Agrypnus claudinae

Agrypnus claudinae (lat.) - a species of beetles from the family of nutcracker ( Elateridae ). Endemic of Madagascar . Length 4.5 mm, width 2.1 mm. The body is oval, convex. The main color is dark red-brown; posterior half of elytra black-brown. Antennae short, reach only middle of pronotum. Pronotum is 1.3 times wider than its length and in the anterior third with almost parallel sides. The scutellum is 1.2 times longer than its width, slightly convex, roughly punctured. Elytra 2.5 times as long as pronotum and 1.75 times as long as wide. They differ from other species in their pubescence and unusual shortened and wide body shape. The species Agrypnus claudinae was first described in 2003 by Ukrainian entomologist Vladimir Gdalich Dolin (1932–2004; I. I. Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine , Kiev , Ukraine ) and French coleopterologist C. Girard (C. Girard, France ). The species name was given in honor of the Malaysian naturalist Maria Claudine Ranorosoa (M-me Marie Claudine Ranorosoa , employee of the Department of Primatologiste Nutrionniste Department Faune of the Parc Botanique et Zoologique de Tsimbazaza, Madagascar ). It is close to the species Agrypnus albopictus Candeze ^[1] .