Beckhoplia suturalis 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 suturalis

description: Beckhoplia suturalis Dombrow, new species
(Figs. 29, 88–89, 113)
http://zoobank.org/ 5E04AD0A-2014-42C8-8242-2179490AA908
Beckhoplia colvillei Dombrow, 2005: 128 ex parte.
Type locality. [RSA, NCP]: Nieuwoudtville.
Type material. [49] Holotype ♂: white label pr « SOUTH AFRICA, Northern | Cape, Hantam | Nieuwoudtville at | 31.22.33S–19.07.43E» // pr «Time 12:30, 15. Sept. 2001 | alt. 733 m, IRIDACEAE: | Homeria miniata | leg.: Holger Dombrow #327» || yellow label hw «18» pr «.485 | coll. Dombrow» || red label pr « Paratype | Beckhoplia | colvillei sp.n. | det.: H. Dombrow 2003» || blue label pr «Bioregion: | Shale Renosterveld | Vegetation Type: FRs2 – | Nieuwoudtville Shale Renosterveld» || yellow label pr «SAM–COL | A071220» || red label pr « Holotype | Beckhoplia | suturalis sp.n. | det.: H. Dombrow 2019» (SAMC). – Paratypes 29 ♂♂, 13 ♀♀: same labels as holotype but || yellow label hw «18» pr «.486,.488–.514,.517–.529,.534–.553 | coll. Dombrow» || red label pr « Paratype | Beckhoplia | suturalis sp.n. | det.: H. Dombrow 2019» (ESDW); 2 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀: same labels as holotype but || yellow label hw «18» pr «.515–.516,.530–.533 | coll. Dombrow» || yellow label pr «SAM–COL | A071220» || red label pr « Paratype | Beckhoplia | suturalis sp.n. | det.: H. Dombrow 2019» (SAMC).
Condition of holotype. Excellent. Glued on a card. Dissected, parameres glued behind beetle.
Differential diagnosis. Differs from B. nigrosetosa: Elytra of B. suturalis widest in anterior third. Elytra of B. nigrosetosa widest medially. Lateral margin of elytra of B. suturalis broadly blackened. Lateral margin of elytra of B. nigrosetosa narrowly darkened. Interno-posterior margin of parameres of B. suturalis rounded in dorsal view (Figs. 88, 113). Interno-posterior margin of parameres of B. nigrosetosa parabola in dorsal view (Figs. 90, 114). Externoposterior margin of parameres of B. suturalis convex in dorsal view (Figs. 88, 113). Externo-posterior margin of parameres of B. nigrosetosa linear with a convex median extension in dorsal view (Figs. 90, 114). Anterior margin of phallobase of B. suturalis curly bracket-shaped in dorsal view (Figs. 88, 113). Anterior margin of phallobase of B. nigrosetosa broad parabola-shaped in dorsal view (Figs. 90, 114).
Description
Measurements: length 7.8–9.6 mm; width 4.0– 4.7 mm.
Integument: Black; funiculum brown annulated; elytra transparently brown, lateral and posterior margin blackened.
Tegument: Clypeus bare; loose setose with short, erect, black setae on the inner side of the reflexed anterior and lateral margins. Head loose setose with long, erect, black setae. Eye canthus with a dense setose ciliary of long, black setae. Scapus loose setose with long, black setae, whitish ventrally, sparse and short on pedicellus; funicle I bare; funicle II–IV with few extremely short, semi-erect, pale-brown setae; clavus sparse setose with extremely short, reclinate pale-brown setae, very short, semi-erect, black setae interspersed. Pronotum loose setose with long, erect, black setae, shorter towards posterior margin; with a loose setose ciliary of long, black setae. Scutellum loose setose with short and medium-long, semi-erect, brown setae. Elytra without pattern. Sparse setose with short, reclinate and semi-erect, black setae; few short, reclinate, white setae interspersed below apical torus; with a loose juxtasutural row of long, erect, black setae from anterior margin crossing scutellar torus towards apical torus. Suture with a loose row of medium-long and long, robust, erect, black setae. Thorax and pleurites loose pilose with long, black hairs. Ventrite I–V loose setose with short, reclinate, black setae; medium-long and long, semi-erect, black setae and short reclinate white setae interspersed. Propygidium and pygidium loose setose with long, reclinate, black setae; short reclinate white setae interspersed on propygidium; tip of pygidium with a sparse setose ciliary of mediumlong and long, black setae. Prothoracic femur loose pilose with long black hairs; bare internally. Prothoracic tibia loose setose with