Caryedon sp.

Delobel, Alex, 2012, Bruchinae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) from Socotra Island, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 52, pp. 373-380 : 376-377

Caryedon sp. pr. serratus (Olivier, 1790)

( Figs. 1–4 )

Material examined (2 spec.). YEMEN: SOCOTRA ISLAND: Zemhon area , 12°30′58″N 54°06′39″E, 270–350 m, 3.–4.ii.2010, 1 ♀, L. Purchart & J. Vybíral leg. ( NMPC) ; same data, 1 ♀, V. Hula leg. ( NMPC) .

Comments. These two specimens from Zemhon area show some similarity with C. sudanensis Southgate, 1971 , but are of a darker and more reddish colour; pronotum is clearly less transverse, with lateral margin straight in basal three quarters. They obviously belong to a new species, but description has been postponed until a male specimen becomes available. Body colour is reddish brown, including antennae; anterior and median legs testaceous. Vestiture uniformly pale yellowish. Head with strong and shining median keel. Posterior femora with pecten made of one slightly stronger spine followed by 7–9 smaller spines. Body length 3.5–4.7 mm.

Female genitalia ( Figs. 1–4 ) show strongly defined vaginal plates: dorsal vaginal plate long and narrow, ventral vaginal plate almost square, with posterior side almost straight, pointed medially and with marked lateral angles; neck of bursa copulatrix with row of strongly pointed spines.

General female genital structure is similar to C. gonagra , C. angeri (Semenov, 1896) or C. serratus ( C. serratus species group). Dorsal vaginal plate is shorter and wider in C. serratus , posterior side of ventral vaginal plate is regularly rounded in C. serratus and C. gonagra ; spines in anterior half of bursa copulatrix elongated, with narrow base (rounded base in C. gonagra ). In C. angeri , the anterior rim of the ventral vaginal sclerite is deeply emarginated to accommodate the opening of the oviduct ( ANTON & DELOBEL 2004), which is not the case here.

On the other hand, because of the lack of maculation of its integument, the new species would fall into C. acaciae group in JOHNSON’ s et al. (2004) key to the species groups of Caryedon Schönherr, 1823 . It may be easily confused with dark specimens of C. sudanensis , a species with quite unrelated female genitalia (compare with Figs. 5–6 ).

Similar also to C. furcatus Anton & Delobel, 2004 , a species recorded in Saudi Arabia and mainland Yemen ( ANTON 2010), but differs in larger and more transverse pronotum, and distinctive female genital plates.

Figures

Figs. 1–4. Female genitalia of Caryedon sp. pr. serratus: 1 – dorsal view; 2 – lateral view, showing dorsal (d) and ventral sclerites of vagina (v), oviduct (o); 3 – spiculum gastrale; 4 – ovipositor.

Figs. 5–7. 5–6 – Female genitalia of Caryedon sudanensis Southgate, 1971: 5 – dorsal view; 6 – lateral view of vagina, showing dorsal (d), anteroventral (av), posteroventral (pv), anterolateral (al), and posterolateral (pl) sclerites. 7 – female genitalia of Caryedon yemenensis Decelle, 1979, dorsal view, with dorsal, posteroventral and anterior ventrolateral (avl) sclerites.