Beckhoplia fusca 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 fusca

description: Beckhoplia fusca Dombrow, new species
(Figs. 9, 16, 66–67, 102)
http://zoobank.org/ 9E5F22D0-AFDD-4010-B842-BD1B617E7533
Type locality. [RSA, NCP]: 1 km nördl. Farm Wilemsriver.
Type material. [9] Holotype ♂: yellow label hw «54», pr «.920» | coll. Dombrow || white label pr «AFRIKA: Südafrika, Kapprovinz | 1 km nördl. Farm Wilemsriver | 31°20’14”S, 19°05’13”E, 750 m | 30.08.1989, leg. R. Fritz» || green label pr «Host plant: | Homeria bifida » || blue label pr «Bioregion: | Sandstone Fynbos | Vegetation Type: FFs1 – | Bokkeveld Sandstone Fynbos» || red label pr « Holotype | Beckhoplia | fusca sp.n. | det.: H. Dombrow 2019» (ZSM). – Paratypes 8 ♀♀: same labels as holotype but || yellow label hw «54», pr «.982–.989 | coll. Dombrow » || red label pr « Paratype | Beckhoplia | fusca sp.n. | det.: H. Dombrow 2019» (ESDW).
Condition of holotype. Excellent. Glued on card. Dissected, parameres and spiculum gastrale glued behind beetle.
Differential diagnosis. Differs from B. pallidibrunnea: Scutellum of B. fusca longer than broad. Scutellum of B. pallidibrunnea as broad as long. Pretarsomere of metathoracic tarsus of B. fusca slender. Pretarsomere of metathoracic tarsus of B. pallidibrunnea slightly thickened. Interno-posterior margin of parameres of B. fusca narrowed curly bracket-shaped (Figs. 66, 102). Interno-posterior margin of parameres of B. pallidibrunnea parabola-shaped (Figs. 64, 101). Externo-posterior margin of parameres of B. fusca convex, incised medially (Figs. 66, 102). Externo-posterior margin of parameres of B. pallidibrunnea concave medially (Figs. 64, 101).
Description
Measurements: length 8.2 mm, width 4.4 mm.
Integument: Black; elytra transparently brown.
Tegument: Clypeus bare; sparse setose with extremely short, erect, brown setae on the inner side of the vertically reflexed anterior and lateral margin. Head loose setose with long, erect, black setae. Eye canthus with a dense setose ciliary of long, black setae. Scapus loose setose with medium-long, black setae, dark-brown ventrally, sparse and short on pedicellus, funiculum and clavus sparse setose with very short and short, semi-erect, brown setae. Pronotum loose setose with medium-long and long, erect, black setae; with a loose setose ciliary of long to distinctly long, black setae on lateral margin. Scutellum loose setose with medium-long, semi-erect, black setae, shortening apically; with a longitudinal, median, bare strip. Elytra without pattern; sparse setose with medium-long, semi-erect, black setae; lengthening towards humerus; with a sparse juxta-sutural row of robust, medium-long, semi-erect, black setae, from anterior margin, crossing scutellar torus towards apical torus; narrowly-lanceolate, semi-erect, offwhite scales interspersed along lateral margin, denser around apical torus. Suture with a loose row of short to long, robust, semi-erect, black setae, lengthening apically. Thorax and pleurites loose pilose with long, black hairs. Ventrite I–V sparse setose with short, reclinate, brown setae; long, semi-erect, black setae interspersed. Propygidium loose setose with long, semi-erect, black setae; posterior margin with a loose row of reclinate, narrowly-lanceolate, whitish scales. Pygidium sparse setose with long, erect, black setae; tip with a loose ciliary of medium-long, black setae. Prothoracic femur loose setose with long, semi-erect, black setae; bare internally. Prothoracic tibia sparse setose with short, reclinate and semi-erect, pale-brown setae, sparser ventrally; with a sparse setose longitudinal row of short and medium-long, erect, black setae dorsally; a loose setose ciliary of short, black setae on internal ridge; a setaceous ciliary of short, dark red-brown setae on anterior margin, more robust towards internal ridge; a medium-long, downwards pointing setose ciliary of brown setae along anterior margin of apical tooth. Mesothoracic femur sparse setose with long, semi-erect, black setae, denser and brown ventrally; bare internally. Mesothoracic tibia loose setose with short, semi-erect, offwhite setae; medium-long, semi-erect, robust, black setae interspersed, sparser and finer internally. Posterior margin with a bristled ciliary of short to medium-long, black bristles; missing internally. Metathoracic femur loose setose with medium-long to distinctly long, semi-erect, black setae; offwhite ventrally; bare internally. Metathoracic tibia sparse setose with medium-long to long, semi-erect, robust black setae; finer internally; very short and short, reclinate, brown setae interspersed. Posterior margin with a loose bristled outer marginal ciliary of short, black bristles, lengthening dorsally and ventrally. Tarsomere I–IV of all thoracic legs sparse setose with very-short, reclinate, brown, setae lengthening towards metathoracic tarsomeres; with a setaceous, apical, marginal ciliary of medium-long, black setae, lengthening and more robust towards metathoracic tarsomeres, fine dorsally and more robust ventrally. Pretarsomere of all thoracic legs sparse setose with very short, reclinate, pale-brown setae; few, medium-long, semi-erect, black setae at apical margin, shorter and red-brown ventrally.
