Memoirs on the Coleoptera/Volume 1/New Species of the Staphylinid Tribe Myrmedoniini/Tribe Myrmidoniini/Group Athetæ/Atheta/Delphota
Delphota n. subgen.
The body is rather small in size, the abdomen parallel, the mesosternal process very acute and aciculate at apex but not prolonged beyond the middle of the coxæ, separated from the very short metasternal projection by a notably extended interval, the coxæ contiguous, the first four joints of the hind tarsi subequal, the infra-lateral cephalic carinæ fine but subentire, the eyes moderate and the antennæ are strongly incrassate, with transverse penultimate joints. The type is the following:
| Atheta (Delphota) cephalina n. sp.—Moderately stout and convex, slightly shining, the abdomen more so; piceous-brown, the elytra and legs slightly paler, the head and abdomen black throughout; antennæ dark-brown, paler basally; head transverse, parallel, the eyes not prominent, at their own length from the base, the antennæ extending barely to basal third of the elytra, rapidly and strongly incrassate, the outer joints distinctly transverse, the eleventh pointed and as long as the preceding two; prothorax about as wide as the elytra, much wider than the head, two-fifths wider than long, parallel, with moderately rounded sides, the basal impression obsolete, the punctures fine and close-set; elytra moderately transverse, much longer than the prothorax, closely, rather asperulately punctulate; abdomen slightly narrower than the elytra, the minute punctures numerous but not dense, the sixth tergite (♂) broadly, rectilinearly truncate, the edge finely, feebly crenulate, the lateral projections very short, flat and rounded, not very different from the other cremulations. Length 2.5 mm.; width 0.6 mm. Iowa,—Brendel. |
This species is chiefly remarkable in its very exceptional sexual modifications of the head, which, in the male, is opaque by reason of extremely small strong reticulation, rather flattened above and feebly impressed along the median line; in the female it is more convex, even, shining and very much more feebly and less minutely micro-reticulate.