short, reclinate, greyish setae; medium-long, semi-erect, black setae interspersed; erect and long ventrally; with a sparse setose longitudinal row of medium-long, erect, black setae dorsally; a loose setose ciliary of short, 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 pale-brown setae along anterior margin of apical tooth. Mesothoracic femur loose pilose with long black hairs; bare internally. Mesothoracic tibia loose setose with short, reclinate, whitish setae, sparser internally; medium-long, semi-erect, robust, black setae interspersed, long and finer internally. Posterior margin with a bristled ciliary of short, black bristles; missing internally. Metathoracic femur loose setose with long, semi-erect, black setae; distinctly long and whitish ventrally; bare internally. Metathoracic tibia sparse setose with short, reclinate, brown setae; medium-long, semi-erect, robust, black setae interspersed, long, denser and finer internally. Posterior margin with a loose bristled outer marginal ciliary of short, brown bristles, lengthening dorsally and ventrally, more robust ventrally. Prothoracic tarsomere I–IV bare. Mesothoracic and metathoracic tarsomere I–IV sparse setose with short, reclinate, 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 short, semi-erect, brown setae, lengthening towards metathoracic pretarsomere; few, long, semi-erect, black setae at apical margin, shorter and red-brown ventrally.
Head: Suture between head and clypeus linear, raised. Head dense punctate with small, shallow, roundish, not merging punctures. Funicle I–II cylindrical, slightly thickened medially; funicle III asymmetric frustum-shaped; clavus elliptic, slightly longer than pedicellus and funiculum combined.
Pronotum: Widest medially; loose punctate with small, shallow, roundish punctures, dense posteriorly and within medial furrow. Anterior corner orthogonal. Lateral margin linearly attenuate anteriorly and subparallel posteriorly. With an indistinct, shortened, shallow medial furrow from posterior margin terminating on disk. Posterior corner rounded.
Scutellum: Parabola-shaped; as broad as long; dense punctate with small to large, shallow, roundish punctures, micropunctate within; with a shortened, median, longitudinal, narrow, smooth stripe from anterior margin terminating in apical third. 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; almost complanate laterally; humerus indistinct; with a broad roundish torus beside scutellum, expanding towards disk; lateral trench indistinct; complanate along scutellum and suture. Loose punctate with extremely small to very small, shallow, roundish punctures, micropunctures in-between; a loose juxta-sutural row of small, deep, roundish punctures from anterior margin, crossing scutellar torus to apical torus.
Abdomen: Ventrite I distinctly shortened medially; ventrite V not 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 slightly convex; tip rounded.
Prothoracic leg: Femur and tibia slender. Tibia smooth ventrally. Median tooth elongate. Basal tooth very small. Interspace between teeth almost equal. Shape of interspace between teeth concave. Tarsomere I–IV combined extremely short; equal in length; slightly less than 1 / 2 in length of tibia. Pretarsomere distinctly thickened; smooth ventrally; slightly less than 9 / 10 length of tarsomere I–IV combined. Internal claw as long as pretarsomere. External claw slightly more than 4 / 5 in length of internal claw.
Mesothoracic leg: Tibia slightly shorter than femur. Tarsomere I–IV combined 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 shorter than tarsomere I–IV combined. External claw slightly more than 4 / 5 in length of pretarsomere. Internal claw slightly more than 9 / 10 in length of external claw.
Metathoracic leg: Tibia slightly less than 3 / 10 more in length of femur. Tarsomere I–IV combined distinctly short; slightly less than 7 / 10 in length of tibia. Pretarsomere slightly thickened; with an undulate 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. 88–89, 113).
♀♀. Measurements: length 8.6–9.5 mm; width 4.8–5.2 mm.
Integument: Lateral margins of elytra darkened; thoracic legs dark red-brown; metathoracic tibia and thoracic tarsi pale red-brown.
