Lipotactes sp.

Lipotactes sp.

( Fig. 8 View FIGURE 8 )

Material examined. EAST MALAYSIA, Sabah, Sandakan, Sepilok, Rainforest Discovery Centre • 1♀; N5.87383 E117.94169, 49.4± 5.9 m.a.s.l.; 2 October 2019, 20h00, on foliage; coll. M.K. Tan, M. Binti, J.L. Yukang; SDK.19.93 ( ZRC. ENT74311 View Materials ) GoogleMaps • 1♀ ( Fig. 8A View FIGURE 8 ); N5.87562 E117.93951, 57.2± 5.5 m.a.s.l.; 19 May 2022, 21h33, on foliage of small tree; coll. M.K. Tan & T. Robillard; SBH.22.168 ( ZRC) GoogleMaps .

Remarks. Our female specimens from Sandakan are very similar to the holotype of Mortoniellus chopardi Zeuner, 1936 (synonym of Mortoniellus karnyi Griffini, 1909 ) from Peninsular Malaysia in the dark colour patterns, although there are also some differences: pronotal disc with black band along anterior and posterior margins broad and clearly defined (instead of narrow and vaguely defined, respectively); fore and middle femora black except basal third (instead of completely pale coloured), hind femora at apical half black with a pale green ring near knee (instead of mostly pale coloured). The female subgenital plate appears to be rather variable, even between intrapopulation individuals ( Figs 8B, 8C View FIGURE 8 ). Without male specimens, it is not clear whether our specimens from Sandakan represent a distinct species.