Head: Suture between head and clypeus undulated, crenated. Head dense punctate with small, shallow, roundish, not merging punctures, micropunctate within. Funicle I-II cylindrical, slightly thickened medially; funicle III asymmetric frustum-shaped; clavus elliptic, as long as pedicellus and funiculum combined.
Pronotum: Widest medially; loose punctate with small, shallow, roundish punctures, dense within medial furrow and posteriorly. Anterior corner orthogonal. Lateral margin linearly attenuate anteriorly, subparallel posteriorly. With an indistinct, complete, shallow, medial furrow. Posterior corner rounded.
Scutellum: Parabola-shaped; as broad as long; dense punctate with small, shallow, roundish punctures, micropunctate within; with a complete, median, longitudinal, narrow, smooth stripe. Lateral margin slightly convex. Tip rounded.
Elytra: Ovate; as broad as long; widest medially; protruding propygidium. Lateral margin slightly convex attenuate apically. Sculpture indistinct; slightly pulvinate laterally; humerus indistinct; with a roundish torus beside scutellum; lateral trench indistinct; broadly, slightly, longitudinally depressed along suture. Loose punctate with extremely small, shallow, roundish punctures, micropunctures in-between; a sparse juxta-sutural row of large, roundish tubercles from anterior margin, crossing scutellar torus towards apical torus; a sparse supra-humeral row of small, roundish tubercles from anterior margin between humerus and scutellar torus towards apical torus.
Abdomen: Ventrite I extremely shortened medially; ventrite V broadest, 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 attenuate apically; tip linear.
Prothoracic leg: Femur and tibia robust. Tibia smooth ventrally. Median tooth elongate. Basal tooth very small. Interspace between anterior and median tooth double in width than between median and basal tooth. Shape of interspace between anterior and median tooth u-shaped and between median and basal tooth concave. Tarsomere I–IV combined extremely short; lengthening from tarsomere I–IV; slightly more than 2 / 5 in length of tibia. Pretarsomere distinctly thickened; with a small, triangular-shaped, median tooth ventrally; slightly less than 1 / 5 more in length of tarsomere I–IV combined. Internal claw slightly less than 1 / 10 more in length of pretarsomere. External claw slightly less than 4 / 5 in length of internal claw.
Mesothoracic leg: Tibia 9 / 10 in length femur. Tarsomere I–IV combined extremely short; slightly more than 3 / 10 in length of tibia. Pretarsomere with a shortened smooth ridge ventrally, followed by a roundish cutting apically; slightly more than 1 / 10 more in length of tarsomere I–IV combined. External claw slightly less than 1 / 10 more in length of pretarsomere. Internal claw slightly less than 9 / 10 in length of external claw.
Metathoracic leg: Tibia slightly less than 9 / 10 in length of femur. Tarsomere I–IV combined distinctly short; slightly more than 7 / 10 in length of tibia. Pretarsomere slender; with an undulate ridge ventrally; slightly more than 2 / 5 in length of tarsomere I–IV combined. External claw slightly less than 3 / 10 more in length of pretarsomere. Internal claw slightly more than 4 / 5 in length of external claw.
Parameres: (Figs. 66–67, 102).
♀♀. Measurements: length 7.9–8.9 mm; width 4.4–5.2 mm.
Integument: Thoracic tarsi dark-brown.
