Madecorformica silhouetta Bellamy 2008, sp. nov

Madecorformica silhouetta, sp. nov. (Figures 1–6) Description of male holotype. Myrmecomorphic; small (7.0 mm maximum length x 2.3 mm width across apical 1/3 of elytra), elongate-ovoid, subcylindrical; integument generally black with elytra bearing a mix of short erect setae, both black and off-white, forming a pattern resembling a silhouette of one pair of inverse facing heads (Fig. 5a, b); posterior portion of metaventrite and metepiventrite a deep iridescent maroon; underside with short, appressed squamose setae most dense on thoracic ventrites; head with frontovertex broad, flat on vertex; frons with short, shallow longitudinal depression between eyes; eyes large, inner margins diverging dorsally; circumocular groove extends from beyond dorsalmost point along inner margin to beyond ventral-most point; bisinuate supra-antennal groove above large antennal cavities; antennal cavities narrowly separated; clypeal margin broadly, deeply, arcuately emarginate; gena with feeble transverse depression for basal antennomeres in repose; distal margin of gena broadly rounded; antennae with scape narrow, elongate, feebly arcuate, nearly as long as 2+3+4 together, triangularly serrate from antennomere 5; right antennae missing antennomeres 10–11; pronotum 1.7 times wider than long, widest near midpoint, narrowing to posterior margin; anterior margin feebly convex; posterior margin bisinuate on either side of prescutellar lobe; disc transversely convex on anterior 1/2, otherwise flattened posteriorly and laterally; lateral margin entire; one elongate, narrow premarginal carina on either side parallel to margin; scutellum elongate cordiform; elytra much wider both across humeri and again at about apical 1/3; humeri strongly, subangularly elevated, with angled peaks slightly diverging from each other; disc evenly, transversely convex; lateral margin narrowing posterior to margin below humeral swelling, before widening at about mid-point then narrowing again from apical 1/3 to narrowly, separately rounded apices; epipleuron extends along entire length, widest below humerus, subparallel to opposite metacoxa, then much narrower and extending to apex; pygidium not visible beyond elytra, with apical margin entire; proventrite with mentonniere very feebly produced, angularly bilobed; disc evenly transversely convex; process broad, subparallel between procoxae, apex feebly trilobed; abdominal ventrites expanded laterally, ventrite 2 wider than 1 or 3–5, widest medially; ventrite 5 entire, without terminal sexual morphology; legs with tibiae flattened, having arcuate outer edge; tarsi with tarsomeres 1–4 with at least partial ventral pulvilli; tarsal claws appendiculate; aedeagus as in Fig. 6. Variation. In the short type series, the variation is only in size and proportion. Males vary: 6.2–7.3 x 2.1–2.3 mm; females vary: 6.8–8.2 x 2.4–3.0 mm. The pair of silhouettes on the elytra vary slightly, allowing the imagination to consider that these may look like the head of a baboon or a chameleon, etc. (e.g. Figs. 1, 5a, b). Specimens examined. Holotype ♂ (MNHN): Madagascar Est., Distr. Mananara N., Seranambe, II-[19]64, Vadon et Peyrieras; 13 paratypes: 8, same data as holotype, except 1 ♀, I-[19]64; 3 ♂♂, 1 ♀, II-[19]65; 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀, without date; 1 ♂, Antanambe, II-[19]67; 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, Mont Antampona, iii-[19]67. Paratypes deposited in MNHN, NMPC and CLBC. Etymology. The specific epithet silhouetta is chosen for the elytral pattern of facing heads on the disc. Remarks. This new species differs, and can be distinguished, from other lookalike, putative ant-mimics of the genus Entomogaster as noted in Table 1.
Published as part of Bellamy, C. L., 2008, A new monotypic genus of ant-mimicking Coraebini (Coleoptera: Buprestidae: Agrilinae) from Madagascar, pp. 65-68 in Zootaxa 1817 (1) on pages 66-67, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.1817.1.7, http://zenodo.org/record/5125199