Namibeletica angolana Bologna, 2018

Bologna, Marco A., Amore, Valentina & Pitzalis, Monica, 2018, Meloidae of Namibia (Coleoptera): taxonomy and faunistics with biogeographic and ecological notes, Zootaxa 4373 (1), pp. 1-141 : 18-19

Namibeletica angolana Bologna sp. n. ( Fig. 1G )

Types. Holotype male, 3 males and 3 females paratypes labelled: “Pedras Aguas, Moçamedes Angola, SE 1412 Dc, 9 May 1974 (white, small, rectangular); H 19122 (white, small, rectangular); Namibian National Insect Collection State Museum, P.O. Box 1203, Windhoek Namibia (sky blue, small, rectangular); with added labels Holotypus and Paratypus respectively, Namibeletica angolana n. sp. M. Bologna det. 15” (red, rectangular, hanwritten and printed). Holotype and 4 Paratypes are housed at SMWN 1 male and 1 female paratypes at CB.

The holotype lacks left antennomeres III–XI; paratypes partially or completely lack some antennomeres and tarsomeres.

Type locality. “ Angola, Moçamedes, Pedras Aguas”. This locality is located in the Angolan province of Namibe, the late Moçamedes, and is positioned in the Namib Desert, a peculiar ecosystem distributed along the cost of southwestern Africa from the South African town of Port Nolloth, North to the Angolan town of Namibe ( White 1983). Ecological characteristics of this ecosystem are described in the ecological part of the text.

Diagnosis. Distinct from the second species of the genus, N. elegantula , by the black elytra, the reduced black colouration of pronotum, the finer setae of head and elytra, the shape of gonoforceps apex.

Description. ( Fig. 1G ) Characters indicated above for the genus. Body length 7–11 mm. Body black, but pronotum shiny orange with one black narrow middle stripe, widened in middle, and in few individuals one small black spot on each side; antennomere I and sometimes II partially reddish; mandibles dark brown on external side; femurs black on extreme apex; setae white, relatively dense but not distinctly robust and quite short on elytra and legs, ventrally longer and denser.

Head sub-squared, densely setate with unsetate longitudinal middle line from frons to occiput; punctures denser and deeper on head capsule than on clypeus and particularly on labrum. Antennoemeres microsetate, except I–II and base of III, which have longer setae.

Pronotum shiny, almost nude with scarce microsetae, surface shagreend with very scattered and shallow punctures in front; fore depressions deep and visibly extended on sides obliquely. Scutellum slightly depressed in middle. Elytra with tracks of venations; densely but not deeply punctate, with setae direct forwards. Setae on femurs evidently shorter than on tibiae and tarsi.

Male gonoforceps acutely pointed at apex and distinctly curved; aedeagal apical hooks diverging laterally, long and pointed.

Distribution. Southwestern Angola.

Namibeletica elegantula ( Péringuey, 1909) comb. n. ( Fig. 1H , 7 A –F )

Cantharis elegantula Péringuey, 1909

Namibiella elegantula, Bologna in litteris

Types. Male holotype of this species, examined at SAMC, is labelled “Clanwilliam” (white, printed); “ Lytta elegantula Type Pr.” (white, handwritten). It has both antennae partially damaged.

Distribution. Western Namibia and nothwestern South Africa.

Material examined and literature records. [Kunene] Kamanjab: Otjitambi , 19.8167°S 15.1667°E ( SMWN; SAMC) . Khorixas: Farm Bethanis , 20.4167°S 14.4000°E ( HNHM; NHP) . [Erongo] Dâures: Brandberg, Messum valley , 21.2215°S 14.5163°E ( Bologna 2000a; SMWN; SAMC) . Omaruru: 30– 20 km N Karibib (road C33), 21.6833°S 15.9667°E (CB); Farm Omandumba 50–60 km SW von Omaruru , 21.5348°S 15.5448°E (MNB). Karibib: 30 km NNW Usakos (road D1935), 21.7833°S 15.5000°E (CB); Usakos-Karibib 16 km W of Karibib on B2, 21.9358°S 15.7056°E (CB). Arandis : 6 km N Arandis , 22.3667°S 14.9833°E ( SMWN) ; Upper Ostrich Gorge , 22.4833°S 14.9833°E ( SMWN) ; Upper Panner Gorge , 22.4833°S 15.0167°E ( SMWN) ; Lower Ostrich Gorge , 22.5000°S 14.9667°E ( SMWN) . [Otjozondjupa] Omatako: Otjosondu Kub , 21.2641°S 17.8800°E ( HNHM) . Okahandja: Okahandja , 21.9833°S 16.9167°E ( SMWN). [Hardap] Gibeon: Namib Naukluft Park: desert 47 km S Solitaire , 24.2650°S 15.7983°E (MNB); Gorrasis 99, 25.3184°S 15.9089°E ( SMWN) . Aandster Farm, 25.3500°S 16.1000°E (JP). [Karas] Lüderitz: Awasib dunes E, 25.2500°S 15.7167°E ( HNHM) . Karasburg: Warmbad 28.4500°S 18.7333°E ( SAMC) .

Other records: Namib Sand Sea desert ( Seely, 2012); Namibia ( Bologna 2000a; Pitzalis et al. 2014). At SAMC is housed one specimen labelled “Warmbad, SWA, Kaokoveld”, but Warmbad is a village of the southern Karas district and not from the northwestern Kookoland area.

Remarks. The male genitalia, never described, are presented in Figs. 7 A-C, together with the spiculum gastrale ( Fig. 7D ), male fore tibia and tarsomeres ( Fig. 7E ), and antenna ( Fig. 7F ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. A. Iselma deserticola; B. Iselma hobohmi; C. Iselma penrithae; D. Iselma brunneipes. E. Iselma piscatrix; F. Eletica luteosignata. G. Namibeletica angolana; H. Namibeletica elegantula; I. Afrolytta namaqua; J. Afrolytta amoena; K. Afrolytta carneola; L. Australytta maraisi; M. Australytta rubrolineata; N. Australytta szekessyi; O. Australytta vellicata; P. Lydomorphus chalybaeus; Q. Lydomorphus mimus; R. Lydomorphus bisignatus; S. Lydomorphus strangulatus; T. Lydomorphus karibibensis; U. Lydomorphus thoracicus; V. Lydomorphus tibialis; W. Lydomorphus bifoveiceps; X. Dilatilydus optatus; Y. Desertilydus mesembryanthemi.

FIGURE 7. Namibeletica elegantula: male genitalia in ventral (A), lateral (B) and dorsal view (C); spiculum gastrale (D); male protibia and protarsomeres (E); male antenna (F). Bar = 1 mm.