Tyrannomolpus rex, Nadein & Leschen, 2017

Nadein, Konstantin S. & Leschen, Richard A. B., 2017, A new genus of leaf beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Eumolpinae) from Three Kings Islands, New Zealand, Zootaxa 4294 (2), pp. 271-280 : 278

Tyrannomolpus rex spec. nov.

Figs 1–31 .

Description. Length— 9.7–11.9 mm (x = 11.1 mm; n = 5), greatest depth at abdomen - 3.6–3.8 mm. Dorsum ( Fig. 1 ) shining, with dark bronzy-greenish luster; antennae and legs reddish-brown; underside brownish with metallic luster. Vertex and frons ( Fig. 3 ) covered with large and dense punctures with some interstices wrinkled. Pronotum ( Fig. 9 ) covered with punctures of different size, dense, not larger than those on head. Scutellary shield ( Fig. 14 ) covered with small and sparse punctures. Elytral punctation ( Figs 15, 16 ) larger than pronotal, setae sparse at disc and much denser at lateral sides and apical portion. Apical third of tibiae covered with dense and long yellowish setae. Aedeagus ( Figs 29–31 ) long and broad, weakly depressed dorsoventrally, basal hood constitutes the half of aedeagal lenght, main body of penis gradually widened towards apex, apex nearly straight with well-developed, sharp triangular tip; in lateral view ( Fig. 30 ) slightly curved, apical half with equal width, apex thin, apical tip acute. Spermatheca ( Fig. 28 ) small, c-shaped, strongly curved and thick, proximal and distal parts of spermathecal capsule not delimited.

Etymology. The species name is derived from " rex " (Latin—king), and refers to the only known locality of new genus, the Three Kings Islands.

Host. A single specimen was collected at night from Meryta sinclairii (Hook. f.) Seem. ( Araliaceae ).

Distribution. The Three Kings Islands, northwest of North Island of New Zealand.

Type material. The type material is deposited in the New Zealand Arthropod Collection, Auckland ( NZAC).

Holotype: male ( NZAC): mounted on large card [left antennomere 11 with missing apex],” Great Island Three Kings / 1– 3.1.63 E. S. Gourley / Pilocolaspis elephantopus Gourley Det. E. S. Gourley n. sp. 1963 [partly in E. S. Gourley hand] / E.S. Gourley Acc. 1970 Ent. Div.

Paratypes ( NZAC): 1, male [pinned with abdomen removed and carded separately with genitalia missing], Three Kings Is. Great I. Nov. 70 NZ. Ent. Div. Ex. / Castaway Camp; 1, female [mounted dorsally, left antennomeres 8–11 and right antennomeres 9–11 missing, same but, J. C. Watt; 1 male [completely dissected with parts on 2 cards and in 2 genitalia vials], same, but G. Ramsay, on Meryta leaf at night [G. Ramsay, hand]; 1 male, same but, Tasman Valley / n. gen. Colaspini prob. not Pilocolaspis [G. Kuschel, hand].

Figures

FIGURES 1, 2. Tyrannomolpus rex, gen. nov., spec. nov. general view; 1: dorsal; 2: ventral.

FIGURES 3 – 12. Tyrannomolpus rex, morphological details; 3: head, midcranial suture marked with white arrow; 4: head, left lateral; 5: labrum; 6: maxilla; 7: labium and labial palpi; 8: antenna; 9: pronotum dorsal; 10: prosternum; 11: mesoventrite, mesanepisternum, mesepimeron, metaventrite, metanepimeron; 12: prosternum, anterior view.

FIGURES 13 – 25. Tyrannomolpus rex, morphological details; 13: metendosternite; 14: mesonotum and scutellary shield dorsal; 15: elytral disc; 16: elytral apex; 17: hind wing right; 18: pygidium (tergum VII); 19: abdomen; 20: abdominal apex; 21: tarsal claws; 22: left hind leg; 23: right protibia; 24: protarsus male; 25: protarsus female.

FIGURES 26 – 31. Tyrannomolpus rex, morphological details; 26: ovipositor; 27: gonocoxites; 28: spermatheca; 29: aedeagus ventral; 30: aedeagus lateral; 31: main body of penis ventral.