Jelinekigethes dichromus Audisio & Cline

Audisio, Paolo, Cline, Andrew Richard, Mancini, Emiliano, Trizzino, Marco, Lamanna, Francesco & Antonini, Gloria, 2011, A new species of southern African pollen beetle and discussion of the taxonomic position of Jelinekigethes Audisio & Cline, 2009 (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae: Meligethinae), Zootaxa 2909, pp. 47-56 : 50-52

Jelinekigethes dichromus Audisio & Cline , sp. nov.

( Figs 2, 5–6, 8 )

Diagnosis. Small-sized (length 1.8–2.1 mm), shining black species with head and pronotum usually reddish, strongly contrasting to blackish elytra, with orange brown legs. In general appearance ( Fig. 2 ) similar to J. danielssoni Audisio, 1995 , but slightly wider and shorter, with peculiar reddish colouration of the pronotum of most known specimens, and characterized by a markedly different shape of the male and female genitalia (see Figs 3–8 ).

Description. Short, wide ( Fig. 2 ) L:W = 1.8:1, moderately convex, small-sized (length: 1.90 mm; width: 1.0 5 mm); metallic dark brown or blackish, with reddish head (eyes darker) and pronotum, yellowish front legs and antennae (club darker), middle and hind legs yellowish to castaneous.

Pubescence golden, rather distinct but short and recumbent. Setae on lateral margin of pronotum and elytra scarcely visible.

Head with moderately deep punctures nearly as large as eye facets, separated by half to one diameter, surface between punctures smooth and shining; front margin of clypeus transversely truncate and not bordered, with lateral angles rather blunt. Fronto-geneal grooves distinct. Frons without tentorial impressions. Antennae medium-sized, club small, with short pubescence; third antennal segment elongate, slightly shorter than second.

Pronotum moderately convex, 1.70X as wide as long, moderately rounded at sides, more strongly narrowed anteriorly than posteriorly, broadest in middle or at posterior third ( Fig. 2 ), with posterior angles almost completely rounded; sides narrowly bordered. Posterior margin slightly sinuate on either side of scutellum; discal punctures as on head or slightly larger and deeper, surface between them smooth and shining. Scutellum rather large, with exposed portion finely punctate; interspaces with traces of microreticulation.

Elytra 1.05–1.10X wider (combined width) than long, scarcely arcuate at sides, arcuately narrowed towards apex, broadest in middle or at basal two fifths, ~1.15X as wide as pronotum; humeri moderately raised; punctures smaller and shallower than on pronotum, surface with strongly marked transverse strigosity; spaces between punctures smooth and shining.

Prosternal antennal furrows nearly as long as second antennal segment, oblique, and distinct. Prosternal process subparallel, moderately widened towards a truncately rounded apex, distinctly wider than antennal club; punctures moderately deep, smaller than eye facets, separated by nearly one diameter; surface smooth. Mesosternum with posterior edge straight. Metaventrite almost flat, with no sexual dimorphism; punctures simple, moderately deep, typically as large as eye facets, separated by one diameter or more, surface smooth and shining. Posterior edge of last abdominal ventrite appearing simple in both sexes

Protibiae moderately elongate, outer edge minutely serrate, with a series of 7–10 small, narrowly triangular, relatively even teeth; teeth progressively larger distad ( Fig. 2 ); inner edge of protibiae simple and appearing straight in both sexes. Protarsi in female specimens nearly as wide as first antennal segment, slightly wider in male specimens. Tarsi of normal shape, all being rather short, posterior tarsomeres much shorter than antennae ( Fig. 2 ). Metatibiae moderately elongate, inner edge simple and appearing straight in both sexes; outer edge of both meso- and metatibiae arcuate and regularly shaped. Meso- and metafemora with a simple posterior edge in both sexes.

