Iselma cedarbergensis, Pitzalis & Bologna, 2008

Pitzalis, Monica & Bologna, Marco A., 2008, Taxonomy and faunistics of the southern African genus Iselma, with the description of nine new species (Coleoptera: Meloidae: Eleticinae), Zootaxa 1876 (1), pp. 35-59 : 39-40

Iselma cedarbergensis sp. n.

Diagnosis. A middle-large sized Iselma , completely black without metallic reflection. Head and pronotum elongate, the latter with subparallel sides convergent anteriorly; last maxillary palpomere parallel on sides and securiform at apex; head, pronotum and elytra with isolated, longer, black setae mixed with dense, short, light and recumbent setae; elytra convex, without humeral depression; legs with regular black setae; male last visible abdominal hemisternite internally only slightly curved; dorsal appendix of male gonostyli as long as the basal third of them and with a very long tuft of setae at apex.

Description. Body uniformly black, without metallic reflection. Head and pronotum setation with isolated, longer, black setae mixed with dense, short, light and recumbent setae; elytra and ventral setation similar to that on head and pronotum, but the light setae are denser and the black ones are longer on sides and on apex of elytra. Body length (apex of mandibles-apex of elytra): 7.0–15.0 mm; pronotum length: 1.1–2.5 mm; elytral width (greatest at posterior third): 2.4–4.4 mm.

Head slender and elongate, evidently longer than wide at eye level (excluding the mandibles); mandibles and head capsule subequal in length; head narrower at tempora than at eyes, sides parallel behind eyes; front quite flat; frontal suture almost subarcuate; punctures very dense, approached and quite deep except in a middle longitudinal narrow area, intermediate surface shiny; labrum longer than clypeus. Antennae slender, antennomeres III–VII quite widened at apex in male, subcylindrical in female, VIII–XI progressively subcylindrical in both sexes, XI 1.5 as long as X; antennomeres I–II with normal elongate setae, III–XI with dense microsetae.

Pronotum with sides subparallel from base to middle, progressively convergent anteriorly; maximal width in the middle, slightly wider than head at eye level; punctures as on head. Mesonotum slightly elongate, parallel on sides and subrounded at apex. Elytra elongate, convex, without tracks of venation and without humeral depression, about twice as wide as pronotum at base; punctures dense and less deep than pronotum and head. Legs slender, finely punctate; fore and middle tibial spurs slender; both hind spurs massive, slender and spoonlike, inner and external subequal, both shorter than half tarsomere I.

Last visible male abdominal sternite almost straight on both external and internal margins, the portion not depressed wide and the depressed part progressively sloping. Dorsal margin of male gonostylus sinuate in lateral view, with apical microsetae; dorsal appendix of male gonostyli at least as long as the basal third of the gonostylus and with a very long tuft of setae at apex ( Fig. 2i ).

Type material. Holotype male ( CB), 6 males and 16 females Paratypes ( CB, 1 male and 1 female SAMC) “ South Africa, Western Cape, Nieuwodt Pass (10 km NW of Cederberg Pass) 200–600 m a.s.l., maquis, 15.IX.1994, P. Audisio, M. Biondi & M. A. Bologna leg.” ; 2 males and 5 females Paratypes ( CB) “ Sudafrica, W. C., N7 17 km S Clanwilliam 32.30802°S 18.90854°E 285 m a.s.l., 9.IX.2004 Bologna, Lorenzetti, Pitzalis” ; 12 females Paratypes ( CB, 1 female MCSN) “ Sudafrica, W. Cape, 12.8 km S Clanwilliam , 32.25193°S 18.85628°E, 240 m a.s.l., 21.IX.2005, M. Bologna, M. Pitzalis ” ; 8 females Paratypes ( CB) “ South Africa, Western Cape, 12 km NNW Algiria 32.28941°S 18.99268°E 240 m a.s.l., 5.X.2007, M. Bologna & M. Pitzalis ” ; 1 female Paratype ( CB) “ South Africa, Western Cape, 22 km NNW Algiria , 8 km SE Clanwilliam 32.23259°S 18.93550°E 130 m a.s.l., 5.X.2007, M. Bologna & M. Pitzalis ”. We added the labels “ Holotypus / Paratypus (male and female) Iselma cedarbergensis sp. n. M. Pitzalis & M. Bologna des. 2008” .

Additional material. ( South Africa, Western Cape) 1 ex. “ 17 km S Clanwilliam on road N7, 32.30802°S 18.90854°E 285 m a.s.l., 9.IX.2004 Bologna, Lorenzetti, Pitzalis”; 2 exx. “12.8 km S Clanwilliam, 32.25193°S 18.85628°E, 240 m a.s.l., 21.IX.2005, M. Bologna, M. Pitzalis”; 1 ex. “ 12 km NNW Algiria 32.28941°S 18.99268°E 240 m a.s.l., 5.X.2007, M. Bologna & M. Pitzalis ” ; 1 ex. “ 22 km NNW Algiria, 8 km SE Clanwilliam 32.23259°S 18.93550°E 130 m a.s.l., 5.X.2007, M. Bologna & M. Pitzalis ”; 2 exx. “ R364 3– 5 km ENE Clanwilliam , 32.14325°S 18.90635°E 210 m a.s.l., 5.X.2007, M. Bologna & M. Pitzalis ”. All these specimens are preserved in ethanol 95% or acetone ( CB) .

Type locality. South Africa, Western Cape, Cedarberg Mts., Nieuwodt Pass .

Etymology. The name of this species refers to the Cedarberg (called also Sederberge or Cederberg), the South African mountain chain where the species is distributed.

Affinities. This species belongs to the group of I. ursus , among which could be separated, together with I. lorenzettii sp. n. and I. simillima Kaszab, 1953 , in a different subgroup distinguishable morphologically ( Pitzalis, 2007; Pitzalis and Bologna, unpublished). It seems related to I. lorenzettii sp. n. because of the common structure of the male last visible sternite (the male last abdominal sternite of I. simillima and I. lorenzetti sp. n. are represented respectively in Fig. 3a and Fig. 3b ).

Remarks. Cited as I. planidorsis Péringuey, 1909 by Bologna et al. (2001).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Male genitalia of some species of Iselma: (a) I. audisioi sp. n.; (b) I. elephantula sp. n.; (c) I. hessei; (d) I. mimica sp. n.; (e) I. planidorsis; (f) I. boschimana; (g) I. pallidipennis; (h) I. hobohmi; (i) I. cedarbergensis sp. n.; (j) I. lorenzettii sp. n.; (k) I. lanuginosa; (l) I. stellaris sp. n.; (m) I. metallescens; (n) I. violaceipennis.

FIGURE 3. Sternites of some species of Iselma: (a) I. simillima; (b) I. lorenzettii sp. n.; (c) I. lanuginosa; (d) I. stellaris sp. n..