Colasposoma (Colasposoma) brevepilosum, Zoia, 2012

Zoia, Stefano, 2012, Eumolpinae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) of Socotra Island, Insect biodiversity of the Socotra Archipelago (Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 52), pp. 449-501 : 469-471

Colasposoma (Colasposoma) brevepilosum sp. nov.

( Figs. 59–62 , 70–72 , 123–124 , 142 )

Type locality. Yemen, Socotra Island, Firmihin plato, Dracaena tree forest, 12°28′27″N, 54°00′53″E.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: J, ‘ Republic of Yemen, Socotra Isl., Firmihin plato, Dracena tree forest, N12°28′465″, E54°00′ 89830″ [sic!], V. Hula lgt. 22.- 25.6.2009 [printed white label] ; Holotypus Colasposoma (Colasposoma) brevepilosum n. sp. S. Zoia det. 2012 [printed red label]’ ( NMPC). PARATYPES (149 spec.): ‘ Yemen, Socotra Island, Aloove area , Aloove vill. env., Jatropha unicostata shrubland with Boswellia elongata trees, 19.-20.vi.2012, 12°31.2’N, 54°07.4’E, 221 m, Socotra expedition 2012, J. Bezděk, J. Hájek, V. Hula, P. Kment, I. Malenovský, J. Niedobová & L. Purchart leg.’ (1 J 2 ♀♀ NMPC; 1 J SZCM) ; ‘ Yemen, Socotra Island, Zemhon area , 270–350 m, N12°30′58″, E54°06′39″, 3.-4.ii.2010, L. Purchart & J. Vybíral lgt.’ (2 JJ 1 ♀ NMPC) ; ‘ Yemen, Socotra Isl. , Zemhon area, 270-300 m, N12°30,58′, E054°06,39′, 16.- 17.6.2010 V. Hula leg.’ (43 JJ 13 ♀♀ NMPC; 2 JJ 1 ♀ JBCB; 4 JJ 4 ♀♀ SZCM) ; ‘ Yemen, Socotra Island, Dixam plateau, wadi Zerig, pools, Juncus marsh ; Dracaena trees; cave, 13.-14.vi.2012, 12°29.6’N, 53°59.5’E, 655 m, Socotra expedition 2012, J. Bezděk, J. Hájek, V. Hula, P. Kment, I. Malenovský, J. Niedobová & L. Purchart leg.’ (3 JJ 1 ♀ NMPC) ; ‘ Yemen, Socotra Island, Dixam plateau, wadi Zerig, 2.vi.2012, 12°29.6’N, 53°59.5’E, 655 m, V. Hula & J. Niedobová leg.’ (1 J 2 ♀♀ NMPC) ; ‘ Yemen, Socotra Isl. , Wadi Zirik, 650-670 m, N12°29′35.1″, E53°59′28.5″, 16.vi.2009, L. Purchart lgt.’ (1♀ NMPC) ; ‘ Socotra:W. Da’arho , 21.II.2009, leg. P. Lo Cascio & F. Grita’ (1 J PLCL) ; ‘ Yemen, Socotra Island, Dixam plateau, 14.-15.vi.2012, Firmihin, Dracaena woodland, 12°28.6’N, 54°01.1’E, 490 m, Socotra expedition 2012, J. Bezděk, J. Hájek, V. Hula, P. Kment, I. Malenovský, J. Niedobová & L. Purchart leg.’ (11 JJ 10 ♀♀ NMPC; 3 JJ 3 ♀♀ JBCB; 3 JJ 3 ♀♀ SZCM) ; ‘ Republic of Yemen, Socotra Isl. , Firmihin plato, Dracena tree forest, N12°28′465″, E54°00′ 89830″, V. Hula lgt. 22.- 25.6.2009 ’ (8 ♀♀ NMPC; 1 ♀ JBCB; 1 J 1 ♀ SZCM) ; ‘ Yemen, Socotra Isl. , Firmihin plato, 400-500 m, N12°28′46″, E54°00′89″, 18.–19.vi.2010, V. Hula & J. Niedobová leg.’ (2 JJ 2 ♀♀ NMPC; 1 J 1 ♀ JBCB) ; ‘ Yemen, Socotra Isl. , Firmihin, 400-500 m, N12°28′27.9″, E54°0′54.2″, 22.-25.vi.2009, L. Purchart lgt.’ (1 J SZCM) ; ‘ Yemen, Socotra isl., Firmihin , GPS 12.474N, 54.015E, 530 m, x.2000, leg. V. Bejček & K. Šťastný’ (3 JJ 2 ♀♀ CULS; 1 J 1 ♀ SZCM) ; ‘ Yemen, Soqotra Is., 2003 2-3/xii, Dixam plateau, Wadi Esgego, 300 m, N12°28′09″ E54°00′36″ [GPS], David Král lgt.’ (2 JJ NMPC) ; ‘ Yemen, Socotra Island, Dixam plateau, 15.+ 22.vi.2012, wadi Dirhor, open woodland with Boswellia ameero trees, 12°28.0’N, 54°00.5’E, 340 m, Socotra expedition 2012, J. Bezděk, J. Hájek, V. Hula, P. Kment, I. Malenovský, J. Niedobová & L. Purchart leg.’ (1 J 2 ♀♀ NMCP) ; ‘ Yemen, Socotra Island, Shibhon plateau, Eserhe, 13.vi.2012, Croton socotranus shrubland, 12°25.2’N, 53°56.6’E, 547 m, Socotra expedition 2012, J. Bezděk, J. Hájek, V. Hula, P. Kment, I. Malenovský, J. Niedobová & L. Purchart leg.’ (1 J 1 ♀ NMPC) .

