Prometopia intermedia, Jelínek & Hájek & Eos & Mp- & Bx & Ds, 2020

Jelínek, Josef, Hájek, Jiří, Eos, Canon, Mp-, Canon, Bx, Olympus & Ds, Canon, 2020, Review of the Afrotropical species of the genus Prometopia (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae: Prometopiinae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 60 (1), pp. 189-199 : 195-199

Prometopia intermedia sp. nov.

(Figs 2–3, 10, 13)

Type locality. Tanzania, Morogoro Province, Magombera Forest, 07°48′56.7″N, 36°57′42.5″E.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: (BMNH), labelled: ‘ TANZANIA / Magombera Forest / S07°48’56.7”;E36°57’42.5” / 28.vii-1.viii.10 Light Trap / leg. Smith,R & Takano,H [p] // BMNHƐ / 2013-71 / 1460126 [p] // HOLOTYPE / PROMETOPIA / intermedia sp. nov. / Jelínek & Hájek det. 2019 [p, red label]’.

Additional material examined. TANZANIA: Morogoro province, 10 km N of Mikumi, 7°19.6′N; 36°57.4′E, 700 m, 11.i.2007, F. Kantner lgt., 1 ♀ (NMPC); see the description of female below.

Description. Male (holotype) (Fig. 2). Oval, moderately convex, moderately shining. Black, explanate sides of pronotum and elytra rusty, each elytron with one somewhat rhombic orange spot somewhat before its midlength, legs and antennae brown, pygidium brown, ventral surface reddish brown. Pubescence yellowish, recumbent, distinct.

Head narrower than anterior margin of pronotum (HEAW/WPR3 = 0.91), temples short, convergent. Clypeus and frons separated by transverse impression between antennal insertion. Clypeus flat with simple punctures smaller than eye-facets, separated by 1.0–1.5 diameters and bearing fine inconspicuous decumbent setae; interspaces smooth and shining. Anterior margin of clypeus subtruncate, not bordered. Frons moderately convex, punctate like clypeus with intermixed large flat reniform punctures nearly equal in size to eye-facets and bearing thick semidecumbent conspicuous setae. Antennae shorter than width of head across eyes (ratio HEAW/ANLE = 1.44), antennal club oval (ratio ANCL/ANCW = 1.56, occupying ca. one third of antenna length. Antennomere III almost as long as IV–VII combined; antennomeres IV and V subequal, nearly 1.5× longer than wide; antennomeres VI–VIII subequal, nearly as long as wide, antennomere VIII not wider than preceding ones.

Pronotum transverse, widest near posterior angles (ratio WPR2/LEPR = 2.31), more strongly narrowed anteriad than posteriad (ratio WPR1/WPR3 = 1.32, WPR1/WPR2 = 0.91, WPR2/WPR3 = 1.40). Anterior margin in middle truncate, not bordered; anterior angles sharp, prominent. Lateral margins arcuate, explanate (explanate sides nearly as wide as antennal flagellum). Basal margin projecting into short subtruncate lobe in front of scutellum, besides it twice shallowly concave and finely bordered. Posterior angles obtuse, not prominent. Pronotal disc broadly vaulted, with small fine simple punctures separated by 1.5–2.0 diameters and bearing fine inconspicuous decumbent setae reaching base of the following ones, intermixed with large shallow punctures bearing thicker semidecumbent yellowish setae. Interspaces smooth and shining.

Scutellar shield transverse, subtriangular, mostly concealed by basal lobe of pronotum. Its exposed apical portion impunctate.

Elytra nearly as long as their combined width (ratio LELY/WELY = 0.97), 2.23× longer than pronotum, simultaneously rounded apically. Lateral margins arcuate, slightly explanate. Dorsum more strongly transversely convex than pronotum. Punctures smaller than eye-facets, simple, in basal portion more pronounced and closer than those of pronotum, separated mostly by less than one diameter, becoming gradually finer and sparser posteriad, and larger and close, somewhat rugose laterally. Interspaces smooth and shining. Semidecumbent thin setae nearly reaching base of the following ones, intermixed with finer inconspicuous setae.

Pygidium broadly rounded, rugosely punctate and densely pubescent.

Legs. Femora oval, somewhat more than twice as long as wide. Protibia 3.50× longer than wide, widest at distal end, outer subapical angle subrectangular, not prominent. Meso- and metatibia ca. 4.28× and 5.10× longer than wide respectively, flat, outer subapical angle rounded. Tarsomeres I–III of all tarsi simple, subcylindrical; tarsomere V longer than all preceding ones combined. Tarsal claws simple.

