1.7× apicale; tip of apicale narrowly rounded; apicale in lateral view regularly bent ( Figs 2 View FIGURE 2 11–13).

Females: No sexual dimorphism, similar to that of males.

Diagnosis: The new species is similar to Bradymerus andamanus Gebien, 1914 in having a ferruginous body without metallic sheen, a four-segmented antennal club, frons without supraorbital keel, anterior corners of the pronotum not protruding, and a pronotal disc with a median impression and confluent punctation. However, it differs from B. andamanus in having granules between the punctures on the pronotal disc (granules absent in B. andamanus ), elytral intervals slightly raised and bearing rows of granules (intervals usually without keels or granules in B. andamanus ), and lateral sides of the pronotum with weak crenulation (lateral sides without crenulation in B. andamanus ). The aedeagus of the new species has a narrow apical and basal piece, with the tip of the apicale narrowly rounded (whereas in B. andamanus the aedeagus is broad, and the apical piece has a flat, broad, blunt tip). The aedeagus of the new species is also similar to that of B. drescheri Gebien, 1925 from Java, but is narrower than in the latter.

Etymology. The new species is named after the Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary, from which the samples were collected.