Genus Merionoeda Pascoe

Merionoeda Pascoe, 1858, Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond., ser 2, 4 : 237 (type-species : M. puella Pasc., 1858) loc. cit.; 1869, Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond., ser 3, 3 : 570. - Gahan, 1906b, Fauna British India, Col. 1 : 171. - Gressitt, 1940, Philip. J. Sc., 72 (1) : 54, ; 1951c, Longicornia 2 : 177.

Ocytasia Pascoe, 1869, Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond, ser 3, 3 : 575 (type-species : O. fulvipennis Pasc., 1869).

Macromolorchus Picard, 1922, Echange 38: 28 (type-species : M. curtipennis Pic, 1922) loc. cit.

Hakata Mitono & Nishimura, 1936, Mushi 9: 33 (type-species : H. hirsuta M. & N., 1936) loc. cit.

Diagnostic characters : head slightly enlongated behind eye; frons with a Y­shaped groove; antennae shorter than body in both sexes; scape long, decurved; antennal segment 5 - 11 compressed dorsi-ventrally, expanded externally; prothorax tuberculated laterally and somtimes also on disc; elytra strongly narrow and dehiscent at apex, each elytron triangular; hind femora strongly pedunculate, peduncle slender and very long, incrassate with subglobose apex; hind tibiae with two ectoapical spines, upper one stouter and longer than the lower spur, outer boarder biseriately spiniferous; episterna of metathorax conspicuous; first abdominal segment in longer than the remainder united, equal in length to the rest in .

Keys to species of Merionoeda in Sarawak

1.    Entire elytron black (mat or glossy), sutural and basal half testaceous yellow ………………….................……………………………………………. 2 
Entire basal half of elytron testaceous yellow, apical half fuscous - sediloensis  sp. nov.

2(1) Head shinny black, prothorax helvus ……………….....……………..….. 3
Head and prothorax entirely helvus - subulata PASCOE, 1869 

3(2) Elytron opaque black; triangular testaceous yellow stripe on elytron small; protuberance on pronotum. not strongly dilated; costate on elytral disc obscure, only distinctive at apex; apex of prothorax a little narrower than base - scitella PASCOE, 1858
Elytron glossy black; tip of triangular sutural patch on elytron extended to 2/3 from base; protuberance on pronotum strongly dilated; costate on elytral disc prominent along fuscous marginal stripe; apex of prothorax as wide as base - calcarata PASCOE, 1869

Merionoeda sediloensis sp. nov

Head exserted, 1.5 X longer than prothorax; terminal segment of maxillary truncated, with a dorsal elliptical indentation at base; labrum transverse, lobed at both anterior end; clypeus inconspicuous; frons inclinate, glabrous, with a typical Y-shaped groove, the outer bifurcate branch crescentiform, median groove terminated at anterior margin of upper eye lobe; gula and temple glabrous except few punctures beneath lower eye lobe; antennal insertion widely separated; antennifer not prominent; canthus glabrous; cerviculate behind eye; upper ocular margin punctate, lateral of neck feebly striate; dorsal of neck glabrous. Antenna shorter than body, extending to 1/3 of abdomen; scape as long as segment 2 + 3 united, decurved, subglabrous with fine puncture at apex; segment 3 & 4 subequal, filiform; 5 - 10 slightly compressed dorsi-ventrally, produced externally, densely pubescent; last segment acute, cuspidal. Prothorax wider at base than at apex; apex strongly constricted; pronotum with three elliptical protuberances, two laterad of disc and a median one slightly behind middle; 1/4 of apical end with a wide annular collar, the later prolonged posteriorly along symmetrical line and fused with the median protuberance behind; side tuberculated with an elevated knob; 2/3 of basal end including prosternum pubescent; posterior margin sinuate. Scutellum quadrate, apex emarginate. Elytron shorter than body, extended to posterior of first abdominal segment; strongly dehiscent, apex pointed; external margin parallel, suteral margin gradually curved on testaceous part and attenuate towards tip; disc punctate along suture, another 6 subparallel longitudinal rows in between external margin, each puncture piliferous; 1/3 of apex cristate subcoastally. Undersurfaces pubescent; coarsely punctate at both side of suture between episterna of metathorax and metasternum; first abdominal segment very long, longer than remainder combined; posterior margin of second concave, lanate. Legs : fore femora pedunculate 1/3 at base, apex fusiform; peduncle of middle femora long, as long as fore femur, apex also fusiform; hind coxae not raised above abdomen; hind femora longest, 2.5 X as long as mid femur, 2/5 of apex strongly clavate, globular tip impunctulate and setose; hind tibiae a little shorter than hind femur, with sparse long bristles and two apical spines, the larger one 3 X as long as the shorter one, outer boarder biseriately spiniferous; first hind tarsal segment longer than 2 + 3 united.