Tegmen ( Fig. 5 ) relatively small, slender, with few and peculiarly long setae at apex, and short, linear median excision; median lobe of aedeagus long ( Fig. 6 ), strongly narrowed and spatulate at distal third, apex moderately acuminate, apical portion markedly declined downwards when observed in lateral view.

Ovipositor as figured ( Fig. 8 ), unicolorous yellowish, small and short, apex arcuately narrowed with peculiarly large and asymmetric styli; outer subdivision of coxites short and wide; 'central point' placed at distal three sevenths, with long and wide ventral spicule.

Female: Externally differing from male only by slightly narrower protarsi.

Variation. Body sizes: length: 1.80–2.05 mm; width: 1.05–1.18 mm. One male paratype shows head and pronotum darker, i.e. blackish-brown like elytra.

Type material. HOLOTYPE, male, Republic of South Africa: Limpopo, Strydpoortberge, Wolkberg Nature Reserve, 24.03.20 S, 30.00.41E, trail to the waterfall, 1400/ 1450 m, 22.II.2007, on small, unidentified flowering undershrubs, P.Audisio & M.Biondi leg. ( TMSA). Paratypes: 3 males, 2 females, same data as holotype ( CAR, NMP).

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the Greek dichromos (= bicoloured), which emphasizes the usually contrasting coloration of head and pronotum (reddish) and elytra (black).

Geographic distribution. Thus far the species is only known from the type locality in the Limpopo Province ( Fig. 11 ).

Biology. The type specimens were collected in late February by sweeping in bushveld along a rocky xeric slope from flowers of small bushes belonging to an unidentified plant family. Unfortunately, due to technical problems it was not possible to take a picture of the plant, and the single collected voucher of the host-plant was later lost along the trail. All host plants were localized along a short section of a trail, at 1400–1450m. The host plants were represented by small undershrubs (80–120 cm tall) with thin, long, right angled vertical stems that were partly ligneous but without branches below the distal third of the stem. Each plant was distally adorned with a nearly globular foliage of about 25–30 cm in diameter, formed by small (1–1.5 cm long), elliptic, Buxus -like leaves probably in an alternate arrangement, with entire margins, and some of them bearing, close to the base, a single, very small (~ 3 mm length, and ~ 2 mm wide) whitish funnel-shaped or campanulate flower in a nearly axillary position with probably 4 or 5 short petals at its distal third.

Figures

FIGURE 11. Map of known geographic distribution of Jelinekigethes danielssoni (Audisio 1995) (black triangles) and of J. dichromus sp. nov. (white triangle) in South Africa.

FIGURES 1 – 10. 1 – 2: habitus; 1, Jelinekigethes danielssoni (Audisio 1995) (male paratype from South Africa, Western Cape, De Hoop Nature Reserve); 2, Jelinekigethes dichromus sp. nov. (male paratype from South Africa, Limpopo, Wolkberg Nature Reserve). 3 – 6: male genitalia (tegmen and median lobe of aedeagus); 3 – 4, Jelinekigethes danielssoni (Audisio 1995) (male paratype from South Africa, Western Cape, De Hoop Nature Reserve); 5 – 6: Jelinekigethes dichromus sp. nov. (male paratype from South Africa, Limpopo, Wolkberg Nature Reserve). 7 – 8: ovipositors and magnification of the left stylus; 7, Jelinekigethes dichromus sp. nov. (female paratype from South Africa, Limpopo, Wolkberg Nature Reserve); 8, Jelinekigethes danielssoni (Audisio, 1995) (female paratype from South Africa, Western Cape, Franschhoek Pass). 9: right anterior tibia of Jelinekigethes danielssoni (Audisio 1995) (male paratype from South Africa, Western Cape, De Hoop Nature Reserve). 10: pygidium of Jelinekigethes danielssoni (Audisio 1995) (female from South Africa, Western Cape, Dutoits Kloof Nature Reserve). Scale bar = 1. 0 mm (Figs 1 – 2); = 0. 17 mm (Figs 3 – 9); = 0. 50 mm (Fig. 10).