Menudos maricao Linzmeier & Konstantinov, 2020

Linzmeier, Adelita M. & Konstantinov, Alexander S., 2020, Moss inhabiting flea beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae: Alticini) of the West Indies II: Menudos, a new genus from Puerto Rico and description of methods to collect moss inhabiting flea beetles, Zootaxa 4786 (1), pp. 1-22 : 10-12

Menudos maricao Linzmeier & Konstantinov , new species

( Figs. 22–26 )

Description. Body length 1.76–2.10 mm, width 0.94–1.15 mm. Head and pronotum blackish. Elytra lighter than pronotum, even lighter toward apex. Front and middle legs, and hind tibiae whitish. Antennomeres 1 to 6 and tip of antennomere 11 whitish. Antennomeres 7–10 brown. Venter dark brown, except last visible abdominal segment lighter. Pronotal pubescence yellowish laterally, darker in middle. Scutellum densely covered with whitish-goldish setae. Golden yellow elytral pubescence arranged with four more or less straight transverse bands (first—basal, band the narrowest, does not reach suture). Fourth band connect to golden yellow pubescence of elytral apex with wide longitudinal band along suture. In males, bands narrower than in females. Hind femur with light and dark setae forming a pattern in which light setae form two perpendicular strips in middle and apex of femur. Supraorbital pore distinct among other setiferous pores on vertex. Antennal calli slightly raised above surrounding surfaces, smooth. Supracallinal sulcus absent, however there is a very shallow impression in its place. Similar impression in place of suprafrontal sulcus. Frontal and anterofrontal ridges slightly raised, smooth. Extension of anterofrontal ridge towards labrum indistinct. Proportions of antennomere lengths in male: 16:8:8:7:8:8:8:9:9:10:10. Pronotum rectangular, 1.4 wider than long. Punctures as dense on pronotal protuberances as between them. Elytral interspaces convex, less so in between puncture rows 3 and 4. Elytral punctures on row 2 and 3 placed at distance from each other consistently throughout entire length of rows. Epipleura nearly reaching elytral apex. Ventral thoracic surface covered with coarse punctures. Proportions of mesotarsomeres 7:5:6:14. Median lobe of aedeagus simple, dorsoventrally flattened; ventrally with slight longitudinal impression near apex, parallel lateral margins converging abruptly towards apex; in lateral view slightly and evenly curved with apex abruptly curved ventrally.

Diagnosis. Menudos maricao can be easily differentiated from other species of Menudos by the antennomeres 1 to 5 lighter in color, unique pattern of light and dark setae on pronotum, elytra and hind femur. Menudos maricao is very similar to M. chamorrae in color pattern but can be differentiated by the color of antennomeres [in M. chamorrae antennomere 5 (male), and 5 and 6 (female) lighter in color].

Habitat. Menudos maricao was collected below the highest point of Maricao mountains, near the phone towers. Moss was growing on the vertical wall on the side of the road that leads to the towers ( Figs. 52 – 53 ).

Etymology. The specific epithet is a noun in apposition based on the type locality.

Type material. Holotype, male, with labels as follows: 1) Puerto Rico: Maricao, 6.IX.2014 / N18.08.89 W66.58.932/ h- 902m, moss, WP-486/ leg. A. Konstantinov; 2 ) Holotype Menudos maricao des. A. M. Linzmeier & A. Konstantinov, 2020 ( USNM) . Paratypes, with the same labels as holotype, 1 male, 1 female ( USNM) .

Figures

FIGURE 22. Menudos maricao Linzmeier & Konstantinov, new species. (illustration by Katie Sayers).

FIGURES 23–26. Menudos maricao Linzmeier & Konstantinov, new species. 23, habitus, male, dorsal view, holotype. 24, habitus, female, lateral view, paratype. 25, frontal view, male, holotype. 26, median lobe of aedeagus, holotype (ventral, dorsal, and lateral views).

FIGURES 52–53. Moss in which flea beetles were collected near Maricao, WP-486.