Mylabris (Mylabris) desertica Bologna, 2007

Bologna, Marco A. & Turco, Federica, 2007, The Meloidae (Coleoptera) of the United Arab Emirates with an updated Arabian checklist, Zootaxa 1625 (1), pp. 1-33 : 12-13

Mylabris (Mylabris) desertica Bologna n. sp.

Type specimen. Holotype female: Saudi Arabia, Hā’ il, Ghazzālah, 11.iv.1944 A. R. Waterston coll. ( BMNH). This specimen lacks right antennomeres VIII –XI, left antennomeres III–XI, right mesotarsomeres and left hind leg.

Diagnosis. A medium sized Mylabris of the nominate subgenus ( Fig. 1 ), characterized by a black elytral pattern unique in this group, with two fore spots, one middle wide spot, forming almost a transverse stripe, one subapical wide and transverse spot, almost forming a stripe, and a very narrow apical margin.

Description. Body black, but antennomeres after II dark reddish as well as mandibles; elytra brown with the following black spots ( Fig. 2 ): two fore spots, parallel, the inner one rounded, the external wider and oval, one middle wide spot, forming almost a transverse stripe, enlarged anteriorly in the middle, two subapical spots wide and transverse fused to form a suboblique stripe, and an extremely narrow apical margin. Body maximal length: 13.4 mm.

Head transverse, slightly wider than long, maximal width at the level of eye, which are large, slightly bulged, not evidently emarginated on the fore-dorsal margin. Frons only slightly convex, with a posteriorly bilobed red spot at middle, between eyes; punctation relatively scattered, slightly deep, intermediate surface micropunctate, shiny; frontal suture well developed. Temples subparallel but slightly convergent on occiput. Clypeus transverse, wider than long, with dense puncturation, fore margin slightly rounded; labrum 1.5 as long as clypeus, enlarged from base to middle, than convergent in front, fore margin widely emarginated. Mandibles narrowed anteriorly, about 1.5 as long as clypeus and labrum together. Maxillary and labial palpi unmodified, last maxillary palpomere slightly enlarged apically. Antennomere I more than twice as long as II, which is subglobose; III shiny and elongate, subparallel, three times as long as II and more than 1.5 as long as IV; IV–VI shiny, similar in shape, slightly widened from base; VII similar to IV–VI, but shorter and more widened, with denser setation.

Pronotum elongate, distinctly longer than wide, subparallel, slightly enlarged from base to the middle, then evidently narrowed to the fore margin. Anteriorly greatly depressed transversally; a round depression also at the middle and along the base. Punctures deep and distanced, intermediate surface shiny. Mesosternum as in Fig. 3 ; mesepisterna anteriorly depressed, fore modified area (“scutum”) small with a posterior setigerous area. Tibiae with two pointed elongate spurs; tibiae and tarsi with robust setae, subspiniform, fore protibial external expansion short; claws smooth, slender. Elytra densely punctured, punctures approached, subrugose, similar on both yellow and black surface.

Etymology. The name of this species refers to the most typical habitat of the Arabian Peninsula.

Figures

FIGURES 1–3. Mylabris (Mylabris) desertica n. sp.: 1. Habitus of the Holotype; 2. right elytron; 3. mesosternal sclerites. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.