Serraphula debiasei Biondi & D'Alessandro, 2010, sp. n.
Creators: name: Biondi, Maurizio
name: D'Alessandro, Paola
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2010
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Chrysomelidae
Serraphula
Serraphula debiasei

description: Serraphula debiasei sp. n. (Figs 6, 21, 35, 45, 71)
TYPE MATERIAL. Holotype 3, REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA, Eastern Cape Province, 4 km S Barkly Pass, 1500 m, 31°15’S 27°49’E, road edge, on inflorescences of Helychrysum sp., 4.xii.1995, M. Biondi leg. (SANC). Paratypes: same locality, date and collector of the holotype, 6 3 and 13 Ƥ (BAQ; SANC); ditto, A. De Biase leg, 4 3 and 8 Ƥ (BAQ; SANC).
DIAGNOSIS. In body shape, sculpture and color, this new species is very similar to S. drakensbergensis sp. n. from which it differs mainly from in having generally larger pronotal punctures and less convex elytral interstriae. However, S. debiasei is clearly distinguishable by the median lobe of aedeagus, distinctly enlarged in apical fourth and without evident median small tooth, and by the spermatheca, with shorter ductus and more slender distal part.
DESCRIPTION. Holotype 3. Dorsal integument brown, with evident metallic reflection. Body shape elliptical-elongate (LB = 1.64 mm), moderately convex. Maximum pronotal width at apical third (WP= 0.60 mm); maximum elytral width at basal third (WE = 0.76 mm).
Frons and vertex with wrinkled and very finely and sparsely punctulate surface; a large setigerous pore with some small setigerous punctures gathered near each upper ocular margin; frontal tubercles weakly dorsally delimited; frontal dimples clearly impressed; frontal grooves not distinct; frontal carina moderately wide, weakly raised, apically rounded; labrum sub-trapezoidal, brown; palpi brown; eyes sub-elliptical, normally sized; antennae shorter than body length (LAN = 1.48 mm; LAN/LB = 0.90), brownish, with segments 1-7 gradually darker, segments 8-11 entirely brown; length of each antennomere proportional to numerical sequence 17:10:8:10:12:12:15:16:15:16:20 (right antenna).
Pronotum sub-rectangular, little transverse (LP = 0.48 mm; WP/LP = 1.26) laterally scarcely rounded; basal and lateral margin very finely bordered; punctation densely impressed on weakly microreticulate surface; punctures not uniform in size but generally large and clearly impressed. Scutellum sub-triangular, apically sub-acute, with wrinkled surface.
Elytra slightly elongate (LE = 1.18 mm; LE/LP = 2.47), covering partially pygidium; laterally moderately rounded, apically moderately obtuse; punctation arranged in 9 (+ 1 very short scutellar) regular rows, with rather large punctures clearly impressed on punctulate, sparsely and irregularly wrinkled surface; elytral interstriae weakly convex; humeral calli absent; sub-apterous metathoracic wings.
Legs light brownish but with slightly darkened hind femora; hind tibiae straight. Apical spur of hind tibiae slightly longer than hind tibial length (LHT/LHTS = 0.95), with distal fourth internally bent; dorsal furrow narrowed in proximal 3/4s and clearly enlarged in distal fourth; denture regularly and densely formed by small but clearly distinct teeth. First anterior and middle tarsomeres weakly dilated, with adhesive structures on ventral side (cf. Figs 77,79, 81–82).
Ventral surface brown; addominal sternites dark brown but with paler last sternite; last abdominal sternite apically medially slightly hollow.
Median lobe of aedeagus (LAED = 0.75 mm; LE/LAED = 1.57) in ventral view abruptly enlarged in apical fourth, apically sub-triangular, without median small tooth; ventral sulcus not visible; in lateral view, median lobe slightly bent in basal third; apical part ventrally bent; dorsal sulcus visible in apical 2/3s, basally U-shaped; dorsal ligula apically strongly narrowed.
VARIATION. 3 (n = 10; mean and standard deviation): LE = 1.11 ± 0.05 mm; WE = 0.73 ± 0.05 mm; LP = 0.45 ± 0.03 mm; WP = 0.57 ± 0.03 mm; LAN = 1.45 ± 0.08 mm; LAED = 0.73 ± 0.03 mm; LB = 1.68 ± 0.14 mm; LE/LP = 2.47 ± 0.15; WE/WP = 1.27 ± 0.05; WP/LP = 1.27 ± 0.07; LE/LAED = 1.51 ± 0.05; LAN/ (LE+LP) = 0.93 ± 0.02; LHT/LHTS = 1.04 ± 0.09. Ƥ (n = 10): LE = 1.30 ± 0.04 mm; WE = 0.83 ± 0.03 mm; LP = 0.50 ± 0.02 mm; WP = 0.64 ± 0.03 mm; LAN = 1.38 ± 0.08 mm; LSP = 0.12 ± 0.01 mm; LB = 1.95 ± 0.12 mm; LE/LP = 2.60 ± 0.07; WE/WP = 1.30 ± 0.04; WP/LP = 1.27 ± 0.03; LE/LSP = 10.81 ± 0.80; LAN/ (LE+LP) = 0.76 ± 0.02; LHT/LHTS = 1.02 ± 0.09.
Paratypes. Paratypes very similar in shape to the holotype. Some specimens show: (a) pronotum paler than head and elytra; (b) from sub-smooth and regularly microreticulate to not uniformly punctured and wrinkled pronotal surface. Females generally bigger than males (1.73 ≤ LB ≤ 2.08 mm), with shorter antennae (0.68 ≤ LAN/LB ≤ 0.79).
Spermatheca with sub-globose basal part; distal part elongate and arcuate, with not separated collum from apex; appendix absent; ductus short and slightly sinuous, sub-ventrally inserted.
ETYMOLOGY. The new species is named after A. De Biase (Italy, Rome), friend and fellow traveller on many collecting trips in South Africa.
DISTRIBUTION. Republic of South Africa (Eastern Cape Province). Southern-Eastern African chorotype (SEA) (cf. Biondi & D’Alessandro, 2006).
ECOLOGICAL NOTES. This new species was collected on Helychrysum sp. (Asteraceae). Biome: Grassland (cf. Rutherford & Westfall, 1994). Veld type: Highland and Dohne Sourveld (cf. Acocks, 1988).
description: Published as part of 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), pp. 1-44 in Zootaxa 2444 on pages 11-13, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.195007