Apophylia mila, Bezděk, 2005

Bezděk, Jan, 2005, Revisional study on African Apophylia (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae). Part 4., Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 45, pp. 165-182 : 69-71

Apophylia mila sp. nov.

( Figs. 9-13 )

Type locality. Tanzania, Arusha.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: J, ‘ Arusha, KEN. / 11.1961 / P. P. de Moor [w, p] // collection / TRANSVAAL / MUSEUM [grey label, p]’ ( TMSA) . PARATYPES: 4 JJ 1 ♀, same label data as holotype ( TMSA). The specimens are provided with additional, printed red labels: ‘HOLO- TYPUS [or PARATYPUS], / Apophylia / mila sp. nov., / det. J. Bezděk 2005’.

Description. Body length: males 5.70-6.15 mm (holotype 5.70 mm); female 7.00 mm.

Male: Body flattened, parallel, densely pubescent and dull. Head yellow, vertex with large black spot touching inner margin of eyes, postgenae black posteriorly, apices of mandibles darkened, last palpomere darkened. Antennae yellow, all segments with slightly darkened apices. Pronotum yellow with three black spots (one median and two lateral). Scutellum black, elytra metallic green. Prosternum yellow with darkened anterior margin. Mesosternum yellow with large median black spot, mesoepisternum black, mesoepimera yellow. Metasternum black, metaepisterna yellow. Abdomen dark brown to black, last ventrite yellow with black lateral margins. Legs yellow, femora with darkened bases ventrally, last two tarsomeres of all legs infuscate.

Labrum transverse, laterally covered with several pale setae, anterior margin slightly sinuate. Anterior part of head semiopaque, sparsely covered with pale setae. Frontal tubercles small, subtriangular, semiopaque. Vertex dull, coarsely and densely punctate and covered with short pale hairs. Antennae filiform, 0.75 times as long as body, length ratio of antennomeres 1 to 11 equal to 19-9-18-24-21-21-21-18-16-15-18.

Pronotum tranverse, 1.85 times as broad as long, widest at anterior third, narrowed anteriad and posteriad, dull, densely covered with coarse punctures and pale hairs. Surface with two lateral depressions. Anterior margin widely and shallowly concave, posterior margin almost straight. Anterior and posterior margins thinly bordered, lateral margins indistinctly bordered. Anterior angles widely rounded with distinct small teeth, posterior angles obtusely angulate and only indicated; all angles bearing one long pale seta.

Scutellum subtriangular with rounded apex, semiopaque and densely covered with small punctures and short pale hairs. Elytra parallel and dull. Humeral calli well developed. Elytral surface covered with small and very dense, confluent punctures and short pale hairs. Epipleura distinct but narrow, disappearing before apex. Macropterous.

Ventral surface lustrous, finely punctate and covered with pale hairs. Last visible ventrite with deep subtrapezoidal incision.

Hind tarsomere 1 ca 1.25 times as long as two following tarsomeres combined. Middle and hind tarsomeres 1 robust ( Fig. 13 ). Claws bifid.

Shape of aedeagus as in Fig. 9 .

Female: First two ventrites brown, remaining ones gradually paler. Last ventrite with small heart-shaped incision, apex of pygidium with flat vertical process ( Figs 10 -11). Middle and hind tarsomeres 1 thin. Claws appendiculate.

Differential diagnosis. Owing to the structure of aedeagus ( Figs. 1 , 9 ), A. mila sp. nov. appears to be closely related to A. nobilitata . Both species differ in the shape of male metasternum; the two distinct, posteriorly placed teeth in A. nobilitata ( Fig. 4 ) are absent in A. mila sp. nov. ( Fig. 12 ). Moreover, middle tarsomere 1 is slightly wider in A. nobilitata than in A. mila sp. nov. ( Figs. 5, 13 ).

Etymology. Dedicated to Miluška ‘Mila’ Tichá (Hulín, Czech Republic), my dear longlife friend. Noun in apposition.

Bionomy. Unknown.

Distribution. Tanzania.

Figures

Figs. 9-13. Apophylia mila sp. nov. 9 – aedeagus (a – dorsal view; b – lateral view); 10 – last ventrite of female; 11 – last ventrite and pygidium of female (lateral view); 12 – male metasternum; 13 – male metatarsus. Scale: 1 mm (Figs. 9-11 and 13); 2 mm (Fig. 12).

Figs 1-5. Apophylia nobilitata Gerstaecker, 1871. 1 – aedeagus (a – dorsal view; b – lateral view); 2 – last ventrite of female; 3 – last ventrite and pygidium of female, lateral view; 4 – male metasternum; 5 – male metatarsus. Scale: 1 mm (Figs 1-3 and 5); 2 mm (Fig. 4).