Ventral surface. Mentum transverse, 3.40 × wider than long, punctures flat, larger than eye-facets, separated by less than one diameter, interspaces smooth and shining. Postmentum transversely concave (canaliculate) at base, punctures almost equal in size to eye-facets, separated by one diameter or less, interspaces smooth and shining. Antennal furrows deep, partly concealed by extended S-shaped outer edges of postmentum, converging posteriad. Genae posterior to eyes impunctate. Prosternum broadly transversely convex, in middle flat, anterior margin broadly finely bordered; punctures smaller than eye-facets, separated by 1–3 diameters in middle, becoming larger and closer laterally. Prosternal process broad, horizontal, bordered at sides, apical margin with broadly obtusely angulate emargination in middle, punctures in basal half shallow, smaller than eye-facets, separated by ca. two diameters, becoming smaller, deeper and closer in apical portion; interspaces smooth and shining. Hypomera transversely wrinkled and obsoletely punctate. Mesoventrite transversely vaulted and impunctate in front of mesocoxae, its posterior intercoxal portion almost flat, distinctly punctate, punctures markedly smaller than eye-facets, separated by 1.5–2.0 diameters, interspaces smooth and shining. Metaventrite almost flat in middle, punctate like intercoxal portion of mesoventrite, punctures becoming larger, deeper and closer (separated by one diameter or less) laterally. Discrimen absent. Outer portion of mesocoxal lines rectilinear, reaching sternopleural suture just posterior to oblique ridge on metepisterna. Metepisterna with raised oblique ridge nearly opposing mesocoxal lines, feebly reticulate and punctate like lateral portions of metaventrite, small subtriangular area anterior to raised ridge impunctate. Abdominal ventrite I as long as metaventrite, with analogous punctation. Metacoxal lines consisting of two parts: inner one rectilinear, running from inner corner of metacoxal cavity posterolaterad to posterior margin of ventrite I, and outer one transverse, asymmetrically arcuate, approaching posterior margin of metacoxal cavity at its outer half and vanishing at midlength of inner rectilinear part. Abdominal ventrites II–IV gradually shorter, punctate like ventrite I, but punctures are markedly closer, separated by one diameter or less. Hypopygium broadly rounded, somewhat more coarsely and densely punctate.

Male genitalia. Median lobe of aedeagus nearly twice as long as wide, widest at apical third, narrowed towards narrow subtruncate apical margin; valves of phallotreme exceeding outline of lobe, with acute tips abruptly projecting outwards ( Fig. 10 ). Tegmen longer than wide, gradually dilated distad, apical margin broad, shallowly concave ( Fig. 13 ).

Female (Fig. 3). Single female available agrees in almost all details with the male holotype. It differs especially in the shape of pronotum, which is hardly narrowed towards posterior angles (ratio WPR1/WPR2 = 0.98); lateral margins of pronotum in basal half rectilinear, slightly converging anteriad, moderately arcuate in anterior half (ratio WPR1/WPR3 = 1.34, WPR2/WPR3 = 1.35). Posterior angles rectangular. Larger punctures on median portion of pronotum less numerous and smaller, hardly equal in size to eye-facets. Pubescence more conspicuous. Body length 4.10 mm, body width 2.40 mm. Due to the extremely limited material examined it is difficult to evaluate the above differences. Because both specimens available were collected only about 50 km apart, we suppose that they are conspecific, but we prefer not to designate the female specimen as paratype.

Measurements. Body length 4.05–4.20 mm, width 2.40 mm. Ratio WPR1/WPR2 = 0.91–0.98, WPR1/WPR3 = 1.32–1.34, WPR2/WPR3 = 1.35–1.40, WPR2/LEPR = 2.31–2.37, LELY/WELY = 0.93–0.97.

Differential diagnosis. With its colour pattern Prometopia intermedia sp. nov. resembles P. binotata , from which it differs in having long double pubescence, resembling that of P. quadrinotata . However, it differs from the latter species in the colour pattern as well as in the shape of male genitalia with abruptly hooked tips of the valves of the phallotreme ( Fig. 10 ).

Etymology. Latin adjective intermedius, -a, -um (= intermediate) refers to intermediate morphology of the new species between P. binotata and P. quadrinotata .

Distribution. The new species is known so far from two close localities in southeastern Tanzania (Fig. 15).

Prometopia quadrinotata Grouvelle, 1896 (Figs 4, 11, 14)

Prometopia quadrinotata Grouvelle, 1896: 72 (original description); GROUVELLE (1913): 132 (catalogue).

Material examined. BURKINA FASSO: Upper Volta, Boho Diulasso, i.–iii.1975, Politzer lgt., 1 spec. (NMPC). DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE KONGO: Zaire, Kole Kasai, 1 spec. (NMPC, ex coll. O. Marek); N.P.G. (Garamba), Mission de Saeger, II/gd/4, 28.iv.1952, H.De- Saeger3384, 3 spec.; same data, but 26.v.1952, H.DeSaeger3519, 1 spec.; II/dd/9, 7.vii.1952, H.DeSaeger3744, 4 spec.; Morubia/9, 12.iii.1952, H.DeSaeger3186, 1 spec.; Utukuru/9, 26.vii.1952, H.DeSaeger3823, 1 spec. (all NMPC). EQUATORIAL GUINEA: Guinea Espaňol, Evinayong, Dr. Báguena lgt., 17 spec.; Mikomeseng, Dr. Báguena lgt., 4 spec.; Rio Benito, Dr. Báguena lgt., 5 spec.; Bata, 2 spec. (all NMPC, ex coll. O. Marek). GUINEA: French Guinea, Kindia, iv.1954, 1 spec. (NMPC). SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu-Natal, Jozini, Tembe, Elephant Park env. (W border), 22.i.2003, V. Křivan lgt., 1 spec. (NMPC); KwaZulu-Natal, SW Magudu, 27°24′S, 31°35′E, 4.–5.i.2009, P. Schüle lgt., 3 spec. (SMNS). TANZANIA: Ruvuma province, Mbinga Range, Ndongosi vill., 10.i.2007, K. Angelus lgt., 1 spec. (ALBC).

