Sphrigodellus nguruensis Yunakov, 2012

Yunakov, Nikolai, 2012, 3535, Zootaxa 3535, pp. 1-104 : 33-34

Sphrigodellus nguruensis Yunakov , sp. n.

(figs 37, 38, 244–258, 365)

Diagnosis. Similar to S. usambaricus sp. n. in general appearance; differs by multituberculate subscutellar callosity (6 tubercles; in S. usambaricus only 2 smaller tubercles present); elytral intervals 3, 5 without setae or sparsely setose; funicular segment 1 without scales; funicular setae longer (1.7 x as long as funicular segment 7; in S. usambaricus sp. n. —1.5 x as long as funicular segment 7); alternate striped pattern sharp (intervals 2, 4, 6 deep-brown; in S. usambaricus sp. n. —obscure, intervals 2, 4, 6 light brown); epifrons with distinct median sulcus; meso- and metatibiae with 3–4 large teeth on interior edge (in S. usambaricus sp. n. with 2 small teeth); protibial interior in distal portion densely serrate; aggonoporium of internal sac with thick lobes (in S. usambaricus with thin lobes; lobes of sternite 9 with strong posterior process; spermatheca with corpus small, moderately swollen, cornus thick, narrowly rounded; female tergite 8 trapezoid with long slightly arcuate setal fringe.

Description.

Measurements. BL: 3.40–4.05 (3.79) mm, BW: 1.44–1.92 (1.67) mm, BH: 1.24–1.60 (1.45) mm.

Vestiture. Body densely covered with overlapping, round concave scales, setose. Setae of head form rows along lateral edges of epifrons (recumbent or subrecumbent) and above the eyes (erect). Subocular row consists of 5–7 setae. Lateral carinae of rostrum and lateral edges of epifrons densely squamose. Anterior setal fringe consists of 4 (2+2) setae in female or 8 (4+4) in male. Setae of this row large, strongly differ from ones on pronotal disc. Posterior setal fringe consists of long spatulate setae, partly hidden by posterior edge of pronotum. Elytral intervals 1, 2, 4, 6 with distinct row of setae; intervals 3, 5 without setae or sparsely setose. Anterior half of elytra with short, suberect setae (0.5 x as long as interval width), posterior declivity with long (as long as interval width), strongly erect narrow truncate setae. Ventral side of thorax and abdomen densely squamose; basisternum and mesobasisternum bare. Antennal scape setose and densely squamose; setae long, erect, thick, acute or truncate. Funicle setose, without scales; setae suberect 1.7 x as long as funicular segment 7. Femora and tibiae external surface covered with overlapping scales as on antennal scape; densely setose; internal surface with the same dense vestiture, distal portion of tibiae internal surface without scales; setae on legs slender, acute. Male metatibiae with sparse grooming brush; hairs short. Tarsi setose and squamose.

Coloration. Integument of body deep-brown to black, of legs deep-brown. Background scaling consists of light brown, brown and cupreous scales; striped pattern formed by cupreous, brown and green scales. Dark and pale scales both with slightly pronounced pearl shine. Head multicolour rostrum brownish-cupreous; vertex, occiput, temples, genae, and articulation surface covered with green scales. Pronotum with deep-brown background scaling and 5 broad longitudinal cupreous stripes: 1 discal (narrow) and 4 lateral (broad). Elytra with brownish-cupreous background scaling, alternate striped pattern sharp (intervals 2, 4, 6 deep-brown). Elytral intervals entirely (1, 7, 9, 11) or at posterior declivity (3, 5) green. Ventral side of pronotum and mesosternum green, metasternum and abdomen cupreous. Femora brown-cupreous, proximal portion and ventral surface with green scales. Tibiae cupreous.

