Calotheca thunbergi Biondi & D’Alessandro, 2017

D’Alessandro, Paola, Grobbelaar, Elizabeth, Iannella, Mattia & Biondi, Maurizio, 2023, Calotheca leonardii, a new flea beetle species from southern Africa (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae: Alticini), Natural History Sciences 10 (1), pp. 5-10 : 9

Calotheca thunbergi Biondi & D’Alessandro, 2017

( Figs. 2 , 3 )

Calotheca thunbergi Biondi & D’Alessandro new name for Blepharida stolida : Biondi et al. (2017: 126, 155 partim)

= Haltica stolida Thunberg 1808: 300 (name preoccupied by Blepharida stolida (Fabricius 1775: 98) = B. rhois (Forster 1771: 21)) : Biondi et al. (2017: 126, 155 partim)

Type material examined

Lectotype ♀: “Cap. B. Sp/Mus. Payk” [ Republic of South Africa, Western Cape, Cape of Good Hope, 34°21′25’’S, 18°28′25’’E], M. Biondi des. 2017 ( NHRS).

Additional material examined

REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA: Western Cape Province: 3 specimens , Cape Bona Spei [Cape of Good Hope, 34°21′24’’S, 18°28′26’’E], 1889, ex Musaeo Allard ( MNHN) ; Eastern Cape Province: 4 specimens, Katberg, 4000 ft [32°28′12’’S, 26°40′12’’E], xii.1932, R. E. Turner leg. ( NHMUK); 1 specimen, ditto, 1-13.xii.1932 ( NHMUK); 3 specimens, Zuurberg Nature Reserve, 900 m, 33°16’S 25°45’E, 28.xi.1988, Adults collected from Rhus dentata (Anacardiacee) , E. Grobbelaar leg. ( SANC); 1 specimen, Uitenhage [33°45’45’’S 25°24’07’’E], 30.x.1931, J. Ogilvie leg. ( NHMUK); 4 specimens, Uitenhage [33°45’45’’S 25°24’07’’E], 30.xii.[19]70, M. W. Strydom leg. ( SANC); 2 specimens, Port Elizabeth , Blue water bay (macchia riva mare [seashore shrub]), S 33°51’12’’ E25°38’36’’, 6.xi.2006, G. Osella leg. ( BAQ); 1 specimen, near Thornhill, 300 m, 33°54’27”S 25°07’03”E, 16.xi.2006, E. Colonnelli leg. ( BAQ); 1 specimen, Dunbrody [Cacadu District Municipality, Western District, 33°04’13”S 24°37’34”E], 2.ix.1901 ( NHMUK); 1 specimen, ditto, 06.ii.1901 ( NHMUK) .

Morphological remarks

Head, legs, and antennae dark yellow or pale brown; pronotum yellow or dark yellow; elytral yellow, generally slightly paler than pronotum, with pale brown irregular patches ( Fig. 2A ). Pronotum ( Fig. 2B ) convex, with margins barely visible in dorsal view; surface regular, without depressions, densely and finely punctate; punctate lateral stria (pls: Fig. 2B ) moderately impressed basal furrows, when distinguishable, short, like a dimple (bf: Fig. 2B ). Median lobe of the aedeagus ( Fig. 2D ) softly sinuate laterally in ventral view, subtriangular in the apical part; surface smooth, slightly raised from the middle to the subapical part; median lobe moderately curved in lateral view up to the apex; dorsal ligula short, with a wide, subtriangular, median lobe apically truncated, and with two narrow lateral lobes. Spermatheca ( Fig. 2C ) rather variable but always roughly fusiform; distal part distinctly curved, long at least half the length of the basal part, with evident appendix; ductus moderately thickset, short, uncoiled, roughly U-shaped.

Biometrics

Males (n = 10; mean ± standard deviation, range): LE = 4.71 ± 0.24 mm (4.35 ≤ LE ≤ 5.00 mm); WE = 3.57 ± 0.09 mm (3.45 ≤ WE ≤ 3.65 mm); LP = 1.42 ± 0.06 mm (1.35 ≤ LP ≤ 1.53 mm); WP = 2.90 ± 0.11 mm (2.75 ≤ WP ≤ 3.08 mm); LAN = 2.46 ± 0.10 mm (2.30 ≤ LAN ≤ 2.60 mm); LAED = 2.35 ± 0.08 mm (2.20 ≤ LAED ≤ 2.40 mm); LB = 5.93 ± 0.40 mm (5.50 ≤ LB ≤ 6.30 mm); LE / LP = 3.31 ± 0.08 (3.22 ≤ LE / LP ≤ 3.43); WE/WP = 1.23 ± 0.03 (1.19 ≤ WE/WP ≤ 1.26); WP/ LP = 2.04 ± 0.04 (2.00 ≤ WP/ LP ≤ 2.11); WE/ LE = 0.76 ± 0.02 (0.73 ≤ WE/ LE ≤ 0.79); LAN /LB = 0.40 ± 0.02 (0.37 ≤ LAN /LB ≤ 0.44); LE / LAED = 2.00 ± 0.08 (1.89 ≤ LE / LAED ≤ 2.08). Females (n = 10; mean ± standard deviation; range): LE = 5.05 ± 0.27 mm (4.60 ≤ LE ≤ 5.30 mm); WE = 3.82 ± 0.22 mm (3.45 ≤ WE ≤ 4.05 mm); LP = 1.46 ± 0.04 mm (1.40 ≤ LP ≤ 1.50 mm); WP = 3.08 ± 0.15 mm (2.90 ≤ WP ≤ 3.25 mm); LAN = 2.36 ± 0.11 mm (2.15 ≤ LAN ≤ 2.50 mm); LSP = 0.68 ± 0.03 mm (0.65 ≤ LSP ≤ 0.73 mm); LB = 6.17 ± 0.26 mm (5.65 ≤ LB ≤ 6.35 mm); LE / LP = 3.46 ± 0.14 (3.23 ≤ LE / LP ≤ 3.60); WE/WP = 1.24 ± 0.03 (1.19 ≤ WE/WP ≤ 1.27); WP/ LP = 2.11 ± 0.07 (2.04 ≤ WP/ LP ≤ 2.21); WE/ LE = 0.76 ± 0.02 (0.74 ≤ WE/ LE ≤ 0.79); LAN /LB = 0.38 ± 0.01 (0.37 ≤ LAN /LB ≤ 0.40); LE /LSP = 7.49 ± 0.49 (6.81 ≤ LE /LSP ≤ 8.15).

Figures

Fig. 2 - Calotheca thunbergi Biondi & D’Alessandro. A) habitus, male (Eastern Cape, Katberg); B) head and pronotum, male (Eastern Cape, Katberg); C) spermatheca (Eastern Cape, Katberg); D) median lobe of the aedeagus, from left to right in ventral, dorsal and lateral view (Eastern Cape, Katberg). bf: basal furrow; fg: frontal grooves; pls: punctate lateral stria. / A) habitus, maschio (Eastern Cape, Katberg); B) testa e pronoto, maschio (Eastern Cape, Katberg); C) spermateca (Eastern Cape, Katberg); D) lobo mediano dell’edeago, da sinistra a destra in visione ventrale, dorsale e laterale (Eastern Cape, Katberg). bf: solco basale; fg: docce frontali; pls: stria laterale di punti.

Fig. 3 - Locality occurrences of Calotheca leonardii sp. nov. and C. thunbergi Biondi & D’Alessandro. / Località di presenza di Calotheca leonardii sp. nov. e C. thunbergi Biondi & D’Alessandro.