Benedictus wangi Ruan & Konstantinov, 2023

Ruan, Yongying, Konstantinov, Alexander S., Damaska, Albert F., Zheng, Lihao, Chen, Jun & Meng, Ziye, 2023, Description of three new species of Benedictus (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae, Alticini) from China, with comments on their biology and modified ethanol traps for collecting flea beetles, ZooKeys 1177, pp. 147-165 : 147

Benedictus wangi Ruan & Konstantinov sp. nov.

Fig. 6

Type material.

Holotype: ♂ (IZCAS), labels: 1) Tibet, Linzhi, Milin county, Sejilashan, 318 km, 4174 km, 29°38'15.37"N, 94°42'52.89"E, 4106 m, from the soil under rhododendron, 2016-VI-13, Leg. Yi Wei; 2) HOLOTYPE Benedictus wangi sp. nov. Des. Ruan et al. 2022.

Paratypes: 2♂3♀ (SZPT), labels: 1) Tibet, Linzhi, Milin county, Sejilashan, 318 km, 4174 km, 29°38'15.37"N, 94°42'52.89"E, 4106 m, from the soil under rhododendron, 2016-VI-13, Leg. Yi Wei; 2) PARATYPE Benedictus wangi sp. nov. Des. Ruan et al. 2022. [Part of the paratype materials will be transferred to IZCAS]

Diagnosis.

This new species may be distinguished from other known Benedictus species by the following combination of characters: a line of deep and large punctures present on the antebasal groove of pronotum; spermathecal pump has a bulge at base; in lateral view, median lobe of aedeagus almost straight, only slightly curved ventrad near apex.

This new species is close to those Benedictus species that have a broad pronotum without a constriction near the base, such as B. nobding Sprecher-Uebersax, Konstantinov, Prathapan & Döberl, 2009; B. thumsila Sprecher-Uebersax, Konstantinov, Prathapan & Döberl, 2009; B. yatongla Sprecher-Uebersax, Konstantinov, Prathapan & Döberl, 2009; B. lauribina Sprecher-Uebersax, Konstantinov, Prathapan & Döberl, 2009, and B. kurbatovi Sprecher-Uebersax, Konstantinov, Prathapan & Döberl, 2009. This species could be distinguished from all these by having a line of deep and large punctures on the transverse antebasal groove of the pronotum.

This new species is especially close to Benedictus lauribina in the general shape of the body and spermatheca. However, it can be differentiated from B. lauribina by the following characters: the body colour is chestnut-brown to dark brown, the apex of aedeagus is broadly rounded, and a line of deep and large punctures present on the transverse antebasal groove of the pronotum. While in B. lauribina , the body colour is yellow-brown, the apex of aedeagus is acute, and there are no deep and large punctures on the transverse antebasal groove of the pronotum.

Description.

Male body length 1.55-1.65 mm, width 0.95-1.05 mm; female body length 1.75-1.80 mm, width 1.09-1.11 mm (based on all type specimens). Ratio of body length to width: 1.59-1.63 (measured in one male and one female). Entire body evenly chestnut-brown to deep brown; antennae and legs yellow-brown to chestnut-brown.

Head. Head hypognathous. Vertex smooth, without reticulation, a few punctures bearing setae present above supraorbital sulci on each side. Antennal calli well delimited, triangular, slightly convex; fovea present between antennal calli. Supracallinal and supraorbital sulci deep, forming nearly straight line. Supra-antennal sulcus poorly developed. Facial part of head slightly elongated. Frontal ridge widest between antennal socket, strongly narrowed and ridged towards clypeus; frons concave on each side of frontal ridge, surface without minute longitudinal ridges. Proportions of antennomere lengths: 100: 64: 58: 58: 66: 62: 75: 64: 65: 70: 107 (measured in one individual).

Thorax. Pronotum moderately convex, ratio of pronotum width (measured at middle) to length: 1.36-1.39 (measured in one male and one female). Pronotum widest at middle. Anterolateral callosity poorly developed. Procoxal cavities open posteriorly. Base of pronotum with deep and transverse antebasal groove bearing coarse and large punctures, delimited by well-developed longitudinal grooves on each side.

Elytra convex, humeral calli absent. Elytra with punctures arranged in regular lines. Hind wings absent.

Legs. First male protarsomere only slightly larger than that of female. Length of metatibia to first metatarsomere in male: 100: 28.

Male genitalia. Median lobe of aedeagus in ventral view: widest at basal third; ventral surface smooth; sides parallel from basal half, gradually narrowed apically; apex widely rounded, without denticle. Median lobe of aedeagus only slightly curved in lateral view: straight at basal 2/3, slightly curved ventrad at apical 2/3, apical end bent dorsad.

Female genitalia. Spermathecal pump cylindrical, apex broad and rounded; without clear border with receptacle; make acute angle with receptacle. Receptacle of spermatheca more or less cylindrical, with sides slightly convex.

Variation.

No prominent variation was observed.

Etymology.

The specific name is after the Chinese entomologist and flea beetle specialist Mr. Shuyong Wang.

Type locality.

Linzhi, Tibet, China.

Distribution.

China (Tibet).

Host plant.

Unknown.

Figures

Figure 6. Adult morphology of Benedictus wangi sp. nov. A-C holotype; dorsal, ventral, and lateral views D, E median lobe of aedeagus (holotype), ventral, and lateral views F tignum G last visible abdominal tergite of female H vaginal palpi I spermatheca J head K pronotum.