Zonitis (Neozonitis) bolognorum Pinto, 2019

Pinto, John D., 2019, Two New Species of Meloidae (Coleoptera) from Mexico, The Coleopterists Bulletin 73 (4), pp. 1007-1012 : 1009-1012

Zonitis (Neozonitis) bolognorum Pinto , new species

Zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:4A967400-C82A-4F8E-B5B0-F9B6679A67D2 ( Figs. 6–8 )

Description. Female. Moderately robust, length 11–17 mm (mean = 13.3 mm), width ca. 2/5 body length. Head, pronotum, and scutellum orange to brownish red, venter orange, elytra brown to almost black, femora orange except black at apex, eyes, antennae, apex of mandibles, palpi, tibiae, and tarsi black. Setation on dorsum short, inconspicuous, considerably more dense on elytra and scutellum, sparse on head and especially so on pronotum; setation on venter and legs longer, dense except glabrous along midline of metasternum; tarsi densely setose ventrally but not padded; color of all setae similar to that of underlying cuticle. Head: Transversely suboval, widest at eyes, length 0.65X (0.62–0.67) width at eyes, 0.78X (0.71–0.80) width at occiput; mean interocular distance 0.35X (0.33–0.37) maximum head width; occiput broadly arcuate to subsinuate; frons moderately coarsely, densely, obsolescently punctate; punctures sparser and smaller on vertex and occiput; clypeus and labrum wider than long, obsolescently punctate; labrum with elongate, fine setae. Eyes very large, bulged, broadly emarginate behind antennal sockets, extending medially on underside of head well beyond inner margin of maxillae and almost approaching one another; interocular distance on underside of head ca. 0.2X interocular distance on frons. Mandibles robust, abruptly curved at almost 90° at mid-length, not extending appreciably beyond labrum when adducted. Maxillae with galeae lobiform, unmodified, short, not extending beyond apex of mandibles, setose apically but not penicillate; last 3 palpomeres subequal in length, last palpomere not expanded to apex. Penultimate labial palpomere distinctly longer than last palpomere as well as all maxillary palpomeres, last palpomere narrowing to apex. Antennae filiform, elongate, extending to middle of elytra; antennomere 1 broadly arcuate posteriorly; antennomere 3 longer than 4; antennomere 11 longest, 1.6–1.7X length of 10; antennomere 6 ca. 3.3X as long as wide; relative length/width ratios of antennomeres (holotype): 43/ 18, 26/15, 48/16, 43/14, 43/13, 43/13, 43/13, 43/11, 43/10, 40/9, 70/8. Thorax: Pronotum subhexagonal, length 0.82X (0.80–0.85) width, 1.12X (1.11–1.13) maximum head width; sides slightly convergent from widest aspect at apical third to base; disk cuticle relatively smooth with scattered, small punctures and pair of relatively large, deep anterolateral and posterolateral foveae (anterior pair obsolescent in specimen from San Carlos Bay) and fine median line extending length of disk. Scutellum narrowing at midlength, apical half with sides subparallel or (in holotype) noticeably expanded to apex. Elytra ca. 1.6X width of pronotum, widest slightly posterior to mid-length; surface dull, without distinct punctures, subasperous; margins bordered except at apex, narrowly flanged at basolateral fourth. Legs with pro- and mesotibial spurs narrow, sticklike, blunt apically, relatively short, ca. 0.2–0.3X length of tarsomere 1; metatibial spurs similar, short, ca. 0.2X length of tarsomere 1, blade-like, more or less flattened dorsoventrally, not expanding apically, apex truncate; claws abruptly curved at apical fifth; metatarsal claw (holotype) with 15 teeth in inner row. Abdomen: Ventrite 5 broadly emarginate posteriorly, ventrite 6 barely so.

Male. Unknown.

Types. Three females, all from Sonora, Mexico. Holotype: Moctezuma , 5 mi. W; vii-25-1985; at MV light; G. Bruyea, D. Hawks; deposited in CAS. Two paratypes: Moctezuma, 17 km SW; vii-11/12-1983; UV, 944 m; S. McCleve, P. Jump; UAIC. San Carlos Bay; viii-16-1964; UV light; R. Dickson; UCRC.

Geographic Distribution. Known only from Sonora, Mexico.

Seasonal Distribution. Three records from 11/12 July to 16 August.

Natural History. All specimens were collected at light.

Etymology. Named for Professor Marco Bologna, Universitá degli studi Roma III, foremost authority of Meloidae , as well as his entire family for generosity and hospitality during periods of collaboration in Rome.

Remarks. Considering that males of Z. bolognorum are unknown, the rational for assigning this species to Zonitis (Neozonitis) should be addressed. Zonitis bolognorum is characterized by its greatly enlarged eyes and elongate filiform antennae. Within North American Nemognathini , these features also characterize Pseudozonitis Dillon ( Enns 1956; