Tachyta (Tachyta) guineensis Alluaud 1933

Tachyta guineensis Alluaud

Tachyta guineensis Alluaud, 1933:8 [de Miré (1964) indicates “type et 8 paratypes,” but Alluaud did not originally designate a holotype and no subsequent records establish a lectotype; therefore this remains to be done; location of the 9 specimens mentioned by de Miré is not stated by him; however, Basilewsky (1952) stated the “paratypes” are in MRAC; not seen by me; type-locality: Ivory Coast, Africa].

DIAGNOSIS.—The coarse isodiametric reticulation of the dorsal surface and its granular appearance together with the coarse punctures of the head and pronotum are distinctive in the genus.

DESCRIPTION.—Form (Figure 68): Elongate, more so than in T. subvirens members and with broader head, eyes very prominent.

Color: Shiny piceous throughout, appendages darkly infuscated.

Head: Very broad across eyes, equal in width to pronotum across anterior angles; frontal furrows moderately well impressed, lateral carina well developed, anterior supraorbital seta situated in a deep elongate fovea; front between eyes sub-convex and coarsely punctate, punctures arranged in transverse band; eyes large in diameter and very prominent.

Pronotum: Moderately transverse, disc subdepressed at middle, strongly convex anterolaterally; sides sinuate posteriorly, margins broadly reflexed and sulcate from base to anterior angles, surface laterobasally strongly carinate, carina extended nearly halfway to anterior lateral seta; hind angle about 90°; basal transverse impression well engraved laterally, narrowly interrupted medially and confluent with deeply sulcate median line; anterior angles not at all produced.

Elytra: Sutural interneur entire and deeply impressed throughout, interneurs 2 to 5 moderately impressed and ended about apical third, interneur 6 and 7 finely impressed basally and effaced apically, interneur 8 entire and shallowly sulcate throughout; humeral margin rounded to base of interneur 5, margin broadly reflexed and explanate from humerus to plica, edge very finely setulose throughout its length; chaetotaxy as in T. picina members; plica well developed and visible externally.

Microsculpture: Very coarsely engraved and granulate on head, pronotum, and elytra, and consisting of isodiametric reticulations, partially arranged in rows on pronotal disc.

Genitalia: Not studied because of insufficient material.

Size: Length, 2.62 mm; width, 1.08 mm, 1 specimen measured.

DISTRIBUTION (Figure 87).—The range of this species extends from southern Congo Republic north to the Ivory Coast along the west coast of Africa.