Tegument: Clypeus loose setose with short, erect, pale-brown setae, medium-long and brown on head. Eye canthus with a dense setose ciliary of medium-long, brown setae. Setae on scapus brown and pale-brown ventrally; sparse and short on pedicellus. Setae on pronotum including ciliary brown. Setae on scutellum short and brown, with a shortened bare stripe in anterior half. Elytra without pattern; loose setose with short, reclinate, pale-brown setae; long, semi-erect, brown setae interspersed, lengthening towards humerus; with a sparse juxta-sutural row of robust, medium-long, semi-erect, brown setae, from anterior margin, crossing scutellar torus towards apical torus. Suture with a loose row of short to long, robust, semi-erect, brown setae, lengthening apically. Hairs on thorax and pleurites brown. Ventrite I–V loose setose with short, reclinate, yellowish setae; long, semi-erect, brown setae interspersed. Propygidium and pygidium loose setose with short, reclinate, yellowishbrown setae, medium-long to long, semi-erect and erect, pale-brown setae interspersed; tip of pygidium with a loose ciliary of medium-long, brown setae. Setae on prothoracic femur brown. Setae of longitudinal dorsal row of prothoracic tibia brown. Setae on mesothoracic femur brown, pale-brown ventrally. Interspersed setae on mesothoracic tibia brown. Bristles of ciliary red-brown. Metathoracic femur sparse setose with short to medium-long, reclinate, pale-brown setae; long to distinctly long, semi-erect, brown setae interspersed; denser dorsally. Setae of metathoracic tibia brown, interspersed ones offwhite. Bristles of ciliary very short, transparently red-brown and distinctly lengthening dorsally and ventrally. Ciliary of tarsomere I–IV of thoracic legs red-brown. Interspersed setae on pretarsomeres of thoracic legs transparently pale red-brown.
Head: Clypeus slightly longitudinally depressed laterally; dense punctate with small, deep, roundish punctures, micropunctate within; anterior margin distinctly reflexed. Head dense punctate with small to large, deep, roundish, partly merging punctures. Eye on head level. Funicle II asymmetric frustum-shaped; funicle III short asymmetric frustum-shaped; clavus short elliptic.
Pronotum: Widest in anterior third; moderate pulvinate laterally. Anterior corner obtuse. Lateral margin convex.
Scutellum: Dense punctate with very small, deep, roundish punctures; with a shortened, median, longitudinal, narrow, smooth stripe from anterior margin terminating in anterior half.
Elytra: Longer than broad; widest in anterior quarter. Sculpture indistinct; scutellar torus missing; complanate along suture. Tubercles of juxta-sutural row of very small; supra-humeral row missing.
Abdomen: Distinctly pulvinate; ventrite I distinctly shortened medially; ventrite II–V broadened medially. Propygidium with an indistinct stoma at posterior corner. Pygidium slightly pulvinate longitudinally and laterally; slightly declined posteriorly; lateral margin subparallel in upper quarter, linearly attenuate apically.
Prothoracic leg: Median tooth broad triangular-shaped. Shape of interspace between teeth concave. Tarsomere I–IV combined distinctly short; equal in length; slightly more than 3 / 5 in length of tibia. Pretarsomere slender; with smooth ventrally, roundish cutting missing; slightly less than 7 / 10 in length of tarsomere I–IV combined. Internal claw slender; not broadened medially; slightly more than 9 / 10 in length of pretarsomere. External claw slightly less than 3 / 5 in length of internal claw.
Mesothoracic leg: Tibia slightly less than 9 / 10 in length femur. Tarsomere I–IV combined very short; slightly more than 2 / 5 in length of tibia. Pretarsomere slender; with a smooth ridge ventrally, roundish cutting missing; slightly less than 4 / 5 in length of tarsomere I–IV combined. External claw slender; not broadened medially; slightly shorter than pretarsomere. Internal claw slightly more than 4 / 5 in length of external claw.
Metathoracic leg: Tibia slightly dorso-apically extended; slightly more than 7 / 10 in length of femur. Tarsomere I–IV combined short; slightly less than 4 / 5 in length of tibia. External claw slightly less than 1 / 10 more in length of pretarsomere. Internal claw slightly less than 9 / 10 in length of external claw.
Distribution. Northern Cape Province (Fig. 140), only known from the type locality.
Vegetation Type. Bokkeveld Sandstone Fynbos [FFs 1].
Host Plants. Iridaceae: Moraea bifida L. Bolus.
Etymology. The name derives from the brown elytra [Latin: fusc- = brown].
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 22-26, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4823.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/4401916