Andersonaltica Linzmeier and Konstantinov

Linzmeier, Adelita M. & Konstantinov, Alexander S., 2012, A new genus of leaf litter inhabiting Neotropical Monoplatina (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae: Alticini), Zootaxa 3260, pp. 19-32 : 20-21

Andersonaltica Linzmeier and Konstantinov , new genus

( Figs 1–42 , Map 1)

Description. Body 1.76–2.07 mm long and 1.07–1.17 mm wide, rounded, pilose, shiny, highly convex in lateral view. Color light brown to black with golden, white and grey hairs.

Head hypognathous, slightly convex in lateral view. Frons and vertex generally forming about 135º angle in lateral view. Vertex densely covered with large setiferous pores. Supraorbital pore indistinguishable among them. Antennal calli small, widely separated anteriorly, slightly raised above surface of vertex, generally nearly indistinguishable. Supracallinal, orbital, supraorbital, suprantennal and frontolateral sulci absent. Suprafrontal sulcus deep. Orbit narrow. Interantennal space wide, greater than length of first antennomere. Antennal socket small, elongate. Frontal ridge between antennal sockets wide and flat or slightly raised, abruptly narrowing towards vertex, entering between antennal calli. Eye small, elongate, its inner side slightly convex. Labrum notched in middle, with six setiferous pores, four with long setae and two with short setae. First and second maxillary palpomeres slightly longer than wide; third palpomere thinnest, conical, as long as width of second palpomere. First and second labial palpomeres wider than long; third conical. Antenna with 11 antennomeres, densely pilose, antennomeres seven to eleven forming tight club; antennomere six generally shortest, wider than long.

Pronotum rectangular, wider than long not margined laterally. Anterior margin straight, posterior margin nearly straight to slightly concave, sides parallel or slightly convex. Anterior setiferous pores present, facing laterally or absent. Posterior setiferous pores always present facing dorsolaterally or dorsally. Surface deeply punctured, pilose. Antebasal transverse impression absent. Pronotal disc uneven, raised with two elongate tubercles anteromedially with shallow groove in between.

Scutellum triangular, as long or slightly longer than wide, densely pilose. Elytra rounded, apical third bent (in posterodorsal view), fused or not. Elytral surface shiny, deeply punctured, with dense pilosity. Punctures forming nine striae (not counting short scutellar and marginal striae). Interspaces convex or flat. Basal calli generally well developed. Humeral calli absent or poorly developed. Impression between basal and humeral calli ending deeper behind basal callus. Epipleura narrow, sinuous, oblique, well visible in lateral view, narrowing at elytral apex, nearly reaching it. Prosternal surface reticulated. Prosternal intercoxal process wide, extended and widened posteriorly beyond coxa. Posterior end about twice as wide as middle. Procoxa elongate. Procoxal cavities closed posteriorly. Mesosternum shorter than prosternum, reticulated or punctured, mesosternal intercoxal process deeply concave with lobes raised above metasternum. Metasternum smooth, with sparse pilosity, convex in lateral view, shorter or as long as pro- and mesosternum together; anterior margin deeply punctured; anterior process triangular, narrowly rounded; posterior margin with hollow inverted U-shaped depression medially.

Pro- and mesofemora slightly dilated medially; tibiae subcylindrical, obliquely narrowed at apex (in lateral view), pubescence sparsely distributed. First to third pro- and mesotarsomeres small; first slightly longer than wide; second slightly wider than long; third slightly wider than second, bilobed; fourth tarsomere as long as first and second together and as wide as first. Pro- and mesotarsal claws bifid. Metafemur greatly enlarged, about 1.5 times longer than wide, longer than metatibia, pilose. Metatibia nearly straight in lateral view, slightly curved in dorsal view. Apex of outer lateral dorsal ridge with three to five denticles. Inner lateral dorsal ridge with one to three denticles at apex. Metatibial spur short. Metatibia with or without preapical tooth situated before tarsal insertion. Outer and inner dorsal margins of metatibia not connected at apex. Metatarsomeres inserted preapically; tarsomeres one to three similar in size, slightly longer than wide; third not bilobed; fourth globose. Metatarsal claws appendiculate and long. Wings absent.

