Apophylia cervenkai, Bezděk, 2005

Bezděk, Jan, 2005, Revisional study on African Apophylia (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae). Part 4., Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 45, pp. 165-182 : 71-73

Apophylia cervenkai sp. nov.

( Figs. 14-16 )

Type locality. Oman, Taqah.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: J, ‘ OMAN mer. 1999 / Taqah, ca. 20-30m / 31.7. – 11.8., at light / R. Červenka lgt. [w, p]’ ( NMPC). PARATYPES: 1 J, ‘ OMAN mer. 1999 / rd. Taqah - Mirbat, / 12 km; 50 – 200m / R. Červenka lgt. 3.8. [w, p]’ ( JBCB); 1 ♀, ‘ OMAN mer. 1999 / Rakhzut env. / 20 – 50m; 1.-8.8. / R. Červenka lgt. [w, p]’ ( JBCB); 6 ♀♀, ‘ OMAN mer., 2003, / Taqah env., 18.-21.9. / ca 270-350 m, / R. Červenka leg. [w, p]’ ( JBCB, 2 paratypes in NMPC); 10 ♀♀, ‘ OMAN mer., / Darbaat, / 18.-21.9. 2003, / R. Červenka leg. [w, p]’ ( JBCB); 1 ♀, ‘ OMAN, / Tawi Attair vill., / viii. 1999, 800 m, / S. Jákl leg. [w, p]’ ( JBCB); 7 JJ 1 ♀, ‘ OMAN mer. 9.8.1999 / Tawi Attair env., / ca. 885m; at light / R. Červenka lgt. [w, p]’ ( JBCB); 1 J, ‘Al Mughsayl dint. / 16°53´01N / 53°46´47E – 30 m / 09.09.2002 [w, p] // Oman / Dhofar Region / Leg. DELLACASA M. / light Hg [w, p] // Museo di Storia / Naturale e del / Territorio / Universita di Pisa / Calci (Pisa) – Italia [green label, p]’ ( CIUC); 1 ♀, ‘Wadi Darbat / base cascata / 11.09.2002 [w, p] // Oman / Dhofar Region / Leg. DELLACASA M. / light Hg [w, p] // Museo di Storia / Naturale e del / Territorio / Universita di Pisa / Calci (Pisa) – Italia [green label, p]’ ( CIUC); 1 ♀, ‘ OMAN 2000 Dhofar / Rd. 31 N of Qeiroon /17.17´.58N-54°05´.21E / 29 – VIII 2500 Ft. / leg. F. Strumia [w, p] // Museo di Storia / Naturale e del / Territorio / Universita di Pisa / Calci (Pisa) – Italia [green label, p]’ ( CIUC); 2 JJ 1 ♀, ‘Dhofar ( OMAN) / Qeiroon Heiritti / 5 km doppo paese / 31.VIII.2000 - 850 m / Leg. DELLACASA M. [w, p] / / Museo di Storia / Naturale e del / Territorio / Universita di Pisa / Calci (Pisa) – Italia [green label, p]’ ( CIUC); 3 JJ 2 ♀♀, ‘Millin / gen [= Millingen leg., w, h] // Arabia / Yemen [w, h] // Frey Coll. / 1905.100. [w, p]’ ( BMNH); 1 ♀, ‘44189 [yellow label, h] // Millin / gen [= Millingen leg., w, h] // Arabia / Yemen [w, h] // Frey Coll. / 1905.100. [w, p]’ ( BMNH); 1 ♀, ‘44190 [yellow label, h] // Millin / gen [= Millingen leg., w, h] // Arabia / Yemen [w, h] // Frey Coll. / 1905.100. [w, p]’ ( BMNH); 2 JJ, 11 ♀♀, ‘Shoa Prov.: Awash / Nat. Park, 1000 m / 14/ 15.VIII.1971 [w, p] // Coll. Mus. Tervuren / Ethiopie / R. O. S. Clarke [w, p]’ ( MRAC); 1 J 11 ♀♀, ‘Coll. Mus. Tervuren / Ethiopie: Shoa Prov. / Awash Park VII/VIII.71 / G. de Rougemont [w, p]’ ( MRAC). The specimens are provided with additional, printed red label: ‘HO- LOTYPUS [or PARATYPUS], / Apophylia / cervenkai sp. nov., / det. J. Bezděk 2005’.

