Euplister trifolii, Pierotti & Bellò & Alonso-Zarazaga, 2010

Pierotti, Helio, Bellò, Cesare & Alonso-Zarazaga, Miguel A., 2010, 2376, Zootaxa 2376, pp. 1-96 : 43

Euplister trifolii sp. n.

( Figs. 37a–b, 56a, 76)

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:8473D73B-937C-4898-AC6F-ECC5293B01DF

Diagnosis. Species of small to medium size (3.6–4.8 mm), characterised by distinct pterygia, strongly rounded elytra with coppery or golden dorsal scales, often with sparse silver scales forming bands or spots, usually elongate in front, strongly imbricate behind, and small setae gathered in desquamulate patches on even interstriae.

Description. Body outline short and robust. Dorsal vestiture of elongate scales, except near declivity of elytra, not or hardly imbricate on head and pronotum, strongly so on elytra, coppery or golden, sometimes sparse paler scales present, sometimes silvery or turquoise, forming two bands on pronotal sides and nebulose spots on elytra, and of elongate setae, hardly broadened towards apex, appressed on head and pronotum, shorter on elytral dorsum, longer and suberect on declivity, gathered in desquamulate spots on even interstriae. Head with sides almost straight, uniformly converging from genae to base of pterygia. Rostrum transverse, sides strongly converging apicad, epistomal keel absent, pterygia visible, metarostrum elongate, with median longitudinal keel, prorostrum short, not narrower than metarostrum, with median longitudinal fovea. Frons almost twice as wide as metarostrum, with median fovea. Eyes small, their length in dorsal view clearly less than distance between front margin of eye and hind margin of pterygium, subconvex, not or hardly prominent beyond genae. Antennae with scape hardly incrassate from base to middle, funicle moderately robust, desmomere 1 not or hardly longer than 2, this subequal to 4+5, 3 a little longer than wide or moniliform, 4 and 5 moniliform to slightly transverse, 6 and 7 clearly transverse; club robust with first segment widely cupshaped. Pronotum transverse, wider at base than at apex, rounded at sides, disc with dense, deep punctures, often with vestigial median longitudinal keel. Elytra almost round (male) or widely subovoid (female); strial punctures deep; interstriae flat, finely but distinctly punctate. Legs robust, tibiae widened at apex, hind tibiae with a series of small, hardly prominent denticles on inner margin. Aedeagus in dorsal view with outline widely lanceolate in anteapical region ( Fig. 37a); endophallic structures as in Fig. 37b. Spermatheca as in Fig. 56a.

Etymology. The specific name is the genitive case of the plant name Trifolium , its host.

Distribution. Iberian endemite: Andalusia ( Fig. 76).

Material examined. Holotype male: Granada, Salar , N 37º08.737 " W 04º03.164 " 30.III.2004 leg. Bellò ( MMA); paratypes: Granada: do., 30.III.2004 leg. Bellò (55 BEL, 2 OSE, 17 PIE); do., leg. Pierotti (2 OSE, 43 PIE); do., Cerro Gallina, 30.III.2004, leg. Bellò (1 BEL).

Biology. The species has been collected from Trifolium sp.