Macrosternus lafertei Marseul, 1853: 243.

Redescription (Mazur & Ohara, 2000).

Body oblong-oval (Fig. ), strongly depressed, black with dull blue metallic luster; maxillary palpi and tarsi reddish brown. Body length [male(n=1), female (n=2; average), sex undetermined (n=1), in mm] PPL, 7.15, 6.15-6.6 (6.38), 6.95; PEL, 5.5, 4.65-4.95 (4.8), 5.35; APW, 2.2, 1.8-1.95 (1.88), 2.15; PPW, 4.25, 3.6-3.8 (3.7), 4.1; PL, 1.85, 1.6-1.65 (1.63), 1.75; EL, 2.7, 2.4-2.65 (2.53), 2.8; EW, 4.9, 3.85-4.05 (3.95), 4.35; ProL, 0.65, 0.6-0.65 (0.625), 0.6; ProW, 2.6, 2.15-2.25 (2.2), 2.65; PyL, 1.1, 1.0-1.05 (1.03), 1.1; PTL, 1.35, 1.1-1.15 (1.13), 1.4; MSTL, 1.1, 1.0, 1.3; MTTL, 1.3, 1.1-1.25 (1.18), 1.5.

Antennal club without clear suture (Fig. ). Ratio in width of pronotum to head 2.13. Front of head slightly excavated; surface coarsely and sparsely punctate, the punctures separated by two to seven times their diameters; interspace among the coarse punctures with fine punctures which are separated about three times their diameters. Frontal stria of head (Fig. ) complete and carinate laterally and united with orbital stria, but not impressed on anterior area. Labrum feebly convex on apical margin, the anterior margin slightly emarginate medially. One denticle present on inner margin of mandible. Surface of mandible without carina.

Pronotum (Fig. ) very depressed; marginal stria completely impressed laterally but broadly interrupted behind head; outer lateral pronotal stria well impressed, carinate and complete laterally but shortly, about one-fourth of width of pronotum, interrupted antero-medially. Surface of pronotum densely covered with coarse punctures on lateral fifth, the coarse punctures separated by their own or twice diameter; interspace among the coarse punctures and median area evenly covered with fine punctures. Antescutellar area with a slight impression.

Epipleura with two marginal striae, the striae carinate and divided irregularly on basal fourth. Elytral marginal stria complete and carinate, the apical end extended inwardly along the apical margin of elytra. External subhumeral stria absent. Internal subhumeral stria well impressed completely but shortened on apical seventh. Oblique humeral stria slightly impressed on basal third. First dorsal stria complete; 2nd abbreviated on basal third; 3rd present apically as a short rudiment. Slight impression present on basal half of the place of the 3rd dorsal stria and also on apical area as a rudiment. Fourth, fifth and sutural striae absent. Surface of elytra sparsely covered with fine punctures.

Propygidium densely with large and semicircular punctures laterally, the punctures becoming smaller and sparser medially and posteriorly. Pygidium densely covered with coarse and round punctures antero-laterally, the punctures becoming sparser and finer medially and apically; the punctures behind antero-lateral corner separated by one-third or one-fourth of their diameter; surface feebly depressed behind antero-lateral angles.

Prosternal lobe (Fig. ) broad and flat, its anterior margin round; marginal stria only impressed basally; secondary marginal stria present basally outside the marginal stria; surface finely punctate, the punctures separated by two to five times their diameter. Prosternal process with complete carinal striae, the striae sinuate and divergent on anterior half; surface finely and sparsely punctate; posterior margin slightly curved inwardly. Two lateral prosternal striae present.

Mesosternum transverse; surface depressed each anterior angels and sparsely clothed with fine punctures; anterior margin emarginate medially, the emarginate portion just fitted to the posterior margin of prosternal process and feebly curved outwardly. Marginal stria of mesosternum only impressed laterally. Meso-metasternal suture slight arcuate anteriorly. Intercoxal disk of metasternum flat, and sparsely clothed with fine punctures which are separated by about four to five times their diameter. Lateral metasternal stria extending obliquely and posteriorly, and curved inwardly on the elevation at two-third in length of the metasternum, the apical end attaining near the metacoxa. Post-mesocoxal stria absent. Lateral metasternal disk covered with several longitudinal rugae and coarsely punctate on outer marginal area.

Intercoxal disk of 1st abdominal sternum coarsely punctate laterally, the punctures separated by three times their diameter and becoming sparser and finer medially; with one stria on each side. Lateral disk densely rugorose(?) longitudinally.

Protibia (Fig. ) with 5 spines on outer margin, on the apical 3 their bases denticulate, and a pair of spines on inner angle and two small spine present on apical margin. Mesotibia (Fig. ) with 3 dentical spines on outer margin, and 4 spines present on apical margin. Metatibia (Fig. ) with 2 dentical spines on outer margin, and 4 spines present on apical margin. Ventral surface of tibia with 3 longitudinal carinae.

Male genitalia (Fig. ). Eighth tergite longitudinally divided into two parts, the part triangle shape on dorsal view; 8th sternum strongly sclerotized ventrally and the apical margin loblate medially and laterally, the lateral lobes only sclerotized lateral margin and furnished 6 or 7 long hairs on posterior margin, while the median lobes sclerotized and without hair. Ninth tergite well sclerotized and without antero-lateral projections. Spicule is T-letter shaped. Tenth tergite spindle shaped and strongly projected posteriorly. Ratio in length of parameres to basal piece about 1.78. Lateral sides of parameres slightly divergent apically, thence strongly agnulate and convergent apically at apical one-fifth; posterior margin truncate, not divided longitudinally and with a long hair on each postero-lateral angle; on ventral face triangle elevation present on apical half.

Specimens examined. CAMEROUN. 1 male, Cameroun, Etoudi Assok, prés Mbalmayo, V-1982, F. Nator leg. (SMC: #MO-00-140); 1 ex., Kamerun, Barombi, conradt., Macrosternus laferti Mars. Bick.(-hardt, Det.), Mus. Zool. Polonicum, Warszawa, 12/45 (MIZPAN: MO-00-149). CONGO. 1 female, Belg. Congo., ex. coll. F. Kessel, Mus. Zool. Polonicum, Warszawa, 19/46, Macrosternus lafertei Mars., Det. S. Mazur, 1970. (MIZPAN: MO-00-148); 1 female, Congo, Belge, Kapanga, coll. Ch. De Wyngaert, CMNH, 1960, purchases ex. Ch. de Wyngaert (Brussels) (SMC: #MO-00-146).

Remarks.

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