Apophylia kaffa, Bezděk, 2005

Bezděk, Jan, 2005, Revisional study on African Apophylia (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae). Part 4., Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 45, pp. 165-182 : 74-75

Apophylia kaffa sp. nov.

( Figs. 17-19 )

Type locality. Ethiopia, Kaffa province, Mui game reserve.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: J, ‘ Kaffa Prov. : Mui game / reserve 700 m / 10.IV.1972 [w, p] // Coll. Mus. Tervuren / Ethiopie / R. O. S. Clarke [w, p]’ ( MRAC) . PARATYPES: 8 JJ 8 ♀♀, same label data as holotype ( MRAC). The specimens are provided with additional, printed red labels: ‘ HOLOTYPUS [or PARATYPUS], / Apophylia / kaffa sp. nov., / det. J. Bezděk 2005’.

Description. Body length: males 5.25-6.10 mm (holotype 5.60 mm); females 6.00- 6.85 mm.

Male: Body flattened, parallel, densely pubescent and dull. Head yellow, vertex with one large black spot not touching inner margin of eyes, postgenae black posteriorly, apices of mandibles darkened. Antennae yellow, in some specimens with infuscate apices of last five segments. 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 black median spot, mesoepisternum black, mesoepimera yellow. Metasternum black with paler posterior margin, metaepisternum yellow.Abdomen dark brown to black, last ventrite with yellow posterior margin. Legs yellow, last two tarsomeres 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, covered with microsculpture, semiopaque. Vertex dull, with large feeble groove behind frontal tubercles, 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 17-8-15-23-19-17-16-16-14-13-16.

Pronotum tranverse, 1.95 times as broad as long, widest at anterior third, narrowed posteriad, semiopaque, densely covered with coarse punctures and pale hairs. Surface with two large lateral depressions.Anterior margin widely shallowly concave, posterior margin straight. Anterior and posterior margins thinly bordered, lateral margins indistinctly bordered. Anteri- or angles widely rounded, with distinct small teeth, posterior angles obtusely angulate, all angles bearing one long pale seta.

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

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

Hind tarsomere 1 1.15 times as long as following two tarsomeres combined. Middle and hind tarsomeres 1 robust ( Fig. 19 ). Claws bifid.

Shape of aedeagus as in Fig. 17 .

Female: Abdomen yellow. Last ventrite with small semicircular incision ( Fig. 18 ). Middle and hind tarsomeres 1 slender. Claws appendiculate.

Differential diagnosis. Apophylia kaffa sp. nov. is very similar to A. cervenkai sp. nov. and A. vernallis . All three species can be clearly separated only by the shapes of the aedeagi. The aedeagus of A. kaffa sp. nov. is very thin and symmetrical ( Fig. 17 ), while the aedeagi of A. cervenkai sp. nov. and A. vernallis are more robust and asymmetrical ( Figs. 6 , 14 ).

Etymology. Named after the Kaffa province ( Ethiopia) where the type series was collected. Noun in apposition.

Bionomy. Unknown.

Distribution. Ethiopia (Kaffa province).

Figures

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).

Figs. 6-8. Apophylia vernallis (Allard, 1889). 6 – aedeagus (a – dorsal view; b – lateral view); 7 – last ventrite of female; 8 – male metatarsus. Scale: 1 mm.

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).