Kiskeya, Konstantinov, Alexander S. & Lourdes Chamorro-Lacayo, Maria, 2006

Konstantinov, Alexander S. & Lourdes Chamorro-Lacayo, Maria, 2006, A New Genus of Moss-inhabiting Flea Beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) from the Dominican Republic, The Coleopterists Bulletin 60 (4), pp. 275-290 : 276-284

Kiskeya new genus

( Figs. 1–24 )

Description. Body ( Figs. 1–3 ) length 1.06–1.10 mm, width 0.86–1.02 mm, round, convex in lateral view (1.4 times as long as thick). Color black with light greenish or bluish luster. Femur dark brown, rest of legs and antenna dark yellow.

Head ( Figs. 2 , 4–7 ) nearly hypognathous, flat in lateral view. Frons and vertex forming nearly straight line ( Figs. 6, 7 ) in lateral view. Supraorbital pore indistinguishable among four setae situated above eye. Antennal callus undeveloped. Midfrontal, suprafrontal, and supracallinal sulci absent. Suprantennal sulcus absent ( K. baorucae ) or present ( K. neibae ). Supraorbital and orbital sulci well developed, deep. Subgenal suture shallow along base of mandible. Orbit 0.53 times as wide as transverse diameter of eye. Interantennal space 2.37 times as wide as transverse diameter of eye and 3.45 times as wide as transverse diameter of antennal socket. Frontal ridge wide. Anterofrontal ridge not separated from frontal ridge. Eyes protruding laterally. Labrum with four setiferous pores. Apical margin concave, with short sensilla on each side. Labium with three palpomeres per palpus, two basal palpomeres wider than long. Maxillary palpus with four palpomeres, apical palpomere much smaller than preapical. Antenna with nine antennomeres, clavate.

Pronotum ( Figs. 1 , 4 , 6, 8, 9 ) 2.05 times wider than long (measured in middle), without impressions. Sides weakly rounded and relatively narrowly explanate, converging gradually from base to apex. Anterolateral callosity unusually long, with anterior pore situated near basal margin and near posterior pore. Posterolateral callosity not protruding. Basal margin evenly convex, without distinct border, sloping ventrally on both sides. Anterior coxal cavity closed. Intercoxal prosternal process shaped as tall, sharp ridge widened anteriorly and posteriorly ( Figs. 10 , 11 ).

Mesoscutellum tiny and barely visible, flat, and triangular ( Fig. 1 ). Mesocoxae separated by both meso- and metasterna. Mesosternal intercoxal process ( Figs. 12, 14 ) with sides converging, narrowly rounded on top. Mesosternum anterior to intercoxal process with two transverse, lateral ridges forming wider ridge in middle, reaching anterior margin of mesosternum. Mesepisternum much broader than mesepimeron.

Metanotum greatly simplified ( Fig. 17 ), consisting only of sclerotized allocrista. Metasternum ( Figs. 12, 14 ) slightly shorter than mesosternum, with deep, heart-shaped impression in middle surrounded by high ridge.

Elytron ( Figs. 15, 16 ) with maximum width near mid-length. Humeral callus absent. Elytral apex narrowly rounded, surrounded by distinct border. Epipleura broad, nearly vertical anteriorly, reaching to sutural margin of elytron. Lateral margin of elytron continued ventrally beyond epipleura near pronotum, delimiting epipleura dorsolaterally. Elytron with sensilla spread evenly throughout surface, not grouped in patches. Hind wings absent.

Profemur slightly flattened dorsoventrally, 2.64 times as long as wide. Mesofemur flat dorsoventrally, 1.71 times as long as wide. Metafemur robust, flat dorsoventrally, with large hump on anterolateral margin ( Fig. 12 ), 1.58 times as long as wide. Pro- and mesotibiae round in cross section, without apical spine. Metatibia ( Fig. 13 ) slightly curved in dorsal view, straight in lateral view, flat dorsoventrally, 3.37 times as long as wide, without serration on the outer edge and without preapical excavations on both inner and outer edges; apical spur longer than tarsal claw. Claw simple ( Figs. 5 , 13 ).

Abdomen with five visible distinct sternites ( Figs. 12, 14 ). Apical sternite as long as three preceding sternites combined, without appendages basally. Basal sternite with tall and sharp longitudinal ridge. Apical tergite of female nearly triangular, unevenly covered with long setae, sclerotized posteriorly and in middle ( Fig. 20 ). Tergite 9 strongly sclerotized posteriorly ( Fig. 18 ).

