Beenenia, Bezděk, 2012

Bezděk, Jan, 2012, Galerucinae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) of Socotra Island, with a review of taxa recorded from Yemen, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 52, pp. 403-428 : 404-406

Beenenia gen. nov.

Type species. Beenenia scanticola sp. nov., by present designation.

Description. Body elongate, dorsum metallic dark greenish to black or brownish with distinct metallic tint, antennae black, legs black with metallic tint, with pale coxae and trochanters (in B. kabateki sp. nov. also with pale knees), dorsum densely pubescent, semiopaque to shiny.

Head large, measured with eyes slightly narrower or as wide as anterior margin of pronotum, eyes small, moderately projecting beyond head outline. Labrum transverse, with anterior margin shallowly incised, covered with several long setae. Anterior part of head very short, genae 0.30 times as long as diameter of eye. Nasal keel poorly developed but visible. Frontal tubercles large, convex, distinctly elevated, impunctate, with apices elongate, separated from each other by thin sulcus which continues through vertex. Frons shallowly depressed behind frontal tubercles but not grooved. Vertex large, moderately convex, densely covered with large punctures and setae. Antennae relatively robust, short, reaching slightly behind midlenght of body, antennomeres II–VI flatenned and slightly impressed in basal part, apically extended, antennomeres VII–XI robust, gradually less flattened, last two antennomeres subtubular.

Pronotum transverse, 1.75–2.05 times as wide as long, narrower than base of elytra. Anterior margin thinly bordered only at sides or unbordered, lateral margin deeply and thinly bordered, posterior margin shallowly and thinly bordered. Surface of pronotum moderately convex, with shallow depressions laterally and in middle of both anterior and posterior part of pronotum, densely covered with fine to large punctures. All angles prominent, triangular, projecting laterally, anterior angles bearing 4 to 6 long pale setae, posterior angles with two or three long pale setae. Scutellum subtriangular, with widely rounded tip, subopaque, covered with microsculpture or indistinct fine punctures, and fine setae.

Elytra with well developed humeral calli. Surface very densely covered with small confused punctures and with one or two types of setae. Interspaces between punctures narrower than diameter of each puncture. Postscutellar area slightly depressed. Epipleura not developed. Basal part of elytral lateral slope inflexed down inwards, towards apex more or less vertical. Humeral calli well developed. Macropterous.

Legs moderately long and narrow, middle and posterior tibiae unarmed at apex. Tibiae even, without longitudinal ridges or furrows. Metatarsomere I as long as tarsomeres II–III combined. Anterior coxal cavities open posteriorly, prosternum very thinly visible between coxae. Claws bifid with inner branch shorter than outer one ( Fig. 8 ).

Basal two third of aedeagus robust and more or less tubular, apical third slightly asymmetrical, flat and bent downwards, apex widely rounded with distinct small process ( Figs. 3 , 9 ). Spermatheca with C-shaped cornu, nodulus small, narrower than base of cornu, ductus receptaculi short ( Figs. 7 , 12 ). Vaginal palpi short and robust ( Figs. 6 , 11 ).

Sexual dimorphism. Weakly indicated. Males on average smaller. Last ventrite in male with posterior margin widely triangularly impressed but not incised ( Fig. 4 ), in female evenly rounded.

Differential diagnosis. Beenenia gen. nov. belongs to the tribe Galerucini . Because of even tibiae without any longitudinal ridges or furrows, Beenenia gen. nov. has to be classified in the section Atysites ( CHAPUIS 1875, SEENO & WILCOX 1982). From all genera of the Atysites, Beenenia gen. nov. can be distinguished by the complete absence of epipleura. Externally similar genera Luperocella Jacoby, 1900 ; Galerucella Crotch, 1873 ; Pyrrhalta Joannis, 1865 ; Xanthogaleruca Laboissière, 1934 and Tarachodia Weise, 1902 can be separated also by thin, almost filiform antennae.

In habitus, Beenenia gen. nov. is similar also to several genera from the section Coelomerites (characterized by tibiae with longitudinal ridges). However, only in the genus Schematizella Jacoby, 1888 epipleura are significantly reduced – visible in the basal fifth and than extremely narrow or vanishing (Jacoby 1888; R. Beenen, pers. comm. 2011). Antennomeres II–VI are not flattened in Schematizella . Other similar genera of Coelomerites differ in well developed epipleura and absence of pubescence on dorsal side of the body ( Arimetus Jacoby, 1903 ) or in mucronate mid tibiae ( Dircemella Weise, 1902 ; Hemiphracta Weise, 1902 ).

Etymology. Dedicated to Ron Beenen (Nieuwegein, The Netherlands), an excellent specialist in Galerucinae . Gender: feminine.

Figures

Figs. 3–8. Beenenia scanticola sp. nov. 3 – aedeagus (a – dorsal view, b – lateral view); 4 – last male ventrite; 5 – sternite VIII and tignum; 6 – vaginal palpi; 7 – spermatheca; 8 – claws. Scale bars: 1 mm for Figs. 3–5, 0.5 mm for Figs. 6–7, 0.25 mm for Fig. 8.

Figs. 9–12. Beenenia kabateki sp. nov.9 – aedeagus (a – dorsal view, b – lateral view); 10 – sternite VIII and tignum; 11 – vaginal palpi; 12 – spermatheca. Scale bars: 1 mm for Figs. 9–10, 0.5 mm for Figs. 11–12.