Blepharidina regalini, 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) : -

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4545.1.2
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:1D2EC333-517D-4FC1-A0AA-61EDD8BE8BEE
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5935516
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/E35D5006-AAF1-442F-957A-422B48B34647
taxon LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:act:E35D5006-AAF1-442F-957A-422B48B34647
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Blepharidina regalini
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Blepharidina regalini sp. nov.

( Figs 18 View FIGURES 11–19 , 33 View FIGURES 26–33 , 54 View FIGURES 50–54 , 66 View FIGURES 55–67 , 68 View FIGURES 68–69 )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:E35D5006-AAF1-442F-957A-422B48B34647

Type material. Holotype ♂: “Kenya SE, SW of Voi (3°24'S 38°33'E), 8–12.xii.2009, M. Snízěk leg.” ( BAQ) GoogleMaps . Paratypes. Same data as the holotype, 2 ♂ ( BAQ; BMNH) . KENYA: Voi, S. Foot Sagala ( Sagala Hills 3°28'S 38°35'E), 19.iv.2008, M. Snízěk leg., 1 ♂ ( ZMHB) GoogleMaps ; Kiboko env. (2°12'S 37°43'E), 21.xi.1999, M. Snízěk leg., 1 ♂ ( MNHN) GoogleMaps ; Taveta, Tsavo West N. P., Lake Jipe (3°33'S 37°45'E), xii.1993, R. Regalin leg., 1 ♀ ( BAQ) GoogleMaps ; 202 km E Thika, Sosoma (0°53'S 38°40'E), 3.xii.2010, M. Snízěk leg., 1 ♂ ( BAQ) GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis. Blepharidina regalini sp. nov. and B. kenyana sp. nov. share similar size, habitus and color pattern ( Figs 10 View FIGURES 1–10 , 18 View FIGURES 11–19 ). However, B. regalini can be easily distinguished for the following characters: aedeagus clearly different in size, lateral view and shape of the dorsal ligula ( Figs 46 View FIGURES 44–49 , 54 View FIGURES 50–54 ); slender antennomeres and more distinctly carinate elytral interstriae ( Figs 29, 33 View FIGURES 26–33 ). Aedeagus of B. regalini sp. nov. is also similar to B. aliquantula sp. nov. and B. kasigauensis sp. nov., but it is distinguishable because more bent dorsally in lateral view ( Figs 38 View FIGURES 38–43 , 45 View FIGURES 44–49 , 54 View FIGURES 50–54 ). Based on the external characters, B. regalini sp. nov. is also recognizable by: lateral margin of pronotum moderately sinuate (more distinctly sinuate in the other two species), with anterior angles visible in dorsal view ( Figs 26, 28, 33 View FIGURES 26–33 ); interocular space about as wide as the transverse ocular width (wider in the other two species); elytral color pattern without defined patches (with evident patches in the other two species) ( Figs 1, 9 View FIGURES 1–10 , 18 View FIGURES 11–19 ).

Description of the holotype (♂). Body elliptical-elongate, rather convex ( Fig. 18 View FIGURES 11–19 ); LB = 6.25 mm; maximum pronotal width (WP = 2.50 mm) in basal third; maximum elytral width (WE = 3.34 mm) in middle. Head brown, with paler clypeus and labrum; antennae yellow; pronotum yellow, with brown patches on groups and lines of punctures; elytra yellow, with brown striae and some small, brown patches on interstriae; legs brownish, with yellowish distal part of tibiae, and tarsi. Head distinctly pubescent, roughly punctate; frontal grooves short, moderately impressed; frontal tubercles poorly delimited, flat; interantennal space little wider than length of first antennomere; interocular space about as wide as transverse ocular width; antennae about as long as half body length (LAN = 3.06 mm; LAN/LB = 0.49); LA: 100:35:65:65:85:71:71:65:59:53:71. Pronotum subrectangular, clearly transverse (LP = 1.31 mm; WP/LP = 1.90), with moderately sinuate lateral margin ( Fig. 33 View FIGURES 26–33 ); anterior margin slightly thicker than basal margin, and moderately sinuate laterally; anterior angles moderately prominent laterally; pronotal surface with lines and groups of differently sized punctures; pronotal base with two distinctly impressed lateral and longitudinal striae. Scutellum light brown, subrounded, moderately elongate. Elytra moderately elongate (LE = 4.69 mm; WE/LE = 0.71; LE/LP = 3.57), subparallel laterally, jointly rounded and entirely covering pygidium posteriorly; punctation distinctly impressed, arranged in 9 (+ 1 scutellar) regular rows; interstriae flat, weakly carinate only laterally and posteriorly. First pro- and mesotarsomeres distinctly dilated; tarsal claws bifid. Ventral parts brown; last abdominal ventrite without distinctive preapical impressions. Aedeagus (LAED = 2.59 mm; LE/LAED = 1.81) ( Fig. 54 View FIGURES 50–54 ) slightly sinuate laterally in ventral view, with subtriangular apical part and small median tooth; ventral sulcus wide, open towards basal part; in lateral view, aedeagus straight but gradually and strongly narrowed in subapical part, because of sinuate dorsal side; dorsal ligula short, connected to approximately the apical fourth.

Variation. Paratypes rather similar in shape, size and sculpture to the holotype; some specimens with slightly darker integument. Female distinguishable by the first pro- and mesotarsomeres not dilated, and the shorter antennae (see Morphometry in Appendix 2). Spermatheca ( Fig. 66 View FIGURES 55–67 ) with globose, elongate basal part; distal part very short, less sclerotized than basal part; ductus thick, but gradually narrowing towards distal part; distal part with a trace of coil.

Etymology. The specific epithet is after one of its collectors, Renato Regalin, our friend and colleague, renowned specialist of Clytrini ( Chrysomelidae , Cryptocephalinae), who prematurely passed away in 2016.

Distribution. Kenya ( Fig. 68 View FIGURES 68–69 ). Possibly Northern-Eastern Afrotropical (NEA) chorotype.

Ecological notes. Not available. The collection sites fall within the area of Eastern African Xeric Scrub (belonging to the Warm Desert & Semi-Desert Scrub & Grassland formation), and Afromontane Moist Forest (belonging to the Tropical Montane Humid Forest formation).