Cis mooihoekite Souza-Goncalves & Lopes-Andrade

Souza-Goncalves, Igor & Lopes-Andrade, Cristiano, 2018, The Cisbilamellatus species-group (Coleoptera, Ciidae) in southern Africa: Cismooihoekite sp. n. and new distributional records, African Invertebrates 59 (1), pp. 25-35 : 26-29

Cis mooihoekite Souza-Goncalves & Lopes-Andrade sp. n. Figs 1-8, 9-12

Type locality.

"Mooihoek Farm" (near Wakkerstroom), coordinates 27°13'S, 30°32'E (Pixley Ka Seme Local Municipality, Gert Sibande District, Mpumalanga Province).

Etymology.

The species name refers to the mooihoekite, a copper iron sulphide mineral, which was discovered in 1972 in South Africa and bears a sheen that resembles the dorsal colour of this species.

Diagnosis.

The new species differs from C. pickeri , as described by Lopes-Andrade et al. (2009), in the following features: TL less than 1.30 mm; pronotum devoid of a median impunctate line; male with anterocephalic edge with acute corners (Figs 1, 4 and 7) and pronotal plate angularly emarginate forming two small and triangular horns with acute apex (Fig. 7); male abdominal sex patch about one-quarter of the length of the first ventrite at midline (Figs 3 and 4).

Male holotype (Figs 1-7). Adult fully pigmented and in good condition, except for lacking the left antenna and five tarsi. Measurements in mm: TL 1.19, PL 0.43, PW 0.51, EL 0.77, EW 0.53, GD 0.39. Ratios: PL/PW 0.84, EL/EW 1.46, EL/PL 1.81, GD/EW 0.74, TL/EW 2.27. Body elongate, convex, dorsum and venter reddish-brown; antennae yellowish-brown with darker club, palpi and tarsi yellowish-brown; dorsal vestiture distinctly dual, consisting of suberect and decumbent pale yellowish bristles easily discernible at high magnifications (90 ×); ventral vestiture of decumbent pale yellowish setae easily discernible at high magnifications (90 ×). Head (Figs 4-5) with anteriormost portion visible from above; dorsum with few shallow and sparse punctures, subglabrous, with microreticulate and dull sheen interspaces; anterocephalic edge with acute corners (Figs 1, 4 and 7), mesally raised and produced forming a short narrow lamina (Fig. 6) with an emarginate apex. Antennae with ten antennomeres, lengths as follows (in mm, right antennae measured): 0.05, 0.04, 0.03, 0.02, 0.01, 0.01, 0.01, 0.03, 0.02, 0.04 (FL 0.08 mm, CL 0.09 mm, CL/FL 1.13). Eyes coarsely facetted; with about 50 ommatidia; GW 0.11 mm. Gula 0.48 times as wide as long. Pronotum (Fig. 7) with coarse, deep and single punctation; punctures distributed irregularly, separated from each other by two puncture-widths or less on disc and one puncture-width or less close to the sides; interspaces, microreticulate with a dull sheen; vestiture single, consisting of suberect (0.02-0.03 mm) pale yellowish bristles; anterior edge projected forwards and upwards as a short, broad plate angularly emarginate forming two very close and small triangular horns with acute apex, each bearing a tuft of bristles (Fig. 7); lateral edges finely crenulate, not explanate and not visible when seen from above, except for posteriormost portion. Scutellar shield subtriangular, bearing a few punctures and decumbent bristles; BW 0.07 mm and SL 0.05 mm. Elytra with dense and dual punctation; large punctures coarse, confused, deep, about twice as large as small punctures; irregular interspaces, somewhat rugose and with a dull sheen; vestiture subseriate and distinctly dual, consisting of long (0.03-0.04 mm) suberect and small (0.01-0.02 mm) decumbent pale yellowish bristles, both arising from minute punctures. Metathoracic wings developed, apparently functional. Hypomera with sparse, shallow punctation; each puncture bearing a fine decumbent seta; interspaces, microreticulate and dull sheen. Prosternum biconcave, tumid and bearing a longitudinal carina at midline (Fig. 4); interspaces, microreticulate. Prosternal process parallel-sided, as long as prosternum at midline; apex rounded. Protibiae with maximum width about one-quarter of its length; apical edge devoid of spines; outer apical angle projected in a small tooth. Meso- and metatibiae without spines on apical edge. Metaventrite with coarse, shallow punctures; interspaces, microreticulate and dull sheen; discrimen about one-quarter the length of metaventrite at midline. Abdominal ventrites with moderately dense, coarse and shallow punctures, separated from each other by one puncture-width or less and each bearing a pale yellowish seta; interspaces, microreticulate and dull sheen; length of ventrites (in mm, from base to apex at the longitudinal midline) as follows: 0.14, 0.06, 0.06, 0.06, 0.07; first abdominal ventrite bearing a margined, circular, fully exposed sex patch at middle, with a transverse diameter of 0.03 mm (Figs 3 and 4).

