Symmela iannuzziae Pacheco, Wipfler, Monné and Ahrens, 2022

Pacheco, Thaynara L., Wipfler, Benedict, Monné, Marcela L. & Ahrens, Dirk, 2022, The genus Symmela Erichson, 1835 (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Sericini): taxonomy and phylogenetic analysis, Journal of Natural History 56 (9 - 12), pp. 607-705 : 647-649

Symmela iannuzziae Pacheco, Wipfler, Monné and Ahrens sp. nov.

( Figures 12 , 29 (b), 30(l))

Type material examined

Holotype. ♂ ‘ Brasil Pernambuco Recife. Dois Irmãos, alunos UFPE/ 32 Neotropical Sericini spec.’ ( CEMT) . Paratypes: 1 ♂, 1 ♀ ‘PE, Recife , P .E. de Dois Irmãos, 17 .iii .2022, E.J. Galdino & A.O. Lira’ ( CERPE), 1 ♂ ‘PE, Recife, P .E. de Dois Irmãos, 12 .iv .2022, E.J. Galdino & P.E. Costa’ ( CERPE) .

Description

Length: 4.9 mm. Elytral length: 2.9 mm. Width: 2.5 mm. Head blackish brown, shiny, with erect, sparse setae. Labroclypeus as wide as frons, subtrapezoidal; surface flat; plain, without an anterior concavity on each side; anterior margin weakly emarginated medially, weakly reflexed, with a rim of dense, short setae behind anterior margin; lateral margin not incised anteriorly; punctation of surface posteriorly dense; suture between labrum and clypeus invisible. Smooth area in front of eye distinctly separated from frons by a suture. Frons anteriorly flat, punctation even, moderately dense. Ocular canthus with terminal setae, ratio of length of ocular canthus/eye diameter: 1/3. Eyes evenly spherical, ratio of diameter/interocular width: 0.5. Antenna with eight antennomeres. Antennal club with three antennomeres, blackish, straight; width of antennal lamella much narrower than width of antennomeres of funiculus; apical lamella subequal to basal and median ones; length ratio of antennal club vs remaining antennomeres combined: 1/1.5; length ratio of third vs fourth antennomere: 1/3; fourth antennomere without lateral projection; length ratio of fifth vs fourth antennomere: 1/3. Labrum anteriorly without blunt processes. Setae on mentum moderately dense.

Head and pronotum without copper iridescent shine. Pronotum bicoloured, iridescent, blackish brown; widest at middle, width subequal to width of elytral base at humerus; anterior marginal line not interrupted medially, posterior marginal line absent; lateral margin not serrated, generally bent at middle, otherwise straight, behind anterior angles straight, posteriorly straight; setae of lateral margin sparse; basal margin evenly curved; transverse impression beside basal margin absent; anterior angles produced, sharply pointed; antero-lateral and postero-lateral angles not flattened dorso-ventrally; posterior angles blunt; surface without median longitudinal impression, transversal furrows or setae; punctation on disc sparse, simple and fine, without well-defined impunctate areas. Scutellum without punctures.

Elytra bicoloured, yellowish brown in major part, margins blackish; surface iridescent, without setae and microsculpture; striae and intervals distinct; punctation between striae sparse, diameter of punctures compared to those of striae equal; intervals flat; posterior edge convex; apical margin chitinous, without microtrichomes.

Abdomen: sternites flat in sagittal plane; lateral carina absent; first visible ventrite with row of setae on posterior edge; second visible ventrite with row of setae in medial region; basal ventrites medially with half length as laterally; ultimate and penultimate apical ventrites simple and flat; apical ventrite very short (half as long as preceding ventrite); penultimate apical ventrite with row of setae like preceding one; beside the robust row of setae, almost glabrous. Pygidium strongly convex.

Legs blackish and yellow. Ratio of length of metepisternum/metacoxa: 1/1.39. Metacoxa entirely plain, without elevated lateral longitudinal carina; without longer lateral bristles and setae on basal surface, posterior margin glabrous. Metafemur with posterior margin straight. Metatibia widest at middle; ratio of width/length: 1/2.4; dorsal margin not carinated, smooth; interior surface more or less glabrous; median longitudinal punctation present on interior surface; interior margin of apex weakly and shallowly truncate towards ventral margin; punctation on entire lateral face present; beside dorsal margin without a row of robust setae along entire length; basal group of spines comprising at least two robust spines at same level of metatibial length; distal groups of spines disposed at nearly half of metatibia length; ventral margin not serrated. Dorsal surface of tarsi glabrous, with very sparse punctures. Length ratio of dorsal tibial spur/first metatarsomere: 1/2. Metatarsi at apex weakly widened; first tarsomere straight, its length subequal to second and third tarsomeres combined; laterally not carinate; ventral margin serrated; ventral margin glabrous; medial face glabrous. Protibia with two distinct teeth; spur straight. First protarsomere straight, a little longer than second; width ratio of first protarsomere vs second protarsomere: 1.5/1; second protarsomere narrow and straight; third and fourth protarsomere elongate and narrow (distinctly longer than wide); fifth protarsomere circular in cross section, a little shorter than third and fourth protarsomere combined. Protarsal claws asymmetrical, shape of inner protarsal claw bifid, apex of basal tooth of inner protarsal claw convex.

Aedeagus: Figure 12 (c,d).

Female unknown.

Diagnosis

Symmela iannuzziae sp. nov. differs from the very similar S. fuhrmanni (both species share the mesally widened metatibiae) by the non-reflexed labroclypeus, the bidentate protibia (male), and the basally wide, short and flattened parameres ( Figure 12 (d)), which are in S. fuhrmanni more elongate and subparallel in dorsal view.

Etymology

The new species is named after Luciana Iannuzzi, a Brazillian entomologist (noun in genitive case).

Figures

Figure 12. Symmela iannuzziae sp. nov., holotype ♂. (a) Habitus, dorsal view; (b) habitus, lateral view; (c) aedeagus, lateral view; (d) parameres, dorsal view. Scale bars: a, b = 1 mm; c, d = 0.5 mm.

Figure 29. Distribution map of the Symmela species.