Andersonaltica pecki Linzmeier & Konstantinov

Linzmeier, Adelita M. & Konstantinov, Alexander S., 2012, A new genus of leaf litter inhabiting Neotropical Monoplatina (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae: Alticini), Zootaxa 3260, pp. 19-32 : 25-29

Andersonaltica pecki Linzmeier & Konstantinov , new species

( Figs 13–32 , Map 1)

Description. Body ( Figs 13, 14 ) length 1.84–1.94 mm, width 1.07–1.17 mm. Entire body blackish or dorsal part of head and pronotum dark brown or blackish; elytra, ventral part of body and nine basal antennomeres dark chestnut brown; legs light chestnut brown; and two apical antennomeres yellow. Elytral hairs yellowish gold to dark brown, lighter hairs forming two or three narrow, poorly defined bands.

Head ( Figs 15, 17 , 19 ) with vertex forming longitudinal ridge above antennal calli. Frontal ridge acute ventrally, followed by narrow longitudinal ridge beyond anterofrontal ridge into middle of clypeus. Anterofrontal ridge well developed laterally. Head surface densely covered with relatively long, well visible setae.

Pronotum ( Figs 17, 18 , 23 ) 1.40 times wider than long. In lateral view apical part more convex than basal. Lateral margin slightly convex. Anterolateral pore absent. Two tall elongate elevations on pronotum. Pronotal punctures large, spaced evenly, distance between them much smaller than diameter of puncture. Elytral punctures paced close together into striae, interspaces convex ( Fig. 13 ). Basal calli well developed, projecting. Metatibia without preapical tooth situated before tarsal insertion ( Fig. 26 ).

Spermatheca with duct making two turns each about 60° and coils in between ( Fig. 32 ). Anterior sclerotization of tignum slightly narrower than middle part of it. Posterior sclerotization much wider than anterior ( Fig. 30 ). Posterior sclerotization of vaginal palpi with six or seven setae. Inner side of posterior sclerotization nearly straight, mid part slightly bulging. Vaginal palpi connected for less than half of their length ( Fig. 31 ).

Median lobe of aedeagus nearly parallel sided ventrally with apex narrowing gradually. Apical part with shallow impression nearly as wide as entire apex. In lateral view, median lobe nearly straight with base and apex bent evenly ( Figs 28, 29 ).

Type material. Holotype, 3. Labels: 1). HONDURAS: Comayagua/ Mont. Comayagua, 18.0km. E./ Comayagua, 31.VIII.1994 -231/ 2000m, R.Anderson, oak/cloud/ forest, crustose fungus on logs; 2) Holotype Andersonaltica pecki des. Linzmeier & Konstantinov 2011 ( CMNC). Paratypes. Labels: 1) HONDURAS: Sta. Barbara/ Cerro Santa Barbara, 1850m / 15km S.E. Penas Blancas/ 24.VIII.1994, S. Peck/ mont. wet for. litter, 94- 58; 2) Paratype Andersonaltica pecki des. Linzmeier & Konstantinov 2011 (13 USNM). 1) HONDURAS: Comayagua/ 18km.E.N.E. Comayagua/ 1950m, S.B.Peck, 94-52/ 20.VIII.1994, wet oak/pine/ forest litter; 2) Paratype Andersonaltica pecki des. Linzmeier & Konstantinov 2011(13 CMNC). 1) HONDURAS: Santa Barbara, Cerro Santa Barbara, 15km S.E. Penas Blancas, 1850m, 24.VIII.1994, S. Peck, 94-58, mont. wet for. litter; 2) Paratype Andersonaltica pecki des. Linzmeier & Konstantinov 2011 (1Ƥ USNM).

Etymology. The specific name is a patronym dedicated to the collector Stewart Peck of Ottawa, Canada.

Remarks. Andersonaltica pecki can be immediately separated from the other species of Andersonaltica by the absence of the anterolateral setiferous callosities, which are present on the pronotum of the remaining four species. There are slight differences in the median lobe of the aedeagus between specimens from Comayagua and Sta. Barbara, which we attribute to intraspecific variability ( Figs 28, 29 ). Aedeagus of the specimen from Sta. Barbara is slightly larger, it is also teneral and slightly distorted which accounts for slight difference in shape of the median part ( Fig. 29 ).

Figures

FIGURES 13 – 18. Andersonaltica pecki. 13, habitus, dorsal view. 14, habitus, lateral view. 15, head. 16, ventral side of body, female. 17, head and pronotum, semilateral view. 18, head and pronotum, dorsal view.

FIGURES 19 – 25. Andersonaltica pecki. 19, head, frontal view. 20, mouth parts, frontal view. 21, middle antennomeres. 22, antenna. 23, head and pronotum, lateral view. 24, abdominal ventrites, side. 25, apex of protibia and protarsus, lateral view.

FIGURES 26 – 32. Andersonaltica pecki. 26, metatibia, lateral view. 27, protibia and protarsus, ventral view. 28, median lobe of aedeagus, ventral and lateral views, holotype. 29, median lobe of aedeagus, ventral and lateral views, paratype. 30, tignum. 31, vaginal palpi. 32, spermatheca.