Macrocoma bezdeki, Zoia, 2012

Zoia, Stefano, 2012, Eumolpinae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) of Socotra Island, Insect biodiversity of the Socotra Archipelago (Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 52), pp. 449-501 : 478-480

Macrocoma bezdeki sp. nov.

( Figs. 90–97 , 135–136 , 144 )

Type locality. Yemen, Socotra Island, Aloove vill. env., 12°31.2′N, 54°07.4′E, 221 m.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: J, ‘ Yemen, Socotra Island,Aloove area,Aloove vill. env., Jatropha unicostata shrubland with Boswellia elongata trees, 19.-20.vi.2012, 12°31.2′N, 54°07.4′E, 221 m [printed white label]; Socotra expedition 2012, J. Bezděk, J. Hájek, V. Hula, P. Kment, I. Malenovský, J. Niedobová & L. Purchart leg. [printed white label]; ‘ Holotypus Macrocoma bezdeki n. sp. S. Zoia det. 2012 [printed red label]’ ( NMPC). PARATYPES (3 spec.): ‘ Yemen, Socotra Island,Aloove area,Aloove vill. env., Jatropha unicostata shrubland with Boswellia elongata trees, 19.-20.vi.2012, 12°31.2′N, 54°07.4′E, 221 m, Socotra expedition 2012, J. Bezděk, J. Hájek, V. Hula, P. Kment, I. Malenovský, J. Niedobová & L. Purchart leg.’ (1 ♀ NMPC; 1 J JBCB; 1 J SZCM).

Description. Habitus as in Figs. 135–136 ; body length of holotype 2.4 mm, of paratypes 2.3–2.4 mm (JJ), 2.5 mm (♀).

Body black with metallic reflections; head, pronotum and elytra dark with bronze metallic reflections; labrum black, mandibles dark brown to black, palpi dark brown; antennomere I blackish, II–VI reddish or partially darkened, antennomeres VII–XI dull, blackish; legs including tarsi black, with slightly metallic reflections. Slightly teneral specimen with antennae and legs reddish.

Frons ( Fig. 96 ) nearly flat in middle, without longitudinal median sulcus; pubescence of frons and clypeus relatively long, silvery, sometimes absent along median line; punctation strong, close; surface between punctures convex, shiny, narrower than diameter of puncture; clypeus not separated from frons, its distal border concave, V-shaped. Two apical maxillary palpomeres oblong, penultimate nearly two thirds of ultimate one in length, 1.5 times longer than wide. Antennomere I nearly 1.2 times longer than II and nearly 1.2 times as wide, feebly bent on outer side; antennomere II two times longer than wide; antennomere III one third shorter than II, one third longer than wide; antennomere IV shorter than III, subequal to V; antennomere VI the shortest; antennomeres VII–X dull, widened, VII subtriangular, nearly two times wider than VI, antennomeres VIII–X transverse; antennomere XI 1.2 times longer than wide.

Pronotum as wide as long (1.4 × 1.4 mm in holotype); base as wide as distal border; lateral margin absent; surface with strong, close punctation; pubescence long, silvery ( Fig. 95 ).

Scutellum subquadrate, sides and distal border nearly straight, with 2–4 relatively strong punctures bearing short silvery pubescence.

Hypomeron shiny, with strong and close punctation and long silvery pubescence ( Fig. 95 ); distal border of prosternum regularly concave, continuous with that of hypomerae; notosternal suture nearly vanished; prosternum 1.5 times longer than wide between procoxae, nearly flat, strongly punctate, with long silvery pubescence. Mesoventrite short, slightly wider than prosternum between procoxae, its distal edge straight, surface punctured, with fine pubescence; mesepimera finely punctured, pubescent. Metaventrite incised along median line, with moderately strong punctures and moderately long silvery pubescence, distal border shortly incised medially; metacoxae nearly as spaced as mesocoxae; metanepisterna lightly tapering toward rear, nearly 4.5 times longer than wide, punctured and pubescent.

Elytra 1.2–1.3 times longer than wide at humeri (1.4 × 1.1 mm in the holotype); surface regularly convex, humeri distinct; sides subparallel from humeri up to half (J) or three fifths (♀) of their length, then regularly curved to apex; apices at slightly acute angle; punctation relatively strong, arranged in nearly regular rows alternated with lines of recumbent fine silvery setae (10 rows on each elytron, the tenth along lateral elytral margin) and lines of erected wider setae (10 rows on each elytron) ( Fig. 97 ). Epipleura gradually tapering toward rear, relatively strongly punctured, finely pubescent.

Legs moderately long; femora with small median tooth, moderately swollen; tibiae nearly straight, with fine silvery pubescence. Pro– and mesotarsi slightly widened in males, with tarsomere I wider than tarsomere II. Claws bifid, with long, subparallel inner tooth, division starting near base of claw.

Dorsal side of abdomen sclerotized, dark in color, with some metallic reflections, pygidium fully covered by elytra; abdominal ventrites punctured and pubescent.

Aedeagus as in Figs. 90–91 .

Spermatheca as in Fig. 94 ; coxites short, conical, sclerotized; spiculum ventrale relatively long and thin; vagina without any sclerotization.

Differential diagnosis. Macrocoma bezdeki sp. nov. is a small species characterized by elytral pubescence with alternate rows of scale–like setae and thin setae. It is close to M. niedobovae sp. nov. from which it differs mainly in its smaller size and more cylindrical, as long as wide pronotum. From M. hulai sp. nov. it differs mainly in the absence of a small and flat tubercle on pronotal sides.

Etymology. I am pleased to name this species after Jan Bezděk (Brno, Czech Republic), a collector of the specimens studied and well known specialist in Chrysomelidae : Galerucinae.

Collection circumstances. Specimens from Aloove were collected beating Croton socotranus Balf. f. (J. Bezděk, pers. comm. 2012).

Figures

Figs. 90–97.Macrocoma bezdeki sp. nov.(90–91, 93, 96–97:J holotype; 92:J, Aloove vill. env.; 94–95:♀, Aloove vill. env.): 90 – aedeagus, apex, dorsal view; 91 – aedeagus, lateral view; 92 – tegmen; 93 – ventral sclerite of sternite IX; 94 – spermatheca; 95 – pronotum, lateral view; 96 – head; 97 – elytral punctation and pubescence.

Figs. 129–138. Habitus, dorsal and lateral view of: 129–130 – Colasposoma (Colasposoma) hajeki sp. nov.(Jholotype); 131–132 – Erythraella bicuspidata gen. et sp. nov. (J holotype); 133–134 – Macrocoma niedobovae sp. nov. (J holotype); 135–136 – Macrocoma bezdeki sp. nov. (J holotype); 137–138 – M. hulai sp. nov. (J holotype).

Figs. 139–144. Distribution maps of the species based on the studied material (in Fig. 142, question marks indicate a possible montane form of C. (C.) brevepilosum sensu lato, see species description).