Blepharidina himba, Iannella & Biondi, 2019

Iannella, Paola D’Alessandro Mattia & Biondi, Maurizio, 2019, Revision of the Afrotropical flea beetle subgenus Blepharidina s. str. Bechyné (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae), Zootaxa 4545 (1) : -

Blepharidina himba sp. nov.

( Figs 7 , 21 , 43 , 68 )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:AA2504B9-0A6D-4CBF-9B93-DD64F2521EC0

Type material. Holotype ♂: “ Kaokoland ( Namibia), 4 km E Orumana, 18°1'S 13°50'E, 24.ii.1990, E. Marais & J. Irish leg.” ( ZMHB).

Diagnosis. Blepharidina himba sp. nov. shows a clear affinity with B. matabelelandensis sp. nov., with which it shares similar size, habitus, and color pattern ( Figs 7 , 14 ) and a very slender aedeagus, with laterally widely rounded apical part in ventral view ( Figs 43 , 50 ). However, B. himba sp. nov. can be easily distinguishable from B. matabelelandensis sp. nov. by: the lighter integuments; the different arrangement of the pronotal punctures ( Figs 21, 24 ), with two lateral groups and an elongate medial group (three lateral groups and a small basal medial group in B. matabelelandensis sp. nov.); the aedeagus tapered from base to subapical part (fusiform in B. matabelelandensis sp. nov.) ( Figs 43 , 50 ).

Description of the holotype (♂). Body elliptical-elongate, rather convex ( Fig. 7 ); LB = 7.31 mm; maximum pronotal width (WP = 2.81 mm) in basal third; maximum elytral width (WE = 3.81 mm) in middle. Head brown with yellowish antennae; pronotum yellow with brown patches mostly on groups and lines of punctures; elytra mostly yellow, but blackish on striae of punctures and part of interstriae; legs brown, with paler tarsi. Head distinctly pubescent, roughly and densely punctate; frontal grooves short, distinctly impressed near upper ocular margin; frontal tubercles small, flat, paler than head; interantennal space distinctly wider than length of first antennomere; upper interocular space wider than transverse ocular width ( Fig. 21 ); antennae about as long as half body length (LAN = 3.63 mm; LAN/LB = 0.50); LA: 100:39:67:83:83:78:78:72:72:72:83. Pronotum ( Fig. 21 ) subrectangular, distinctly transverse (LP = 1.56 mm; WP/LP = 1.80), with clearly sinuate lateral margin; anterior margin slightly thicker than basal margin, and clearly sinuate laterally; anterior angles distinctly prominent and slightly rounded anteriorly, pointed laterally; pronotal surface with lines and groups of differently sized punctures, also with a longitudinal line of punctures in middle; pronotal base with two lateral, distinctly impressed longitudinal striae. Scutellum brown, subrounded, moderately elongate. Elytra moderately elongate (LE = 5.69 mm; WE/LE = 0.67; LE/LP = 3.64), subparallel laterally, jointly rounded and entirely covering pygidium posteriorly; punctation deeply impressed, arranged in 9 (+ 1 scutellar) regular rows; interstriae distinctly carinate laterally and posteriorly. First pro- and mesotarsomeres distinctly dilated; tarsal claws bifid. Ventral parts brown; last abdominal ventrite without distinctive preapical impressions. Aedeagus (LAED = 3.50 mm; LE/LAED = 1.63) ( Fig. 43 ) in ventral view slender and tapered from base to subapical part; apical part laterally widely rounded, with a small median tooth; ventral sulcus deep, open towards basal part; in lateral view, aedeagus straight in basal 2/3s, then slightly curved dorsally, with apex ventrally bent; dorsal ligula connected to about apical fourth, with slightly carinate basal surface.

Etymology. The female specific epithet is after Himba people, who inhabit the north-western part of Namibia, where the species was collected.

Distribution. Namibia ( Fig. 68 ). Possibly Central Afrotropical (CAT) chorotype.

Ecological notes. Not available. The collection site falls within the area of Mopane Savanna vegetation (belonging to the Tropical Lowland Grassland, Savanna & Shrubland formation).

Figures

FIGURES 1–10. Blepharidina s. str. species habitus: 1, B. aliquantula sp. nov., ♂ holotype; 2, B. bimbiensis (Bechyné), ♂ lectotype; 3, B. burtli (Bryant), ♂ from Manjoni, Tanzania; 4, B. carinata (Bryant), ♂ lectotype; 5, B. delineata (Bryant), ♀ lectotype; 6, B. guttulata (Baly), ♂ from Zamibuo, Angola; 7, B. himba sp. nov., ♂ holotype; 8, B. intermedia (Jacoby), ♂ from Kindwitvi, Tanzania; 9, B. kasigauensis sp. nov., ♂ holotype; 10, B. kenyana sp. nov., ♂ holotype.

FIGURES 20–25. Blepharidina s. str. species pronotum, in dorsal view: 20, B. guttulata (Baly); 21, B. himba sp. nov.; 22, B. intermedia (Jacoby); 23, B. macarthuri (Bryant); 24, B. matabelelandensis sp. nov.; 25, B. ornaticollis (Jacoby).

FIGURES 38–43. Blepharidina s. str. species aedeagus, from left to right in ventral, dorsal, and lateral view: 38, B. aliquantula sp. nov., holotype; 39, B. bimbiensis (Bechyné), lectotype; 40, B. burtli (Bryant), from Manjoni, Tanzania; 41, B. carinata (Bryant), lectotype; 42, B. guttulata (Baly), from Masséssé, Republic of Congo; 43, B. himba sp. nov., holotype.

FIGURES 68–69. Blepharidina s. str. species distribution. Vegetation types are from Sayre et al. (2013).

FIGURES 11–19. Blepharidina s. str. species habitus: 11, B. knighti (Bryant), ♂ lectotype; 12, B. laesa (Kolbe), ♂ lectotype; 13, B. macarthuri (Bryant), ♂ lectotype; 14, B. matabelelandensis sp. nov., ♂ holotype; 15, B. ornaticollis (Jacoby), ♂ lectotype; 16, B. partita (Jacoby), ♂ from Solwezi, Zambia; 17, B. picta (Kolbe), ♂ from Mikindani, Tanzania; 18, B. regalini sp. nov., ♂ holotype; 19, B. rudeli (Weise), ♀ lectotype.

FIGURES 50–54. Blepharidina s. str. species aedeagus, from left to right in ventral, dorsal, and lateral view: 50, B. matabelelandensis sp. nov., holotype; 51, B. ornaticollis (Jacoby), from Ramisi River, Kenya; 52, B. partita (Jacoby), from Solwezi, Zambia; 53, B. picta (Kolbe), from Mikindani, Tanzania; 54, B. regalini sp. nov., holotype.