Tegument: Clypeus loose setose with short, erect, pale-brown setae; medium-long and brown on head. Eye canthus with a loose setose ciliary of medium-long, brown setae. Scapus loose setose with medium-long, brown setae, paler ventrally, shorter and pale-brown on pedicellus; funicle I bare, funicle II–IV with extremely short, semierect, pale-brown setae, reclinate on clavus. Pronotum without pattern. Loose setose with short and long, erect brown setae; with a loose setose ciliary of long, brown setae. Scutellum loose setose with short, semi-erect, whitish setae. Elytra without pattern. Loose setose with short, reclinate, yellowish-brown setae; long, semi-erect, brown setae interspersed, denser towards lateral margin. Suture with a loose row of short and long, robust, semi-erect, black setae. Thorax and pleurites loose pilose with long, yellowish hairs. Ventrite I–V loose setose with short, reclinate, yellowish setae; long, semi-erect, yellowish and brown setae interspersed. Propygidium and pygidium loose setose with short and medium-long, reclinate, yellowish setae; medium-long, semi-erect, brown setae interspersed; tip of pygidium with a sparse setose ciliary long, brown setae. Prothoracic femur loose pilose with long, brown hairs. Prothoracic tibia loose setose with short, reclinate, brown setae; erect and long ventrally; a loose setose ciliary of short and medium-long, black and yellowish setae on internal ridge; with a setaceous ciliary of loose short pale-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, yellowish-brown hairs; distinctly long ventrally; long semi-erect brown setae interspersed externally. Mesothoracic tibia sparse setose with short, reclinate, whitish setae; medium-long, semi-erect, robust, brown setae interspersed, long and finer internally; ciliary of posterior margin as in male but red-brown. Metathoracic femur loose setose with long, semi-erect, yellowish-brown setae; paler ventrally. Metathoracic tibia sparse setose with short, reclinate, whitish setae; medium-long and robust, semi-erect, red-brown setae interspersed, loose, long and finer internally. Posterior margin with a bristled outer marginal ciliary of short, loose, transparently red-brown bristles, lengthening dorsally and ventrally and more robust ventrally. Setae of thoracic tarsi pale red-brown.
Head: Clypeus very slightly depressed laterally; dense punctate with large and very large, deep, roundish punctures. Anterior margin of clypeus slightly vertically reflexed. Lateral margin slightly reflexed. Suture between head and clypeus undulate, crenated. Head dense punctate with small and large, deep, roundish punctures. Eye on head level. Funicle II–II cylindrical; clavus as long as pedicellus and funiculum combined.
Pronotum: Widest in anterior third; moderate pulvinate; loose punctate with very small, shallow, roundish punctures, dense in posterior half of medial furrow. Anterior corner obtuse. Lateral margin convex. With an indistinct, complete, shallow, narrow medial furrow.
Elytra: Covering propygidium.
Abdomen: Distinctly pulvinate; ventrite II–V broadened medially. Pygidium slightly pulvinate longitudinally and laterally; slightly declined posteriorly; lateral margin subparallel in upper fifth, linearly attenuate apically; tip linear.
Prothoracic leg: Femur robust. Median tooth of tibia broad triangular-shaped. Tarsomere I–IV combined very short; slightly more than 7 / 10 in length of tibia. Pretarsomere slightly thickened; with a shortened smooth ridge ventrally, roundish cutting missing; slightly less than 7 / 10 length of tarsomere I–IV combined. Internal claw slender; not broadened medially; slightly more than 9 / 10 length of pretarsomere. External claw 4 / 5 in length of internal claw.
Mesothoracic leg: Tibia 9 / 10 in length of femur. Tarsomere I–IV combined distinctly short; slightly more than 1 / 2 in length of tibia. Pretarsomere slightly thickened; roundish cutting missing; slightly more than 7 / 10 in length of than tarsomere I–IV combined. External claw slender; not broadened medially; as long as pretarsomere. Internal claw 4 / 5 in length of external claw.
Metathoracic leg: Femur slightly thickened. Tibia slightly extended dorso-apically; slightly less than 9 / 10 in length of femur. Tarsomere I–IV combined slightly more than 4 / 5 in length of tibia. Pretarsomere slender; with a smooth ridge ventrally; slightly more than 1 / 2 in length of tarsomere I–IV combined. External claw slightly more than 1 / 10 more in length of pretarsomere. Internal claw slightly less than 4 / 5 in length of external claw.
Distribution. Northern Cape Province (Fig. 140), only known from the type locality.
Vegetation Type. Nieuwoudtville Shale Renosterveld (FRs 2).
Host Plants. Iridaceae: Moraea miniata (Andrews).
Etymology. The name derives from the elevated suture [Latin: sutur = seam].
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 58-61, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4823.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/4401916