Tituboea radeki Bezděk, 2018

Bezděk, Jan, 2018, Contribution to the knowledge of the Clytrini of the Eastern Mediterranean, the Near East and the Arabian Peninsula, with descriptions of four new species (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cryptocephalinae), European Journal of Taxonomy 481, pp. 1-37 : 19-23

Tituboea radeki Bezděk sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:EE1F6A21-B8B8-4D0A-B613-6AA41BFA1E72

Figs 9 , 10 A–B

Differential diagnosis

Tituboea radeki sp. nov. is very similar to Tituboea arabica (Olivier, 1808) ( Fig. 9G ). The males of the two species differ in the shape of the protarsomeres. In Tituboea radeki sp. nov. protarsomere I is 1.65 times as long as wide and only slightly longer than subtriangular protarsomere II, while protarsomere I is 2.25 times as long as wide and 1.3 times longer than parallel protarsomere II in Tituboea arabica . The dorsal opening of the aedeagus of Tituboea arabica is subquadrangular, with a widely triangular apex while the apical part is regularly rounded towards the apex in Tituboea radeki sp. nov. In lateral view, the apex of the aedeagus of Tituboea arabica is abruptly bent upwards at an angle of ca 40°, while it is only slightly and gradually bent in Tituboea radeki sp. nov. ( Fig. 10A, C ). The spermatheca is similar in both species; the proximal spermathecal duct is 0.9 times as long as the cornu in Tituboea radeki sp. nov., but 1.2 times as long in Tituboea arabica ( Fig. 10B, D ).

Etymology

Dedicated to the late Radek Červenka, specialist in Scarabaeidae and the collector of the holotype.

Material examined

Holotype

OMAN: 1 ♂, “ OMAN mer., ca 0–50m, / Al Mughsayl env., / 21.–23.x.2005, / R. Červenka leg. [w, p]” ( NMPC). The type specimens are provided with one printed red label: “ HOLOTYPUS, [or PARATYPUS, resp.] / Tituboea / radeki sp. nov., / J. Bezděk det. 2018”.

Paratypes

OMAN: 1 ♂, “Al Mughsayl dint. E / 16°52′53″N / 53°43′51″E / 08.III.2004 [w, p] // Oman / Dhofar Region / Leg. Dellacasa M. [w, p] // Museo di Storia / Naturale e del / Territorio / Universita di Pisa / Calci (Pisa) – Italia [g, p]” ( CIUC); 2 ♂♂, “ OMAN, Dhofar pr. / Jabal al Qamar / Wadi Al Mughsayl / N 16°52´E 53°43´/ 2– 3.10.2013 (10–120 m n. m.) / lgt. P. Kučera [w, p]” ( LSCP, JBCB); 1 ♀, “ OMAN, Dhofar province / Jabal al Qamar / W Al Mughsayl – Wádí / N 16.84497° E 53.68615° / 20– 31.8.2012 / lgt. P. Kučera [w, p]” ( LSCP).

YEMEN: 1 ♂, “ YEMEN-W, Jabal Bura / NEE Al Hudaydah / 200–800m, 30.X.–1.XI. / N 14°52′, E 43°24′ / J. Halada lg., 2005 [w, p]” ( NMPC).

Type locality

OMAN: Al Mughsayl env.

Description

BODY LENGTH. ♂♂: 6.7–8.9 mm (holotype 8.1 mm), ♀: 7.3 mm.

Male (holotype, Fig. 9A )

COLOURATION. Body orange, apices of mandibles black, most of metasternum blackish, abdominal ventrites I–III infuscate, each elytron with three black spots (one on humeral callus, second subscutellar, third large, transverse, behind elytral midlength), apical halves of claws darkened ( Fig. 9A ).

HEAD. Mandibles small ( Fig. 9B ). Labrum with widely rounded anterior angles and slightly concave anterior margin, surface with several irregular large setigerous punctures on the surface, additional setae accumulated along anterior margin (particularly at sides). Clypeus with widely shallowly V-shaped anterior margin, surface transversely impressed, small setigerous punctures accumulated laterally. Frons wide, 2.77 times as wide as diameter of eye, surface covered with an irregular mixture of smaller and larger punctures and short setae, in middle distinctly impressed, with furrow along inner eye margin. Frons not separated from vertex. Vertex lustrous, densely covered with small punctures and short pale setae, with indistinct median line.Antennae short, 0.19 times as long as body, antennomere I club-shaped, II small, subglobular, III very small, antennae shortly serrated from antennomere IV, antennomeres V–X wider than long.

PRONOTUM. Glabrous, lustrous, strongly transverse, 1.97 times as wide as long, widest at basal quarter, moderately convex, covered with mixture of dense small feeble punctures and sparse larger punctures. Anterior margin shallowly concave, lateral margins rounded, posterior margin nearly straight but shallowly bisinuate in scutellar area. Anterior angles obtusangulate with rounded tip, posterior angles widely rounded. All margins thinly bordered, border in middle part of anterior margin feeble but visible. Posterior angles slightly elevated above elytral base.

SCUTELLUM. Scutellum subtriangular with rounded tip, in middle with elevated impunctate line, basal half punctate and covered with setae, towards apex becoming impunctate and almost glabrous, scutellar apex elevated upon elytral level.

ELYTRA. Elytra short, subcylindrical, 0.67 times as long as body, 1.50 times as long as wide at humeral part, glabrous, lustrous, densely covered with small confused punctures, disappearing at elytral apices, here and there tending to irregular puncture rows and 3–4 indistinct impunctate ribs. Basal margin with complete thin border forming narrow elevated keel. Epipleura impunctate, glabrous, wide in anterior fifth, suddenly narrowed and disappearing in anterior 1/4 of elytral length. Lateral margin of elytra widely concave in lateral view.

LEGS. Protarsi moderately enlarged, protibiae moderately prolonged. Protarsomere I short and robust, 1.67 as long as broad, almost parallel, as wide as II, protarsomere II elongate subtriangular, only slightly shorter than I, length ratios of protarsomeres I–IV equal to 10–9–9–11. Metatarsi short and thin, length ratios of metatarsomeres I–IV equal to 9–6–6–9. Claws simple.

GENITALIA. Aedeagus 2.6 times as long as wide, apical part rounded towards to triangular apex, in lateral view apex only slightly and gradually bent upwards ( Fig. 10A ). Ventral side without imressions.

VARIABILITY. Pronotum 1.89–2.00 times as wide as long. One paratype with subscutellar elytral spot absent.

Female

Tarsomeres thinner than in male. Pronotum 1.90 times as wide as long. Spermatheca: cornu U-shaped with slightly wider apex, nodulus small, elongate, proximal spermathecal duct 0.9 times as long as cornu ( Fig. 10B ).

Distribution

Oman, Yemen.

Figures

Fig. 9. A–C, E–F. Holotype of Tituboea radeki Bezděk sp. nov., ♁, 8.1 mm (NMPC). D. Paratype of Tituboea radeki Bezděk sp. nov., ♀, 7.4 mm (LSCP). A. Dorsal view. B. Head. C. Labels. D. Dorsal view. E. Kotpresse, ventral sclerites. F. Kotpresse, dorsal sclerites. G. T. arabica (Olivier, 1808), ♁, 8.0 mm (JBCB).

Fig. 10. A–B. Tituboea radeki Bezděk sp. nov. A. Aedeagus in dorsal and lateral views. B. Spermatheca. C–D. T. arabica (Olivier, 1808). C. Aedeagus in dorsal and lateral views. D. Spermatheca.