Restiopria biondii Audisio, Jelínek & Cline, 2011

Audisio, P., Jelínek, J., Cline, A. R., Mancini, E., Trizzino, M., Cerretti, P. & Antonini, G., 2011, Description and taxonomic position of a new genus and species of southern African pollen beetle (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae: Meligethinae), Zootaxa 2927 (1), pp. 49-56 : 52-55

Restiopria biondii Audisio, Jelínek & Cline , sp. nov.

( Figs 1–20 )

Description. In addition to generic description above:

Small size (length 2.05–2.25 mm; width 1.04–1.10 mm). Body moderately shining, unicolorous yellowish– orange (rarely with head and pronutum reddish, slightly contrasting to brownish elytra); legs yellowish ( Fig. 15 ).

Head with moderately deep punctures nearly as large as eye facets, separated by half to one diameter, surface between partly microreticulated but moderately shining; frons without tentorial impressions. Antennae mediumsized, club small and narrow, 2X longer than wide ( Fig. 5 ), with short pubescence; 3rd antennal segment elongate, as long as but thinner than 2nd.

Pronotum moderately convex, 1.70X as wide as long, moderately rounded at sides, more strongly narrowed anteriorly than posteriorly, broadest in middle or at posterior third ( Figs. 1 , 15 ), with posterior angles almost completely rounded; sides narrowly bordered. Posterior margin straight on either side of scutellum; discal punctures as on head or slightly larger and deeper, surface between them partially microreticulate but shining.

Elytra ~1.20–1.25X longer than wide (combined width at humeri), scarcely arcuate at sides, distinctly and arcuately narrowed towards apex, broadest in middle or at basal two fifths, nearly as wide as pronotum ( Figs. 1 , 15 ). Punctures and spaces between punctures as on pronotum.

Tegmen ( Fig. 12 ) relatively large, not elongate, with few moderately long setae at apex, and a short, linear median excision; median lobe of aedeagus moderately long ( Fig. 13 ), shortly spatulate distally.

Ovipositor as figured ( Fig. 14 ), yellowish, darker towards apex, relatively large and long, with large and long symmetrical styli; outer subdivision of coxites short and arcuate; 'central point' placed at proximal four ninths, without ventral spicule.

Female. Differs from male by possessing slightly narrower protarsi.

Variation. A couple of paratypes shows elytra brown, darker than head and pronotum.

Type material. Holotype, male, REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA, Western Cape, Cape Peninsula, Cape Town, Table Mountain , Tafelberg road, 400 m a.s.l., 21.IX.1994, on unidentified flowering stolones of Restionaceae close to a small waterfall, P. Audisio & M. Biondi leg. ( TMSA) . Paratypes: 11 females, same data as holotype ( CAR, NMP, CAS, SAMC) ; 1 male, 8 females: REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA, Western Cape, 5 Km N of Concordia, E of Knysna, 34.00.58 S, 23.06.25 E, 200 m a.s.l., 12.X.2005, on long and prostrate flowering stolones of unidentified Restionaceae ( Fig. 19 ), in a wet place in subtropical indigenous forest, P. Audisio & M. Biondi leg. ( CAR, NMP, CAS, TMSA) .

Biological notes. The type specimens of the new species were collected in Spring (late September to early October) by sweeping from inflorescences on long stoloniform stems of two Restionaceae plants belonging to a genus so far not identified with certainty ( Fig. 21 ), but likely related to Antochortus Nees or allied genera. The host plants were localized at low altitudes (200–400 m), in wet places, i.e. along the sides of a small waterfall near Cape Town and around the edges of a small dumping area in a subtropical indigenous forest near Knysna.

Geographic distribution. The species is only known from the two mentioned type localities in Western Cape Province ( Fig. 22 ).

Etymology. This species is named for our friend and colleague, Maurizio Biondi (L’Aquila, Italy), who contributed to the collection of the new species at the type locality near Cape Town in 1994 and later near Knysna in 2005.

Figures

FIGURE 21. Distal portion of the elongate stoloniform stems (with inflorescence) of the the host–plant of Restiopria biondii gen. nov., sp. nov. at the Concordia indigenous forest east of Knysna (Restionaceae, unidentified species; herbarium specimen). Scale bar = 1 cm.

FIGURE 22. Map of known geographic distribution of Restiopria biondii gen. nov., sp. nov. in South Africa (red squares).

FIGURES 1–7. Restiopria biondii gen. nov., sp. nov. (♂ holotype and ♀♀ paratypes from South Africa, Cape Town, Table Mountain. 1. Body outline of male holotype. 2. Female pygidium (dorsal view). 3. Female hypopygidium (ventral view). 4. Right female protibia and protarsus. 5. Female right antenna. 6. Female prosternal process (ventral view). 7. Female anterior portion of prothorax (ventral view), with anterior portion of prosternum. Scale bar = 1.0 mm (Fig.1); = 0.20 mm (Figs 4–6); = 0.45 mm (Figs 2, 3, 7).

FIGURES 8–14. Restiopria biondii gen. nov., sp. nov. (♂ holotype and ♀♀ paratypes from South Africa, Cape Town, Table Mountain. 8. Right mandible (female paratype). 9. Labrum (female paratype). 10. Right maxilla and maxillary palpus (female paratype). 11. Rigth labial palpus (female paratype). 12–13. Tegmen and median lobe of aedeagus (male holotype). 14. Ovipositor (female paratype). Scale bar = 0.13 mm (Figs 8–11); = 0.20 mm (Figs 12–14).

FIGURES 15–20. Restiopria biondii gen. nov., sp. nov. (♂ paratype and ♀♀ paratypes from South Africa, Western Province, Concordia indigenous forest, east of Knysna. 15. Habitus (male paratype). 16. SEM image of ventral view of head with antennal furrows and prosternum (female paratype). 17. SEM image of microsetae on posterior edge of pronotum (female paratype); 18. SEM image of ventral view of outer left portion of metaventrite and first abdominal ventrite, with axillary line and axillary space of left metacoxal cavity (female paratype); 19. SEM image of outer edge of right protibia in lateral view (female paratype); 20. SEM image of lateral-frontal view of head (female paratype). Scale bar = 1 mm (Fig. 15); = 40 µ (Figs 17).