Head. Rostrum strongly elongate [RL/RW: 1.24–1.50 (1.41)], parallel-sided. Pterygia not extended beyond contour of rostrum. Antennal sockets dorsal. Antennifers half-visible. Epifrons distinctly sinuate in middle, at the level of antennal articulation 1.5 x as wide as vertex width, with transverse depression posteriorly of antennal sockets, distinctly sloping at sides and anteriorly almost vertical, with distinct median sulcus, without median carina. Transverse sulcus deep, concealed by dense scaling at dorsal surface and partly open at sides. Anterior portion of epifrons almost vertical with shallow longitudinal depression. Epistome vestigial, very narrow, transverse, delimited by narrow carina, bears 8–10 epistomal setae. Eyes sublateral, broadly oval, moderately convex, highest posteriorly [FW/ELD: 0.9–1.12 (0.97)]. Vertex narrow, flat. Frontal fovea deep, oblong. Occiput distinctly constricted (see in lateral view).

Antennae. Scape extended behind anterior edge of pronotum, weakly evenly curved, thick. 1st funicular segment longer and wider than 2nd; 3rd–7th oblong. Club egg-shaped.

Thorax. Pronotum transverse [PL/PW: 0.90–0.96 (0.94)], evenly slightly convex at sides, distinctly constricted at anterior portion, widest anteriorly of the middle. Disc weakly convex longitudinally and transversally, with sublateral depressions and tubercles in posterior half. Posterior edge straight. Tergosternal suture complete but concealed by scales. Metanepisternal suture obsolete posteriorly.

Elytra. in male oblong-oval, in female oval [EL/EW: 1.35–1.57 (1.46)]; sides in basal 1/3 straight; anterior edge arcuate, vertical, narrowly rounded; disc in male weakly convex, in female strongly convex [EL/BH: 1.62–1.71 (1.68)]. Subscutellar callosity reaches 3rd interval, with 6 tiny tubercles.

Legs. Protibiae and mesotibiae almost straight, not widened at the apex, interior edge C-shaped in distal portion densely serrate. Meso- and metatibiae with 3–4 large teeth on interior edge (straight). Mucro well developed, thornshaped, acute. Setal comb of protibiae sparse, consists of 7–8 black setae not extending beyond external edge of tibiae, hidden by fringe of pale spatulate setae. Bevel of metatibiae narrowly enclosed; its surface entirely densely setose. Grooming brush dense, consists of long setae. Tarsi robust; tarsomere 2 transverse, 1.5 x as wide as length; tarsomere 3 with two wide lobes; tarsomere 5 of metatarsus extending beyond apical lobes of 3rd by length of the last one.

Abdomen. Posterior margin of 1st ventrite straight. 2nd ventrite 1.5 x as long as 3rd one, its posterior margin straight. 5th ventrite flat, without depression near the apex, apical edge in male broadly rounded, in female acute.

Male genitalia. Median lobe parallel-sided in middle, in apical 1/4 sharply evenly narrowed anteriorly; narrowly rounded, dorso-ventrally slightly swollen; 0.7 x as long as apodeme. Lateral edges of median lobe fused do not form longitudinal carina. Internal sac without spiculate fields, with large, long aggonoporium consisting of two stick-shaped thick lobes connected proximally by transverse bridge, ventral processes absent. Ostium stickshaped, moderately sclerotized. Ligulae membranous. Parameres absent, basal piece of tegmen broad, tegminal apodeme 0.75 x as long as apodemes of median lobe.

Female genitalia. Styli well developed, stick-shaped, bearing 1 seta. Spermatheca moderately sclerotized, with thick ramus, collum slender 2 x as long as ramus. Corpus small, moderately swollen. cornus thick, narrowly rounded, not extended beyond corpus. Tergite 8 trapezoid with long slightly arcuate fringe of tenuous long setae at the apex. Sternite 8 thick. Lamella sharply narrowed and acute missing the setae, knife-shaped, heavily sclerotized. Apodeme thick, caput distinctly developed.

Distribution. Tanzania: Nguru Mountains ( Fig. 365).

Bionomics. Montane rain forests.

Material examined. Tanzania: Holotype male, dissected ( CNC) Morogoro Reg., Nguru Mts. at Turani , h = 1277 m 06°04'29''S, 037°32'19''E, sifting03, V.Grebennikov leg., 31.x.2010 ; Paratype: 1♀ ( CNC) Morogoro Reg., Nguru Mts. at Turani , h = 1277 m 06°04'29''S, 037°32'19''E, sifting06, V. Grebennikov leg., 04.xi.2010 .

Etymology. The name is a Latin adjective meaning “inhabiting Nguru Mountains”.