Beckhoplia dolichiocnemis Dombrow 2020, new species
Creators: name: Dombrow, Holger E.
name: Colville, Jonathan F.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2020
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Melolonthidae
Beckhoplia
Beckhoplia dolichiocnemis

description: Beckhoplia dolichiocnemis Dombrow, new species
(Figs. 6, 10, 36, 96–97, 117)
http://zoobank.org/ 497F3A0F-0D97-4B46-A0FD-49C67A87159A
Beckhoplia colvillei Dombrow, 2005: 128 ex parte.
Type locality. [RSA, WCP]: Biedouw Valley.
Type material. [23] Holotype ♂: white label pr « RSA, WCP, Biedouw | Valley 32.05S– 19.05E | 08/09/98 | J. Colville» || yellow label hw «18» pr «.827 | coll. Dombrow» || red label pr « Paratype | Beckhoplia | colvillei sp.n. | det.: Dombrow 2003»|| green label pr «Host plant: | Dimorphotheca sinuata | Ursinia anthemoides | Arctotheca calendula » || blue label pr «Bioregion: | Sandstone Fynbos | Vegetation Type: FFs4 – | Cederberg Sandstone Fynbos» || yellow label pr «SAM–COL | A071217» || red label pr « Holotype | Beckhoplia | dolichiocnemis sp.n. | det.: H. Dombrow 2019» (SAMC). – Paratypes 20 ♂ ♂: same labels as holotype but || yellow label hw «18» pr «.818–.826,.828–.836 | coll. Dombrow» || red label pr « Paratype | Beckhoplia | colvillei sp.n. | det.: Dombrow 2003» || red label pr « Paratype | Beckhoplia | dolichiocnemis sp.n. | det.: H. Dombrow 2019» (ESDW); 2 ♂♂: same labels as holotype but || yellow label hw «18» pr «.837–.838 | coll. Dombrow» || red label pr « Paratype | Beckhoplia | colvillei sp.n. | det.: Dombrow 2003» || yellow label pr «SAM–COL | A071217» || red label pr « Paratype | Beckhoplia | dolichiocnemis sp.n. | det.: H. Dombrow 2019» (SAMC).
Condition of holotype. Very good. Pinned. Dissected, parameres and spiculum gastrale glued on separate card below beetle.
Remark. After consulting the collector, the coordinate of the locality has to be adjusted to 32°08’S, 19°11’E.
Differential diagnosis. Differs from B. occidentalis: Elytra of B. dolichiocnemis with a longitudinal depression along suture. Elytra of B. occidentalis without a longitudinal depression along suture. Elytra of B. dolichiocnemis protruding the propygidium. Elytra of B. occidentalis partly covering propygidium. Interno-posterior margin of parameres of B. dolichiocnemis parabola-shaped in dorsal view (Figs. 96, 117). Interno-posterior margin of parameres of B. occidentalis curly bracket-shaped in dorsal view (Figs. 92, 115). Externo-posterior margin of parameres of B. dolichiocnemis undulate in dorsal view (Figs. 96, 117). Externoposterior margin of parameres of B. occidentalis curly bracket-shaped, convex medially in dorsal view (Figs. 92, 115).
Differs from B. bicolor: Elytra of B. dolichiocnemis protruding propygidium. Elytra of B. bicolor partly covering propygidium. Elytra of B. dolichiocnemis transparently pale red brown with narrowly blackened lateral margins. Elytra of B. bicolor transparently pale-brown with broadly blackened lateral margins. Interno-posterior margin of parameres of B. dolichiocnemis parabola-shaped in dorsal view (Figs. 96, 117). Interno-posterior margin of parameres of B. bicolor u-shaped in dorsal view (Figs. 94, 116). Externo-posterior margin of parameres of B. dolichiocnemis undulate in dorsal view (Figs. 96, 117). Externo-posterior margin of parameres of B. bicolor concave with a broad convex median extension in dorsal view (Figs. 94, 116).
