Beckhoplia nigra 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 nigra

description: Beckhoplia nigra Dombrow, new species
(Figs. 14, 30, 33, 49, 55, 59, 62–63, 100, 119)
http://zoobank.org/ 0A721F95-4493-47AD-A8A4-E28D57E6BE53
Type locality. [RSA, NCP]: nördl. Farm Brandkop, 21 km NO Nieuwoudtville.
Type material. [5] Holotype ♂: white label pr «AFRIKA: Südafrika, Kapprovinz | nördl. Farm Brandkop, 21 km NO | Nieuwoudtville, 380 m, 29.08.1989 | 31°14’30”S, 19°12’08”E, leg. R. Fritz» || green label pr «Host plant: | Albuca maxima » || blue label pr «Bioregion: | Trans-Escarpment Succulent Karroo | Vegetation Type: | SKt2 – Hantam Karroo»|| yellow label hw «54» pr «.928 | coll. Dombrow» || red label pr « Holotype | Beckhoplia | nigra sp.n. | det.: H. Dombrow 2019» (ZSM). – Paratypes 1 ♂, 3 ♀♀: same labels as holotype but || yellow label hw «54» pr «.975–.978 | coll. Dombrow» || red label pr « Paratype | Beckhoplia | nigra sp.n. | det.: H. Dombrow 2019» (ESDW).
Condition of holotype. Good. Glued on card. Dissected, parameres and spiculum gastrale glued behind beetle. Left metathoracic leg broken off, glued behind beetle; left metathoracic tarsus missing after tarsomere II.
Differential diagnosis. Differs from B. pallidibrunnea: Colour of elytra of B. nigra black. Colour of elytra of B. pallidibrunnea transparently pale-brown. Elytra of B. nigra with squamose pattern of white scales. Elytra of B. pallidibrunnea without scales. Interno-posterior margin of parameres of B. nigra elongate curly bracket-shaped (Figs. 62, 100). Interno-posterior margin of parameres of B. pallidibrunnea parabola-shaped (Figs. 64, 101). Externo-posterior margin of parameres of B. nigra convex (Figs. 62, 100). Externo-posterior margin of parameres of B. pallidibrunnea concave medially (Figs. 64, 101).
Description
Measurements: length 7.5–7.6 mm, width 3.7–3.9 mm.
Integument: Black.
Tegument: Clypeus bare; sparse setose with extremely short, erect, pale-brown setae on the inner side of the vertically reflexed anterior and lateral margin. Head loose setose with long, erect, black setae. Eye canthus with a dense setose ciliary of long, black setae. Scapus loose setose with medium-long, black setae, dark-brown ventrally, sparse and shorter on pedicellus, funiculum and clavus sparse setose with very short, semi-erect, black setae. Pronotum loose setose with long, erect, black setae, distinctly long towards anterior margin; with a dense setose ciliary of long to distinctly long, black setae on lateral margin. Scutellum loose setose with short, semi-erect, black setae. Elytra with pattern; sparse setose with medium-long, semi-erect, black setae; lengthening towards anterior margin; with a sparse juxta-sutural row of robust, long, semi-erect, black setae, from anterior margin, crossing scutellar torus towards apical torus; with three shortened, longitudinal, loose squamose bands of reclinate, narrowly-lanceolate, white scales: a supra-lateral one from anterior two fifth terminating beside apical torus; a supra-humeral on from middle terminating in apical third; a juxta-sutural one from apical third termination beside apical torus. Suture with a loose row of short, robust, semi-erect, black setae, lengthening apically. Thorax and pleurites loose pilose with long, black hairs. Ventrite I–V sparse setose with short, reclinate, brown setae; long, semi-erect, black setae interspersed. Propygidium loose setose with medium-long, semi-erect, black setae; posterior margin with a loose row of reclinate, narrowly-lanceolate, whitish scales. Pygidium sparse setose with long, erect, black setae, reclinate, narrowly-lanceolate, whitish scales interspersed in upper quarter; tip with a loose ciliary of medium-long, black setae. Prothoracic femur loose setose with long, semi-erect, black setae; bare internally. Prothoracic tibia sparse setose with short, reclinate and semi-erect, palebrown setae, sparser, erect and longer ventrally; with a sparse setose longitudinal row of short and medium-long, erect, black setae dorsally; a loose setose ciliary of short to medium-long, black setae on internal ridge; a setaceous ciliary of short, brown setae on anterior margin, more robust towards internal ridge; a medium-long, downwards pointing setose ciliary of brown setae along anterior margin of apical tooth. Mesothoracic femur sparse setose with