Beckhoplia pumila 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 pumila

description: Beckhoplia pumila Dombrow, new species
(Figs. 25, 80–81, 109)
http://zoobank.org/ B1E5A044-A23B-41FA-BED0-9D951DDD50DC
Beckhoplia occidentalis Dombrow, 2005: 127 ex parte.
Type locality. [RSA, NC]: Farm Nuwedam.
Type material. [12] Holotype ♂: white label pr « SOUTH AFRICA Western | Cape, Vanrhynsdorp, Farm | Nuwedam, 31.48S– 18.41E | 18.08.2002, leg:. J. Colville» || yellow label hw «18» pr «.482 | coll. Dombrow» || green label pr «Host plant: | Didelta spinosa | Berkheya fruticosa | Arctotheca calendula » || blue label pr «Bioregion: | Sandstone Fynbos | Vegetation Type: FFs1 – | Bokkeveld Sandstone Fynbos» || yellow label pr «SAM–COL | A071223» || red label pr « Holotype | Beckhoplia | pumilla sp.n. | det.: H. Dombrow 2019» (SAMC). – Paratypes 1 ♂: same labels as holotype but || yellow label hw «18» pr «.484 | coll. Dombrow» || red label pr « Paratype | Beckhoplia | pumilla sp.n. | det.: H. Dombrow 2019» (ESDW); 4 ♀♀: same labels as holotype but || yellow label hw «54» pr «.789–.792 | coll. Dombrow» || red label pr « Paratype | Beckhoplia | pumilla sp.n. | det.: H. Dombrow 2019» (ESDW); 1 ♀: same labels but || yellow label hw «54» pr «.793 | coll. Dombrow» || yellow label pr «SAMCOL | A071223» || red label pr « Paratype | Beckhoplia | pumilla sp.n. | det.: H. Dombrow 2019» (SAMC); 4 ♀♀: same labels as holotype, but | 01.09.2000, leg. J. Colville» || yellow label hw «18» pr «.477–.478,.480–.481 | coll. Dombrow» || red label pr « Paratype | Beckhoplia | pumilla sp.n. | det.: H. Dombrow 2019» (ESDW); 1 ♀: same labels but || yellow label hw «18» pr «.479 | coll. Dombrow» || yellow label pr «SAM–COL | A071223» || red label pr « Paratype | Beckhoplia | pumilla sp.n. | det.: H. Dombrow 2019» (SAMC).
Condition of holotype. Good. Glued on a card. Dissected, parameres and spiculum gastrale glued behind beetle. Left prothoracic tarsus missing.
Differential diagnosis. Differs from B. gifbergensis: Pronotum of B. pumilla widest in anterior two fifth. Pronotum of B. gifbergensis widest medially. Elytra of B. pumilla yellowish pale-brown. Elytra of B. gifbergensis transparently pale-brown. Elytra of B. pumilla protruding propygidium. Elytra of B. gifbergensis covering propygidium. Externo-posterior margin of parameres of B. pumilla undulate in dorsal view (Figs. 80, 109). Externo-posterior margin of parameres of B. gifbergensis slightly convex in dorsal view (Figs. 82, 110). Anterior margin of phallobase of B. pumilla deep v-shaped incised in dorsal view (Figs. 80, 109). Anterior margin of phallobase of B. gifbergensis concave in dorsal view (Figs. 82, 110).
Description
Measurements: length 6.5–7.1 mm; width 3.4–3.5 mm.
Integument: Black; elytra yellowish pale-brown, lateral and posterior margin blackened.
Tegument: Clypeus bare; sparse setose with very short and short, erect, black setae on the inner side of the reflexed anterior and lateral margins. Head loose setose with long, erect, black and whitish setae. Eye canthus with a loose setose ciliary of very long, black setae. Scapus loose setose with, long, black setae, pale-brown ventrally, sparser and shorter on pedicellus; funiculum with few extremely short and short, erect, pale-brown setae, sparse and semi-erect on clavus. Pronotum loose setose with medium-long and long, erect, black and whitish setae; with a loose setose ciliary of long black setae. Scutellum loose setose with short and medium-long, semi-erect, brown setae. Elytra with pattern. Sparse setose with short, reclinate, black setae, denser laterally; long, erect, black setae interspersed; with a very sparse juxta-sutural row of long, erect, black setae from anterior margin crossing scutellar torus towards apical torus; two shortened, longitudinal, loose squamose stripes of reclinate narrowly-lanceolate, white scales: a sutural stripe in posterior third; a lateral stripe in posterior quarter and around apical torus. Suture with a loose row of long, robust, erect, black setae. Thorax and pleurites loose pilose with long, whitish hairs; black on prothorax. Ventrite I–V sparse setose with medium-long and long, reclinate, black setae; reclinate narrowly-lanceolate white scales interspersed at upper margin of ventrite V. Propygidium loose squamose with reclinate, narrowly-lanceolate, white scales; long, semi-erect, black setae interspersed. Pygidium sparse setose with medium-long and long, semi-erect, black setae; tip with a loose setose ciliary of long, black setae. Prothoracic femur sparse pilose with medium-long and long, black hairs; bare internally. Prothoracic tibia loose setose with short, reclinate, black and whitish setae, medium-long and long 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, black 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 sparse pilose with long, black hairs; distinctly long and whitish ventrally; bare internally. Mesothoracic tibia sparse setose with short, reclinate, white and black setae; 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, black setae; medium-long, semi-erect, black setae interspersed, finer internally. Posterior margin with a loose bristled outer marginal ciliary of short, black bristles, lengthening dorsally and ventrally. Prothoracic and mesothoracic tarsomere I–IV bare. Metathoracic tarsomere I–IV sparse setose with short, reclinate, pale-brown setae. Tarsomere I–IV of all thoracic legs with a setaceous, apical, marginal ciliary of short, dark-brown setae, lengthening towards metathoracic tarsomeres, fine dorsally and more robust ventrally. Pretarsomere of all thoracic legs with few, medium-long, semi-erect, black setae at apical margin, shorter ventrally. Pretarsomere of metathoracic leg additionally sparse setose with very short, reclinate, pale-brown setae.
