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Mitt.Münch.Ent.Ges. Figs1-3.Microscaphanepalensissp.n.,holotype.1.habitus(dorsalview);2.antenna;3.bindtibiaandtarsus.Scales: 0.5mm. to9th;Joint111.4xlongerthan1Othandthanwidth.Headfinelyandsparselypuncturedandverydelicately transversalyshagreened.Eyestransversa,flat,stronglyemarginateanteriorly,interoculardistance1.5-1.7x shorterthantransversediameteroftheeye. Pronotum 1.7-1.9xbroaderthanheadand 1.85xbroaderthan long,maximumwidthatbase,bothanteriorandposteriorcornersrounded,latterexpressedmoredistinctly thanformer,lateraledgeentirelyrimmed.Baseofpronotumlaterallywithoutrim,distinctlybisinuate,with medialpartbroadlyprotrudingandanotherpoorlydevelopedconcavityfromeachsideofthebasenearthe corners.Surfaceofthepronotumconvex,withoutpairedimpressionsatbase,veryfinely,medium-densely puncturedandverydelicatelytransverselyshagreened.Scutellumroundly-triangular.Elytraoblong-oval, convex, 1.75x longer than maximum width. Base of elytra moderately and very finely punctured, these punctures being a bit larger and denser than on pronotum. Apices ofelytrae more densely and coarser punctured,rounded,presuturalfurrowwelldeveloped. Elytraldiskverydelicatelytransverselyshagree- ned. Prosternalprocesstriangulär,considerablyfailingtoreachtheposterioredgeofprocoxae.Mesosternal process dividing mesocoxae likewise significantly failing to reach the posterior margin of mesocoxae. Mesothoracickeelinfrontofmesosternalprocesswell-expressed.Metathoraxconsiderablylongerthanfirst visibleabdominalsternite.MedianmetathoracicImpressionline-shaped,onlyabitbroadenedposteriorly andonlyveryslightlynotreachingthemesocoxae.FromeachsideofthemedianImpressioninfrontofthe 84 metacoxaethereare twoshortimpressions directed obliquelyforward and outward. Metathoraxslightly shining,finelyandsparselypuncturedonmedialpart,moredenselypuncturedanddistinctlytransversely shagreenedonlateralparts.Metepisternaverystronglynarrowedcaudad,3.1-3.2xlongerthanmaximum width.Anterior,almostimpunctatepartofmetacoxaenarrow,6-7xlongerthanwide,directedtransversely and somewhat obliquely out towards posterior edge of metepisterna, this part being 1.25x longer than metepisterna.Abdomendull,veryfinelypuncturedanddelicatelytransverselyshagreened. PenultimateJointofbothforeandmiddletarsibilobed,butthetarsiingeneralnotbroadened.Metatibiae short, subequal in length to tarsomere 1, the longer of metatibial spurs as long as 2/3 of the length of tarsomere1,subsequentthreetarsomeresveryshghtlyshorterthanfirst,withthesecondsubequaltothe forthbutconsiderablylongerthanthethird(fig.3). Bodylength:2.4mm. Relationships Basedontheavailablespecieskey(NIKITSKY&BELOW1982)andsubsequentInformation(SASAJI1987), thenewspeciesdiffersfromtheparticularlycloselyrelatedMicroscapha malayanaCHAMPION 1916from Pening/Malaya by the darker coloration, bichromous antennae, somev^^hat larger size (the coloration of mm malayanaisreddish-brown,theantennaeareentirelypale,thebodyis1.72 long),andfromtheJapanese Microscapha isensisSASAJI 1987bythedarkervertigialpartoftheheadandunderside,darkenedfive(not mm four)distalantennomeres,somewhatlargerbodysize(1.53-2.12 inisensis),finerelytralpunctuation,and inothercharacters.Allthesespeciesbelongtoaswarmofquitecloselyrelatedforms,restrictedtothetropical and/orsubtropicalregionsofAsia. Acknowledgements IwishtoextendmycordialthankstoProf.Dr.J.MARXENS(Mainz)andDr.W.SCHAWALLER(Stuttgart) forenablingmetostudytheirexcitingmaterialandfortheirhelpinpublishingthisnote. Literature MARTENS,J.1984:VerticaldistributionofPalaearcticandOrientalfaunalcomponentsintheNepalHimalayas.- Erdwissenschaftl.Forsch.18,321-336. NIKITSKY, N. B., BELOW, V. V. 1982: The false darkling beetle genus Microscapha LECONTE (Coleoptera, Melandryidae).-Ann.hist.-nat.Mus.natn.Hung.74,141-150. SASAJI, H. 1987: Contribution to the taxonomy of the superfamily Cucujoidea (Coleoptera) ofJapan and the adjacentdistricts.III.-Mem.Fac.Educ.FukuiUniv.,ser.2(Nat.Sei)37,23-55. Author'saddress: Dr.NikolaiB.NIKITSKY ZoologicalMuseum HerzenStreet6 MoscowK-9 Russia. 85