Discozantaena leleupi, Perkins, Philip D., 2005

Perkins, Philip D., 2005, A revision of the South African endemic humicolous beetle genus Discozantaena Perkins and Balfour­Browne (Coleoptera: Hydraenidae), Zootaxa 915, pp. 1-48 : 18-19

Discozantaena leleupi new species

( Figures 10 , 21 , 33 )

Type Material. Holotype (male): Cape Prov.: Muizenberg [ca. 34° 06' S, 18° 27' E], waterval, humus, xii.1960, N. Leleup, (Z.A. 51); deposited in the TMSA.

Diagnosis. Very similar to D. genuvela in form and sculpture ( Figs. 4 , 10 ), but larger in body size (ca. 1.77 mm vs. 1.60 mm); reliable determinations should be based on study of the male genitalia ( Figs. 15 , 21 ).

Description. Size (length/width, mm) holotype: body (length to elytral apices) 1.77/ 0.83, head 0.25/0.46, pronotum 0.42/0.71, elytra 1.13/0.83. Dorsum brown, head and disc of pronotum darker; venter brown. Frons feebly gibbous between oblique foveae, disc with moderately dense granules, moderately shining; decumbent pubescence short but rather dense, small granule at base of each seta, on disc setae directed posteriad, near eyes setae directed mediad. Clypeus very transverse, anterior angles very widely rounded, sculptured and clothed as frons, but slightly less densely. Labrum finely microreticulate, moderately shining, pubescence very short and sparse; emargination of anterior margin slightly reflexed.

Pronotum very transverse; anterior margin weakly arcuate, median 1/2 with narrow hyaline border; anterior angles sharply rounded; sides weakly arcuate except emarginate before acute, tooth­like posterior angles; posterior margin arcuate except emarginate near posterior angles. Sides minutely denticulate. Disc quite strongly roundly elevated between anterior and posterior broadly U­shaped transverse impressions, clothed with moderately dense, short decumbent golden setae, socket of each seta very indistinct but anterior rim raised to form distinct oblong granule, some granules 8­shaped; interstices strongly shining. Lateral depressions with setae and granules less dense than those on disc.

Elytra with anterior angles sharply rounded, sides weakly arcuate to middle, then markedly attenuate to very narrowly truncate apices, sutural apex very minutely produced; external to tenth series broadly explanate almost to apex, moderately shining; sides minutely serrate, pubescence dense and short. Ten seriate punctate, but two additional series on explanate margin, series barely striate impressed, punctures transversely oval, those near base contiguous longitudinally, posteriorly becoming little more separated and slightly smaller, each with distinct short sub­decumbent seta; each setal base with minute granule. Intervals impunctate, shining in clean specimens, flat, slightly wider than serial punctures. Sutural margin raised slightly in posterior 1/2. Humeri obsolete (flightless).

Wings brachypterous. Metasternum posteriorly with narrow but sharply impressed median furrow. Thoracic sterna and abdominal ventrites 1–4 entirely clothed with sparse short pubescence, especially sparse medially, cuticle micropunctulate.

Aedeagus total length 0.62 mm; mainpiece length 0.35 mm; mainpiece distal widened area and large collar diagnostically shaped; flagellum long corkscrew spiral, apical 1/6 weakly sclerotized, shape can therefore vary depending on preparation ( Fig. 21 ).

Etymology. Named in honor of the late Narcisse Leleup.

Distribution. Presently known only from the type­locality in the Muizenberg mountains of Cape Province ( Fig. 33 ).

Notes. This is a flightless species, the wings being about 1/2 the length of the elytra. The unique holotype is fragmentary ( Fig. 10 ).

Figures

FIGURE 4. Discozantaena genuvela holotype. Dorsal and lateral habitus.

FIGURE 10. Discozantaena leleupi holotype. Dorsal and lateral habitus.

FIGURE 15. Discozantaena genuvela. Aedeagus of holotype.

FIGURE 21. Discozantaena leleupi. Aedeagus of holotype.

FIGURES 32 – 34. Discozantaena distribution maps. — 32. D. tibiovela. — 33. D. leleupi. — 34. D. sepiola.