Aphthona socotrana, Döberl, 2012

Döberl, Manfred, 2012, Alticinae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) of Socotra Island, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 52, pp. 429-447 : 430-433

Aphthona socotrana sp. nov.

( Figs. 2 , 16 , 27 )

Type locality. Yemen, Socotra Island, Zemhon area, 12°30′58′′N 54°06′39′′E.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: J ( NMPC), ‘ YEMEN, SOCOTRA Island / Zemhon area, 270-350 m / N 12°30′58′′, E 54°06′39′′ / 3.-4.ii.2010 / L. Purchart & J. Vybíral leg. [w, p]’. PARATYPES: 1 ♀, ‘ Republic of Yemen 4- 5.6.2010 / Socotra Isl. / Qualentiah env. / slopes 5 km SE from Quaysoh / N 12°39,691′, E 053°26,658′ / lgt. V. Hula & Niedobová, J. [w, p]’ ( JBCB); 1 ♀, ‘ YEMEN, Socotra Island / wadi Ayhaft / 12°36.5′N, 53°58.9′E, 200 m / J. Bezděk leg., 7-8.xi.2010 [w, p]’ ( MDCA). The specimens are provided with two additional labels: ‘ Aphthona / socotrana mihi / des. Döberl 2011 [w, p]’ and ‘ Holotypus [Paratypus, resp.] [r, p]’.

Description. Body length/width: male (holotype) 2.0/ 0.9 mm; females 1.9/ 0.8 mm.

Male (holotype, Fig. 27 ). Body subparallel, glabrous, semiopaque, pale brown. Vertex, meso-, metaventrite and most of abdomen dark brown. Antennae gradually darkened from antennomere IV. Legs pale brown.

Head subquadratic, supracallinal sulcus bent upwardly at level of antennal insertions and running to posterior ocular margin. Antennal calli roundabout, well delimited by incised lines, oval, smooth, protruding, separated anteriorly by upper end of frontal ridge. Ratio of distances between inner and outer margin of eyes 1:1.7. Vertex and frons shining smooth. Antennae thin, 0.75 times as long as body, proportions of antennomeres are as follows: 10:7:8:10:14:13:16:14:12:12:14 (1 = 0.01 mm).

Pronotum subquadrate, 1.35 times as wide as long. Surface lustrous, indistinctly covered with fine punctures.Anterior margin nearly straight, lateral margins slightly rounded, posterior margin widely rounded. Lateral and posterior margins narrowly bordered. Anterior angles obliquely truncate, anterior setigerous pore bearing long pale seta placed on lateral margin close to anterior angle. Posterior angles rounded but indicated by small setiferous pore.

Scutellum small, trigonate, with rounded tip. Elytra subparallel, 0.68 times as long as body, 1.6 times as long as wide (measured at humeral calli). Surface finely chagreened and densely covered with fine shallowly impressed punctures in uncountable irregular rows, interstices form indistinct weak costae. Winged, humeral calli well developed.

Protarsomere I elongate, dilated, with sides slightly rounded, as wide as protarsomere III. Length ratios of protarsomeres I–IV equal to 5-3-3-4. Metatarsomere I thin, 0.35 times as long as metatibia. Length ratios of metatarsomeres I–IV equal to 7-5-3-5.

Aedeagus moderately bent in lateral view, ventrally with large spoon-shaped impression ( Fig. 2 ). Apical ventrite with two small triangular incisions on posterior margin.

Female. Protarsomere I with sides straight, narrower than protarsomere III. Apical ventrite evenly rounded. Spermatheca ( Fig. 16 ): nodulus globular, cornu thin, in middle bent in angle ca 45°.

Variability. One specimen has indistinct dark spot on anterior part of each elytron near basal border between suture and humerus.

Differential diagnosis. Aphthona socotrana sp. nov. is characterised by the unusually costate elytra; due to this character it cannot be confused with any other Aphthona species. Similar structure of elytra can be found also in the genera Anthobiodes and Yemenaltica , but species of these genera have metatarsomere I longer, nearly as long as half of the length of the metatibia (much shorter in Aphthona species ).

Etymology. Named after the patria of its origin, the Socotra Island.

Distribution. Yemen: Socotra Island

Figures

Figs.1–9.Aedeagus (a – ventral view, b – lateral view). 1 – Aphthona pusilla Laboissière, 1942; 2 – A. socotrana sp. nov.; 3 – Bezdekaltica socotrana sp. nov.; 4 – Eriotica sp. B; 5 – Hermaeophaga ruficollis (Lucas, 1849) (specimen from Oman); 6 – Longitarsus buettikeri Doguet, 1984; 7 – Luperomorpha biondii sp. nov.; 8 – Phyllotreta cheiranthi Weise, 1903 (specimen from Yemen); 9 – P. procera (Redtenbacher, 1849). Scale bar: 0.5 mm.

Figs. 13–25. 13 – head of Bezdekaltica socotrana sp. nov. 14 – left hind leg of Yemenaltica furthi sp. nov. 15–25. Spermatheca. 15 – Aphthona pusilla Laboissière, 1942; 16 – A. socotrana sp. nov.; 17 – Bezdekaltica socotrana sp. nov.; 18 – Hermaeophaga ruficollis (Lucas, 1847); 19 – Longitarsus buettikeri Doguet, 1984; 20 – Luperomorpha biondii sp. nov.; 21 – Phyllotreta cheiranthi Weise, 1903; 22 – P. procera (Redtenbacher, 1849); 23 – Podagrica puncticollis Weise, 1902; 24 – Psylliodes persica Allard, 1867; 25 – Yemenaltica furthi sp. nov. Scale bars: 0.5 mm for Figs. 14, 0.2 mm for Fig. 13 and 0.1 mm for Figs. 14–25.

Figs. 26–31. Habitus. 26 – Aphthona pusilla Laboissière, 1942 (unsexed, 1.6 mm); 27 – A. socotrana sp. nov. (holotype, male, 2.0 mm); 28 – A. sp. A (female, 2.1 mm); 29 – A. sp. B (female, 3.8 mm); 30 – A. sp. C (female, 1.6 mm); 31 – Bezdekaltica socotrana sp. nov. (paratype, male, 1.6 mm).