Redescription. Oval, moderately convex, brown to black-brown, each elytron with two, more or less, round orange spots of variable size, one situated in inner anterior quarter, second in apical half of elytron; explanate sides of pronotum and elytra, legs, antennae and mouth parts rusty; ventral side red-brown, metaventrite sometimes darker, piceous. Pubescence thin, yellowish, semidecumbent (Fig. 4). Body length 3.0– 4.3 mm, width 1.8–2.7 mm.

Head across eyes narrower than anterior pronotal margin. Eyes coarsely facetted, widest in anterior portion, gradually narrowed posteriad, with short indistinct interfacetal setae. Temples short, convergent. Frons separated from clypeus by transverse impression; clypeus truncate, not bordered, forming an obtuse angle with frons. Punctures of frons smaller than eye-facets, separated by less than one diameter, on clypeus sparser, separated by one diameter, on frons intermixed with umbillicate punctures larger than eye-facets, which moreover, form a series along occipital sulcus; interspaces smooth and shining. Antennae shorter than width of head across eyes (ratio HEAW/ANLE = 1.50), slender, antennal club occupying less than one third of antenna length (ratio ANLE/ANCL = 2.88), oval, ca. 1.66× longer than wide.

Pronotum transverse (ratio WPR2/LEPR = 2.35–2.58), widest at base (ratio WPR1/WPR2 = 0.97–0.98), gradu- ally narrowed anteriad (ratio WPR1/WPR3 = 1.48–1.66, WPR2/WPR3 = 1.53–1.69).Anterior margin not bordered, truncate; anterior angles acute, strongly prominent. Basal margin with subtruncate prescutellar lobe, besides it obliquely subtruncate, completely (however indistinctly so in middle) bordered; basal rim with series of fine punctures. Posterior angles feebly obtuse, not prominent. Lateral margins arcuate, gradually converging anteriad; sides explanate, as wide as length of scape. Punctures generally smaller than eye-facets, but of varying size, separated by 1.0–1.5 diameters; at sides and at base besides scutellum intermixed with large umbillicate punctures separated by 0.5–1.0 diameters. Semirecumbent thin yellowish setae fairly reaching base of the following ones, sparse but distinct, intermixed with thin darker recumbent, hardly distinct, setae.

Scutellar shield transverse, almost semicircular, punctate, with broad impunctate border; punctures equal in size to smallest ones on pronotum, separated by ca. one diameter.

Elytra oval, regularly convex, widest before their midlength, almost as long as their combined width, ratio WELY/LELY = 1.01–1.06 (mean 1.03). Lateral margins arcuate, gradually converging posteriad, slightly so anteriad; sides narrowly explanate, as wide as antennal flagellum. Humeral angle obtuse. Humeral bulges low, inconspicuous. Sutural line absent. Punctures small, more uniform than those on pronotum, separated by ca. 1.0–1.5 diameters on disc, becoming larger, closer and rugose at sides. Pubescence like on pronotum.

Legs. Femora oval, somewhat more than twice as long as wide. Protibia ca. 4.25× longer than wide, widest at distal end, outer subapical angle subrectangular, not prominent. Meso- and metatibia ca. 4.60× and 4.80× longer than wide respectively, flat, outer subapical angle rounded.

Ventral surface as in P. binotata . Punctures on postmentum almost equal in size to eye-facets, shallow, oval, separated by less than one diameter, interspaces smooth and shining. Prosternum without wrinkles in front of prosternal process. Punctures of metaventrite somewhat smaller and shallower than in P. binotata .

Male genitalia. Median lobe of aedeagus more than twice as long as wide, widest at midlength, in apical portion strongly narrowed towards truncate apex, valves of phallotreme rounded apically ( Fig. 11 ). Tegmen longer than wide, parallel-sided in basal half; apical margin broad, rounded, medially shallowly incised ( Fig. 14 ).

Distribution. Originally described from Gabon, Sierra Leone and Ethiopia ( GROUVELLE 1896). Currently also known from other countries of Subsaharan Africa, as far southwards as Maputaland, RSA (see material examined and Fig. 15).

Figures

Figs 9–14. Male genitalia of Prometopia species. 9, 12 – P. binotata Murray, 1867 (Nigeria); 10, 13 – P. intermedia sp. nov.; 11, 14 – P. quadrinotata Grouvelle, 1896 (RSA). 9–11 – median lobe of aedeagus; 12–14 – tegmen. Scale bar = 0.2 mm.