Holotype (UNIMAS Coll.) [540] Sedilo Forest Reserve, Simunjan, Samarahan Div., 3.XI. 1995, C. K. Lim & Wahap. Length 6.3 mm; breadth 1.4 mm.

Distribution : Sarawak

Known habitat : very old secondary peat swamp forest, relogging is being carried out.

Note : very near to M. subulata except in having the 2/3 basal of elytra flavotestaceous and 1/3 apical as well as external costal stripe fuscous.

Merionoeda subulata PASCOE

Merionoeda subulata Pascoe, 1869, Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond., ser 3, 3 : 574 (Borneo : Sarawak). - Aurivillius, 1912, Coleopt. Cat., 39 : 273.

Head and prothorax helvus, flossy; eyes black; antennae entirely fuscous except segment 9, 10 and basal half of 11 that is fulvous; elytra glossy yellowish­ochraceous, outer margin, constricted apical half and narrow sutural line fuscous; episternum shinny fuscous and sterna castaneous; undersurfaces clothed with argentate pubescence especially at lateral side; posterior of 2 & 3 abdominal segment with rows of golden-yellowish decumbent bristles; peduncle of femora yellowish testaceous, apical half or clavate portion brownish castaneous; tibiae brownish castaneous.

Head exserted with a distinctive neck behind eyes; clypeus broad, glabrous, glossy; frons almost horizontal, a deep triangular depression just behind clypeus; eyes large; canthus almost divide eye; antennal support distant, surface in between depressed or convex. Antenna extended to half of elytra; scape gradually widen towards apex; 3 & 4 subequal, as long as scape; 5 - 10 complanate; 7 - 10 produced externally. Prothorax as long as broad; apex with an annular ring followed by a transverse groove; side of prothorax with a blunt protuberance; pronotum with 3 round tubercles, 2 side of median and another median one behind middle, reaching base. Elytron triangular with acuminate apex; disc minutely pubescent and punctate on sutural half, marginal half glabrous. Legs : fore coxal raised above intercoxal process; fore and mid femora moderately clavate; hind femora long, abruptly clavate to bulbous, peduncle as long as the entire front pairs.

Measurement : Length 8.0 - 9.0 mm (); breadth 2.0 mm ()

Distribution : Sarawak 

Material examined : 3 Matang, Kuching Div., 7.XI.1915 (SM Coll.); Kuching, Kuching Div., 20.VII.1900 (SM Coll.); Quop, Samarahan Div., 5.III.1914 (SM Coll.).

Merionoeda scitella PASCOE

Merionoeda scitella Pascoe, 1858, Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond., ser 2, 4 : 238 (Borneo : Sarawak); 1869, Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond., ser 3, 3: 572. - Aurivillius, 1912, Coleopt. Cat., 39: 273.

Head and eye shinny piceous; labial and maxillary palpi testaceous; antennae pitchy on basal segment 1 - 5, fuscous on segment 6 - 9, apical segment 10 - 11 flavotestaceous, segment 5 - 11 covered with dense tawny pubescence; entire prothorax helvus, glossy; scutellum fuscous; elytra opaque piceous, basal half and inner suteral portion from humeral testaceous yellow; all coxae fuscous; femora flavotestaceous at peduncles, piceous on clavated apex especially the hind pair; tibiae and tarsal segments pitchy; apical end of fore and mid tibiae, ventral of all tarsus with dense luteous pubescence; both apical spines on hind tibiae castaneous; ventral surfaces piceous with dense minute whitish pubescence, posterior margin of second abdominal segment with rows of dense ochraceous hamatus bristles.

