Phaelota ogloblini, Prathapan, K. D. & Konstantinov, A. S., 2009

Prathapan, K. D. & Konstantinov, A. S., 2009, Descriptions of eight new species of Phaelota (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) with a new generic synonymy and a key to species of Indian subcontinent, Zootaxa 1991, pp. 1-27 : 13-15

Phaelota ogloblini , new species

( Figs 40 – 44)

Distribution. Sri Lanka.

Host plants. Unknown.

Description. Total body length 2.8 mm, width 1.9 mm. Body light brown, with pronotum, head, antenna and leg black ( Fig. 40).

In lateral view, vertex and frons form convex line, their intersection being concave and proximal end of frons higher than vertex. Vertex punctate ( Fig. 43). Antennal callus slightly raised, oblique, shorter than wide, as low near supracallinal sulcus as near supraantennal sulcus, separated from each other by midfrontal depression. Suprafrontal sulcus poorly developed medially, absent laterally; midfrontal sulcus poorly developed. Frontal ridge punctate. Anterofrontal ridge without vertical carina medially. Maxillary palpus with preapical palpomere 0.65 length of apical palpomere. Third antennomere nearly as long as second.

Lateral margin of pronotum slightly convex ( Fig. 41), anterolateral callosity forms acute denticle at pore. Disc shiny, punctation coarse, much stronger than that on vertex and as coarse as that of elytron. Antebasal transverse impression absent except for small barely perceptible longitudinal line laterally on each side near posterior margin. Scutellum shiny, impunctate, triangular, wider than long, apex rounded. Elytron with well developed humeral callus ( Fig. 41), without depression posteriorly, maximum width at proximal 1/3. Striae depressed. Interstices flat with punctures nearly as large as those of striae. Width of interstices subequal to 4 – 7 times diameter of a puncture. Epipleuron oblique, not reaching apex. Metasternum about two times as long as prosternum. Metafemur with sharp denticle on posterior edge ( Fig. 42). Metatibia straight in lateral view, curved from dorsal view, proximal 1/3 dorsally convex, rest of surface nearly flat. Claw longer than metatibial spine.

Median lobe of aedeagus gently curved in lateral view ( Fig. 44). Ventral side convex, slightly narrowed in basal one third, apex gently depressed, with a pair of longitudinal depressions ending gradually towards base, with low ridge in between; dorsal opening partially covered by lamina sclerotized along middle ( Fig. 44).

Female unknown.

Type material. Holotype, ♂. Labels: 1) Ceylon, W. Prov. Labugama, 24 mls. ESE Colombo, 9.III.62, leg. A. Perera Loc. 17; 2) Phaelota ogloblini sp. nov. des. Prathapan and Konstantinov, 2008 ( USNM).

Etymology. This species is named after Dmitry Ogloblin for his contribution to the study of leaf beetles. The name is a noun.

Remarks. In the key, P. ogloblini is in the same couplet with P. schereri from which it can be easily separated by the metafemur with a sharp denticle on its posterior edge (in P. schereri the denticle is obtuse), pronotum darker than the elytra (in P. schereri , lighter than elytra) and the median lobe of the aedeagus being straight in ventral view (in P. schereri it is slightly constricted just before the apex, Fig. 57).