Micranops cuccodoroi Frisch, 2025, sp. nov.

Overview & Synopsis

Micranops cuccodoroi, sp. nov.(Figs 29–31, 149, 150)Type specimen: Holotype ♂, India, Madhya Pradesh, 4.5 km SW Pachmarhi: Vanshree Vihar (Mahadeo Hills) (22°26'34"N, 78°23'25"E), 950 m, 16.X.2000, leg. Cuccodoro (MHNG).Description: Macrophthalmous species with palisade fringe of abdominal tergite VII; holotype macropterous with elytral sutural length about as long as pronotum and functionary metathoracic wings. Body color light reddish brown with elytra slightly blackened; appendages light brown. Body surface subnitid with fine, dense, setose punctation. Head 1.15 times longer than wide with slightly convex temples and somewhat convex posterior margin. Eyes 0.5 times as long as temples. Nuchal groove 0.25 times as wide as greatest head width. Trichobothrial cavity guttiform, with tapered anterior end connected to dorsoposterior margin of eye. Antenna from slightly elongate pedicellus and antennomere 3 gradually wider toward clearly transverse penultimate antennomeres; antennomere 10 about 0.6 times, antennomere 11 about 1.3 times as long as wide. Total body length 2.6 mm; forebody length 1.3 mm.Male: Protarsomeres 1–4 not dilated, about as long as wide.Abdominal sternite VII in about median 0.2 of somewhat convex posterior margin with hardly perceptible emargination and two submedial, adjacent rows of three short, thick macrosetae directed medioposteriorly and pointing toward each other (Fig. 149).Abdominal sternite VIII with subbasal ridge straight and posterior margin triangularly incised to 0.1 of sternite length; lateral setae moderately long, up to about 0.25 times as long as sternite length (Fig. 150).Aedeagus with lobe-bearing apical portion occupying about 0.25 of aedeagal length (Fig. 29), in dorsal view long-oval, more than 2.5 times as long as wide, and.with apical portion moderately narrowed distad (Fig. 31); phallobase distally extended beyond base of ventral process, here somewhat curved ventrad and with large, set-off ventrolateral sclerotization (Fig. 29). Apical lobes with weakly S-shaped apical margin convex dorsally but concave ventrally, without ventral extension (Fig. 29). Dorsal lobe in lateral view straight with round apex (Fig. 29), in dorsal view broadly truncate (Fig. 31). Ventral lobe absent.Ventromedialendophalliclobelongsubrectangular, strongly projecting ventrodistad, slightly widened distad with round proximal end and short, triangular, dorsad pointing distal tooth (Figs 29, 30). Endophallic sclerites extended into two long spines strongly projecting ventrally lateral of ventromedial endophallic lobe and bent toward each other (Figs 29, 30). Ventral process short, directed distoventrad and moderately bent ventrad, in lateral view with subacute tip and slightly denticulate ventral margin (Fig. 29), in ventral view with slightly concave lateral margins and subtriangular apex, at base about half as wide as, in apical portion about 0.7 times as wide as aedeagus at same level (Fig. 30). Dorsodistal opening of phallobase slightly enlarged dorsally (Fig. 29), in dorsal view occupying aedeagal width and triangularly tapered to form short, dorsomidlongitudinal split occupying almost 0.2 of length of phallobase (Figs 29, 31); latter therefore predominantly sclerotized dorsally (Fig. 31) and evenly convex in lateral view (Fig. 29). Postforamen hardly projecting ventrally (Fig. 29). Circoforamen about twice as long as median foramen (Fig. 30). Length of aedeagus 0.43 mm.Female unknown.Distribution: Micranops cuccodoroi is only known from the Mahadeo Hills in central India.Etymology: I dedicate this new species to its collector Giulio Cuccodoro, Muséum d’histoire naturelle, Geneva, in gratitude for his generous support during a recent visit to the Coleoptera collection there (epithet cuccodoroi: Latinized noun, derived from the surname Cuccodoro, masculine, genitive, singular).