Description
Measurements: length 4.6–5.7 mm; width 2.1–2.8 mm.
Integument: Black; elytra transparently pale-brown, lateral and posterior margin blackened.
Tegument: Clypeus bare; inner side of the reflexed anterior and lateral margins loose setose with short, erect, black setae. Head loose setose with long, erect, black setae. Eye canthus with a loose setose ciliary of long, black setae. Scapus loose setose with long, black setae, pale-brown ventrally, sparse and medium-long on pedicellus; funiculum with few very short and short, erect, brow setae, sparse and semi-erect on clavus. Pronotum loose setose with long, erect, black setae, slightly shorter towards posterior margin; with a loose setose ciliary of distinctly long, black setae on lateral margin. Scutellum loose setose with short and mediumlong, semi-erect, brown setae. Elytra without pattern. Loose setose with short, reclinate, brown setae; long, erect, black setae interspersed, denser around humerus; with two loose setose longitudinal rows of mediumlong, semi-erect, black, setae: a juxta-sutural row from anterior margin crossing scutellar torus towards apical torus; a juxta-humeral row from anterior margin between humerus and scutellar torus towards apical torus terminating towards middle. Suture with a loose row of short and long, robust, semi-erect, black setae. Thorax and pleurites loose pilose with long, black hairs. Ventrite I–V loose setose with short, reclinate, brownish setae; medium-long, semi-erect, black setae interspersed. Propygidium loose setose with reclinate, short, whitish, squamiform setae; long, semi-erect, black setae interspersed. Pygidium sparse setose with long, erect, black setae; tip with a loose setose ciliary of long, black setae. Prothoracic femur loose pilose with long, black hairs; bare internally. Prothoracic tibia loose setose with short, reclinate, whitish and brownish setae dorsally; sparse setose with erect, medium-long whitish and brownish and long black setae ventrally; medium-long, black, semi-erect setae interspersed dorsally; with a sparse setose longitudinal row of mediumlong, erect, black setae dorsally; with a loose ciliary of short, black and whitish setae on internal ridge; whitish and short at external ridge; a setaceous ciliary of short, brown setae on anterior margin; a medium-long downwards pointing setose ciliary of pale-brown setae along anterior margin of apical tooth. Mesothoracic femur loose pilose with long, brown hairs; distinctly long brown ventrally; long, erect, black setae interspersed dorsally and externally; bare internally. Mesothoracic tibia sparse setose with short, reclinate, white setae, sparser internally; medium-long, semi-erect, robust, black setae interspersed, long and finer internally. Posterior margin with a bristled ciliary of medium-long, black bristles; missing internally. Metathoracic femur loose setose with medium-long and long, semi-erect, black setae; distinctly long, pale-brown setae interspersed ventrally; bare internally. Metathoracic tibia loose setose with short, reclinate, pale-brown setae; medium-long, semi-erect, black setae interspersed; denser, finer and long internally. Posterior margin with a loose bristled outer marginal ciliary of short, black bristles, lengthening dorsally and ventrally and more robust ventrally. Prothoracic and mesothoracic tarsomere I–IV bare. Metathoracic tarsomere I–IV sparse setose with very short, reclinate, pale-brown setae. Tarsomere I–IV of all thoracic legs with a setaceous, apical, marginal ciliary of short, black setae lengthening towards metathoracic tarsomeres, fine dorsally and more robust ventrally. Pretarsomere of all thoracic legs sparse setose with very short, semi-erect, brown setae; few, long, semi-erect, black setae at apical margin, shorter and dark red-brown ventrally.
Head: Suture between head and clypeus linear, crenated. Head dense punctate with very small, shallow, roundish, partly merging punctures, micropunctate within. Funicle I–II cylindrical; funicle III short asymmetric frustum-shaped; clavus long elliptic, slightly longer than pedicellus and funiculum combined.
