Yingaresca cabrerae Moura

Moura, Luciano De A., 2016, New species, new combinations and synonymies of Neotropical Galerucini (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae), Zootaxa 4066 (1), pp. 63-70 : 64-66

Yingaresca cabrerae Moura , sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–7 )

Types. Holotype male, ARGENTINA, Province of Misiones, Pindapoy, X. 1935 (MLPA). Paratypes: two males, three females and six specimens with unknown gender, same data as holotype (MLPA); two specimens with unknown gender, Province of Misiones, X.1900, C. Bruch col (MACN).

Description. Measurements, respectively male/female: body length, 3.5–3.7/4.0– 4.2 mm; elytral length 2.7– 2.8/ 3.1–3.2 mm; humeral width 1.5/ 1.6–1.7 mm.

General coloration brown. Body densely covered by short, decumbent, gold pubescence. Head with compact punctation permeated by dense and uniform pilosity; strongly evident longitudinal sulcus reaching from vertex to clypeus; clypeus subtriangular, somewhat shiny, with a row of hairs close to margin and ventrally directed. Antennal tubercles weakly evident, subcontiguous, separated by longitudinal groove; surface subopaque. Labrum broader than long, shiny, with transversal row of four long hairs ventrally directed; apical margin round. Eyes globose, greatest diameter approximately 2.5 x length of gena; erect bristle close to the superior internal margin. Interocular distance equal to about three times space between antennal insertions. Antennae 11-segmented, brown to dark-brown, except for base of scape, pedicel and antennomeres III to VII yellow-testaceous; pubescence uniform, interspersed by a few larger bristles mainly placed at apex of each antennomere. Scape subconical, enlarged towards apex; antennomere III largest, approximately twice as long as subglobose pedicel; antennomere IV slightly shorter than III; subsequent antennomeres subequal in shape and length, some enlarged if compared to previous antennomeres. Apical antennomere conical.

Thorax subrectangular with subcircular lateral margins; greatest width close to the middle, approximately 1.6 x length. Pronotum punctate, interspersed by short pubescence, with the following distribution of depressions: (a) one deeper on each side of middle, not reaching lateral margins, and (b) two shallower, one close to basal margin and another slightly deeper than basal one, subcontiguous with apical border, but not reaching it. Elytra with subparallel sides, brown (in some specimens, humeral region and posterior tubercles darker brown), except for an irregular half-moon-shaped yellow spot posteriorly directed in apical half, this spot extending from region next to lateral margin to base of disc. Elytral surface densely punctate, with punctation more conspicuous on disc right below basal tubercles. Pubescence short, decumbent, irregular, forming in some regions circular patterns similar to swirls; hair color variable, affected by light incidence. Each elytron with the following distribution of tubercles ( Fig. 1 ): (a) two anterior, one on humeral region, the second next to the first, but round and developed, not reaching scutellar region; (b) two posterior at apical third: one round and laterally positioned, and the other, next to it, taller and subtriangular, more evident when observed laterally or posteriorly ( Figs 2, 3 ). Elytral depression only on region where there is a yellow sublunar spot. Intermediate legs of males with a small spur on apex of tibiae; females not bearing spurs.

curved ventrally ( Fig. 11). Apex of median lobe subtruncated ( Fig. 12). Tegmen ( Fig. 13) hastiform, bifurcated near apex forming two divergent arms, each arm curved backwards.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality, Province of Misiones, Argentina.

Etymology. The specific name, cabrerae , pays homage to Nora Cabrera (Museo de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina), an expert who dedicated her life to the study of Neotropical chrysomelids.

Remarks. Many of the members of Yingaresca have four tubercles on each elytron: two basal—one next to the humerus and another on the disc, close to the scutellum – and two apical, one external and another more on the internal face. Despite the arbitrariness of the division of Yingaresca into groups of species ( Wilcox 1971), and the fact that there are no descriptions, to date, defining such groups, we can include Yingaresca cabrerae sp. nov., even though preliminarily, among the Yingaresca of the group difficilis , since it shares an x-shaped pronotum and more evident elytral tubercles. Besides the colored elytral pattern, the new species is the only one in the genus that bears an elevated and conspicuously triangular apical tubercle.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 7. Yingaresca cabrerae Moura sp. nov. Paratype ♀, length 3.7 mm: 1, habitus; 2, lateral view; 3, posterior view of elytra. Paratype ♂: 4, sternite V; 5, median lobe, lateral view; 6, apex of median lobe, ventral view; 7, tegmen. Scales = 0.25 mm.