Description. Body length: males 5.75-6.40 mm (holotype 6.10 mm); females 6.10- 7.35 mm.

Male: Body flattened, parallel, densely pubescent and dull. Head yellow, vertex with large black spot not touching inner margin of eyes, postgenae black posteriorly, apices of mandibles darkened. Frontal tubercles yellow. Antennae yellow, in some specimens with infuscate apices of last five segments. Pronotum yellow with three black spots (one median and two lateral). Scutellum black, elytra metallic green. Prosternum yellow with darkened anterior margin. Mesosternum yellow with large black median spot, mesoepisternum black, mesoepimera yellow. Metasternum black with paler posterior margin, metaepisterna yellow. Abdomen brown to black, last ventrite with yellow posterior margin. Legs yellow, last two tarsomeres of all tarsi sometimes infuscate.

Labrum transverse, lateraly covered with several pale setae, anterior margin sinuate. Anterior part of head lustrous, sparsely covered with pale setae. Frontal tubercles small, subtriangular and lustrous. Vertex dull, coarsely and densely punctate and covered with short pale hairs. Antennae filiform, 0.80 times as long as body, length ratio of antennomeres 1 to 11 equal to 21-9-19-23-21-21-20-17-17-15-16.

Pronotum tranverse, 1.80 times as broad as long, widest at anterior third, semiopaque and densely covered with coarse punctures and pale hairs. Surface with two large lateral depressions. Anterior margin widely and shallowly concave, lateral margins rounded, posterior margin straight. Anterior and posterior margins thinly bordered, lateral margins indistinctly bordered. Anterior angles rounded with sharp small teeth, posterior angles obtusely angulate and only indicated; all angles bearing one long pale seta.

Scutellum subtriangular with rounded apex, semiopaque and densely covered with small punctures and short pale hairs. Elytra parallel and dull. Humeral calli well developed. Elytral surface covered with small and very dense, confluent punctures and short pale hairs. Epipleura distinct but narrow, disappearing before apex. Macropterous.

Ventral surface lustrous, finely punctate and covered with pale hairs. Last visible ventrite with deep subtrapezoidal incision.

Hind tarsomere 1 1.15 times longer than the following two tarsomeres combined. Middle and hind tarsomeres 1 robust ( Fig. 16 ). Claws bifid.

Shape of aedeagus as in Fig. 14 .

Female: Abdomen yellow to brown. Last ventrite with small sharp incision ( Fig. 15 ). Middle and hind tarsomeres 1 slender. Claws appendiculate.

Differential diagnosis. Apophylia cervenkai sp. nov. is very similar to A. kaffa sp. nov. and A. vernallis . The apex of the aedeagus in A. cervenkai sp. nov. is slightly asymmetrical to the right ( Fig. 14 ), while it is thin and symmetrical in A. kaffa sp. nov. ( Fig. 17 ) or asymmetrical to the left in A. vernallis ( Fig. 6 ).

Etymology. This species is dedicated to my friend Radek Červenka (Prague, Czech Republic), a specialist in Aphodiidae , who collected a part of the type series.

Bionomy. Unknown. The part of the type series collected by R. Červenka was found at light.

Distribution. Ethiopia, Oman and Yemen.

Figures

Figs 1-5. Apophylia nobilitata Gerstaecker, 1871. 1 – aedeagus (a – dorsal view; b – lateral view); 2 – last ventrite of female; 3 – last ventrite and pygidium of female, lateral view; 4 – male metasternum; 5 – male metatarsus. Scale: 1 mm (Figs 1-3 and 5); 2 mm (Fig. 4).

Figs. 6-8. Apophylia vernallis (Allard, 1889). 6 – aedeagus (a – dorsal view; b – lateral view); 7 – last ventrite of female; 8 – male metatarsus. Scale: 1 mm.