Pronotum: Widest in anterior two fifth; dense punctate with shallow, small, roundish punctures, denser laterally and within posterior third of medial furrow. Anterior corner obtuse. Lateral margin linearly attenuate anteriorly, subparallel posteriorly. With an indistinct, shortened medial furrow from posterior margin terminating on disk. Posterior corner rounded.
Scutellum: Parabola-shaped; as broad as long; dense punctate with shallow, very small to large, roundish punctures, micropunctate within; with a shortened, median, longitudinal, narrow, smooth stripe from anterior margin terminating in anterior fifth. Lateral margin slightly convex. Tip pointed.
Elytra: Ovate; longer than broad; widest in anterior third; protruding propygidium. Lateral margin slightly convex attenuate apically. Sculpture indistinct; slightly pulvinate laterally; humerus indistinct; with a broad roundish torus beside scutellum, expanding towards disk; lateral trench missing; complanate along scutellum and suture. Loose punctate with extremely small to very small, shallow, roundish punctures, micropunctures in-between; with two loose, longitudinal rows of small, deep, roundish punctures: a juxta-sutural row from anterior margin crossing scutellar torus to apical torus; a supra-humeral row from anterior margin between humerus and scutellar torus to apical torus.
Abdomen: Ventrite extremely shortened medially; ventrite V broadest, slightly constricted ventrally. Propygidium with a slightly projected stoma at posterior corner. Pygidium slightly pulvinate longitudinally and laterally; upper margin moderately convex, linear medially; lateral margin subparallel in upper fifth, linearly attenuate apically; tip rounded.
Prothoracic leg: Femur and tibia robust. Tibia smooth ventrally. Median tooth elongate. Basal tooth rudimentary. Interspace between teeth almost equal. Shape of interspace between teeth concave. Tarsomere I–IV combined extremely short; equal in length; slightly more than 2 / 5 in length of tibia. Pretarsomere slightly thickened; smooth ventrally; slightly more than 1 / 10 more in length of tarsomere I–IV combined. Internal claw slightly longer than pretarsomere. External claw slightly less than 4 / 5 in length of internal claw.
Mesothoracic leg: Tibia slightly less than 9 / 10 in length of femur. Tarsomere I–IV combined extremely short; slightly less than 3 / 10 in length of tibia. Pretarsomere with a shortened smooth ridge ventrally followed by a roundish cutting; slightly less than 1 / 5 more in length of tarsomere I–IV combined. External claw slightly shorter than pretarsomere. Internal claw slightly less than 9 / 10 in length of external claw.
Metathoracic leg: Tibia slightly more than 9 / 10 in length of femur. Tarsomere I–IV combined distinctly short; slightly less than 4 / 5 in length of tibia. Pretarsomere slender; with a smooth ridge ventrally; slightly less than 1 / 2 in length of tarsomere I–IV combined. External claw slightly less than 1 / 5 more in length of pretarsomere. Internal claw slightly more than 4 / 5 in length of external claw.
Parameres: (Figs. 96–97, 117).
♀: Unknown.
Distribution. Western Cape Province (Fig. 140), only known from the type locality.
Vegetation Type. Cederberg Sandstone Fynbos (FFs 4).
Host Plants. Asteraceae: Dimorphotheca sinuata DC.; Ursinia anthemoides (L.) Poir.; Arctotheca calendula (L.) Levyns.
Etymology. The specific name derives from the long, elongate hind legs [Greek: δολῐχóς (dolikhós-) = long; Greek: κνήμη (knḗmç) = the shin bone]
description: Published as part of Dombrow, Holger E. & Colville, Jonathan F., 2020, Review of the genus Beckhoplia Dombrow, 2005 with the description of fifteen new species from South Africa and observations on its biogeography (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae: Hopliini), pp. 1-79 in Zootaxa 4823 on pages 69-71, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4823.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/4401916