Serraphula alticola, Biondi, Maurizio & D’Alessandro, Paola, 2010

Biondi, Maurizio & D’Alessandro, Paola, 2010, Revision of the Afrotropical flea beetle genus Serraphula Jacoby and description of Bechynella, a new genus from Western and Central Africa (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Alticinae), Zootaxa 2444, pp. 1-44 : 6-8

Serraphula alticola sp. n. ( Figs 2 , 21 , 51 , 64 )

TYPE MATERIAL. Holotype 3, South Africa, Mpumalanga, Northern Drakensberg, Mount Sheba area, 24°55’S 30°42’E, 1800 m, 29.xi.2008, xeric meadows, P. A. Audisio, P. Cerretti & D. Birtele leg. ( SANC). Paratypes: same locality, date, host plant and collector as the holotype, 5 3 and 6 Ƥ ( BAQ; SANC).

DIAGNOSIS. This new species is very similar to S. mpumalangaensis sp. n. and S. transvaalensis sp. n. with which it forms an homogeneous group of high altitude species living in the Drakensberg region. S. alticola can be surely distinct from the other two species only for the different shape of median lobe of aedeagus, that shows in ventral view an distinctly rounded apical part (acute and with evident median small tooth in S. mpumalangaensis and clearly lanceolate in S. transvaalensis ), an obliterate ventral sulcus (wide and well impressed in S. transvaalensis ), and it is, in lateral view, weakly curved (clearly curved in S. mpumalangaensis ). The spermatheca shows generally a thickset and straight apical part (slender and curved in S. transvaalensis ) and an elongate apical appendix (clearly shorter in S.mpumalangaensis and S. transvaalensis ).

DESCRIPTION. Holotype 3. Dorsal integument blackish, with evident blueish metallic reflection.

Body shape elliptical (LB = 1.96 mm), moderately convex; maximum pronotal width at apical third (WP = 0.78 mm); maximum elytral width at basal third (WE = 0.95 mm).

Frons and vertex with finely punctulate surface; a large setigerous pore with some small setigerous punctures gathered between vertex and each upper ocular margin; frontal dimples not evident; frontal grooves distally finely impressed along upper ocular margin; frontal tubercles dorsally moderately delimited; frontal carina narrowed, distinctly raised, apically rounded; labrum sub-trapezoidal, blackish; palpi blackish; eyes sub-elliptical, normally sized; antennae shorter than body length (LAN = 1.83 mm; LAN/LB = 0.93), with segments 1-4 yellowish, segment 5 slightly darkened, segments 6-11 clearly darkened; length of each antennomere proportional to numerical sequence 22:10:10:16:16:16:16:16:16:17:22 (right antenna).

Pronotum sub-trapezoidal, anteriorly wider, little transverse (LP = 0.60 mm; WP/LP = 1.29), laterally distinctly rounded; basal and lateral margin finely bordered; punctation densely and uniformly distributed with small but strongly impressed punctures; on surface densely and irregularly microreticulate and wrinkled with evident punctulation. Scutellum sub-triangular, apically sub-acute, with smooth surface.

Elytra little elongate (LE = 1.35 mm; LE/LP = 2.25), covering almost entirely pygidium, laterally clearly rounded, apically obtuse-rounded; punctation arranged in 9 (+ 1 very short scutellar) regular rows, with medium-sized punctures strongly impressed on sub-opaque and finely punctulate surface; elytral interstriae distinctly keeled; humeral calli absent; sub-apterous metathoracic wings.

Legs with yellowish tibiae and tarsi; anterior and middle femora darkened in proximal part; hind femora darkened; hind tibiae slightly externally bent. Apical spur of hind tibiae short (LHT/LHTS = 2.07), apically slightly internally curved; dorsal furrow proximally narrow and gradually but distinctly open towards distal part; denture regularly and densely formed by moderately large teeth. First anterior and middle tarsomeres distinctly dilated with adhesive structures on ventral side (cf. Figs 77,79, 81–82 ).

Ventral surface blackish; last abdominal four sternites medially without pubescence; last abdominal sternite apically medially weakly hollow.

Median lobe of aedeagus (LAED = 0.71 mm; LE/LAED = 1.74), in ventral view laterally sub-parallel, moderately narrowed in apical part; apex clearly rounded, with median small tooth weakly raised; ventral sulcus not visible; in lateral view, median lobe slightly curved; dorsal sulcus clearly visible in apical 3/5s, basally gradually narrowed and U-shaped; dorsal ligula apically rounded.

VARIATION. 3 (n = 6; mean and standard deviation): LE = 1.21 ± 0.08 mm; WE = 0.85 ± 0.06 mm; LP = 0.54 ± 0.04 mm; WP = 0.70 ± 0.04 mm; LAN = 1.64 ± 0.11 mm; LAED = 0.76 ± 0.02 mm; LB = 1.88 ± 0.15 mm; LE/LP = 2.23 ± 0.04; WE/WP = 1.22 ± 0.01; WP/LP = 1.29 ± 0.03; LE/LAED = 1.60 ± 0.10; LAN/ (LE+LP) = 0.94 ± 0.01; LHT/LHTS = 2.08 ± 0.08. Ƥ (n = 6): LE = 1.43 ± 0.06 mm; WE = 0.94 ± 0.06 mm; LP = 0.60 ± 0.01 mm; WP = 0.75 ± 0.03 mm; LAN = 1.56 ± 0.05 mm; LSP = 0.12 ± 0.01 mm; LB = 2.01 ± 0.10 mm; LE/LP = 2.37 ± 0.09; WE/WP = 1.25 ± 0.02; WP/LP = 1.25 ± 0.03; LE/LSP = 12.04 ± 0.64; LAN/ (LE+LP) = 0.77 ± 0.03; LHT/LHTS = 2.00 ± 0.15.