long, semi-erect, black setae, denser, distinctly long and brown ventrally; bare internally. Mesothoracic tibia loose setose with short, semi-erect, pale-brown setae; medium-long, semi-erect, robust, black setae interspersed, sparser and finer internally. Posterior margin with a bristled ciliary of short to medium-long, black bristles; missing internally. Metathoracic femur loose setose with long to distinctly long, semi-erect, black setae; offwhite ventrally; bare internally. Metathoracic tibia sparse setose with medium-long to long, semi-erect, robust black setae; finer internally. Posterior margin with a sparse bristled outer marginal ciliary of short, brown bristles, lengthening dorsally and ventrally. Prothoracic and mesothoracic tarsomere I–IV bare. Metathoracic tarsomere I–IV sparse setose with very short, reclinate, brown setae. Tarsomere I–IV of thoracic legs with a setaceous, apical, marginal ciliary of short, black setae, lengthening and more robust towards metathoracic tarsomeres, fine dorsally and more robust ventrally. Pretarsomere of all thoracic legs sparse setose with short, semi-erect, black setae, lengthening towards metathoracic pretarsomere; few, medium-long, semi-erect, black setae at apical margin, shorter and red-brown ventrally.
Head: Suture between head and clypeus undulated, complanate. Head dense punctate with small, shallow, roundish, not merging punctures. Funicle I cylindrical, slightly thickened medially; funicle II–III asymmetric frustum-shaped; clavus elliptic, slightly longer than pedicellus and funiculum combined.
Pronotum: Widest medially; loose punctate with very small, shallow, roundish punctures, denser within medial furrow. Anterior corner obtuse. Lateral margin convex. With a distinct, shallow, complete medial furrow. Posterior corner rounded.
Scutellum: Parabola-shaped; as broad as long; dense punctate with very small and small, shallow, roundish punctures, micropunctate within. Lateral margin slightly convex. Tip rounded.
Elytra: Oblong; longer than broad; widest medially; protruding propygidium. Lateral margin very slightly convex. Sculpture distinct; slightly pulvinate laterally; humerus distinct; with a very broad, roundish torus around scutellum; lateral trench distinct; distinctly depressed along scutellum. Loose punctate with extremely small, shallow, roundish punctures; a sparse juxta-sutural row of small, roundish tubercles from anterior margin, crossing scutellar torus towards apical torus, terminating in apical quarter.
Abdomen: Ventrite I distinctly shortened medially; ventrite V broadest, slightly constricted ventrally. Propygidium with a slightly projected stoma at posterior corner. Pygidium distinctly pulvinate longitudinally and laterally; upper margin slightly convex, linear medially; lateral margin linearly attenuate apically; tip rounded.
Prothoracic leg: Femur and tibia robust. Tibia smooth ventrally. Median tooth robust. Basal tooth rudimentary. Interspace between anterior and median tooth double in width than between median and basal tooth. Shape of interspace between anterior and median tooth concave and between median and basal tooth linear. Tarsomeres I–IV combined extremely short; lengthening from tarsomere I–IV; slightly less than 1 / 2 in length of tibia. Tarsomeres III–IV with a ventral extension. Pretarsomere distinctly thickened; with a shortened smooth ridge ventrally; slightly longer than tarsomere I–IV combined. Internal claw slightly less than 1 / 10 more in length of pretarsomere. External claw slightly more than 7 / 10 in length of internal claw.
Mesothoracic leg: Tibia slightly longer than femur. Tarsomere combined I–IV extremely short; slightly less than 2 / 5 in length of tibia. Pretarsomere with a shortened smooth ridge ventrally followed by a roundish cutting apically; slightly less than 1 / 10 more in length of tarsomere I–IV combined. External claw slightly less than 9 / 10 in length of pretarsomere. Internal claw slightly less than 9 / 10 in length of external claw.
Metathoracic leg: Tibia as long as femur. Tarsomere I–IV combined short; 4 / 5 in length of tibia. Pretarsomere slender; with a smooth ridge ventrally; slightly less than 1 / 2 in length of tarsomeres I–IV combined. External claw slightly less than 1 / 10 more in length of pretarsomere. Internal claw slightly less than 9 / 10 in length of external claw.
