Tachyta (Tachyta) picina (Boheman 1848)

Tachyta picina (Boheman)

Bembidium picinum Boheman, 1848:229 [type in SRM, not seen by me; type-locality: “Caffraria orientalie”].—Basilewsky, 1952:176.

Tachys vescus Peringuey, 1908:294 [type not seen by me, in the South African Museum according to Basilewsky, 1952: 188; type-locality: Natal, Africa].—Basilewsky, 1952:188.

Tachyta picina (Boheman), Basilewsky, 1952:176.

DIAGNOSIS.—The ovate elytra, rufous coloration, and testaceous appendages are highly distinctive in the genus.

DESCRIPTION.—Form (Figure 66): Moderately elongate and narrow, convex; head moderately broad and convex.

Color: Shiny rufous throughout; appendages testaceous.

Head (Figure 66): Moderately broad, equal across eyes to width of pronotum across anterior angles; frontal furrows deeply impressed and abruptly limited laterally by well-developed carina; outer carina members absent but ridge over eyes prominent; front between eyes convex, sparsely punctulate; eyes large and moderately prominent.

Pronotum (Figure 66): Moderately transverse, disc convex; sides moderately sinuate posteriorly, margins narrowly reflexed, less so anteriorly; surface laterobasally strongly carinate, carina extended about one-third the way to anterior lateral seta; hind angle about 90°, basal transverse impression deeply engraved to median line; anterior angles not produced.

Elytra (Figure 66): Sutural interneul striate-punctate, entire, punctures small; interneurs 2 to 5 less impressed, more strongly punctulate, and abbreviated at about apical third, 2 usually longer and 5 shorter, outer interneurs effaced; interneur 8 entire, sulcate, less impressed about basal third; humeral margin rounded to base of interneur 5, margin broadly reflexed and explanate from humerus to plica, edge finely setose behind humerus; chaetotaxy as in T. nana except Ed 6 in position b, that is in fourth interneur, and Ed 3 on same plane with seta Eo 4; plica well developed and visible externally.

Microsculpture: Head with coarsely engraved isodiametric reticulation; pronotum and elytra with shallowly engraved transverse lines sometimes connected longitudinally to form elongate meshes.

Genitalia: Male (Figure 70) with internal sac of median lobe darkly pigmented; ventral rod narrow and elongate, dorsal rod long and C-shaped; phallus nearly straight (1 examined). Female not studied.

Size: Length, 2.72 mm; widht, 12.0 mm, 1 specimen measured.

DISTRIBUTION (Figure 87).—The range of this species is confined to southern Africa, from South Africa north to Mozambique and introduced by man in Madagascar. The record by de Miré (1964) of Tchad must refer to an undescribed species or mislabeled specimen.