Head longer than prothorax, widest at middle of eye; oblique dorsally, ventral almost horizontal; frons with a deep Y-shaped groove, glabrous except sides of groove; gena obsolete; gula subglabrous, punctulate near lower eye lobe; antennal insertion widely separated, very near to base of mandible; antennifer flatten, not protruded; vertex glabrous medianly, punctate circumocular; neck narrow behind eye, long (1/3 of entire head), glabrous; temple aciculate below eye. Antenna shorter than body, extended to half of abdomen in ; scape longest, decurved and thincken at apex; segment 3 - 4 subequal, half as long as scape, cylindrical; 5 - 10 compressed dorsi-ventrally, produced externally and highly pubescent; last segment acute. Prothorax as long as wide; apex annuliform and glabrous, narrower than base; side with a glabrous and semihemispheric protuberance; pronotum with two oblong-oval protuberances side of median; another similar smaller median protuberance a little behind middle, not reaching posterior margin; the latter sinuate; prosternum densely pubescent behind annular collar. Scutellum broadly triangular. Elytron extending to 1/3 of abdomen; strongly dehiscent, subulate; disc punctate, median of apical half cristate; external margin slightly incurved in middle. Undersurfaces punctulate with dense pubescent; coarsely punctate on epiplera and lateral of metasternum; ventral of metasternum flat; first abdominal segment longer than the remaining united. Legs : fore coxae contiguous, conical, exserted; intercoxal process of prosternum very narrow; hind coxae large, swollen, projecting above abdomen; fore femora shortest, half as long as the middle, peduncle short and apex subelavate; base of middle femora slender, apical half fusiform, both the same length, finely punctulate with sparse but coarse piliferous punctures; hind femora highly incrassate, base pedunculate and slender, apex globular and setiferous, setae being robust; hind tibiae with two apical spines each, the longer one as long as first hind tarsal segment.

Measurement : Length 5.5 - 7.0 mm (); 6.5 mm ()
Breadth 1.3 - 1.5 mm (); 1.2 mm ()

Distribution : Sarawak

Known habitat : secondary peat swamp forest, near campus ground.

Material examined : 3 [557] Unimas campus, Samarahan Div., 6.X.1995, Sara. (UNIMAS Coll.); Kuching, Kuching Div., 13.II.1914 (SM Coll.); Kuching, Kuching Div., 18.II.1914 (SM Coll.); 1 Kuching, Kuchiong Div., 27.IV.1900 (SM Coll.).

Merionoeda calcarata PASCOE

Merionoeda calcarata Pascoe, 1869, Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond., ser 3, 3 : 573 (Borneo : Sarawak), - Aurivillius, 1912, Coleopt. Cat., 39 : 273.

Head and antennae brownish castaneous with last 2 antennal segments fulvous; prothorax entirely helvus; elytra glossy, shinny fuscous with the sutural half yellowish; posterior end of latter extended to 2/3 from base with a well-defined fuscous line along suture; undersurfaces and legs fusco-castaneous; base of femora testaceous yellow.

Head glossy; labrum transverse, narrow, punctate; clypeus glabrous, sulcus with frons distinctive; frons glossy, at most finely punctulate; anterior of frons with a triangular depression that correspondent with the Y-shaped sulcus. Antenna shorter than body; 1 - 4 basal segment slender, cylindrical; 5 - 11 complanate, clavate. Prothorax as long as broad; apex with an annular ring; middle of side with a rounded gibbosity that declivent towards fore coxae; pronotum with 2 dilated protuberance side of median, almost touching apex and base; median of pronotum with similar protuberance of same height but narrower. Elytron subulate; disc punctate; middle with a distant glabrous costate running along the fuscous margin.

Measurement : Length 5.0 - 7.0 mm (); 5.5 - 7.0 mm ()
Breadth 1.0 - 1.5 min (); 1.0 - 1.5 mm ()

Distribution : Sarawak

Note : color and morphological structures are extremely similar with M. scitella except several differences pointed out in the key. Extra care are recommended when separating these two species.

Material examined : 4 Matang road, Kuching Div., 10.I.1910 (SM Coll.); Matang road, Kuching Div., 13.I.1910 (SM Coll.); Kuching, Kuching Div., 17.IX. 1900 (SM Coll.); 1 unlabel; 5 Matang road, Kuching Div., 17.X.1915 (SM Coll.); Matang road, Kuching Div., 22.XI.1915 (SM Coll.); Matang road, Kuching Div., 13.I.1910 (SM Coll.); Kuching, Kuching Div., 8.V.1900 (SM Coll.); Matang road, Kuching Div., 29.XI.1909 (SM Coll.).