Tituboea friedmani 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 : 11-15

Tituboea friedmani Bezděk sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:D338C720-288A-42B6-8CF2-625C02BBB640

Figs 4 , 5 A–B

Differential diagnosis

Tituboea friedmani sp. nov. is similar to Tituboea chobauti (Pic, 1896) ( Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco) and Tituboea atriceps Pic, 1924 ( Egypt, Israel, Iraq) ( Fig. 4 G–H). All three species differ in the colouration of the legs: femora black and tibiae pale in Tituboea chobauti , femora and tibiae pale in Tituboea atriceps , femora and tibiae black (or basal half of tibiae pale) in Tituboea friedmani sp. nov. The pronotum of Tituboea chobauti is covered with very dense small punctures while the pronotal punctation in Tituboea friedmani sp. nov. and Tituboea atriceps is sparser and irregular. All the species can also be distinguish by the structure of the aedeagus. In lateral view, the ventral margin of the aedeagus is almost straight and the apex turned dorsally in Tituboea friedmani sp. nov. while the ventral margin is distinctly rounded and the apex not turned in Tituboea chobauti and Tituboea atriceps ( Fig. 5A, C, E ). The spermatheca of all three species of similar shape ( Fig. 5B, D, F ).

Etymology

Dedicated to Ariel-Leib-Leonid Friedman (TAU), who collected most of the specimens of this new species.

Material examined

Holotype

ISRAEL: 1 ♂, “ Israel S / Avdat env . / 11.4.– 20.4.1998 / M. Petrů lgt. [w, p]” ( NMPC).

Paratypes

ISRAEL: 1 ♂, “178157.ISRAEL: / ZometRotem , 6 km S / 410m, 1.iv.2014 / L. FRIEDMAN / on Calligonum / comosum [w, p]” ( TAU); 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀, “ ISRAEL: / Ashalim / 5.iv.1999 / V. CHIKATUNOV [w, p] // On Polygonum sp. / 5.iv.1999 / V. CHIKATUNOV [w, p] // Antipa / decemguttata / Walk. [h] / det. I. Lopatin, 19. [p] 99 [w, h]” ( TAU); 1 ♀, “ Jericho [h] / PALESTINE [p] / 23.ii [h] 19 [p] 41 [h] / leg. Bytinski-Salz [w, p] // Antipa / Chobauti Pic [h] / det. F. Stöcklein 195 [p] 2 [w, h] // Antipa / decemguttata / Walk. [h] / det. I. Lopatin, 19. [p] 99 [w, h]” ( TAU). The type specimens are provided with one printed red label: “HOLOTYPUS, [or PARATYPUS, resp.] / Tituboea / friedmani sp. nov., / J. Bezděk det. 2018”.

Type locality

ISRAEL: Avdat env.

Description

BODY LENGTH. ♂♂: 4.6–5.1 mm (holotype 4.8 mm), ♀♀: 4.4–4.6 mm.

Male (holotype, Fig. 4 )

COLOURATION. Head black, apical parts of mandibles reddish, antennomeres I–IV yellow, V brownish basally. Pronotum orange. Scutellum black. Elytra yellow, each elytron with four black spots (2, 2), posterior pair connected. Underside black. Legs black, knees brownish ( Fig. 4A ).

HEAD. Mandibles distinctly enlarged, dorsal side flat, almost even, lateral sides of both mandibles moderately concave ( Fig. 4C ). Labrum almost invisible, with a straight anterior margin. Clypeus with bisinuate anterior margin, surface transversely impressed, very finely punctate, with longer pale setae cumulated laterally. Eyes small. Frons very wide, 4.88 times as wide as diameter of eye, surface uneven, densely covered with small punctures and short pale setae. Frons not separated from vertex. Vertex lustrous, covered with small punctures (finer than on frons) and short pale setae, with indistinct median line. Antennae short, 0.28 times as long as body, antennomere I club-shaped, II small, subglobular, III very small, IV triangular with produced apical angle, antennae shortly serrated from antennomere V, antennomeres V–X wider than long.

PRONOTUM. Pronotum glabrous, lustrous, strongly transverse, 1.80 times as wide as long, widest at basal half, moderately convex, irregularly covered with small punctures, punctures larger on disc, finer in lateral parts. Anterior margin straight, lateral margins rounded, posterior margin nearly straight but shallowly bisinuate in scutellar area. Anterior angles obtusangulate, posterior angles widely rounded. Lateral and posterior margins thinly bordered, anterior margin bordered only at lateral parts, in middle border almost invisible. Posterior angles not elevated above elytral base.

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

ELYTRA. Elytra short, subcylindrical, 0.55 times as long as body, 1.15 times as long as wide at humeral part, glabrous, lustrous, densely covered with small confused punctures, disappearing at elytral apices. Basal margin with complete thin border forming a narrow elevated keel, sharp in outer half, somewhat swollen in inner half. Epipleura impunctate, glabrous, wide in anterior fifth, suddenly narrowed and disappearing in anterior 1/5 of elytral length. Lateral margin of elytra widely concave in lateral view.

LEGS. Protibiae moderately prolonged. Protarsomere I very thin, 5.0 as long as broad, parallel, protarsomere II wider as I, length ratios of protarsomeres I–IV equal to 10–7–5–7. Metatarsi short and thin, length ratios of metatarsomeres I–IV equal to 7–4–3–6. Claws simple.

MALE GENITALIA. Aedeagus 2.5 times as long as wide. In dorsal view, apex moderately rounded with pointed tip. In lateral view, the ventral margin of aedeagus is almost straight and apex forming small hook directed upwards ( Fig. 5A ).

Female

Head, mandibles and anterior legs not enlarged. Protarsomeres extremely short, length ratios of protarsomeres I–IV equal to 3–2–2–4. Spermatheca: cornu U-shaped, apical half wider and somewhat shorter than basal one, basal half gradually narrowed towards very small nodulus, proximal spermathecal duct ca 0.8 times as long as cornu ( Fig. 5B ). Kotpresse as in Fig. 4 E–F.

Variability

Black spots on elytra slightly variable in size, posterior pair can be either separated or partially connected. One female paratype ( Fig. 4B ) with additional small black spot subapically on each elytron. Two specimens with pale basal halves of each tibiae.

Bionomy

Based on the label data, the specimens were collected on Calligonum comosum L’Hér. and on a species of Polygonum L. ( Polygonaceae Juss. ).

Distribution

Israel.

Figures

Fig. 4. A–F. Tituboea friedmani Bezděk sp. nov. A. Holotype, ♁, 4.8 mm (NMPC). B. Paratype, ♀, 4.6 mm (TAU). C. Male head. D. Labels of holotype. E. Kotpresse, ventral sclerites. F. Kotpresse, dorsal sclerites. G–H. T. chobauti (Pic, 1896). G. ♁, 6.1 mm. H. Head. I–J. T. atriceps Pic, 1924. I. ♁, 6.0 mm. J. Head.

Fig. 5. A–B. Tituboea friedmani Bezděk sp. nov. A.Aedeagus in dorsal and lateral views. B. Spermatheca. C–D. T. chobauti (Pic, 1896). C. Aedeagus in dorsal and lateral views. D. Spermatheca. E–F. T. atriceps Pic, 1924. E. Aedeagus in dorsal and lateral views. F. Spermatheca.