Pseudokerremansia zuluensis, Bellamy, 2008

Bellamy, C. L., 2008, New taxa, distribution and biological records of Afrotropical Coraebini Bedel, 1921 (Coleoptera: Buprestidae: Agrilinae), Zootaxa 1848, pp. 1-15 : 6-7

Pseudokerremansia zuluensis , sp. nov.

( Figs. 7–9)

Description (male holotype). Small, length 6,6 x maximum width 1,9 mm; elongate; body ventrally convex when viewed from side; shining black; surface sculpture on head irregularly striate, on pronotum and elytra rugosely imbricate; surface with sparse coat of short, dark (perhaps greased) recumbent setae. Head: slightly produced between large eyes; inner margin of eyes moderately diverging dorsad; frons and vertex each with a pair of feeble tubercules separated by longitudinal groove; frons with slight medial depression below tubercules channeled between antennal foveae; antennal foveae moderate, close, separated by distance less than individual width, with diagonally transverse excavation laterally for basal antennomeres in repose; epistome bisinuate ventrad antennal foveae, widely, shallowly emarginate medially; antennomeres with 1 curved and wider distally, 2 as wide as 1 and subequal to 3, 3 elongate and wider distally, 4 shorter than 3 and subserrate, serrate from 5, 5–10 longer than wide, 11 elongate and feebly recurved distally. Pronotum: wider than head, nearly 1.3x wide as long, widest at middle; anterior margin angularly arcuate, lateral margins arcuate, posterior margin bisinuate; disk irregular with large depressions as follows: one central, large, circular before middle, posteriorly narrowed into elongate longitudinal groove extending to base; on either side of wide, elongate groove from base to apical one-third, longitudinally in line with eye, laterally bordered by prelateral carina from just anteriad base up to opposite apical one-third of margin; a narrow elongate depression between prelateral carina and lateral margin, extending anteriad to beyond the carina. Scutellum of moderate size, triangular and finely punctate. Elytra: widest at base, narrow than pronotum; lateral margins subparallel, broadly concave from beyond across humeri to posterior one-third, exposing dorsolateral lateral extent of dilated metacoxal plate and abdominal sterna 1, 2, 3 and 4, then narrowing gradually to separately rounded, finely serrulate apices; disk flattened, even except for: humeri elevated diagonally, and large, anteriorly declivous preapical swelling on each elytron; pygidium centrally carinate extending to elongate apical spine. Underside: prosternum with disk convex, finely rugose; process narrow, slightly wider preapically, broadly acuminate, with prelateral carina entire on perimeter; metaventrite discally convex; abdominal sterna 1–4 strongly convex, sutures transverse; abdominal ventrite 5 flattened discally with preapical truncate margin. Legs: femora slightly flattened, fusiform; tibiae flattened, margins carinate; femora and tibiae striatopunctate; dorsal surface of tibiae excavate to receive tarsi in repose; tarsomeres 1–4 short, subequal, each with ventral pulvillus, increasing in length distally, 5 longer than 1–4 taken together; tarsal claws strongly appendiculate basally. Aedeagus as in Fig. 9.

Variation. The female paratype differs from the holotype only in size: length 2,5 x width 2,1 mm.

Specimens examined. Holotype, ♂ ( TMSA): S. Afr. Zululand, Lake Bhangazi, 28.07S - 32.21E / 12.12.1975; E-Y:969, beaten in forest, leg. Endrödy-Younga; 1 ♀ paratype ( SANC): Natal, Kosi Bay, Banga Nek , 27.00S 32.53E, 50 m, 11.ii.1990, B. Grobbelaar.

Etymology. This new species is named for the old regional name ‘Zululand’.

Comments. This new second species can be separated from P. arcuata as follows: P. arcuata has the serrate antennomeres longer than wide from 6, while in P. zuluensis the serrate antennomeres are slightly wider than long from 5; the elytral topography of swollen areas differs between the two species with the disk of P. arcuata more irregular having additional elevations; the extent of the lateral emargination of P. zuluensis results in more of the abdominal tergites being visible from above. The dark setation of this species is possibly the result of a greased condition of the holotype.