Male paratypes. Terminalia (Figs 9-12) with sternite VIII (Fig. 9) with posterior margin subrounded, bearing short setae at middle and long setae at corners; anterior portion membranous. Tegmen (Fig. 11) about 2.6x as long as wide, widest near apex; sides more or less parallel-sided, but somewhat sinuate near apex; apex with a small emargination on both sides (visible in the dorsal view; Fig. 11); base triangular. Basal piece (Fig. 10) subrounded, about 1.7x as wide as long. Penis (Fig. 12) about as long as tegmen, about 4.7x as long as wide; subcylindrical, parallel-sided along basal three-fifths and then converging to apex, which bears a slight emargination; base rounded. Measurements in mm (n = 4): TL 1.20-1.25 (1.21 ± 0.03), PL 0.43-0.45 (0.44 ± 0.01), PW 0.45-0.48 (0.47 ± 0.01), EL 0.75-0.80 (0.77 ± 0.02), EW 0.50-0.53 (0.51 ± 0.02), GD 0.38-0.43 (0.39 ± 0.02). Ratios (n = 4): PL/PW 0.89-1.00 (0.89 ± 0.04), EL/EW 1.43-1.55 (1.50 ± 0.05), EL/PL 1.67-1.82 (1.73 ± 0.08), GD/EW 0.75-0.81 (0.77 ± 0.03), TL/EW 2.29-2.40 (2.37 ± 0.05).

Female paratypes (Fig. 8). Anterior edge of head truncate, not raised nor produced. Pronotum widest near the posterior end and gradually narrowing anteriorly; anterior edge of pronotum rounded, not developed. Protibia with outer apical angle not toothed but expanded and with several socketed spines along the apical edge. Otherwise like males, but without an abdominal sex patch. Measurements in mm (n = 3): TL 1.13-1.25 (1.18 ± 0.06), PL 0.38-0.45 (0.42 ± 0.04), PW 0.43-0.53 (0.47 ± 0.05), EL 0.75-0.80 (0.77 ± 0.03), EW 0.50-0.60 (0.55 ± 0.05), GD 0.40-0.43 (0.42 ± 0.01). Ratios (n = 3): PL/PW 0.86-0.94 (0.89 ± 0.04), EL/EW 1.33-1.50 (1.40 ± 0.09), EL/PL 1.76-2.00 (1.85 ± 0.13) GD/EW 0.73-0.85 (0.76 ± 0.08), TL/EW 2.08-2.25 (2.16 ± 0.09).

Type series.

Holotype: ♂ (SANC) "SOUTH AFRICA: MPU, Mooihoek Farm nr Wakkerstroom, 27°13'S, 30°32'E, 15.vii.2008, O&S Neser \ Ex bracket fungus Thelephora sp., BF#125 \ NATIONAL COLL. OF INSECTS Pretoria, S. Afr. \ Cis mooihoekite Souza-Gonçalves & Lopes-Andrade HOLOTYPUS [red paper]". Paratype: ♂ (CELC, dissected) "SOUTH AFRICA: MPU, Mooihoek Farm nr Wakkerstroom, 27°13'S, 30°32'E, 15.vii.2008, O&S Neser \ Ex bracket fungus Coriolus versicolor , BF#140 \ NATIONAL COLL. OF INSECTS Pretoria, S. Afr."; ♂ (ANIC) and ♀ (SANC) "SOUTH AFRICA: MPU, Mooihoek Farm nr Wakkerstroom, 27°13'S, 30°32'E, 15.vii.2008, O&S Neser \ Ex bracket fungus, BF#129 \ Ex bracket fungus Coriolus versicolor , BF#129 \ NATIONAL COLL. OF INSECTS Pretoria, S. Afr."; 2 ♂♂ (1 CELC; 1 CMN) and 2 ♀♀ (1 CELC; 1 CMN) "RSA: Transvaal, 11 Km SE PilgrimsRest [sic], 1400m, 11-31.xii.85, S & J Peck, relict native forest edge FIT-malaise". All paratypes additionally labelled " Cis mooihoekite Souza-Gonçalves & Lopes-Andrade PARATYPUS [yellow paper]".

Host fungi.

Thelephora sp. ( Thelephoraceae ), one record; and Trametes versicolor (L.) Lloyd ( Polyporaceae ), two records.

Distribution.

Cis mooihoekite sp. n. was collected in two localities: one in the northern Mpumalanga, dominated by Grassland (Mooihoek Farm); and the other in southern Mpumalanga, dominated by Savannah (Transvaal). Both localities are 1,000 m a.s.l. and have urban areas (Fig. 13).

Comments.

This species corresponds to Cis sp. I in Neser (2012) and was collected together with C. neserorum , the morphospecies Cis sp. C, Cis sp. Q (see explanation on morphospecies’ coding in the section on Materials and Methods), Xylographus madagascariensis Mellié, 1849, the invasive species Ceracis tabellifer ( Mellié, 1849) and the parasitoids Astichus micans Neser, 2012 ( Hymenoptera : Eulophidae : Entiinae) and A. silvani Neser, 2012.