Zonitoschema capensis Kaszab, 1961

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 : 103-104

Zonitoschema capensis Kaszab, 1961 ( Fig. 6Q )

Distribution. Namibia (new species record for this country) and South Africa.

Material examined. [Erongo] Daures: Brandberg, Upper Hungorob ravine, 21.19°S 14.53°E and Ungorob ravine 21.224°S 14.517°E (CB; SMWN). [Karas] [Lüderitz] Aar Farm, 25 miles ESE Aus, 26.7200°S 16.4869°E (CB).

Remarks. The paratype of this species was examined at HNHM.

Z. capensis was misinterpreted in the literature because Pardo Alcaide (1966) recorded from Congo as Z. cfr. capensis , a very distinct species, which probably could be identified with Z. genicularis because of the black colouration of antennomere II and the male gonoforceps uncinate. This error was consequently shared by Batelka & Bologna (2014).

Actually, the examination of two specimens from South Africa, one of which from a locality (Swellendam) not far from the type locality of Z. capensis (Beaufort West), pointed out that the shape of male gonoforceps, not described by Kaszab (1961), is greatly distinct from that of the Congo’ species and Z. genicularis, because is curved posteriad but almost spatulate and not uncinate. The Namibian specimens are very similar to the South African ones.

According to the shape of male gonoforceps and colouration of both antennae (antennomere I–II yelloworange) and legs (black, but femur red on the basal 2/3), Z. capensis seems closely related to the complex of Z. paolii Pic, 1914 and Z. gibdoana ( Kaszab, 1956) (sensu Batelka & Bologna 2014; Bologna et al., in preparation), wich forms a natural group with another undescribed Arabic species ( Batelka & Bologna 2014) and two Saharo- Sindian species (Z. oculatissima Peyehrimhoff, 1929; Z. iranica Kaszab, 1957). It is distinct from Z. paoliigibdoana and the Arabic species because of the mouthparts distinctly shorter than head in lateral view, and from the Saharo-Sindian species because of the pronotum shape ( Batelka & Bologna 2014; Bologna et al., in preparation).

In the framework of the study of the genus Zonitoschema , we regard as significant to propose here a more detailed description of Z. capensis , based primarily on the Namibian specimen.

Description. Body subopaque brown pale, abdomen slightly darker; eyes, apical third of mandibles, maxillary III–IV (I–II in fuscate) and labial III palpomeres, antennomeres III–XI, femurs at apex, tibiae and tarsi black. Setation short, light golden-yellow, recumbent, longer and senser ventrally and on legs. Body length: 8–15 mm. Head distinctly wider than pronotum, maximum width at eye level. Eyes widened also on frons (particularly in male), bulged, anterior margin distinctly emarginated near antennal socket, extended ventrally and reaching medial margin of maxillae on underside of head, almost contiguous, particularly on male; frons very narrow, about 1/3 as wide as the transverse diameter of the eye. Frontal suture sligthly curved; frons sligthly convex but with a shallow depression near base of antennae. Mouthaprts, in lateral view distinctly shorter than head capsule. Head punctures small, quite shallow, dense, intermediate surface shiny; setae short and sparse. Temples very short, distinctly shorter than longitudinal diameter of eye, about 1/3 as long, parallel and posteriorly rounded, convergent in male, more parallel in female. Clypeus almost flat, subtrapezoidal; anterior half glabrous and impunctate, shagreened; posterior half with punctuation and setation as on head capsule. Labrum suboval, subdepressed medially; anterior margin scarcely curved, longer than clypeus. Mandibles slightly longer than apex of labrum, straight but curved in apical third, sharped. Galeae penicillate, about as long as labial palpi; maxillary palpomeres II–III slender and subcylindrical, IV scarcely narrowed apex. Antennae elongate, reaching the posterior third of elytra, antennomeres slender and cylindrical, I and III subequal in length and slightly more than II; IV–IX about 1.3 as long as III; XI about 1.5 as long as previous ones, obtusely conical at apex. Pronotum distinctly longer than wide and slightly longer than head; sides subparallel and only slightly widened from fase to the middle, then anteriorly progressively narrowed; fore third vaguely depressed on sides; posterior margin of base slightly rebordered; punctures denser and slightly finer than on head, setae very short; prosternum subrectangular but weakly narrowed posteriorly. Mesonotum slightly depressed in middle, pointed at posterior apex; mesoventrite transverse but laterally narrowed on sides and posteriorly greatly narrowed; metaventrite large, medial line impunctate and glabrous. Elytra densely and finely punctuate, punctures deeper than on head and pronotum, setae as on pronotum; venations almost not visible. Metathoracic wings present and completely developed. Legs slender, with setae dense, golden-yellow; both fore- and mesotibial spurs slender and pointed; both metatibial spurs stick-like, obtusely narrowed at apex; tarsi distinctly longer than the respective tibia, particularly mesotarsi; tarsal claws denticulate, claw teeth thin and close to each other, ventral blade very thin. Abdominal ventrites densely setate, surface densely punctate; last ventrite deeply incised, posterior margin of penultimate ventrite greatly emarginated in middle. Gonoforceps short, in ventral ( Fig. 19G ), and dorsal view apically shortly expanded in subtriangular lobes, in lateral view ( Fig. 19H ) distinctly curved upwards, widened and subspatulate in the apical portion where is widely depressed; aedeagus slender at apex narrowed ( Fig. 19H ).

Figures

FIGURE 6. A. Synhoria testacea; B. Apalus hilaris; C. Nemognatha fluviatilis; D. Nemognatha cfr. notaticeps; E. Nemognatha peringueyi; F. Nemognatha vansoni; G. “Zonitis” maculicollis; H. “Zonitis” notaticollis; I. Zonitodema posoka; J. Zonitodema viridipennis; K. Zonitomorpha costata; L. Zonitomorpha sellata; M. “Zonitoschema” bivittipennis; N. “Zonitoschema” deserticola; O. “Zonitoschema” posticalis; P. “Zonitoschema” cfr. testaceiventris; Q. Zonitoschema capensis; R.Zonitoschema complex cocccinea; S. Zonitoschema dunalis; T. Zonitoschema eborina.

FIGURE 19. ”Zonitoschema” deserticola: tegmen in lateral (A) ventral (B) and dorsal view (C); aedeagus in dorsal view (D). Zonitoschema dunalis: tegmenand aedeagus in lateral view (E); tegmen inventral view (F). Zonitoschema capensis: tegmen in ventral view (G); tegmen and aedeagus in lateral view (H). Bar = 1 mm.