Notomela joliveti, Biondi, Maurizio & D'Alessandro, Paola, 2015

Biondi, Maurizio & D'Alessandro, Paola, 2015, Revision of the Afrotropical genus Notomela Jacoby, 1899 with description of N. joliveti sp. n. from Principe Island (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae, Alticini), ZooKeys 547, pp. 63-74 : 68-71

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Chrysomelidae

Notomela joliveti sp. n.

Type series.

Holotype ♂: "Is. Principe, Roca Inf. D. Henrique, iv.1901, L. Fea" [ São Tomé and Principe: Principe Island, Infante Dom Enrique 1°34'02"N, 7°24'52"E] (MSNG). Paratypes (2 ♂♂): same locality, date and collector of the holotype (MSNG, BAQ).

Diagnosis.

Notomela joliveti sp. n. is the smallest species of the genus (LB ♂ = 3.90-4.20 mm). This new species is easily distinguishable from both Notomela cyanipennis and Notomela fulvicollis for having: dorsal integuments unicolor (Fig. 3); head with densely and strongly punctated vertex and frons (Fig. 5); pronotum with weak but evident depressions on surface near anterior angles and base (Fig. 12); median lobe of aedeagus comparatively longer and less thickset (LE/LAED <2.50) in ventral view and less curved, almost straight, in lateral view (Fig. 16).

Description.

Holotype ♂. Dorsal integument (Fig. 3) entirely dark green black with evident metallic reflection. Body elliptical elongate (LB = 4.20 mm), clearly convex. Maximum pronotal width at distal third (WP = 1.98 mm); maximum elytral width at basal fifth (WE = 2.56 mm).

Frons and vertex (Fig. 5) subrugose, clearly punctate on microreticulate surface shagreened; frontal tubercles distant from each other, sub-quadrate, clearly delimited, with almost smooth surface; frontal grooves distally deep, particularly along ocular margin; interantennal space wide, distinctly wider than length of first antennomere; frontal carina large, not raised; clypeus short, sub-triangular; labrum sub-trapezoidal, brownish, with six setiferous punctures; palpi dark brown; eye sub-elliptical, normally sized; antennae filiform, about as long as half body length (LAN = 2.20 mm; LAN/LB = 0.52), with antennomeres 1-5 brownish and 6-11 gradually darker; length of each antennomere proportional to numerical sequence 26:14:18:14:15:16:15:16:18:18:25 (right antenna).

Pronotum (Fig. 12) sub-rectangular, strongly transverse (LP = 1.16 mm; WP/LP = 1.71), laterally clearly rounded forward and basally narrower than elytra; pronotal surface laterally and basally weakly depressed; basal margin very finely bordered, evenlyarcuate; lateral margin distinctly bordered, with small anterior setiferous pore; punctation finely and sparsely impressed on disc, more strongly and densely impressed on sides; surface sub-smooth. Scutellum large, sub-triangular, reddish-brown; surface almost smooth, just with very sparse and fine punctulation.

Elytra elongate (LE = 3.56 mm; LE/LP = 3.07), covering entire pygidium, laterally sub-parallel, very weakly arcuate, apically jointly rounded; punctures small but clearly impressed (Fig. 13), arranged in 9 semi-regular rows (+ 1 short scutellar row); first row in epipleural area very strongly impressed; interstriae flat with smooth and sparsely punctulated surface; humeral callus clearly prominent; macropterous metathoracic wings.

Leg strongly blackened, with partially reddish tarsi and femoro-tibial joints; hind tibia straight with no dentate external margin; apical spur of hind tibia short, reddish. First anterior and middle tarsomeres clearly dilated (Fig. 3).

Ventral surface blackish, partially reddish, with dense and rather uniformly distributed yellow pubescence; last abdominal sternite with a clear preapical depression with strongly punctated surface.

Median lobe of aedeagus (Fig. 16) thickset (LAED = 1.45 mm; LE/LAED = 2.45), in ventral view, smooth, laterally larger in distal half and distinctly narrowed in basal half; apex widely truncate, sub-trapezoidal; ventral sulcus weakly impressed in basal half, with evident longitudinal wide median carina basally and distally clearly expanded; dorsal sulcus obliterate; dorsal ligula well-developed, apically sub-rectangular; median lobe in lateral view almost straight, just slightly sinuate in distal half with apex bent in ventral direction.

Variation.

♂ (n = 2): LE = 3.28 and 3.28 mm; WE = 2.32 and 2.60 mm; LP = 1.04 and 1.12 mm; WP = 1.76 and 1.92 mm; LAN = 1.88 and 2.00 mm; LAED = 1.45 and 1.45 mm; LB = 3.95 and 4.00 mm; LE/LP = 3.15 and 2.93; WE/WP = 1.32 and 1.35; WP/LP = 1.69 and 1.71; LE/LAED = 2.26 and 2.26; LAN/LB = 0.48 and 0.50.

Paratypes (two males) very similar in shape, sculpture and color to the holotype; one paratype not completely mature. Female unknown.

Etymology.

With great pleasure we name the new species after our friend Pierre Jolivet, the "Great Old Man" of all the chrysomelid workers around the world.

Distribution.

São Tomé and Principe: Principe Island (Eastern Cape Province) (Fig. 17).

Ecological notes.

Host plant is unknown. Species probably associated with forest ecosystems.