Zonitoschema chourriba, Batelka & Bologna, 2014

Batelka, Jan & Bologna, Marco A., 2014, A review of the Saharo-Sindian species of the genus Zonitoschema (Coleoptera: Meloidae), with description of new species from Tunisia, Yemen and Socotra Island, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 54, pp. 241-268 : 247-248

Zonitoschema chourriba sp. nov.

( Figs 3, 4 , 26, 27 , 44, 45 , 58, 59 )

Type locality. Southern Tunisia, south of Kebili, Blidette village, 33°35ʹN, 08°51ʹE.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: ♂, Tunisia, Blidette (south of Kebili), 14./ 15.ix.1996, J. Batelka & H. Podroužková lgt. ( MBCR). PARATYPES: 1 ♂ 1 ♀ ( JBCP), Tunisia, Douz [33°27’N, 09°01’E], 11./ 12.ix.1996, J. Batelka & H. Podroužková lgt.

Description. Male. Body shiny brown-orange, but elytra clearer and subopaque; eyes, apical third of mandibles, antennomeres II–XI, tibiae and tarsi black, maxillary palpomeres dark brown. Setation light gold-yellow, recumbent, not dense except on tibiae and tarsi, where longer. Body length: 9.5–11.0 mm (holotype 11.0 mm).

Head ( Fig. 26, 27 ) slightly wider than pronotum, maximum width at eye level. Eyes very large, bulged, fore side evidently emarginated near antennal socket, extended ventrally and attaining medial margin of maxillae on underside of head, almost contiguous, frontally 1.1 times as wide as frontal narrowest space between eyes. Frontal suture curved in middle; frontal longitudinal middle line only weakly depressed, regularly punctuate. Head punctures regular, quite deep, medium sized, intermediate surface very narrow and shiny; setae sub-erected, posteriorly recumbent. Temples very short and obliquely distinctly narrowed posteriad, occiput slightly protruded. Clypeus flat, subtrapezoidal, anterior half glabrous and impunctate, shagreened, posterior half with punctuation and setation as on head capsule. Labrum suboval, depressed anteriorly and medially, anterior margin scarcely arcuate, slightly longer than clypeus. Mandibles slightly longer than apex of labrum, straight but curved in apical third. Galeae penicillate, shorter than maxillary palpi; palpomeres II–III slender and subcylindrical, IV scarcely widened in anterior half and subtruncate at apex. Antennae elongate, ca. 5.2 times as long as pronotal disc; ratio between each antennomere and shortest one (II) as follows: I: 1.1; III: 1.1; IV: 1.5; V: 1.7; VI: 1.7; VII: 1.6; VIII: 1.65; IX: 1.6; X: 1.6; XI: 1.9.

Pronotum ( Fig. 44 ), 1.1 times as wide as long, sides subparallel, only slightly widened from basis to middle and anteriorly subobliquely narrowed with straight sides; fore third scarcely depressed, posterior margin slightly rebordered; dorsally only scarcely convex in lateral view; punctures and setae as on head, but slightly more scattered; prosternum progressively and weakly narrowed posteriorly. Mesonotum slightly depressed in middle, largely rounded at posterior apex; mesoventrite transverse but laterally narrowed on sides and posteriorly greatly narrowed; metaventrite large, middle longitudinal line impunctate and glabrous. Elytra ca. 2.9 times as long as wide at base, ca. 4.1 times as long as pronotum, with dense and distinct, quite deep punctures, deeper and denser than on head and pronotum, setae dense, ca. as long as on pronotum, three venations well visible, dark and shiny. Metathoracic wings present and completely developed. Legs slender, setae of tibiae very dense and silver-yellow, those of femora shorter and more robust, particularly on ventral side. External apex of fore tibiae scarcely triangularly expanded; both foretibial spurs slender, inner one more pointed; mesotibial spurs both slender at apex; both metatibial spurs stick-like, parallel and subquadrate at apex; fore and middle tarsi 1.3 times as long as respective tibia, metatarsi as long as metatibia; tarsal claws denticulate, claw teeth thin and close to each other, ventral blade very thin.

Abdominal ventrites densely setated, surface almost shagreened; last ventrite deeply incised, posterior margin of IV ventrite strongly emarginated in middle. Gonoforceps slender, only slightly widened and rounded at apex and slightly curved posteriad ( Figs 58, 59 ).

Female. Similar to male, except of eyes less close together, frontally 0.9× as wide as frontal narrowest space between eyes; temples a little longer; ratio between each antennomere and shortest one (II) as follows: I: 1.3; III: 1.2; IV: 1.4; V: 1.4; VI: 1.5; VII: 1.4; VIII: 1.4; IX: 1.4; X: 1.4; XI: 1.5; pronotum ( Fig. 45 ), 1.0 times as wide as long; elytra ca. 4.6 times as long as pronotum, claw teeth more robust and well separated, last ventrite V-shaped. Body length: 9.5 mm (paratype).