Spermatheca ( Fig. 22 ) with receptacle gradually transitioning into pump without distinct border between. Basal, pre-gland part of duct absent. Tignum ( Fig. 21 ) narrowing anteriorly, slightly wider posteriorly. Vaginal palpi ( Fig. 19 ) slender, more widely separated anteriorly than posteriorly.

Median lobe of aedeagus ( Fig. 23, 24 ) simple, convex in lateral view, without any sculpture ventrally, without membranous window. Basal part long and flat in lateral view.

Type species. Kiskeya baorucae new species

Etymology. This genus is named after the island Hispaniola which was called Kiskeya by the Arawak/Taino Indians native to the island. The name is feminine.

Diagnosis and comparison. Kiskeya can be separated from all known flea beetle genera by the following unique features: clavate antenna with only nine

antennomeres; pore of anterolateral callosity of pronotum situated near basal margin adjacent to posterior pore; basal margin of pronotum without border, sloping ventrally near sides; and spermathecal duct absent basally, so the gland and the distal part of the duct arise directly on the receptacle.

Among New World flea beetles, Kiskeya is similar to Monotalla Bechyne , both genera characterized by a small, round, and wingless body, absence of the impression on the pronotum, and clavate antennae (Savini and Furth 2001). Apart from its unique features, Kiskeya can be separated from Monotalla based on the nine antennomeres ( Monotalla has 10); absence of all sulci surrounding the antennal calli ( Monotalla has antennal calli separated by the supracallinal, midfrontal, and suprafrontal sulci); the relatively short metasternum that is slightly shorter than mesosternum (it is as long as the pro- and mesosterna combined in Monotalla ); and the shape of the metatibia, which is much wider, without serration on the outer edge, and without preapical excavations on both the inner and outer edges ( Monotalla ’s metatibia has a serrated outer edge and preapical excavations on both the inner and outer edges). Kiskeya also shares clavate antennae and a round body with Normaltica Konstantinov , also known from the Greater Antilles. It can be separated easily from Normaltica based on the nine antennomeres ( Normaltica has 11); absence of most head sulci ( Normaltica has a full set); and completely different thoracic and genitalic structures ( Konstantinov 2002).

Among Old World genera, Kiskeya is most similar to Clavicornaltica Scherer. These genera share a number of important features: clavate antennae; head lacking most sulci and both frontal and anterofrontal ridges; eyes protruding laterally beyond head limits, with a small number of relatively large ommatidia; long anterolateral callosity of pronotum which places the anterior setiferous pore close to the posterior pore; flattened meso- and metatibiae (latter with large spur); first abdominal sternite with tall longitudinal ridge; and intercoxal prosternal process shaped as tall, sharp ridge widened anteriorly and posteriorly [present in Clavicornaltica longsheng Konstantinov and Duckett , although flat in some other species (e. g., C. dali Konstantinov and Duckett )].

Kiskeya can be separated from Clavicornaltica by the following characters: antennae with 9 antennomeres ( Clavicornaltica has 11): absence of suprafrontal sulcus (present in Clavicornaltica ); supraorbital pore indistinguishable among four setae situated above eye (it is well developed in Clavicornaltica ); apical maxillary palpomere much smaller than preapical (it is as long as preapical in Clavicornaltica ); mesosternum clearly visible and not covered by metasternum as in Clavicornaltica ; epipleura nearly vertical (horizontal in Clavicornaltica ); basal, pre-gland part of spermathecal duct absent [in some Clavicornaltica species ( C. tamdao Konstantinov and Duckett ) the duct is very short, but is still there]; and vaginal palpi loosely attached basally and not widely separated (merged basally and widely separated in Clavicornaltica ).

Figures

Fig. 1. Dorsal habitus of Kiskeya baorucae new species.

Figs. 2, 3. Kiskeya baorucae. 2) lateral view; 3) frontal view.

Figs. 4, 5. Kiskeya baorucae. 4) frontal view; 5) ventral view.

Figs. 6–10. Kiskeya baorucae. 6, 7) head (ventrolateral and lateral views); 8–10) prothorax (lateral, dorsolateral, and ventrolateral views).

Figs. 11–16. Kiskeya baorucae. 11) prosternum; 12) body in ventral view with removed prothorax; 13) metatibia; 14) body in ventrolateral view; 15) left elytron; 16) right elytron.

Figs. 17–22. Kiskeya baorucae. 17) meso and metaterga; 18) ninth abdominal tergite of female; 19) vaginal palpi; 20) eighth abdominal tergite of female; 21) tignum; 22) spermatheca.

Figs. 23, 24. Median lobe of the aedeagus of Kiskeya species (ventral, lateral, and dorsal views). 23) K. baorucae; 24) K. neibae.