Serraphula uysi 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 uysi

description: Serraphula uysi sp. n. 15 (Figs 18, 21, 46, 68)
TYPE MATERIAL. Holotype 3, REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA, Transvaal [Limpopo], Palala, 24°16’S 28°30’E, 17.i.1991, V.M. Uys leg. (SANC). Paratypes: same locality, date and collector of the holotype, 1 3 and 1 Ƥ (BAQ; SANC).
DIAGNOSIS. For pronotal and elytral color, sculpture and shape, this new species is similar to S. aenea Jacoby, but it is clearly distinguishable for having: smaller body size; lower LE/LP ratio; more slender legs; shorter apical spur of the hind tibiae; different shape of the median lobe of aedeagus.
DESCRIPTION. Holotype 3. Dorsal integument brown, with weak metallic reflection; elytra distinctly darker than pronotum. Body shape oval, little elongate (LB = 1.58 mm), moderately convex. Maximum pronotal width at anterior third (WP = 0.63 mm); maximum elytral width at basal third (WE = 0.75 mm).
Frons and vertex with sub-smooth surface; a large setigerous pore with some small setigerous punctures gathered near each upper ocular margin; frontal dimple distinctly impressed; frontal grooves distally finely impressed around upper ocular margin; frontal tubercles dorsally moderately delimited; frontal carina very weakly raised; labrum sub-trapezoidal, dark-brown; palpi dark-brown; eyes sub-elliptical, normally sized; antennae slightly shorter than body length (LAN = 1.49 mm; LAN/LB = 0.94), with segments 1–5 yellowish, segment 6 moderately darkened, segments 7–11 clearly darkened; length of each antennomere proportional to numerical sequence 18:10:10:11:13:13:13:13:14:13:19 (right antenna).
Pronotum sub-rectangular, weakly transverse (LP = 0.54 mm; WP/LP = 1.16), laterally slightly rounded; basal margin finely bordered; lateral margin slightly enlarged at anterior third; punctation rather densely and uniformely distributed, with small punctures clearly impressed on sub-smooth surface. Scutellum sub-triangular, apically sub-acute, with smooth surface.
Elytra short (LE = 1.05 mm; LE/LP = 1.95), covering entirely pygidium, laterally distinctly rounded, apically slightly obtuse; punctation arranged in 9 (+ 1 very short scutellar) regular rows, with medium-sized punctures clearly impressed on punctulate surface; elytral interstriae flat; humeral calli absent; sub-apterous metathoracic wings.
Legs dark-yellowish but with hind femora dorsally weakly darkened; hind tibiae weakly externally bent. Apical spur of hind tibiae short (LHT/LHTS = 2.08), internally curved in distal 2/3s; dorsal furrow proximally narrow than gradually and clearly open; denture dense and partially irregular, generally formed by small but clearly distinct teeth. First anterior and middle tarsomeres distinctly dilated, with adhesive structures on ventral side (cf. Figs 77,79, 81–82).
Ventral surface brown; last abdominal sternite without special preapical impressions.
Median lobe of aedeagus (LAED = 0.65 mm; LE/LAED = 1.62) in ventral view laterally sub-parallel, apically slightly narrowed, sub-triangular; ventral sulcus not visible; in lateral view, median lobe clearly bent in basal third, with straight apex; dorsal sulcus visible about in apical third, basally V-shaped; dorsal ligula apically sub-rounded, basally slightly narrowed.
VARIATION. 3 (n = 2; mean and standard deviation): LE = 1.08 ± 0.04 mm; WE = 0.75 ± 0.01 mm; LP = 0.53 ± 0.01 mm; WP = 0.64 ± 0.02 mm; LAN = 1.49 ± 0.01 mm; LAED = 0.64 ± 0.01 mm; LB = 1.61 ± 0.05 mm; LE/LP = 2.02 ± 0.10; WE/WP = 1.18 ± 0.03; WP/LP = 1.20 ± 0.05; LE/LAED = 1.67 ± 0.08; LAN/ (LE+LP) = 0.93 ± 0.01; LHT/LHTS = 2.08 ± 0.01. Ƥ (n = 1): LE = 1.08 mm; WE = 0.75 mm; LP = 0.49 mm; WP = 0.61 mm; LAN = 1.21 mm; LSP = 0.09 mm; LB = 1.50 mm; LE/LP = 2.21; WE/WP = 1.22; WP/LP = 1.26; LE/LSP = 12.29; LAN/(LE+LP) = 0.78; LHT/LHTS = 1.91.
Paratypes. Paratypes in shape, sculpture and color similar to the holotype. Dorsal integument darker in some specimens. Female smaller than male (LB = 1.50 mm), with shorter antennae (LAN/LB = 0.81). Spermatheca with sub-globose basal part; distal part bent with not separated collum from apex; appendix present; ductus short, weakly curved, sub-ventrally inserted.
ETYMOLOGY. This new species is named after its collector V.M. Uys (Republic of South Africa).
DISTRIBUTION. Republic of South Africa (Limpopo). Southern-Eastern African chorotype (SEA) (cf. Biondi & D’Alessandro, 2006).
ECOLOGICAL NOTES. No information about its host plant is available for this species. Biome: Savannah (cf. Rutherford & Westfall, 1994). Veld type: Sour Bushveld (cf. Acocks, 1988).