Additional material examined. ‘ Yemen, Socotra Isl. , Hagher Mts., Skant, N12°34,557′, E54°01,514′, 7.-8.vi.2010, V. Hula & J. Niedobová leg.’ (1 J 1 ♀ NMPC) ; ‘ Yemen. Socotra Island, Hagher Mts , Scand Mt. env. montane evergreen woodland, 16.–18.vi.2012, 12°34.6’N, 54°01.5’E, 1450 m, Socotra expedition 2012, J. Bezděk, J. Hájek, V. Hula, P. Kment, I. Malenovský, J. Niedobová & L. Purchart leg.’ (2 JJ 3 ♀♀ NMPC; 1 ♀ JBCB; 1 J 1 ♀ SZCM) ; ‘ Yemen. Socotra Island, Hagher Mts , wadi Madar, montane shrubland with Cephalocroton socotranus , 18.vi.2012, 12°33.2’N, 54°00.4’E, 1170 m, Socotra expedition 2012, J. Bezděk, J. Hájek, V.Hula, P.Kment, I. Malenovský, J.Niedobová & L. Purchart leg.’(1J 1♀ NMPC;1J SZCM) ;‘ Yemen, Socotra Island, Dixam plateau, Tudhen,shrubland with Commiphora planifrons , 18. + 22.vi.2012, 12°32.7′N, 53°59.9′E, 1135 m, Socotra expedition 2012, J. Bezděk, J. Hájek, V. Hula, P. Kment, I. Malenovský, J. Niedobová & L. Purchart leg.’ (2 JJ 2 ♀♀ NMPC; 1 J 1 ♀ JBCB; 1 J 1 ♀ SZCM) .

Description. Habitus as in Figs. 123–124 ; body length of holotype 6.3 mm, paratypes 5.5–7.3 mm (JJ), 6.1–8.0 mm (♀♀).

Body dark brown to black with some bronze metallic reflections; head, pronotum and elytra dark bronze, metallic; labrum dark brown to black, mandibles black, lightly metallic, palpi yellowish; antennomeres reddish, antennomere I partially metallic dorsally, antennomeres VII–XI dull, somewhat darkened; legs blackish with metallic bronze reflections, last tarsomere usually little paler.

Frons feebly convex, with median impression between eyes, bare on whole surface; punctation confused, moderately strong, punctures closer and partially confluent near eyes and sometimes also in median impression of frons; surface between punctures smooth, shiny; clypeus not separated from frons, bare, punctate proximally, with fine microreticulation, nearly impunctate distally, distal border concave. Antennomere I nearly 1.6 times longer than II and nearly twice as wide, feebly bent on outer side; antennomere II two times longer than wide; antennomere III nearly as long as antennomere I and nearly four times longer than wide; antennomeres IV and V subequal to III; antennomere VI shorter than V; antennomeres VII–X dull, feebly widened, VII a little longer and wider than the following ones; antennomere X oblong, two times longer than wide; XI 1.3 times longer than X and nearly of the same width.

Pronotum 2.2–2.3 times wider than long (3.3 × 1.5 mm in holotype); convexity of surface interrupted before distal border by transversal impression, more evident in males; pronotal sides arched and margined throughout, widest in basal fourth; base wider than distal border; angles with small tooth bearing bristle, distal corners visible from above; surface with relatively fine, spaced punctation, punctures stronger and partially confluent on pronotal sides; transversal impunctate stripe on basal third of pronotal disc; pubescence fine, relatively short, usually absent on pronotal disc of males.

Scutellum 1.5 times wider than long, rounded, punctured, finely pubescent.

Hypomeron shiny, with relatively strong and spaced punctation, bare; distal border of prosternum regularly concave throughout, finely margined; prosternum divided from hypomeron by evident notosternal suture, strongly impressed distally; prosternum in midline nearly as long as wide between procoxae, feebly convex, punctate, with long whitish pubescence. Mesoventrite one third narrower than prosternum between coxae, its distal edge feebly incised in middle, surface finely punctured, pubescent; mesepimera not punctured, bare. Metaventrite transversely rugose, finely punctured on sides, with long and thin pubescence, distal border shortly incised in middle; metacoxae as spaced as mesocoxae; metanepisterna nearly four times longer than wide, with fine and close pubescence.