Sexual dimorphism. Length of antennae in male longer than length of elytra, in female shorter than length of elytra. Elytra ca. 4.1 times as long as pronotum in male, and 4.6 times in female. Differential diagnosis. Zonitoschema chourriba sp. nov. is very similar to Z. pallidissima , but distinct by the strong elytral nervature, only slightly visible in Z. pallidissima , and by the elytral punctures, deeper and well distinct, never confluent; other differences are the length of male antennomeres VIII–XI, which are ca. as long as VII–XI of Z. pallidissima , the shape of male temples, which are clearly inclined and more convergent posteriorly than in Z. pallidissima , and the apex of male gonoforceps less widened than in Z. pallidissima . Ratio between length of elytra and pronotum is different in both sexes of Z. chourriba sp. nov. (see Sexual dimorphism), but is identical in both sexes of Z. pallidissima .

Etymology. The name of this new species is dedicated to the Tunisian Chourriba family, from Blidette village, especially to brothers Mehdi and Laid for their outstanding friendship, support and for guiding us through South Tunisian nature. The name is a noun in nominative case in apposition.

Collecting circumstances. All three specimens came to UV light-traps in an area of sand dunes at the edges of date palm plantations (‘palmeria’). Paratypes from Douz were collected together with a rich number of Paussus thomsoni Reiche, 1860 ( Coleoptera : Carabidae ) just before a thunderstorm. This unique event was in detail described by BATELKA (2000). In the locality of Blidette ( Fig. 60 ), the situation was similar. Only several specimens of P. thomsoni and other insects were in flight with Zonitoschema chourriba sp. nov., however next night (i.e. 15./ 16.ix.1996) heavy storm with strong wind came and no more beetles were collected. Although the same localities were also explored in September 1995 and September 1997, no other Zonitoschema specimen was collected. It seems reasonable to assume that the main flight activity of Zonitoschema chourriba sp. nov. is connected with stormy weather as is the case with Paussus thomsoni and some other Saharan insects ( BATELKA 2000).

Remarks. See below comments on Z. pallidissima .

Figures

Figs 3–4. Zonitoschema chourriba sp. nov.3 – dorsal habitus of female paratype; 4 – dorsal habitus of male paratype. Not on the same scale.

Figs 22–27. Heads. 22–23 – Zonitoschema iranica Kaszab, 1959 from Oman: 22 – male; 23 – female. 24 – Z. oculatissima Peyerimhoff, 1929 from Chad. 25 – Z. cf. gibdoana (Kaszab, 1956) from Dhiyan (Saudi Arabia). 26–27 – Z. chourriba sp. nov.: 26 – male paratype; 27 – female paratype. Not on the same scale.

Figs 35–49. Pronotal disc, dorsal view. 35–36 – Zonitoschema iranica Kaszab, 1959: 35 – male from the U.A.E.; 36 – female from Iran. 37 – Z. kaszabi sp. nov., paratype. 38–39 – Z. sp. cf. genicularis (Wellman, 1910): 38 – specimen from Somalia; 39 – specimen from Yemen. 40–41 – Z. pallidissima (Reitter, 1908) from Egypt: 40 – male; 41 – female. 42 – Z. pallidissima from Morocco. 43 – Z. rubricolor Pic, 1924 from Kenya. 44–45 – Z. chourriba sp. nov.: 44 – male paratype; 45 – female paratype. 46 – Z. arabica sp. nov., holotype. 47–48 – Z. oculatissima Peyerimhoff, 1929: 47 – holotype; 48 – specimen from Chad. 49 – Z. cf. pallidissima from Algeria. Not to the same scale.

Figs 50–59. Male genitalia, lateral view (57 and 59, dorsal view). 50–51 – Z. genicularis (Wellman, 1910): 50 – specimen from Zambia; 51 – specimen from Somalia (parameres only). 52 – Z. iranica Kaszab, 1959 from Israel. 53 – Z. pallidissima (Reitter, 1908). 54 – Z. gibdoana (Kaszab, 1956) from Kenya.55 – Z. sp. from Kenya (a species similar in colouration to Z. sp. cf. genicularis (Wellman, 1910)). 56–57 – Zonitoschema arabica sp. nov., holotype. 58–59 – Zonitoschema chourriba sp. nov., paratype. Not to the same scale.

Figs 60–61. 60 – Blidette (Tunisia), type locality of Zonitoschema chourriba sp. nov. 61 – Ayhaft (Yemen, Socotra Is.), type locality of Z. kaszabi sp. nov.