Abdomen pubescent, punctured, with five visible ventrites, each convex in lateral view. Ventrite five with distinct sexual dimorphism: males with concavity medially on posterior margin; females with last ventrite conical at apex. Apical margin of ventrites two to five with two deep circular impressions on each side. Spermatheca Sshaped, with flat apex of spermathecal pump and long duct with or without coils. Spermathecal duct and pump with receptacle forming 90° angle. Tignum simple, slightly curved anteriorly, about as wide or narrower than posteriorly. Vaginal palpi merged anteriorly, with only posterior sclerotization, anterior sclerotization absent.

Median lobe of aedeagus simple, nearly straight in lateral view; with lateral margins almost parallel or strongly converging apically, in ventral view, apex subtriangular, slightly protruding, and rounded on top. Basal part long and bent ventrally in lateral view.

Type species. Andersonaltica pecki Linzmeier and Konstantinov , new species.

Etymology. The generic name is dedicated to Robert Anderson, Ottawa, Canada, who collected most of the material used in this paper. The name is feminine.

Remarks. Andersonaltica differs from all other known genera of Monoplatina in having antennae with a tight club. In other Monoplatina the antennae are mostly filiform. In some genera (e.g., Sparnus Clark ) the antennomeres are shorter and wider at the apex, but they never form a tight club. Andersonaltica is very similar to Apleuraltica . They share the following characters: apterous; labrum notched in middle; pronotum not margined; basal callus of elytra well developed, humeral callus shallow with an impression running between and ending as a deeper rounded impression behind the basal callus. Andersonaltica can be differentiated from Apleuraltica by the following characters: five apical antennomeres forming a tight club ( Apleuraltica has the five apical antennomeres clearly separated from each other, not forming a tight club); elytral apical third bent (in posterodorsal view) (in Apleuraltica it is not bent); outer and inner dorsal margins of metatibia not connected at apex by a ridge ( Apleuraltica has outer and inner dorsal margins of metatibia connected at apex by a ridge, before tarsomere insertion). In Meraaltica Scherer there is a similar impression behind the basal callus that in some cases looks like a furrow as in M. lemoeides (Clark) . However, Meraaltica differs from Andersonaltica in having a filiform antenna.

MAP 1. Distribution of Andersonaltica species.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 7. Andersonaltica denticulata. 1, habitus, dorsal view. 2, habitus, lateral view. 3, pronotum. 4, head. 5, tignum and vaginal palpi. 6, hind leg. 7, spermatheca.

FIGURES 8 – 12. Andersonaltica elongata. 8, habitus, dorsal view. 9, habitus, lateral view. 10, head. 11, pronotum. 12, median lobe of aedeagus, ventral and lateral views.

FIGURES 13 – 18. Andersonaltica pecki. 13, habitus, dorsal view. 14, habitus, lateral view. 15, head. 16, ventral side of body, female. 17, head and pronotum, semilateral view. 18, head and pronotum, dorsal view.

FIGURES 19 – 25. Andersonaltica pecki. 19, head, frontal view. 20, mouth parts, frontal view. 21, middle antennomeres. 22, antenna. 23, head and pronotum, lateral view. 24, abdominal ventrites, side. 25, apex of protibia and protarsus, lateral view.

FIGURES 26 – 32. Andersonaltica pecki. 26, metatibia, lateral view. 27, protibia and protarsus, ventral view. 28, median lobe of aedeagus, ventral and lateral views, holotype. 29, median lobe of aedeagus, ventral and lateral views, paratype. 30, tignum. 31, vaginal palpi. 32, spermatheca.

FIGURES 33 – 37. Andersonaltica tuberosa. 33, habitus, dorsal view. 34, habitus, lateral view. 35, head. 36, median lobe of aedeagus, ventral and lateral views. 37, pronotum.

FIGURES 38 – 42. Andersonaltica valens. 38, habitus, dorsal view. 39, habitus, lateral view. 40, head. 41, median lobe of aedeagus, ventral and lateral views, holotype. 42, pronotum.