Andersonoplatus saviniae, Linzmeier, Adelita M. & Konstantinov, Alexander S., 2018

Linzmeier, Adelita M. & Konstantinov, Alexander S., 2018, Andersonoplatus, a new, remarkable leaf litter inhabiting genus of Monoplatina (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae, Alticini), ZooKeys 744, pp. 79-138 : 105-106

Andersonoplatus saviniae sp. n. Figs 34, 35

Description.

Body length 2.54-3.02 mm, width 1.18-1.40 mm, shiny, pilose, with semi-erect hairs, flat in lateral view. Color light brown with elytra darker (almost always in males or with band in middle in females).

Head (Fig. 34D): slightly flat in lateral view, shiny, generally reticulated, with sparse pilosity. Vertex covered with large, poorly defined punctures. Frons and vertex almost at same level in lateral view. Antennal callus delimited from vertex by shallow and slightly inclined supracallinal sulcus; slightly raised above vertex; surface uneven, with more than two punctures, some of them bearing setae. Orbital and supraorbital sulci shallow, represented by punctures. Suprafrontal and frontolateral sulcus shallow. Frontogenal suture shallow. Orbit narrow, punctured, narrower than transverse diameter of antennal socket. Interantennal space narrower than transverse diameter of eye and transverse diameter of antennal socket separately. Frontal ridge short and narrow. Anterofrontal ridge short, relatively tall, oblique. Antenna filiform; the last five antennomeres slightly wider and shorter than preceding ones; second antennomere shortest; sixth antennomere as long as seventh (Fig. 34C).

Thorax: pronotum (Fig. 34A, B) narrower than elytra. Anterior margin wider than posterior, posterior margin slightly convex, lateral margin slightly sinuated. Anterior and posterior angles pointed outwards. Surface reticulated, punctured, pilose. Pronotal disc not raised. Scutellum triangular, wider than long. Prosternal surface reticulated. Prosternal intercoxal process thin. Posterior end twice as wide as middle. Procoxae very close to each other. Elytra weakly fused. Elytral surface shiny, pilose, with white, semi-erect hairs, punctate (Fig. 34A, B). Punctures forming nine striae, ninth stria almost merge with marginal one. Interspaces slightly convex. Distinct impression running on base of fifth and sixth striae. Second and third striae reaching elytral base. Epipleura nearly vertical. Metafemur greatly enlarged, 1.33 times longer than metatibia. Metatibia almost straight in lateral view, slightly curved in dorsal view. Claws simple and long (Fig. 34E).

Male genitalia (Fig. 35A): ventral side flat with shallow longitudinal impression interrupted in middle; apex bent ventrally, in lateral view nearly straight, apical denticle (in ventral view) shorter and less differentiated.

Female genitalia (Fig. 35 B–D): tignum long, narrow, slightly bent, with central canal; anterior sclerotization widening gradually with slightly curved sides and convex apex, posterior sclerotization poorly delineated, wide, wider than anterior (Fig. 35B). Vaginal palpi elongate, basally strongly sclerotized, each with approximately eight setae at apex (Fig. 35D). Palpi pointed at apex, enlarged at last third but thinned at apex, situated close together and merged anteriorly for more than half of their length. Spermatheca curved, with receptacle and pump not differentiated from each other, receptacle longer than pump. Apex of pump with spoon-like projection. Spermathecal duct short, widest at base, without coils, making loop (Fig. 35C).

Type material.

Holotype, ♂. VENEZUELA: Trujillo/ camino viejo a Trujillo, Paramo/ La Cristalina, km 9.7, 2400m/ 09°21'21"N, 70°17'51"W / 20.V.1998-022A/ R.Anderson, elfin for. Litter (MIZA). Paratypes (3♂ 3♀ USNM). Same label as holotype except: (1♂1♀ CMNC) “022E”; (2♂ USNM) “022F”; (2♀ USNM) “022J”.

Etymology.

We name this species after Vilma Savini of Museo del Instituto de Zoologia, UCV, Maracay, Venezuela, a fellow coleopterist who contributed greatly to our knowledge of beetles of Venezuela.

Differential diagnosis.

Andersonoplatus saviniae is similar to A. lagunanegra and can be differentiated from it based on the following characters: sixth antennomere as long as seventh (Fig. 34C); aedeagus in lateral view nearly straight, apical denticle (in ventral view) shorter and less differentiated (Fig. 35A).

Key to Andersonoplatus species