Monolepta hlavaci, Bezděk, 2012

Bezděk, Jan, 2012, Galerucinae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) of Socotra Island, with a review of taxa recorded from Yemen, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 52, pp. 403-428 : 417-418

Monolepta hlavaci sp. nov.

( Figs. 14–15 , 25–31 )

Type locality. Yemen, Socotra Island, Al Haghier Mts.,wadi Madar, 12°33.2′N 54°00.4′E.

Type material . HOLOTYPE: ♂, ‘ YEMEN, SOCOTRA Island / Al Haghier Mts. / wadi Madar , 1180-1230 m / 12°33.2′N 54°00.4′E / J. Bezděk leg., 12-14.xi.2010 [w, p]’ ( NMPC). PARATYPES: 36 ♂♂, 15 ♀♀, 3 unsexed spec. (preserved in 96% alcohol) same data as in holotype (JBCB, specimens in 96% in NMPC); 16 ♂♂, 12 ♀♀, same data as holotype, but P. Hlaváč leg. ( NMPC); 12 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀, ‘ YEMEN, SOCOTRA Island / Al Haghier Mts. / wadi Madar , 1180-1230 m / 12°33.2′N, 54°00.4′E, / 13-14.xi.2010, L. Purchart lgt. [w, p]’ (3♂♂ 1 ♀ in RBCN, 3 ♂♂ 1♀ in BMNH, 3 ♂♂ 1 ♀ in NHMB, 3 ♂♂ 1 ♀ in ZMHB) ; 2 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀, ‘ SOCOTRA Is. ( YE) / Al Haghier Mts. Scant Mt. env. / 12°34.6′N, 54°01.5′E, 1450 m / Jan Batelka leg. 12-13.xi.2010 [w, p]’ (2 ♂♂ 1 ♀ in JBCB, 4 ♀♀ in JBCP); 2 ♀♀, ‘ YEMEN, SOCOTRA Island / Al Haghier Mts. / Scant Mt. env. / 12°34.6′N, 54°01.5′E, 1450 m / Jiří Hájek leg. 12-13.xi.2010 [w, p]’ ( NMPC); 15 spec. unsexed, ‘ YEMEN, SOCOTRA ISLAND / Dixam plateau, TUDHEN / shrubland with Commiphora / planifrons, 18.+ 22.vi.2012 / 12°32.7´N, 53°59.9´E, 1135 m [w, p] // SOCOTRA expedition 2012 / J. Bezděk, J. Hájek, V. Hula, / P. Kment, I. Malenovský, / J. Niedobová & L. Purchart leg. [w, p]’ ( NMPC); 11 spec. unsexed, ‘ YEMEN, SOCOTRA Island / Hagher Mts., Scand Mt. env. / montane evergreen woodland / 16.- 18.vi.2012 / 12°34.6´N, 54°01.5´E, 1450 m [w, p] // SOCOTRA expedition 2012 / J. Bezděk, J. Hájek, V. Hula, / P. Kment, I. Malenovský, / J. Niedobová & L. Purchart leg. [w, p]’ ( JBCB). The specimens are provided with additional printed red labels: ‘ HOLOTYPUS [or PARATYPUS], / Monolepta / hlavaci sp. nov., / J. Bezděk det., 2012’; 2 spec. unsexed, ‘ YEMEN, SOCOTRA ISLAND, 18.vi. / Hagher Mts., WADI MADAR, 2012 / montane shrubland with / Cephalocroton socotranus / 12°33.2′N, 54°00.4′E, 1170 m [w, p] // SOCOTRA expedition 2012 / J. Bezděk, J. Hájek, V. Hula, / P. Kment, I. Malenovský, / J. Niedobová & L. Purchart leg. [w, p]’ ( NMPC)

Description. Body length: males 2.2–3.1 mm (holotype 2.7 mm); females 2.7–3.3 mm.

Male (holotype). Body slender, flattened, subparallel, almost glabrous. Body brownish black. Head black, scutellum and pronotum brownish black, elytra dark brown, distinctly paler than pronotum. Mandibles and anterior and lateral margins of clypeus brown. Legs yellow, two apical tarsomeres of all legs infuscated. Antennomeres I–III yellow, antennomeres IV gradually darkened, antennomeres V–XI black.

Head slightly narrower than anterior part of pronotum, lustrous, completely covered with very fine microreticulation (including frontal tubercles). Labrum transverse, with six pale setae in transverse row, anterior margin almost straight, with indistinct incision in middle. Anterior margin of clypeus with several long pale setae. Frontal tubercles subtriangular, distinctly elevated, with anterior tips separated by even nasal keel. Both tubercles separated from each other by thin shallow furrow as well as posterior margin of frontal tubercles from frons. Interocular space wide, 2.90 times as wide as transverse diameter of eye. Frons distinctly impressed just behind frontal tubercles. Frons with setigerous pore behind eye bearing long seta. Vertex with indistinct longitudinal median line. Antennae slender, 0.95 times as long as body, length ratios of antennomeres I–XI equal to 10-5-5-10-10-10-10-10-9-9-10.