Serraphula wittmeri sp. n. (Figs 19, 22, 42, 60, 73)
TYPE MATERIAL. Holotype 3, REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA, Transvaal [Limpopo], Branddraai, 800 m, [24°38’S 30°28’E], 18.xi.1983, W. Wittmer leg. (NHMB). Paratypes: same locality, date and collector of the holotype, 2 3 and 1Ƥ (BAQ; NHMB).
DIAGNOSIS. For the shape of the apical spur of hind tibiae, about as long as half of hind tibial length, apically internally bent, regularly serrate by small teeth and with dorsal furrow distinctly narrow in almost all its length, this new species is related to S. elongata Jacoby. However, S. wittmeri is clearly distinguishable from it and from other Serraphula for having: sub-parallel elytra with flat interstriae; very finely impressed pronotal punctuation; strongly narrow median lobe of aedeagus at basal third.
DESCRIPTION. Holotype 3. Dorsal integument blackish, with weak blueish metallic reflection. Body shape elliptical-elongate (LB = 1.84 mm), little convex. Maximum pronotal width at anterior third (WP = 0.63 mm); maximum elytral width at middle (WE = 0.75 mm).
Frons and vertex with finely punctulate surface; a large setigerous pore with some small setigerous punctures gathered near each upper ocular margin; frontal dimples distinctly impressed; frontal grooves distally finely impressed around upper ocular margin; frontal tubercles dorsally distinctly delimited; frontal carina weakly raised, apically rounded; labrum sub-trapezoidal, brownish; palpi brown; eyes sub-elliptical, normally sized; antennae shorter than body length (LAN = 1.60 mm; LAN/LB = 0.87), with segments 1–3 yellowish, segment 4 weakly darkened, segments 5–11 gradually blackened; length of each antennomere proportional to numerical sequence 19:10:10:12:16:15:15:15:14:14:19 (right antenna).
Pronotum sub-trapezoidal, anteriorly slightly larger, little transverse (LP = 0.48 mm; WP/LP = 1.32), laterally weakly rounded; basal and lateral margin finely bordered; punctation moderately dense with punctures very small but distinctly impressed on sub-smooth surface. Scutellum sub-triangular, apically sub-rounded, with sub-smooth surface.
Elytra elongate (LE = 1.20 mm; LE/LP = 2.53), covering entirely pygidium, laterally sub-parallel, apically weakly obtuse; punctation arranged in 9 (+ 1 very short scutellar) regular rows, with small punctures clearly impressed on punctulate surface; elytral interstriae almost flat; humeral calli absent; sub-apterous metathoracic wings.
Legs yellowish but with hind femora distinctly darkened; hind tibiae slightly externally curved. Apical spur of hind tibiae as long as half of hind tibial length (LHT/LHTS = 2.00), internally bent at apical fourth; dorsal furrow very narrow but enlarged in apical fourth; denture densely and regularly formed by small teeth. First anterior and middle tarsomeres clearly dilated, with adhesive structures on ventral side (cf. Figs 77,79, 81–82).
Ventral surface brown; last sternite without special preapical impressions.
Median lobe of aedeagus (LAED = 0.73 mm; LE/LAED = 1.66), in ventral view abruptly narrowed in basal third and in apical part; apex sub-triangular; ventral sulcus not visible; in lateral view, median lobe slightly and rather regularly curved; dorsal sulcus slightly visible in apical fifth.
VARIATION. 3 (n = 3; mean and standard deviation): LE = 1.20 ± 0.03 mm; WE = 0.78 ± 0.03 mm; LP = 0.51 ± 0.03 mm; WP = 0.64 ± 0.01 mm; LAN = 1.68 ± 0.08 mm; LAED = 0.77 ± 0.04 mm; LB = 1.84 ± 0.06 mm; LE/LP = 2.37 ± 0.15; WE/WP = 1.21 ± 0.02; WP/LP = 1.26 ± 0.04; LE/LAED = 1.57 ± 0.08; LAN/ (LE+LP) = 0.98 ± 0.02; LHT/LHTS = 1.85 ± 0.01. Ƥ (n = 1): LE = 1.30 mm; WE = 0.83 mm; LP = 0.54 mm; WP = 0.70 mm; LAN = 1.46 mm; LSP = 0.13 mm; LB = 2.00 mm; LE/LP = 2.42; WE/WP = 1.18; WP/LP = 1.30; LE/LSP = 10.40; LAN/(LE+LP) = 0.80; LHT/LHTS = 1.92.
Paratypes. Single female in sculpture, color and shape similar to the holotype, but with more transverse and laterally more rounded pronotum. Female bigger than males (LB = 2.00 mm), with shorter antennae (LAN/LB = 0.73). Spermatheca with sub-globose basal part; distal part thin, curved, with not separated collum from apex; short appendix present; ductus short, thickset, weakly curved and sub-apically inserted.
ETYMOLOGY. This new species is named after its collector W. Wittmer (Switzerland), recently deceased.
DISTRIBUTION. Republic of South Africa (Limpopo). Southern-Eastern African chorotype (SEA) (cf. Biondi & D’Alessandro, 2006).
ECOLOGICAL NOTES. No information about its host plant is available for this species. Biome: Savannah (cf. Rutherford & Westfall, 1994). Veld type: North-Eastern Sandy Highveld (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 26-28, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.195007