Ptilinus pectinicornis

Scientific profile

Ptilinus pectinicornis is a tiny beetle with a mean body length of 4.5 mm (literature) and a mass of around 1.6 mg. The head is narrow (0.97 mm wide) with small eyes (area 0.076 mm²). The antennae measure 1.97 mm, a length that is noticeably greater than expected for its body size. The forewings are 4.36 mm long and give a low aspect ratio of 2.74; together with a wing area of 5.35 mm² they produce a wing load of 0.304, suggesting modest flight ability. The elytra are 2.68 mm long and 0.70 mm wide. The pronotum is roughly as long as it is wide (0.98 mm by 1.10 mm). Legs are slender: the mid femur is 0.56 mm long and 0.18 mm wide, the mid tibia 0.69 mm. The body is fairly round (roundness 0.78) and moderately hairy overall (total hairiness index 59.4), with the densest hair on the dorsal abdomen (86.8) and the sparsest on the dorsal pronotum (29.4). The general colour is a medium grey-brown (lightness 128.9). Sexual dimorphism is very low (score 1.0).