Romanaeclerus dimidius Opitz, 2017

Opitz, Weston, 2017, Classification, Natural History, and Evolution of the Orthopleurinae (Coleoptera: Cleridae). Part VI. The New Genera Coadnatus Opitz, Furcadia Opitz, and Latupusillus Opitz, One New Species of Funicula Opitz, and Four New Species of Romanaeclerus Winkler, The Coleopterists Bulletin 71 (3), pp. 421-433 : 430-431

Romanaeclerus dimidius Opitz , new species ( Figs. 6 , 27 , 33 , 37)

Type Material. Holotype: ♀. ZAMBIA NW, 15 km E of Solwezi , 17.10.2018, Lgt. Snižek ( RGCM).

Diagnosis. The members of this species are very similar to those of Romanaeclerus caligoapiculus Opitz , but specimens of R. dimidius do not have a black macula on the elytral humerus.

Description. Size: Length 3.0 mm; width 1.0 mm. Form: As in Fig. 33 . Color: Cranium and mandible castaneous, remainder of mouthparts and antennae yellow; prothorax castaneous; mesoscutellum testaceous; elytra bicolored, flavotestaceous in slightly than basal half, castaneous in apical half; legs flavotestaceous; abdomen testaceous. Head: Antennal capitulum well-developed ( Fig. 6 ), capitular antennomeres 9 and 10 transverse, antennomere 11 subquadrate; maxillary and labial terminal palpomeres digitiform; eyes much narrower than frons (EW/FW = 10/20). Thorax: Pronotum ( Fig. 27 ) transverse (PW/PL = 52/40), lateral margins evenly arcuate; asetiferous elytral punctation small and extending to subapex, punctation subseriate, interstitial spaces smooth and shiny; epipleural margin narrowing to elytral apex. Abdomen: Pygidium scutiform.

Natural History. The type specimen was collected in October.

Distribution. This species is known from Zambia ( Fig. 37).

Etymology. The specific epithet dimidius (= half) is a Latin adjective. I refer to the bipartite color pattern on the elytral disc.

Figures

Figs. 1–20. Antennae and male genitalia. Antennae: 1) Coadnatus sakaii; 2) Romanaeclerus gerstmeieri; 3) Furcadia sandala, female; 4) Romanaeclerus quadratus; 5) F. sandala, male; 6) Romanaeclerus dimidius; 7); Romanaeclerus vitellinus; 8) Funicula albocapilla; 9) Latupusillus laculatus. Aedeagi and spicular fork: 10) F. albocapilla, phallus; 11) F. albocapilla, tegmen; 12) F. albocapilla, spicular fork; 13) F. sandala, spicular fork; 14) F. sandala, phallus; 15) F. sandala, tegmen; 16) C. sakaii, tegmen, dorsal view; 17) C. sakaii, phallus; 18) C. sakaii, tegmen, ventral view; 19) R. vitellinus, phallus; 20) R. vitellinus, tegmen, ventral view.

Figs. 21–28. Pronota, dorsal view. 21) Funicula albocapilla; 22) Romanaeclerus quadratus; 23) Furcadia sandala; 24) Romanaeclerus vitellinus; 25) Coadnatus sakaii; 26) Latupusillus laculatus; 27) Romanaeclerus dimidius; 28) Romanaeclerus gerstmeieri.

Figs. 33–36. Habitus. 33) Romanaeclerus dimidius; 34) Romanaeclerus gerstmeieri; 35) Romanaeclerus quadratus;