Pimentelia maculata (Jacoby, 1895) Jacoby, 1895

Bolz, Helmut & Wagner, Thomas, 2014, Revision of the Afrotropical Pimentelia Laboissière, 1939 (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae), Zootaxa 3881 (1), pp. 49-62 : 57-60

Pimentelia maculata (Jacoby, 1895) comb. n.

( Figs 12–14 )

Sermyla maculata Jacoby, 1895: 333 –334.

Sermyloides unifasciata Jacoby, 1900: 257 ; syn. n.

Type material examined. Sermyla maculata . Holotype: “ Type, H.T. / Mashonald, Salisbury / 1410 / 85 / Sermyla maculata Jac. , Type / Jacoby Coll., 1909-28 a / AfriGa, specimen ID:, 320, specimen data, documented, IV 2004.” ( BMNH; Fig. 15 ). Type locality: Zimbabwe, Harare, 17°51’S / 31°01’E. Holotype by indication “The single specimen before me …” (Jacoby, 1895).

The species was described in Sermyla Chapuis, 1875 , a younger homonym of Sermyla Walker, 1854 (Lepidoptera) and Sermyla Adams, 1854 (Mollusca) . Sermyla maculata was transferred to Sermyloides by Jacoby (1900) in the description of the second African species.

Sermyloides unifasciata . Holotype: “ Type, H.T. / Salisbury, Nov. 98, on Zizyphus, GAKM / Mashonald / Jacoby Coll., 1909-28 a / Sermyloides unifasciata, Jac. / AfriGa, specimen ID:, 1604, specimen data, documented, IV 2004.” ( BMNH; Fig. 16 ). Type locality: Zimbabwe, Harare, 17°51’S / 31°01’E.

Other material examined. South Africa. 18 ex., Houtenbek Farm, NW Dullstrom: Macabelel Lodge, 25°18’S / 30°03’E, XII.2002, E. Grobbelaar ( SANC); 1 ex., MPU, Goedehoop Farm (The Brook Hiking Trail), 26°10’S / 30°38’E, XI.2002, E. Grobbelaar ( SANC).– Zimbabwe. 5 ex., Salisbury, 17°51’S / 31°01’E, XII.1893 - XI.1898, G. A. K. Marshall ( BMNH); 1 ex., Inyanyadzi Riv., SE Mashonald, 19°45'S / 32°25'E, X.1901, G. A. K. Marshall ( BMNH).

Diagnosis. Pimentelia maculata is easily recognizable against the only other species in this group. P. kuanduensis is only recorded from Angola and therefore is not sympatric with P. maculata ( Fig. 11 ). Also it has more prolonged pronotum, is more slender and has on average shorter second antennomeres (pronotal length to width 0.60 in P. kuanduensis ; 0.47–0.56 in P. maculata ; maximal width of both elytra to length of elytron 0.63–0.79 in P. maculata , 0.56–0.61 in P. kuanduensis ; length of second to third antennomere 0.56–0.62 in P. kuanduensis ; 0.64–0.82 in P. maculata ).

Total length. 5.85–9.25 mm (mean: 7.56 mm).

Head. Head reddish brown, yellowish brown or brown, rarely black, maxillary palpi brown or black. Antenna dark brown or black, only first or three to four antennomeres brown or yellowish-brown. Third antennomere in female specimens longer than second, fourth and following antennomeres conical and shorter than antennomeres of male specimens. Length of second to third antennomere 0.68–0.82 (mean: 0.77) in males, 0.64–0.75 (mean: 0.70) in females; length of third to fourth antennomere in male specimens 0.45–0.56 (mean: 0.52), in female specimens 0.52–0.63 (mean: 0.57; Fig. 14 ). Eyes big and rounded ( Figs 12 a–e), width of eyes to eye distance 0.36–0.45 (mean: 0.41).

Thorax. Pronotum trapezoidal, yellow, brownish-yellow, reddish-yellow or reddish-brown, sometimes with dark brown heart- or berry-shaped spot or entirely black (1 specimen), lightly punctuated. Pronotal width 2.15–3.50 mm (mean: 2.77 mm), pronotal length 1.10–1.90 mm (mean: 1.45 mm), pronotal length to width 0.47–0.56 (mean: 0.52). Elytra yellow or brownish-yellow, in 70% of specimens with black sutural and elytral margins and black transverse bands around shoulder and middle of the elytra, which can rarely (2 specimen) be reduced to black spots. Elytra with deep punctuation and iridescent sheen, elytral length 4.60–7.50 mm (mean: 5.71 mm), elytral width 3.00– 5.20 mm (mean: 3.97 mm), maximal width of both elytra to length of elytron 0.63–0.79 (mean: 0.69; Fig. 12 ). Meso- and metathorax brownish-yellow or brown, legs yellowish-brown or brown, tarsomeres dark brown or black, length of basi-metatarsus to metatibia 0.31–0.41 (mean: 0.34).

Abdomen. Brownish yellow.

Male genitalia. Median lobe long and slender, in ventral view with v-shaped incision and strongly sclerotised structures beside incision, in lateral view sclerotised at apex without significant ridges. Paralell-sided and straight, orifice ovate. Median lobe with very delicate small pair of spiculae ( Fig. 13 ).

Distribution. Recorded from South Africa and Zimbabwe ( Fig. 11 ).

Figures

FIGURE 11. Distribution of Pimentelia species.

FIGURES 12 – 14. Pimentelia maculata (Jacoby, 1885). FIGURES 12 a-e. Dorsal view with colour pattern of some specimens; FIGURES 13. Aedeagus, a—lateral, b—ventral, c—dorsal; FIGURES 14. Antennomeres 1 – 4 of two different males (a, b) and two different females (c, d) (scale bars = 1 mm).

FIGURES 15 – 16. Pimentelia maculata. FIGURES 15. Holotype of Sermyla maculata Jacoby, 1885, a. with labels, b. detail; FIGURES 16. Holotype of Sermyloides unifasciata Jacoby, 1900, a. with labels, b. detail.