Popillia perissinottoi, Limbourg & Dekoninck & Seidel, 2024

Limbourg, Pol, Dekoninck, Wouter & Seidel, Matthias, 2024, Contribution to the knowledge of Afrotropical Rutelinae VII (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Rutelinae), Belgian Journal of Entomology 145, pp. 1-48 : 18-20

Popillia perissinottoi sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:794DE67A-C9C4-477C-BD10-FE08D45649A0

Fig. 8

TYPE MATERIAL.

GABON. Holotype ♂: [Coll. I.R.Sc.N.B., GABON, Mt. Nkoum , 03-04.VII.1997, R. Perissinotto & L. Clenell leg., I.G.: 34.609] ( RBINS).

DESCRIPTION.

MALE. Measurements: length: 15 mm, width: 8 mm.

Body: laterally convex, slightly bent; green except clypeus, antennae, apex and underside of pygidium, anal plate, mouthparts and legs orange; slightly shiny with greenish metallic reflections on legs.

Head: clypeus almost rectangular with anterior angles rounded, totally reflexed with foveatereticulate punctures, vertex rugously-punctate, transversal and closer punctures near internal margin of eyes. Antennae with 9 antennomeres, with club slightly shorter than funicle.

Thorax: pronotum octagonal, slightly wider than long; sides angular in middle; all margins with complete marginal line except posterior margin; anterior angles projecting and reaching posterior margin of eyes; coriaceous-punctate with deep, ovoid, separated punctures, close on sides, median line smooth; scutellar shield triangular, elongate, with small, isolated shallow punctures.

Elytra: as long as wide; epipleura interrupted before apex; regularly striate-sulcate; primary costae slightly more convex than interstices; striae with small, close horseshoe-shaped punctures; interstices with small, isolated horseshoe-shaped punctures together with smaller, deep, rounded punctures; margins from humeral calli to apex transversely vermiculate; humeral calli slightly marked, apical calli well marked.

Pygidium: triangular, apex rounded, marginated along anal plate, strongly projecting postero-ventrally; disc with an impression; reticulate striolation arranged concentrically.

Venter: lateral part of metaventrite densely coriaceous-punctate, median part with small, shallow, isolated punctures; lateral part of 2 nd to 5 th abdominal ventrites densely and deeply coriaceous-punctate, lateral part of 6 th smooth, lateral part of anal plate with reticulate striolation; median part of 2 nd and 3 rd abdominal ventrites with small, transversal horse-shaped punctures, 4 th and 5 th with large crescent punctures; median part of 6 th and anal plate smooth.

Metaventral process long, apex boat shaped, compressed laterally and almost surpassing anterior margin of procoxae.

Legs: protibiae bidentate, inner claw elongate, flattened, wide and cleft, as long as last tarsomere; mesotarsal outer claw uncleft; outer claw of metatarsus slightly longer than inner claw and uncleft, slightly longer than last tarsomere.

Setation: dorsal side with isolated, erected, yellowish setae on antennae, on internal margin of eye, on lateral margins of anterior angles of pronotum and on posterior angles of pygidium, two small tufts of white, squamous decumbent setae on sides of pygidium; upper part of underside covered with close, decumbent, whitish setae, erected on coxae; median part glabrous, anal plate with isolated, long, erected, yellowish setae along posterior margin, pygidium with isolated, long, erected, yellowish setae; legs with short, brownish spines on external part and erected, whitish setae on internal part.

Aedeagus: in lateral view, parameres elongate, base short and widely extended by a narrow median part, widening before the apex, median lobe spoon-shaped with apex cleft, curved dorsad; in dorsal view, base triangular, extended by a narrow median part, apex externo-ventrally arrowshaped, internally rounded, slightly diverging apically (hook partially broken on left paramere).

FEMALE: unknown.

DERIVATIO NOMINIS.

Dedicated to Renzo Perissinotto (Durban, Republic of South Africa), who provided the type specimen.

DISTRIBUTION.

Known from Gabon.

BIOLOGY.

The species was collected in the month of July.

DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS.

Popillia perissinottoi sp. nov. is strongly similar to P. jadoti Limbourg, 2006 but can be distinguished as follows:

P. perissinottoi sp. nov. ( Fig. 8 )

Aedeagus: in dorsal view, parameres at the inner angle not widely separated from base to apex; apical hook externo-laterally strongly sinuate (hook partially broken on left paramere).

P. jadoti Limbourg, 2006 ( Figs 8–9 )

Aedeagus: in dorsal view, parameres at the inner angle widely separated from base to apex; apical hook externo-laterally almost straight.

Elytra: green and slightly shiny.

Pygidium: almost dull without metallic reflections, two small tufts of white, squamous decumbent setae on sides; disc with an impression.

Elytra: disc of elytra yellowish orange andshiny.

Pygidium: strongly shiny with metallic reflections, two larger tufts of white, squamous decumbent setae on sides; pygidium tumid without an impression on disc.

Figures

Fig. 8. Popillia perissinottoi sp. nov. Holotype ♂ (RBINS). A-B, habitus. A, dorsal view. B, lateral view. C-E, aedeagus. C, lateral view. D, dorsal view. E, ventral view. F, distribution map of Popillia perissinottoi sp. nov. and Popillia jadoti Limbourg, 2006.