Head: Suture between head and clypeus linear, crenated. Head dense punctate with very small, shallow, roundish, not merging punctures, micropunctate within. Funicle I–II cylindrical, slightly thickened medially; funicle III short asymmetric frustum-shaped; clavus long elliptic, slightly longer than pedicellus and funiculum combined.
Pronotum: Widest at anterior two fifth; loose punctate with small, shallow, roundish punctures denser within medial furrow. Anterior corner obtuse. Lateral margin linearly attenuate anteriorly and posteriorly. With an indistinct complete, shallow, medial furrow. Posterior corner angled.
Scutellum: Buckler-shaped; slightly broader than long; dense punctate with small, shallow, roundish punctures, micropunctate within; with a shortened, median, longitudinal, broad, smooth stripe from anterior margin terminating in apical fifth. Lateral margin linearly attenuate in anterior third, stronger apically. Tip pointed.
Elytra: Ovate; longer than broad; widest in anterior third; protruding propygidium. Lateral margin slightly convex attenuate apically. Sculpture indistinct; very slightly pulvinate laterally; humerus indistinct; with a very broad roundish torus around scutellum; lateral trench indistinct; complanate along scutellum and suture. Sparse punctate with extremely small, shallow, roundish punctures, micropunctures in-between; a sparse juxta-sutural row of very small, shallow and deep, roundish punctures from anterior margin, crossing scutellar torus towards apical torus; a sparse supra-humeral row of very small, shallow and deep, roundish punctures from anterior margin between humerus and scutellar torus towards apical torus.
Abdomen: Ventrite I distinctly shortened medially; ventrite V broadest, slightly constricted ventrally. Propygidium with a slightly projected stoma at posterior corner. Pygidium distinctly pulvinate longitudinally and laterally; upper margin very slightly convex, linear medially; lateral margin linearly attenuate apically; tip rounded.
Prothoracic leg: Femur and tibia robust. Tibia smooth ventrally. Median tooth elongate. Basal tooth rudimentary. 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 slightly concave. Tarsomere I–IV combined extremely short; equal in length; slightly more than 2 / 5 in length of tibia. Tarsomere IV with a single ventral extension. Pretarsomere distinctly thickened; with a shortened smooth ventrally; slightly less than 1 / 10 more in length of tarsomere I–IV combined. Internal claw slightly more than 1 / 10 more in length of pretarsomere. External claw slightly less than 3 / 5 in length of internal claw.
Mesothoracic leg: Tibia slightly less than 4 / 5 in length of femur. Tarsomere I–IV combined extremely short; slightly more than 3 / 10 in length of tibia. Pretarsomere with a shortened smooth ridge ventrally, roundish cutting missing; as long as tarsomere I–IV combined. External claw as long as 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 very short; slightly less than 4 / 5 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 / 10 more in length of pretarsomere. Internal claw 4 / 5 in length of external claw.
Parameres: (Figs. 80–81, 109).
♀♀. Measurements: length 6.8–8.2 mm; width 3.8–4.4 mm.
Integument: Black; lateral and posterior margin of elytra darkened; metathoracic tibia and thoracic tarsi redbrown.
