Serraphula transvaalensis 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 transvaalensis

description: Serraphula transvaalensis sp. n. (Figs 17, 21, 58, 67)
TYPE MATERIAL. Holotype 3, REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA, Mpumalanga, Nelshoogte Pass, 1600 m, 25°49’S 30°48’E, forest edge, 14.xii.1995, M. Biondi leg. (BAQ). Paratypes: same locality, date and collector of the holotype, 5 3 and 14 Ƥ (BAQ; SANC); ditto, P. Audisio leg., 2 3 (BAQ); ditto, A. De Biase leg., 2 3 and 3 Ƥ (BAQ); REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA, Mpumalanga, Goedehoop Farm (The Brook Hiking Trail), 15 km W of Lochiel, 26°10’S 30°38’E, 1400 m, 28-29.xi.2002, collected by sweeping, E. Grobbelaar leg., 1 Ƥ (SANC).
DIAGNOSIS. For the diagnosis of this new species we refer to that reported for S. alticola sp. n.
DESCRIPTION. Holotype 3. Dorsal integument blackish with evident blueish metallic reflection.
Body shape elliptical (LB = 1.98 mm), little convex. Maximum pronotal width at middle (WP= 0.74 mm); maximum elytral width at basal third (WE = 0.90 mm).
Frons and vertex with finely wrinkled surface, slightly shagreened near dorsal margin of frontal tubercles; some punctures between frontal tubercles and ocular margin; a large setigerous pore with some small setigerous punctures gathered near each upper ocular margin; frontal tubercles subtriangular, finely delimited, with smooth surface; frontal dimples weakly impressed; frontal grooves distally very finely impressed along upper ocular margin; frontal carina narrowed, clearly raised, apically sub-acute; labrum sub-trapezoidal, blackish; palpi blackish; eyes sub-elliptical, normally sized; antennae shorter than body length (LAN = 1.80 mm; LAN/ LB = 0.91), with segments 1–5 yellowish, segment 6 slightly annulate, segments 7–10 almost entirely darkened, segment 11 darkened; length of each antennomere proportional to numerical sequence 22:10:10:14:16:16:16:16:16:16:20 (right antenna).
Pronotum sub-trapezoidal, anteriorly slightly larger, moderately transverse (LP = 0.56 mm; WP/LP = 1.31) laterally slightly rounded; basal margin finely bordered and lateral margin more largely bordered; punctation densely and uniformly distributed on densely and irregularly wrinkled and finely punctulate surface; punctures small, clearly impressed. Scutellum sub-triangular, apically sub-acute, with finely wrinkled surface. Elytra moderately elongate (LE = 1.26 mm; LE/LP = 2.24), covering entirely pygidium, laterally slightly rounded, apically slightly obtuse; punctation arranged in 9 (+ 1 very short scutellar) regular rows, with large punctures impressed on sub-opaque and punctulate surface; elytral interstriae moderately convex; humeral calli absent; sub-apterous metathoracic wings.
Legs with yellowish tibiae, tarsi and anterior and middle femora; hind femora blackened with metallic reflections; hind tibiae weakly externally curved. Apical spur of hind tibiae short (LHT/LHTS = 2.31), internally bent at distal third; dorsal furrow proximally narrow but gradually open towards distal part; denture usually regularly and densely formed by clearly distinct teeth. First anterior and middle tarsomeres moderately dilated with adhesive structures on ventral side (cf. Figs 77,79, 81–82).
Ventral surface blackish; last abdominal sternite without special preapical impressions.
Median lobe of aedeagus slender (LAED = 0.80 mm; LE/LAED = 1.58), in ventral view slightly narrow at basal third, apically acute, without median small tooth; ventral sulcus wide, clearly visible in apical 3/5s; in lateral view, median lobe moderately curved, apically straight; dorsal sulcus visible from basal third to apex, basally U-shaped, abruptly narrowed at apical fourth; dorsal ligula apically thin.
VARIATION. 3 (n = 10; mean and standard deviation): LE = 1.23 ± 0.06 mm; WE = 0.85 ± 0.04 mm; LP = 0.54 ± 0.03 mm; WP = 0.71 ± 0.03 mm; LAN = 1.72 ± 0.09 mm; LAED = 0.77 ± 0.03 mm; LB = 1.96 ± 0.12 mm; LE/LP = 2.29 ± 0.08; WE/WP = 1.20 ± 0.03; WP/LP = 1.33 ± 0.06; LE/LAED = 1.59 ± 0.05; LAN/ (LE+LP) = 0.98 ± 0.02; LHT/LHTS = 2.15 ± 0.15. Ƥ (n = 10): LE = 1.33 ± 0.06 mm; WE = 0.92 ± 0.03 mm; LP = 0.55 ± 0.02 mm; WP = 0.74 ± 0.03 mm; LAN = 1.51 ± 0.06 mm; LSP = 0.11 ± 0.01 mm; LB = 2.07 ± 0.09 mm; LE/LP = 2.40 ± 0.08; WE/WP = 1.23 ± 0.03; WP/LP = 1.35 ± 0.04; LE/LSP = 12.68 ± 0.81; LAN/ (LE+LP) = 0.80 ± 0.02; LHT/LHTS = 2.11 ± 0.17.
Paratypes. Sometimes pronotal sculpture with: (a) surface clearly microreticulate; (b) punctures larger than in the holotype; (c) punctures not uniformly impressed. Some specimens can show clearly paler antennae or 5–11 strongly darkened antennal segments. Females generally bigger than males (1.95 ≤ LB ≤ 2.18 mm) with shorter antennae (0.66 ≤ LAN/LB ≤ 0.81). Spermatheca with sub-globose basal part; distal part curved, with not separated collum from apex; appendix present; ductus short, sub-ventrally inserted.
ETYMOLOGY. This new species is named after Transvaal, former province of northeast South Africa to 1994, when it was divided into Mpumalanga, Northern, and Gauteng Provinces (Republic of South Africa).
DISTRIBUTION. Republic of South Africa (Mpumalanga). Southern-Eastern African chorotype (SEA) (cf. Biondi & D’Alessandro, 2006).
ECOLOGICAL NOTES. This new species was collected on herbaceous plants. Biomes: Savannah; Grassland (cf. Rutherford & Westfall, 1994). Veld types: North-Eastern Sandy Highveld; North-Eastern Mountain 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 25-26, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.195007