Brodskyella konvickai Ruzzier and Yeshwanth

Ruzzier, Enrico & Yeshwanth, H. M., 2019, Two New Species of Brodskyella Horák, 1989 (Coleoptera: Mordellidae: Stenaliini) from India, The Coleopterists Bulletin 73 (4), pp. 1087-1092 : 1087-1089

Brodskyella konvickai Ruzzier and Yeshwanth , new species

Zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:3F7EBE5F-D3A4-4093-9B3B-33224F2756CB ( Figs. 1A–I , 3A )

Type Specimens. HOLOTYPE: Male labelled INDIA: Karnataka: Sirsi: Unchalli falls , 24.v.2010, sweep net, Yeshwanth, H. M. leg. PARATYPE: One female with the same data as holotype ( UASB) .

Description. Length 3.0 mm from vertex of head to tip of elytra. Head: Ground color of integument black except anterior part of head, labrum, and mouthparts bright orange; mandible apically darkened ( Fig. 1C ); covered by short, dense, recumbent setae. Eyes comparatively small (ocular index 54.9), reaching occiput ( Fig. 1G ), not extending onto the ventral surface of head, finely facetted. Maxillary palpi orange, apical palpomere securiform ( Fig. 1D ); labial palpi orange, apical palpomere ellipsoidal. Mouthparts lacking any visible sexual dimorphism. Antennae moderately long; antennomeres 1–4 cylindrical; antennomere 1 2.5X longer than wide; antennomere 2 2.0X longer than wide; antennomeres 3–4 2.0X longer than wide; antennomeres 5–10 weakly serrate, 1.7X longer than wide; antennomere 11 ellipsoidal, 1.9X longer than wide ( Fig. 1E ); antennomeres 1–5 bright orange, 6–11 darkened. Thorax: Elytra long and slender, 2.9X as long as wide across humeral calli; ground color of integument orange, becoming dark brown towards elytral margins, suture, and apex. Elytra entirely covered by short, recumbent, posteriorly oriented, black setae ( Fig. 1A ). Ground color of integument of pronotum black, entirely covered by posteriorly oriented, yellowish pubescence; pubescence longer and less dense than on head. Pronotum as long as wide in dorsal view ( Fig. 1F ); anterior margin of pronotum margined, gently curved from median anterior lobe to anterior angles (not visible from above); lateral margin gradually curved from anterior to posterior angles; posterior margin emarginate, posterior median lobe protruding backwards; posterior angles rectangular in dorsal aspect. Ventral side of meso- and metathoraces black, covered by sparse, light yellowish pubescence ( Fig. 1B ). Scutellum triangular, black. Legs: Fore legs bright orange; middle legs reddish brown, becoming paler distally; hind legs dark reddish brown ( Fig. 1G–H ). Protibia straight, only feebly curved; protarsus elongated, 1.4X longer than protibia. Mesotibia straight; mesotarsus 1.2X longer than mesotibia. Metatibia with 1 apical ridge and 2 oblique lateral ridges. Metatarsomere 1 with 2 ridges, metatarsomeres 2 and 3 each with 1 ridge. Metatibial spurs subequal in length, yellow ( Fig. 1H ). Pygidium: Conical in dorsal view, 2.7X as long as wide at base, 1.3X as long as hypopygidium ( Fig. 1I ). Genitalia: Parameres asymmetrical ( Fig. 3A ). Right paramere U-shaped; dorsal branch apically expanded and rounded; ventral branch apically narrowed and pointed, dorsally bent. Left paramere lacking ventral branch; dorsal branch apically expanded and rounded, covered by setae; medial process apically expanded, ventrally produced, truncate at apex.

Etymology. This species in named after Ondřej Konvička, our esteemed friend and specialist on the family Melandryidae .

Diagnosis. Brodskyella konvickai closely resembles B. angustata in general appearance, but B. konvickai differs from the latter in having the dorsal part of the head capsule almost completely black with a transverse orange band between the antennal insertions (entire anterior half of head capsule and lateral parts along the eyes orange in B. angustata ). These two species can be reliably separated only by the shape of the parameres ( Fig. 3A–C ): the ventral branch of the right paramere in B. konvicka is strongly curved, almost falciform, while in B. angustata this branch in only feebly hooked. From B. holzschuhi and Brodskyella viraktamathi Ruzzier and Yeshwanth , new species, B. konvickai differs in having the entire pronotum black instead of orange only in the anterior portions.

Figures

Fig. 1. Brodskyella konvickai, holotype. A–B) Habitus, dorsal and lateral views, respectively, C) Head, frontal view, D) Maxillary palpus, E) Antenna, F) Pronotum and head, dorsal view, G) Head and thorax, lateral view, H) Left hind leg, exterior and interior views, I) Pygidium.

Fig. 3. Brodskyella species, parameres. A) B. konvickai, B) B. viraktmathi, C) B. angustata, D) B. holzschuhi. Illustrations C and B from Horák (1989).