Malthodes (Malthodes) giannii Parisi & Fanti 2020

Malthodes (Malthodes) giannii PARISI & FANTI sp. nov.

(Figs. 3–4, 11A)

Description. Male, winged. Body length 3.1 mm; elytra 2.2 mm; pronotum 0.5 mm; antennae 2.7 mm. Entirely blackish-dark brown, without yellow spots on elytral apex.

Head exposed, transverse, rounded behind the eyes, densely punctuated. Eyes very large, rounded, prominent, inserted in the lateral-upper part of the head. Maxillary palpi 4-segmented, with the last palpomere globular and distally pointed. Labial palpi 3-segmented, last palpomere globular and distally pointed. Antennae filiform, 11- segmented, relatively short, almost reaching elytral apex and middle of the abdomen; antennomere I very elongate, club-shaped; antennomere II about 1.4 times shorter than antennomere I; antennomere III as long as antennomere II; antennomere IV slightly longer than antennomere III, antennomeres V–VIII slightly longer than antennomere IV; antennomeres IX–X shorter than previous ones; antennomere XI shorter than antennomeres IX–X and with rounded apex; all antennomeres densely covered by long setae. Pronotum strongly transverse, wider than the head, surface punctate and covered by short setae, anterior margin straight, posterior margin straight and strongly bordered, sides slightly concave in the middle, slightly expanded near the anterior margin and strongly narrowed at the insertion of the anterior margin. Elytra short, reaching the base of the eighth abdominal segment, slightly wider than pronotum, covered with sparse long setae, parallel-sided, rounded at apices. Hind wings infuscate, surpassing elytra and slightly surpassing the last abdominal segment. Legs short, densely pubescent; coxae elongate; trochanters robust with rounded apex; femora slightly enlarged and slightly curved; tibiae much shorter than femora, thin, cylindrical, with a spur at the apex; tarsi 5-segmented, pubescent; tarsomeres I thin, elongate; pro- and mesotarsomeres II approximately 1.4 times shorter than pro- and mesotarsomeres I; metatarsomeres II approximately 1.2 times shorter than metatarsomeres I; tarsomeres III short; tarsomeres IV feebly bilobed and robust; tarsomeres V elongate and slender; claws simple. Metasternum elongate. Sternites transverse and pubescent. Last tergite (tg10) broad, slightly folded at the sides, almost flat, and slightly expanded at the sides of the apical margin which is rounded; last sternite (st9) elongate, slightly curved, flat and apically forked (with lobes robust and not deeply forked). Aedeagus little visible and with the unclear form. Female unknown.

Etymology. Named in honor of Giovanni Parisi “Gianni”, father of the first author.

Holotype. Male, in Baltic amber, deposited at the University of Molise (Unimol) with accession No. Unimol AAA004FP.

Type locality. Yantarny mine, Sambian Peninsula, Kaliningrad region, Russia.

Type horizon. Middle Eocene (Lutetian) (47.8–41.2 MYA) to Late Eocene (Priabonian) (37.8–33.9 MYA).

Syninclusions. Air bubbles, debris, stellate hairs, two Diptera (Psychodidae).

Differential diagnosis. The last sternite (st9) elongated and apically forked of M. giannii sp. nov. is frequent in the genus Malthodes both in fossil and living species. Instead, the last tergite wide with slightly bent edges, make it unique in the landscape of fossil Malthodes. The only similar species: M. josephi Fanti & M. K. Pankowski, 2018 has the last tergite more elongated and last sternite more deeply incised apically, and also shorter antennae and it is slightly smaller in size (Fanti & Pankowski 2018).

Remarks. The amber piece is extremely transparent and measures 34 x 16 x 9 mm. The inclusion is complete, and well visible.