Corresponding author: Manfred A. Jäch (
Academic editor: M. Michat
Jäch MA, Delgado JA (2016)
So far, only one species of
Line drawings were prepared with the aid of a
The Natural History Museum, London, UK
Coll. J.A. Delgado, University of Murcia, Spain
Institute of Evolutionary Biology (Institut de Biologia Evolutiva), Barcelona, Spain
Naturhistorisches Museum Wien, Austria
Marshes of coastal plain at Anse aux Pins and Anse Royale, Mahé, Seychelles.
Two syntypes. One of these syntypes is deposited in the
Mahé: 26 exs. (
The DNA of one female (voucher number cytochrome C oxydase subunit
Habitus as in Fig.
Labrum deeply excised anteriorly; lobes rounded anteriorly. Middle of clypeus very sparsely punctate and glabrous, lateral parts densely micropunctate and mat. Fronto-clypeal suture more or less straight, slightly impressed. Frons moderately densely punctate laterally, sparsely punctate medially, interstices shining; interocular grooves obsolete. Eyes large, protruding, more than 30 facets visible in dorsal view.
Pronotum wider than long, widest near middle; anterior margin weakly concave; anterior angles rounded; lateral rim denticulate; surface moderately densely punctate, but disc sometimes more sparsely punctate; discal foveae more or less obsolete.
Habitus of
Elytra elongately oval; with about nine rows of punctures between suture and shoulder; punctures small, not deeply impressed, arranged in almost regular, usually not impressed lines; intervals and interstices flat and glabrous; explanate margin of elytra only moderately wide, not strongly serrate posteriorly. Elytral apices usually separately rounded.
Foretibia very slightly curved in both sexes.
Mesoventral process parallel-sided, apically truncate, width sexually dimorphic. Metaventrite moderately deeply impressed in the middle; metaventral plaques rather indistinct, sometimes obscured by dense punctures.
Male terminal sternite and spiculum (Fig.
Aedeagus (Figs
Gonocoxite (Fig.
Female tergite X (Fig.
Spermatheca (Figs
Secondary sexual characters: Male mesoventral process more slender; in male more or less as wide as mesotibia, in female slightly wider than mesotibia.
Swamps and ditches in coastal plain. The swamp at Petite Police Bay (Fig.
This species is so far known only from Mahé (Anse aux Pins, Anse Royale, Petite Police Bay) and La Digue (La Réunion). It is here recorded from La Digue for the first time.
Small puddle on Sans Souci Hiking Trail, northern Mahé, Seychelles.
Habitus as in Fig.
Habitus of
Labrum deeply excised anteriorly; anterior angles rounded. Middle of clypeus sparsely punctate, usually glabrous, lateral parts usually micropunctate and mat. Fronto-clypeal suture straight or feebly arcuate, slightly impressed. Frons moderately densely (middle) or more densely and sometimes even rugosely (laterally) punctate, interstices shining; interocular grooves shallow. Eyes large, protruding, more than 30 facets visible in dorsal view.
Pronotum distinctly wider than long, widest near middle; anterior margin concave; anterior angles rounded; lateral margin very slightly concave in anterior and posterior half; lateral rim denticulate; surface moderately densely to densely punctate, but disc sometimes only sparsely punctate; anterior discal foveae obsolete, posterior discal foveae hardly noticeable.
Elytra elongately oval; with about nine rows of punctures between suture and shoulder; punctures small, but rather deeply impressed, usually arranged in regular, usually not impressed lines; intervals sometimes convex, glabrous; explanate margin of elytra comparably wide, abruptly attenuate subapically, slightly to distinctly serrate posteriorly. Elytral apices usually separately rounded.
Foretibia and metatibia sexually dimorphic.
Mesoventral process parallel-sided, apically truncate, width sexually dimorphic. Metaventrite moderately deeply impressed between glabrous metaventral plaques, the latter reduced to very thin glabrous elevated short, widely separated streaks.
Male terminal sternite and spiculum (Fig.
Aedeagus (Figs
Gonocoxite (Fig.
Female tergite X (Fig.
Spermatheca (Figs
Secondary sexual characters: Foretibia and metatibia slightly curved in male. Male mesoventral process more slender; in male more or less as wide as mesotibia, in female slightly wider than mesotibia.
On Mahé this species was collected in a small puddle on a forest trail (leg. E. Heiss), and in small mountain streams at more than 600 m a.s.l. (leg. M. Madl and S. Schödl) – the single specimen collected by M. Madl was found on a small piece of wood lying in a very small stream (Fig.
Habitat of
Habitat of
Endemic to the Inner Seychelles. So far known only from Mahé and Silhouette.
This species is named for Pat Matyot, a Seychellois naturalist with a special interest in entomology. Pat Matyot is employed by the Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation and has produced many television features on the country’s fauna and flora. He has served on the boards and science committees of a number of conservation organisations in Seychelles and is at present a board member of the Island Conservation Society
1 | Body length (without abdomen): 1.20–1.40 mm. Frons without interocular depressions (Fig. |
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– | Body length (without abdomen): 1.56–1.70 mm. Frons with shallow interocular depressions (Fig. |
|
The two
Although both species belong to the same subgenus they are not closely related and in fact they represent different species groups.
We are most grateful to Ernst Heiss (Innsbruck, Austria), Günther Wewalka (Wien, Austria), and Michael Madl (Frauenkirchen, Austria) for donating their