Serraphula audisiana 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 audisiana

description: Serraphula audisiana sp. n. (Figs 3, 22, 24, 32, 52, 62)
TYPE MATERIAL. Holotype 3, REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA, Kwazulu-Natal, Weza, Ngele Forest, 1200-1550 m, 30°31’S 29°41’E, indigenous forest clearing, on inflorescences of Asteraceae, 7-8.xii.1995, M. Biondi leg. (SANC). Paratypes: same locality, date and collector of the holotype, 10 3 and 7 Ƥ (BAQ; SANC); ditto, P. Audisio leg., 3 3 (BAQ).
DIAGNOSIS. On the basis of dorsal integument black with evident metallic reflection, clearly convex elytral interstriae and clearly impressed pronotal punctuation, this new species is similar to S. osellai sp. n. and S. natalensis sp. n. Anyway, S. audisiana is easily distinguishable for its smaller body size, length and shape of the apical spur of hind tibiae, and shape of the median lobe of aedeagus.
DESCRIPTION. Holotype 3. Dorsal integument blackish, with evident metallic reflection. Body shape elliptical-elongate (LB = 1.51 mm), moderately convex. Maximum pronotal width at middle (WP = 0.53 mm); maximum elytral width at basal third (WE = 0.60 mm).
Frons and vertex with finely wrinkled and very sparsely punctulate surface; a large setigerous pore with some small setigerous punctures gathered near each upper ocular margin; frontal dimples strongly impressed; frontal tubercles small, roundish, very weakly delimited; frontal grooves not distinct; frontal carina wide, weakly raised, apically rounded; labrum sub-trapezoidal, brown; palpi brown; eyes sub-elliptical, normally sized; antennae shorter than body length (LAN = 1.35 mm; LAN/LB = 0.89), yellowish, with segments 10-11 weakly darkened; length of each antennomere proportional to numerical sequence 15:8:9:10:12:11:12:13:12:12:16 (right antenna).
Pronotum sub-rectangular, moderately transverse (LP = 0.40 mm; WP/LP = 1.31) laterally rather straight; lateral and basal margin finely bordered; punctation densely and uniformly distributed on smooth surface with small and sparse punctulation; punctures very large and deeply impressed. Scutellum sub-triangular, apically rounded, with smooth surface.
Elytra elongate (LE = 1.08 mm; LE/LP = 2.69), covering almost completely pygidium, laterally moderately rounded, apically sub-acute; punctation arranged in 9 (+ 1 very short scutellar) regular rows, with large punctures strongly impressed; elytral interstriae clearly keeled with surface sparsely punctulate; humeral calli absent; sub-apterous metathoracic wings.
Legs with yellowish tibiae, tarsi and anterior and middle femora; hind femora blackened; hind tibiae weakly externally bent; Apical spur of hind tibiae about as long as hind tibial length (LHT/LHTS = 1.03), slightly internally curved; dorsal furrow proximally narrowed but gradually open towards distal part; denture partially irregular and moderately dense formed by small but clearly distinct teeth. First anterior and middle tarsomeres clearly dilated, with adhesive structures on ventral side (cf. Figs 77,79, 81–82).
Ventral surface blackish, apically paler, clearly punctured; last sternite without special preapical impressions.
Median lobe of aedeagus slender (LAED = 0.74 mm; LE/LAED = 1.46), in ventral view basally clearly enlarged, gradually narrowed from base to apex, slightly enlarged at apical third; apex with an evident median small tooth; ventral sulcus apically visible; in lateral view, median lobe basally strongly curved, apically slightly sinuous; dorsal sulcus visible in apical third.
VARIATION. 3 (n = 10; mean and standard deviation): LE = 1.16 ± 0.05 mm; WE = 0.66 ± 0.03 mm; LP = 0.44 ± 0.02 mm; WP = 0.55 ± 0.02 mm; LAN = 1.41 ± 0.06 mm; LAED = 0.78 ± 0.02 mm; LB = 1.65 ± 0.09 mm; LE/LP = 2.64 ± 0.07; WE/WP = 1.20 ± 0.03; WP/LP = 1.25 ± 0.05; LE/LAED = 1.48 ± 0.04; LAN/ (LE+LP) = 0.88 ± 0.03; LHT/LHTS = 1.00 ± 0.06. Ƥ (n = 7): LE = 1.36 ± 0.06 mm; WE = 0.77 ± 0.02 mm; LP = 0.48 ± 0.02 mm; WP = 0.61 ± 0.02 mm; LAN = 1.37 ± 0.03 mm; LSP = 0.13 ± 0.01 mm; LB = 1.97 ± 0.09 mm; LE/LP = 2.85 ± 0.07; WE/WP = 1.26 ± 0.02; WP/LP = 1.27 ± 0.02; LE/LSP = 10.90 ± 0.84; LAN/ (LE+LP) = 0.74 ± 0.02; LHT/LHTS = 0.96 ± 0.09.
Paratypes. Males very similar in shape, sculpture and color to the holotype; in some specimens hind femora brownish. Female bigger than male (1.85 ≤ LB ≤ 2.10 mm), with longer elytra (2.75 ≤ LE/LP ≤ 2.92) and antennae proportionally shorter (0.67 ≤ LAN/LB ≤ 0.75). Spermatheca with sub-globose basal part; distal part curved and rather elongate, with not separated collum from apex; collum generally basally larger; appendix present; ductus short and slightly arcuate, sub-ventrally inserted.
ETYMOLOGY. The new species is named after P. A. Audisio (Italy, Rome), friend and fellow traveller on collecting trips in many regions of the world.
DISTRIBUTION. Republic of South Africa (Kwazulu-Natal). Southern-Eastern African chorotype (SEA) (cf. Biondi & D’Alessandro, 2006).
ECOLOGICAL NOTES. This new species was collected in a indigenous forest clearing during a raining day on yellow inflorescences of Asteraceae (cf. Helychrysum), together with specimens of S. osellai n.sp. Biome: Forest (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 8-9, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.195007