Paratypes. Paratypes similar in shape, color and sculpture to the holotype. Some specimens with more regularly and/or finely microreticulate pronotal surface. Female generally bigger than male (1.83 ≤ LB ≤ 2.10 mm) with shorter antennae (0.76 ≤ LAN/LB ≤ 0.82). Spermatheca with sub-globose basal part; distal part curved with not separated collum from apex; appendix clearly developed; ductus short, curved, sub-ventrally inserted.

ETYMOLOGY. The name of this new species refers to the high altitude where it seems to live.

DISTRIBUTION. Republic of South Africa (Mpumalanga). Southern-Eastern African chorotype (SEA) (cf. Biondi & D’Alessandro, 2006).

ECOLOGICAL NOTES. No information about its host plant is available for this species. Biome: Grassland (cf. Rutherford & Westfall, 1994). Veld type: North-Eastern Mountain Sourveld (cf. Acocks, 1988).

Figures

FIGURE 21. Geographical distribution of: Serraphula aenea Jacoby; S. alticola sp. n.; S. debiasei sp. n.; S. drakensbergensis sp. n.; S. duplessisi sp. n.; S. grobbelaariae sp. n.; S. monticola sp. n.; S. oberprieleri sp. n.; S. osellai sp. n.; S. transvaalensis sp. n.; S. uysi sp. n.

FIGURES 1 – 4. Habitus of: Serraphula aenea Jacoby (1); S. alticola sp. n. (2); S. audisiana sp. n. (3); S. bulirschi sp. n. (4).

FIGURES 43 – 60. Median lobe of aedeagus of Serraphula Jacoby; lateral, ventral and dorsal view: S. elongata, Eastern Cape Province, Southwell area (43 a); S. elongata, Eastern Cape Province, nr Thornhill (43 b); S. colonnelii, Kwazulu- Natal, Ifafa Mouth (44); S. debiasei, Eastern Cape Province, 4 km S Barkly Pass (45); S. uysi, Transvaal, Palala (46); S. puncticollis, Eastern Cape Province, Port St. John (47); S. natalensis, KwaZulu-Natal, Blesberg (48); S. oberprieleri, Zimbabwe, Bunga Forest (49); S. mpumalangaensis, Mpumalanga, Houtenbek Farm, Macabelel Lodge (50); S. alticola, Mpumalanga, Mount Sheba area (51); S. audisiana, Kwazulu-Natal, Ngele Forest (52); S. aenea, Mashonaland (53); S. drakensbergensis, Kwazulu-Natal, Cathedral Peak (54); S. grobbelaariae, Mpumalanga, Houtenbek Farm, Boskrans Dam (55); S. duplessisi, Limpopo, Entabeni Forest Reserve, Soutpansberg (56); S. bulirschi, Kwazulu-Natal, Ntendeka Wilderness Area, Ngomi Forest (57); S. transvaalensis, Eastern Transvaal, Nelshoogte Pass (58); S. osellai, Kwazulu- Natal, Ngele Forest (59); S. wittmeri, Limpopo, Branddraai (60).

FIGURES 61 – 76. Spermatheca of Serraphula Jacoby: S. natalensis, KwaZulu-Natal, Blesberg (61); S. audisiana, Kwazulu-Natal, Ngele Forest (62); S. osellai, Kwazulu-Natal, Ngele Forest (63); S. alticola, Mpumalanga, Mount Sheba area (64); S. oberprieleri, Zimbabwe, Bunga Forest (65); S. grobbelaariae, Mpumalanga, Houtenbek Farm, Macabelel Lodge (66); S. transvaalensis, Eastern Transvaal, Nelshoogte Pass (67); S. uysi, Transvaal, Palala (68); S. duplessisi, Limpopo, Entabeni Forest Reserve, Soutpansberg (69); S. elongata, Eastern Cape Province, nr. Grahamstown (70); S. debiasei, Eastern Cape Province, 4 km S Barkly Pass (71); S. colonnelli, Kwazulu-Natal, Umzinto Vernon Crookes N. R. (72); S. wittmeri, Limpopo, Branddraai (73); S. mpumalangaensis, Mpumalanga, Houtenbek Farm, Macabelel Lodge (74); S. monticola, Kwazulu-Natal / Free State, Botha’s Pass (75); S. drakensbergensis, Kwazulu-Natal, Monk’s Cowl (76).

FIGURES 77 – 82. Ventral side of first anterior and middle tarsomeres in male and female of Serraphula elongata Jacoby: male with differentiated adhesive structure (77, 79, 81 – 82); female without differentiated adhesive structure (78, 80).