Pronotum lustrous, glabrous, transverse, 1.68 times as broad as long, widest at anterior third, slightly narrowed anteriorly and posteriorly, 0.75 times as broad as elytral base (measured at humeral calli). Surface densely covered with fine punctures. Disc with large transverse, slightly rounded depression. Lateral margins moderately rounded, anterior margin almost straight, posterior margin rounded.Anterior margin unbordered, lateral and posterior margins distinctly bordered. Anterior angles nearly rectangular, posterior angles obtusely angulate. All angles with setigerous pore bearing long pale seta. Scutellum subtriangular with rounded apex, lustrous, glabrous, impunctate.

Elytra lustrous, subparallel, slightly divergent posteriorly, with maximal width at last third, 0.73 times as long as body and 1.77 times as long as wide. Humeral calli well developed. Elytral surface covered with small and very dense confused punctures and very sparsely with short setae, better visible in posterior third. Epipleura wide in basal quarter, then gradually tapering and disappearing behind midlength of elytra. Macropterous.

Legs slender, densely covered with short pale setae. Protarsomere I elongated, slender, 0.84 times as long as two following tarsomeres combined, length ratios of protarsomeres I–IV equal to 11-8-5-10. Metatarsomere I long, slender, 1.71 times as long as two following tarsomeres combined, length ratios of metatarsomeres I–IV equal to 24-9-5-10. Claws with small basal tooth.

Ventral surface semiopaque, finely punctate and covered with pale setae. Anterior coxal cavities open posteriorly. Last ventrite with two incisions, median lobe distinctly impressed ( Fig. 30 ).

Aedeagus slender, apical part gradually narrowed, apex subtriangular ( Fig. 25 ).

Female. Last ventrite regularly rounded, without incisions. Spermatheca with globular nodulus, cornu relatively robust, C–shaped ( Fig. 31 ). Sternite VIII almost circular, tignum very long, apically slightly bent ( Fig. 26 ). Vaginal palpi with several long setae apically, base wing-shaped ( Fig. 27 ). Ventral bursa sclerites with two larger teeth apically and 7–8 small teeth on surface ( Fig. 28 ). Dorsal bursa sclerites narrow, with four small teeth ( Fig. 29 ).

Variability. The colouration is variable. While head is almost always black, pronotum varies from dark brown to black, and elytra from pale brown (often with darker suture, anterior margin and epipleura) to completely black. The form with black head and pronotum and brown elytra is dominating. Only several specimens have completely black dorsum. The width/length ratio of pronotum varies between 1.62–1.69. Two females with black dorsum have distinctly shorter antennae ( Fig. 15 ).

Differential diagnosis. Due to the anterior coxal cavities open, first metatarsomere slightly shorter than the two following tarsomeres combined, with its extreme base black, base of vaginal palpi wing-shaped, and the characteristic shape of spermatheca ( Fig. 31 ), M. hlavaci sp. nov. is classified in the genus Monolepta . The combination of black head, brownish black or black pronotum, and pale to dark brown elytra in M. hlavaci sp. nov. is unique within all Monolepta from the Arabian Peninsula and northeastern Africa. See also Comments on classification under M. suchomeli sp. nov.

Having a transverse depression on pronotum, Monolepta hlavaci sp. nov. is similar to Calomicrus foveolatus Rosenhauer, 1856 from Spain, but the depression is deeper in M. hlavaci sp. nov. Dominating form of M. hlavaci sp. nov. with brown elytra can be easily distinguished from completely black C. foveolatus . Rare black form of M. hlavaci sp. nov. differs from C. foveolatus also in the structure of tarsi (first pro- and mesotarsomeres slender in M. hlavaci sp. nov., while more robust, subtriangular in C. foveolatus ).

Etymology. Dedicated to Peter Hlaváč (Košice, Slovak Republic), specialist in Pselaphinae and Scydmaeninae (Staphylinidae) and participant in Socotra expedition who collected a part of the type series.

Collection circumstances. The specimens were collected by beating various shrubs and trees.

Distribution. Socotra Island, Yemen.

Figures

Figs.13–18.Habitus.13 – Monolepta suchomeli sp. nov.(paratype, male, 1.9 mm); 14 – M.hlavaci sp. nov.(paratype, male, 2.9 mm); 15 – M. hlavaci sp. nov. (black form) (paratype, female, 2.8 mm); 16 – M. kmenti sp. nov. (holotype, male, 3.1 mm); 17 – Madurasia obscurella Jacoby, 1896 (female, 2.7 mm); 18 – Medythia sp. (female, 3.3 mm).

Figs. 25–31. Monolepta hlavaci sp. nov. 25 – aedeagus (a – dorsal view, b – lateral view, c – ventral view); 26 – sternite VIII and tignum; 27 – vaginal palpi; 28 – ventral bursa sclerites; 29 – dorsal bursa sclerites; 30 – last male ventrite; 31 – spermatheca. Scale bars: 0.5 mm for Figs. 25–30, 0.25 mm for Fig. 31.