Tibipectinus seawardi Tshernyshev, 2021

Tshernyshev, S. E., 2021, A new species of soft-winged flower beetle of the genus Tibipectinus Tshernyshev, 2020 (Coleoptera: Malachiidae: Apalochrini) from South Africa, Russian Entomological Journal 30 (1), pp. 74-77 : 75-77

Tibipectinus seawardi Tshernyshev , sp.n.

Figs 1–14 .

MATERIAL. South Africa: Holotype, ♂, KwaZulu-Natal Province, Ugu District, Ray Nkonyeni Municipality, 20 km SW Port Shepstone, Margate Town on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast , 30°51´S; 30°22´E; 20.XI.1991, Richter leg. Paratypes, 3 ♂♂ and 3 ♀♀, idem .

DESCRIPTION. Holotype, male ( Figs 1–2 ). Body elongate, subparallel, slightly expanded posteriorly.

Ventral side of 1st and 2nd antennomere and base of 3rd antennomere, 1st and 2nd palpomeres, intermediate femora (except for dark margination of dorsal and distal sides) yellow, other body parts dark brown with a violet-blue metallic lustre. Surface evenly and sparsely covered with erect light pubescence, and on head are visible semi-erect light short and fine hairs. Vesicles yellow-brown, and thoracic mesepimera black.

Head slightly narrower than pronotum, flat, not impressed; eyes slightly protruding, small, round, frons flat; genae short and straight; clypeus narrow, transverse, straight; labrum narrow, transverse; palpi simple with apical segment slightly flattened, oval-rectagular, penultimate palpomere subtriangular; surface of head dull, densely punctured, evenly covered with fine adpressed light pubescence and singular long and strong black erect hair behind eyes.

Antennae filiform ( Fig. 3 ), slightly widened towards apex, 1.7 mm long, expanded over the base of pronotum ( Fig. 1 ); 1st antennomere subconic, wide, 2nd small, round almost completely hidden by the 1st, 3rd antennomere elongate and subtriangular, 4th antennomere suboval, slightly shorter than the 3rd which is half the length of the 1st, 5th to 10th antennomeres subquadrate, each following being slightly wider than the preceding one, apical antennomere ovoid, as long as the 3rd antennomere, slightly constricted in apical half; surface evenly covered with short, dark erect pubescence.

Pronotum quadrate with evenly rounded angles, not narrowed apically, strongly impressed near base with posterior margin elevated and swollen ( Figs 1–2 ); sides straight; margination of sides distinct; surface almost completely lacking punctures, with only traces of puncturation, shining, sparsely covered with light fine semi-erect hairs on sides and distal part of the disc.

Scutellum rectangular, small, distinct and narrow, transverse, finely and densely punctured, and evenly covered with fine light adpressed pubescence, margination of sides indistinct.

Elytra subparallel, evenly widened posteriorly just behind the base and narrowed and rounded at apices, at base slightly wider than pronotum ( Fig. 1 ); humeri small, distinct and protruding; apices evenly rounded, simple; disc distinctly marginate on external sides, slightly elevate and flattened in middle, suture wide, slightly elevated in middle of elytra, distinct from scutellum to the elytral apices; surface shining, densely punctured, with smooth microsculpture, evenly and densely covered with thin brown erect pubescence.

Hind wings normally developed.

Legs short and strong; posterior femora not reaching elytral apex; anterior tibiae widened and excavate, possess curved lamellate widened lobe above, apical fourth depressed, elongate and emarginate ventrally ( Figs 6–7 ); intermediate tibiae widened posteriorly, stout, with thin strong elongate appendage in outer side of the apical fourth, which is weakly widened at apex, elongate and parallel to tibia ( Figs 8–9 ); inner side of the tibiae oval-shaped impressions ( Fig. 8 ); femora in anterior and posterior legs slightly swollen, anterior with depression in outer side with row of short erect setae ( Fig. 5 ), intermediate femora with semi-circular emargination on inner side near middle ( Fig. 8 ); posterior legs simple, thin, straight; all tarsi 5-segmented, slightly compressed, not long, anterior tarsi with small transverse comb above the 2nd segment, 1st and 2nd tarsomeres subtriangular, enlarged, equal in length and each twice as large as 3rd or 4th tarsomeres, claw-segment as long as 1st and 2nd tarsomeres together, and half as wide in anterior and posterior legs, and of the same length as 1st tarsomere in intermediate legs; claws short, thin, narrow, with small plate possessing curved setae above; 1st tarsomere in intermediate legs enlarged, suboval or subcylindrical, densely pubescent with grey semi-erect fine hairs.

Ventral body surface with smoothed sparse and fine punctures, shining, evenly covered with fine adpressed goldish pubescence; metathorax swollen, slightly bituberculate because of longitudinal short stria in middle covered with adpressed hairs, lacking appendage or hair tuft. Pygidium undivided, narrow, evenly narrowed distally, with straight distal side ( Fig. 10 ); 8th ultimate abdominal ventrite bilaciniate, lateral lobes thin, indistinctly adjoined, narrowed distally, with oval emargination in middle ( Fig. 11 ); aedeagus almost completely straight, slightly curved dorsally, wide, with small, short and slightly down-curved lamella; two to three strong black horn-like bristles visible in distal half of the aedeagus from both sides of inner sack and two bristles, one short and curved, and another one long and straight are located in the middle of the inner sac ( Fig. 12 ). Tegumen equilateral, wide, with short and very thin parameres ( Fig. 13 ).

Length 4.1 mm, width (at elytral base) 1.3 mm.

Female body somewhat longer and wider, antennae slender, 1st tarsomere as wide as the other tarsomeres, not enlarged, 2nd tarsomere lacking comb; all tibiae and femora simple, lacking excavations or appendages. Length 4.2 mm, width (at elytral base) 1.3 mm.

ETYMOLOGY. The species is named in honour of the British ecologist, Professor Mark Seaward, my good friend whose recommendations always make my publications correct and understandable.

DISTRIBUTION. Known from type locality only, South Africa: Holotype, male, KwaZulu-Natal Province ( Fig. 14 ).

DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS. Characters allowing differentiation of the new species from its congeners are given in the key below.

Figures

Figs 1–14. Tibipectinus seawardi Tshernyshev sp.n., holotype, male. 1 — habitus, dorsal view; 2 — habitus, lateral view; 3 — right antenna; 4 — left anterior tarsus; 5 — femur of right anterior leg; 6 — left anterior leg, ventral view; 7 — left anterior leg, dorsal view; 8 — left middle leg, ventral view; 9 — tibia and tarsus of left middle leg, dorsal view; 10 — pygidium (apical tergite); 11 — ultimate abdominal ventrite (apical sternite); 12 — aedeagus, dorsal view; 13 — tegmen; 14 — locality map. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.