Blepharidina kenyana, Iannella & Biondi, 2019

Iannella, Paola D’Alessandro Mattia & Biondi, Maurizio, 2019, Revision of the Afrotropical flea beetle subgenus Blepharidina s. str. Bechyné (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae), Zootaxa 4545 (1) : -

Blepharidina kenyana sp. nov.

( Figs 10 , 29 , 46 , 68 )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:0FFDCE28-0A4E-4014-BC78-8187DF2AA5EB

Type material. Holotype ♂: “Kenya, Eastern, Mwingi, Nguni env. (1°31'S 37°57'E), 28.xi.1999, M. Snízěk leg.” ( BAQ) . Paratypes. Same data as the holotype, 1 ♂ ( MNHN) ; KENYA: Eastern , Mwingi env. (0°56'S 38°03'E), 4.xii.1997, M. Snízěk leg., 1 ♂ ( BMNH) ; Sagala Hills (3°28'S 38°35'E), xii.1993, Werner leg., 1 ♂ ( BAQ) ; Kenya , Eastern, E 729, Sosoma, 202 km E of Thika (0°53'S 38°40'E), 20.xi.2007, M. Snízěk leg. ( BAQ) .

Diagnosis. Blepharidina kenyana sp. nov. is similar to B. regalini sp. nov. in size, habitus, and color pattern ( Figs 10 , 18 ). However, the new species can be easily distinguished by the: aedeagus, clearly different in size, lateral view, and shape of the dorsal ligula ( Figs 46 , 54 ); more slender antennomeres and more distinctly carinate elytral interstriae ( Figs 29, 33 ).

Description of the holotype (♂). Body elliptical-elongate, rather convex ( Fig. 10 ); LB = 6.50 mm; maximum pronotal width (WP = 2.44 mm) in basal third; maximum elytral width (WE = 3.22 mm) in middle. Head brown, darker medially; antennae yellowish; pronotum yellowish, with brown patches; elytra yellowish, with brown striae and some small irregular brown patches on interstriae; legs brown, with slightly paler tibiae and pale tarsi. Head moderately pubescent, roughly punctate; frontal grooves weakly impressed; frontal tubercles poorly delimited, flat; interantennal space little wider than length of first antennomere; interocular space about as wide as transverse ocular width; antennae slightly longer than half body length (LAN = 3.84 mm; LAN/LB = 0.59); LA: 100:39:67:78:100:89:89:87:81:78:92. Pronotum subrectangular, distinctly transverse (LP = 1.38 mm; WP/LP = 1.77), with weakly sinuate lateral margin; anterior margin slightly thicker than basal margin, and moderately sinuate laterally; anterior angles slightly prominent laterally ( Fig. 29 ); pronotal surface with lines and groups of differently sized punctures; pronotal base with two lateral, moderately impressed, longitudinal striae. Scutellum brown, subrounded, moderately elongate. Elytra moderately elongate (LE = 4.69 mm; WE/LE = 0.69; LE/LP = 3.41), subparallel laterally, jointly rounded and entirely covering pygidium posteriorly; punctation distinctly impressed, arranged in 9 (+ 1 scutellar) regular rows; interstriae slightly carinate. First pro- and mesotarsomeres clearly dilated; tarsal claws bifid. Ventral parts brown; last abdominal ventrite without distinctive preapical impressions. Aedeagus (LAED = 3.16 mm; LE/LAED = 1.49) ( Fig. 46 ) in ventral view moderately slender, distinctly narrowed in apical third, obtusely subtriangular apically, with a small median tooth; ventral sulcus wide, open towards basal part; in lateral view, aedeagus straight, tapered towards subapical part; apical part slightly sinuate; dorsal ligula short, connected to approximately apical fourth of median lobe.

Variation. Paratypes (males) very similar in shape, sculpture, color and morphometry to the holotype; size moderately variable (see Appendix 2).

Etymology. The female specific epithet is after Kenya, where the species was collected in several localities.

Distribution. Kenya ( Fig. 68 ). Possibly Northern-Eastern Afrotropical (NEA) chorotype.

Ecological notes. Not available. The collection sites fall within the area of Eastern African Xeric Scrub vegetation (belonging to the Warm Desert & Semi-Desert Scrub & Grassland formation), and Eastern & Southern African Dry Savanna & Woodland (belonging to the Tropical Lowland Grassland, Savanna & Shrubland formation).

Figures

FIGURES 1–10. Blepharidina s. str. species habitus: 1, B. aliquantula sp. nov., ♂ holotype; 2, B. bimbiensis (Bechyné), ♂ lectotype; 3, B. burtli (Bryant), ♂ from Manjoni, Tanzania; 4, B. carinata (Bryant), ♂ lectotype; 5, B. delineata (Bryant), ♀ lectotype; 6, B. guttulata (Baly), ♂ from Zamibuo, Angola; 7, B. himba sp. nov., ♂ holotype; 8, B. intermedia (Jacoby), ♂ from Kindwitvi, Tanzania; 9, B. kasigauensis sp. nov., ♂ holotype; 10, B. kenyana sp. nov., ♂ holotype.

FIGURES 26–33. Blepharidina s. str. species pronotum and basal part of elytra, in lateral view: 26, B. aliquantula sp. nov.; 27, B. burtli (Bryant); 28, B. kasigauensis sp. nov.; 29, B. kenyana sp. nov.; 30, B. knighti (Bryant); 31, B. ornaticollis (Jacoby); 32, B. picta (Kolbe); 33, B. regalini sp. nov.

FIGURES 44–49. Blepharidina s. str. species aedeagus, from left to right in ventral, dorsal, and lateral view: 44, B. intermedia (Jacoby), from Kindwitvi, Tanzania; 45, B. kasigauensis sp. nov., holotype; 46, B. kenyana sp. nov., holotype; 47, B. knighti (Bryant), lectotype; 48, B. laesa (Kolbe), lectotype; 49, B. macarthuri (Bryant), lectotype.

FIGURES 68–69. Blepharidina s. str. species distribution. Vegetation types are from Sayre et al. (2013).

FIGURES 11–19. Blepharidina s. str. species habitus: 11, B. knighti (Bryant), ♂ lectotype; 12, B. laesa (Kolbe), ♂ lectotype; 13, B. macarthuri (Bryant), ♂ lectotype; 14, B. matabelelandensis sp. nov., ♂ holotype; 15, B. ornaticollis (Jacoby), ♂ lectotype; 16, B. partita (Jacoby), ♂ from Solwezi, Zambia; 17, B. picta (Kolbe), ♂ from Mikindani, Tanzania; 18, B. regalini sp. nov., ♂ holotype; 19, B. rudeli (Weise), ♀ lectotype.

FIGURES 50–54. Blepharidina s. str. species aedeagus, from left to right in ventral, dorsal, and lateral view: 50, B. matabelelandensis sp. nov., holotype; 51, B. ornaticollis (Jacoby), from Ramisi River, Kenya; 52, B. partita (Jacoby), from Solwezi, Zambia; 53, B. picta (Kolbe), from Mikindani, Tanzania; 54, B. regalini sp. nov., holotype.