Tegument: Clypeus sparse setose with short, erect, brown setae, loose and medium-long on head. Eye canthus with a loose setose ciliary of medium-long, black setae. Setae on funiculum and clavus very short. Pronotum with pattern. Loose setose with long, erect, black setae, short in posterior half; with three sparse longitudinal setose bands of short semi-erect white setae in posterior half: a medial band within medial furrow; a juxta-median band on each side. Elytra with pattern. Sparse setose with very short, semi-erect, brown setae, denser laterally; medium-long, erect, brown setae interspersed, denser towards humerus; two shortened, sparse, longitudinal, squamose stripes of reclinate narrowly-lanceolate, white scales: a sutural stripe in posterior third; a lateral stripe in posterior half of lateral trench and around apical torus. Thorax and pleurites loose pilose with long, yellowish-white hairs; brown on prothorax. Ventrite I–V loose setose with short and medium-long, reclinate, whitish setae; long, semi-erect, black setae interspersed. Propygidium and pygidium loose setose with short and medium-long, reclinate, yellowish-white setae. Tip of pygidium with a loose setose ciliary of long, brown, setae. Prothoracic femur sparse pilose with long, brown hairs. Prothoracic tibia loose setose with short and medium-long, reclinate and semi-erect, brown setae; medium-long and long ventrally; a loose setose ciliary of short, pale-brown setae on internal ridge; anterior margin with a setaceous ciliary of loose, short, red-brown setae; a medium-long downwards pointing setose ciliary of red-brown setae along anterior margin of apical tooth. Mesothoracic femur sparse pilose with long, brown hairs. Mesothoracic tibia sparse setose with short, reclinate, whitish setae. Posterior margin as in male but red-brown. Metathoracic femur loose setose with medium-long and long, semi-erect, whitish and brown setae; only whitish and long ventrally. Metathoracic tibia sparse setose with short, reclinate, pale-brown setae; medium-long semi-erect, red-brown setae interspersed; sparse setose with medium-long, semi-erect, brown setae internally, lengthening towards tarsus. Posterior margin with a loose bristled outer marginal ciliary of very short, red-brown bristles, lengthening and more robust dorsally and ventrally. Setae of thoracic tarsi pale red-brown.
Head: Clypeus very slightly depressed laterally; dense punctate with small, shallow, roundish punctures. Anterior margin of clypeus distinctly vertically reflexed. Lateral margin very slightly reflexed. Suture between head and clypeus undulate. Head dense punctate with small and large, shallow, roundish, not micropunctate within. Eye on head level. Funicle I–II cylindrical; clavus short elliptic.
Pronotum: Widest medially; moderate pulvinate laterally; loose punctate with very small and small, shallow, roundish punctures, micropunctate within, dense within medial furrow. Anterior corner orthogonal. Lateral convex. With an indistinct shortened, shallow, medial furrow from posterior margin terminating in anterior third. Posterior corner rounded.
Scutellum: Without smooth stripe. Tip rounded.
Elytra: Sculpture indistinct; slightly pulvinate laterally; with a broad roundish torus around scutellum. Size of punctures of juxta-sutural and supra-humeral row small.
Abdomen: Distinctly pulvinate; ventrite II–V broadened medially; ventrite V not constricted ventrally. Propygidium with an indistinct stoma at posterior corner. Pygidium slightly pulvinate longitudinally and laterally; slightly declined posteriorly; tip linear.
Prothoracic leg: Median tooth of tibia broad triangular-shaped. Basal tooth very small. Shape of interspace between teeth concave. Tarsomere I–IV combined distinctly short; tarsomere I petiolate chalice-shaped; tarsomere I longest, tarsomere II–IV equal in length; slightly less than 4 / 5 in length of tibia. Tarsomere IV without ventral extension. Pretarsomere slightly thickened; smooth ventrally, roundish cutting missing; 3 / 5 in length of I–IV tarsomere combined. Internal claw slender; not broadened medially; slightly less than 4 / 5 in length of pretarsomere. External claw slightly less than 9 / 10 in length of internal claw.
Mesothoracic leg: Tarsomere I–IV combined distinctly short; slightly less than 3 / 5 in length of tibia. Pretarsomere slightly thickened; with an undulate ridge ventrally; slightly less than 7 / 10 in length of tarsomere I–IV combined. External claw slender; not broadened medially; slightly more than 4 / 5 in length of pretarsomere. Internal claw slightly more than 4 / 5 in length of external claw.
Metathoracic leg: Femur slightly thickened. Tibia distinctly broadened dorso-apically; 7 / 10 in length of femur. Tarsomere I–IV combined distinctly short; slightly less than 9 / 10 in length of tibia. Pretarsomere slightly more than 2 / 5 in length of tarsomere I–IV combined. External claw slightly longer than pretarsomere. Internal claw slightly less than 4 / 5 in length of external claw.
Distribution. Western Cape Province (Fig. 140), only known from the type locality.
Vegetation Type. Bokkeveld Sandstone Fynbos (FFs 1).
Host Plants. Asteraceae: Didelta spinosa (L. f.) W. T. Aiton, Berkheya fruticosa (L.) Ehrh., Arctotheca calendula (L.) Levyns.
Etymology. The name derives from the small size of the species [Latin: pumili- = dwarf].
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 47-50, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4823.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/4401916