Hycleus dvoraki Bologna, 2018

Bologna, Marco A., Amore, Valentina & Pitzalis, Monica, 2018, Meloidae of Namibia (Coleoptera): taxonomy and faunistics with biogeographic and ecological notes, Zootaxa 4373 (1), pp. 1-141 : 84-86

Hycleus dvoraki Bologna sp. n. ( Fig. 5H )

Types. Holotype female (SMWN) labelled “Hunkab River, at 19°49'S 13°0’E, Skeleton Coast Park, 4.5 April 1979 s. louw, R. Wharton; H38975”. Male paratype (CB), labelled “Khorixas: Unjab River bank, 11 km upstream from pump house, Skeleton Coast Park, 20°08’S 13°18’E, 18-26.VIII.1990, C.S. Roberts, Pres. pitf. traps”.

Type locality. Both the type locality (19.8167°S 13.00°E in decimal degrees) and the second site (20.133°S 13.30°E in decimal degrees) are located in the Kunene region, districts of Sesfontein and Khorixas, in the biome of the Namib Desert. In both localities is distributed also H. aridus endemic to Namib.

Diagnosis. One Hycleus species with mesosternum of the Mesoscutatus - type ( Fig. 17F ), characterized by 11 antennomeres totally black, VI–IX subserrate ( Fig. 17D ), wide campaniform pronotum, elytral pattern as in Figs. 5H and 17E , one single distal aedeagal hook ( Fig. 17C ).

Description. Body shiny and unicolor black, pronotum less shiny in the paratype, elytra brown-orange with black pattern ( Figs. 5H , 17E ) with wide apex and two undulate fasciae, fore one extended on humerus and on base, encircling a rounded brown spot. Body setation black, denser and longer on ventral side; elytra with setiform punctures variable in size and depth and sparse setae. Maximal body length: 12–13 mm.

Head distinctly transverse, subrectangular, temples parallel, short, distinctly shorter than longitudinal diameter of eye, smaller than maximum width at the level of eyes; punctures deep, wide and scattered, denser and subrugose on frons, intermediate surface microreticulate; frons slogthly convex and occiput almost flat; eye subglobose, bulging, with antero-dorsal margin sligthly emarginated. Clypeus narrower than interocular width, rounded on sides, convex and with the same puncturation of frons; fronto-clypeal suture well visible; labrum about as long as clypeus, fore margin slightly emarginated, punctures finer than on clypeus. Maxillary palpomeres subcylindrical, with black setae on the external side of the apex of each palpomere; male maxillae and labial palpomeres not modified with stipes narrow and elongate in lateral view; mandibles robust, curved in fore half, sharp at apex, longer than labrum. Antennae ( Fig. 17D ) with 11 antennomeres, I–IV shiner, V–XI subopaque and microsetate; I as long as II–III together, II subglobose; III–IV slender and subcylindrical, III distinctly longer than IV; V–IX trapezoidal, progressively widened at apex, VI–IX subserrate and apically widened on external side, increasing in width and length from V to X; XI at base as wide as X but two times longer, apical half distinctly and abruptly conical and obtuse.

Pronotum widely campaniform, about as long as wide, as wide as the maximal width of head on eye, sides parallel from base to fore third and then slowly narrowing anteriad; fore portion transversally subdepressed; middle furrow extended only in middle, base depressed in front of mesonotum; puncturation similar to that on head, but slightly more subopaque in the paratype. Elytra parallel, dorsally convex, punctures subrugose on black parts, very scattered and wide on brown-yellow parts, with distinct setae, more subrugose in the paratype; setae black and sligthly robust. Mesosternum ( Fig. 17F ) of Mesoscutatus types, with one quite large triangular fore modified area; fore margins of mesepisterna furrowed and with a distanced vague keel. Legs slender; male protarsomeres not distinctly widened; male protibiae and protarsomeres with dense robust setae, mixed with longer setae in female; both tibial spurs on all legs slender, external metatibial spur obtuse; ventral blade of claw regularly developed and scarcely curve.

Male last ventrite emarginated. Gonoforceps ( Figs. 17 A, 17B ) slender in both ventral and lateral views, progressively narrowed, in lateral view, apical lobes elongate; gonocoxal plate very wide; aedeagus ( Fig. 17C ) with one single distal hook at apex, long and sharp.

Etymology. Named after the late Czech entomologist Miroslav Dvořak, who studied some complex groups of Palaearctic and Oriental Meloidae .

Remarks. Affinities of this species are unknown. It is phenetically similar to H. aridus particularly because of the aedeaugus with a single sharp apical hook, the punctures of elytra and the subserrate midle antennomeres, but differs because of the elytral pattern with extended black surface; the pronotum less depressed anteriorly, the shape of mesosternum and fore portion of male gonoforceps less slender.

Distribution. Northwestern Namibia .

Figures

FIGURE 5. A. Hycleus herero; B. Hycleus hybridus; C. Hycleus matabele; D. Hycleus tinctus; E. Hycleus cfr. africanus; F. Hycleus namaquus; G. Hycleus svakopensis; H. Hycleus dvoraki: I. Hycleus aridus; J. Hycleus benguellanus; K. Hycleus bissexguttatus; L.Hycleus decemguttatus; M. Hycleus decoratus; N.Hycleus cfr. overlaeti; O. Hycleus pilosus; P.Hycleus san; Q. Hycleus windhoekanus; R. Hycleus zigzagus; S. Paractenodia damarensis; T. Paractenodia freyi; U. Paractenodia glabra; V.Paractenodia namaquensis; W.Paractenodia parva; X. Meloe meridianus; Y.Meloe sp. aff.hottentotus.

FIGURE 17. Hycleus dvoraki: tegmen in ventral (A), and lateral view (B); aedeagus in lateral view (C); antenna (D); elytra (E); mesosternum (F). Bar = 1 mm.