Elytra 1.1–1.3 times longer than wide at humeri (4.4 × 3.9 mm in holotype); surface almost regularly convex in males, with subhumeral impression on sides and feeble impression on sides of the disc in basal third; elytral punctation relatively fine and close in males, stronger and partially confluent only on elytral sides; surface between punctures smooth, flat on elytral disc, distance between two punctures as wide as diameter of puncture; elytral surface in females more evidently impressed in basal third, with rounded lateral carina from humeral callus up to apical slope and with second shorter and lower carina near elytral apex ( Fig. 72 ); elytral punctation somewhat stronger in females than in males, confluent on elytral sides; elytral apices at right angle; humeri lightly prominent in males, more evident in females, finely punctured; pubescence short and thin on disc, more evident on elytral sides. Epipleura wide at base, gradually tapering from base to elytral apices, strongly angulated with elytral surface, not punctured, almost bare, smooth, shiny. Epipleural width subject to some individual variability.

Legs moderately long; femora unarmed, feebly swollen, more so in male profemora; tibiae straight, protibial surface rough in distal half ( Fig. 70 ); protarsomeres I–II more or less widened in males. Claws bifid in about one third of their length, with inner tooth short.

Dorsal side of abdomen poorly sclerotized, pygidium sclerotized with apex rounded and pubescent; abdominal ventrites roughly punctured and pubescent.

Aedeagus as in Figs. 59–60 ; two very large tracheae enter median lobe from basal hood.

Spermatheca as in Fig. 71 ; coxites short, conical, sclerotized; spiculum ventrale relatively long and thin; vagina without any sclerotization.

Differential diagnosis. A species of Colasposoma (Colasposoma) of medium size, possibly related to C. (C.) zavattarii ( Ethiopia) from which it can be easily distinguished by dark legs, presence of an impunctate transversal strip at the base of pronotal disc, and by evident pubescence on dorsum. Development of the longitudinal carina on the elytral sides of females is similar in the two species.

Comments. Specimens collected at altitudes above 1100 m a.s.l. are excluded from type material. They differ from typical form in wider epipleura, strongly restricted only at level of the penultimate abdominal ventrite; the epipleural surface is slightly folded longitudinally in an obtuse angle, instead of being almost flat. Dorsal pubescence is somewhat shorter, leaving lustrousness of integuments more evident. No other remarkable differences have been observed, nor in the exoskeletal characters, neither in the aedeagus. They could be considered as a montane form of the present species.

Colasposoma (C.) brevepilosum sp. nov. had been collected in the inner Socotra, at altitudes from 220 to 670 m a.s.l., with the exception of the above mentioned specimens collected at higher altitude (above 1100 m a.s.l.). Related populations found in localities at a lower altitude, along the coast and in eastern Socotra ( Fig. 142 ), clearly differ in a few exoskeletal characters and in the aedeagi. I prefer to describe them as a subspecies and not to separate them at a higher level, to underline the morphological uniformity in this group of taxa.

The presence of two large tracheae entering the base of the median lobe of aedeagus, often easily visible also through the wall of the median lobe, is a common and unusual feature of these taxa, which underlines their close relationship.

Etymology. The name refers to the short pubescence of the dorsum.

Figures

Figs. 59–69. 59–62 – Colasposoma (Colasposoma) b. brevepilosum sp. nov. (59–60: J holotype; 61–62: J, Firmihin): 59 – aedeagus, apex, dorsal view; 60 – aedeagus, lateral view; 61 – tegmen; 62 – ventral sclerite of sternite IX. 63–65 – Colasposoma (Colasposoma) brevepilosum orientale subsp. nov. (J holotype): 63 – aedeagus, apex, dorsal view; 64 – aedeagus, lateral view; 65 – ventral sclerite of sternite IX. 66–69 – Colasposoma (Colasposoma) brevepilosum maritimum subsp.nov.(66–67, 69:J holotype; 68:J, wadi Ayhaft): 66 – aedeagus, apex, dorsal view; 67 – aedeagus, lateral view; 68 – tegmen; 69 – ventral sclerite of sternite XI.

Figs. 70–75. 70–72 – Colasposoma (Colasposoma) brevepilosum brevepilosum subsp. nov. (70: J holotype; 71–72: ♀, Zemhon area): 70 – protibia and tarsus; 71 – spermatheca; 72 – elytron, lateral view. 73 – Colasposoma (Colasposoma) brevepilosum orientale subsp. nov. (J holotype): protibia and tarsus. 74–75 – Colasposoma (Colasposoma) brevepilosum maritimum subsp. nov. (74: J holotype; 75: ♀, wadi Ayhaft): 74 – protibia and tarsus; 75 – spermatheca.

Figs.117–128. Habitus, dorsal and lateral view of: 117–118 – Colasposoma (Colasposoma) unicostatum sp. nov. (J holotype); 119–120 – C. (C.) purcharti sp. nov. (J holotype); 121–122 – C. (C.) atrocyaneum sp. nov. (J holotype); 123–124 – C. (C.) brevepilosum sp. nov. (J holotype); 125–126 – C. (C.) brevepilosum orientale subsp. nov. (J holotype); 127–128 – C. (C.) brevepilosum maritimum subsp. nov. (J holotype).

Figs. 139–144. Distribution maps of the species based on the studied material (in Fig. 142, question marks indicate a possible montane form of C. (C.) brevepilosum sensu lato, see species description).