Parameres: (Figs. 62–63, 100).
♀♀. Measurements: length 7.7–7.9 mm; width 4.0– 4.2 mm.
Integument: Black; colour gradient of elytra from pale-brown medially to black at lateral and posterior margin, margins black; thoracic legs dark-brown, tarsi red-brown.
Tegument: Clypeus sparse setose with very short, semi-erect, pale-brown setae. Head loose setose with mediumlong, semi-erect, brown setae. Pronotum without pattern; loose setose with medium-long, semi-erect, brown setae; short, semi-erect, offwhite setae interspersed in medial furrow, denser apically; with a dense setose ciliary of long, brown setae on lateral margin. Setae on scutellum brown. Elytra with pattern; additionally loose setose with short, semi-erect, brown setae; pattern consisting of short, semi-erect, yellowish setae. Hairs on thorax and pleurites yellowish. Ventrite I–V loose setose with short, reclinate, yellowish setae. Propygidium and pygidium loose setose with short to medium-long, semi-erect, brown setae; tip of pygidium with a loose ciliary of medium-long, brown setae. Setae on prothoracic tibia pale-brown. Setae on mesothoracic femur brown and pale-brown ventrally. Interspersed setae of mesothoracic tibia brown, setae of ciliary red-brown. Setae of metathoracic leg brown. Setae of thoracic tarsi red-brown.
Head: Clypeus dense punctate with very small to small, shallow, roundish punctures; anterior margin distinctly vertically reflexed. Suture between head and clypeus linear, raised. Punctures on head large. Eye canthus full, dividing eye. Clavus short elliptic.
Pronotum: Widest in anterior third; dense punctate with small, shallow, roundish punctures, denser within medial furrow and posteriorly. Lateral margin linearly attenuate in anterior third, slightly convex attenuate posteriorly. Medial furrow indistinct.
Scutellum: Size of punctures only very small.
Elytra: Ovate; widest in anterior third. Lateral margin slightly convex attenuate apically. Sculpture distinct; humerus indistinct; with a broad, roundish torus around scutellum; slightly depressed along scutellum. Loose punctate with very small, shallow, roundish punctures, micropunctures in-between; a sparse juxta-sutural row of small, shallow, roundish punctures from anterior margin, crossing scutellar torus towards apical torus.
Abdomen: Distinctly pulvinate; ventrite II–V broadened medially; ventrite V not constricted ventrally. Pygidium slightly pulvinate longitudinally; slightly declined posteriorly; lateral margin subparallel in upper quarter, linearly attenuate apically; tip linear.
Prothoracic leg: Basal tooth of tibia very small. Tarsomere I–IV combined very short; equal in length; slightly less than 7 / 10 in length of tibia. Tarsomere II–IV without ventral extension. Pretarsomere slightly thickened; smooth ventrally, roundish cutting missing; slightly less than 4 / 5 in length of tarsomeres I–IV combined. Internal claw slightly less than 9 / 10 in length of pretarsomere. External claw slightly more than 4 / 5 in length of internal claw.
Mesothoracic leg: Tibia as long as femur. Tarsomeres I–IV combined very short; slightly more than 2 / 5 in length of tibia. Pretarsomere slender; with a shortened undulate ridge ventrally, roundish cutting missing; slightly less than 9 / 10 in length of tarsomere I–IV combined. External claw slender; not broadened medially; slightly more than 9 / 10 in length of pretarsomere.
Metathoracic leg: Tibia distinctly extended dorso-apically; slightly less than 4 / 5 in length of femur. Tarsomeres I–IV combined slightly more than 4 / 5 in length of tibia. Pretarsomere slightly more than 2 / 5 in length of tarsomeres I–IV combined. External claw slightly more than 1 / 10 more in length of pretarsomere. Internal claw slightly more than 4 / 5 in length of external claw.
Distribution. Northern Cape Province (Fig. 140), only known from the type locality
Vegetation Type. Hantam Karroo [SKt 2].
Host Plants. Hyacinthaceae: Albuca canadensis (L.) F. M. Leight.
Etymology. The name derives from the black elytra [Latin: nigr- = black].
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 14-19, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4823.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/4401916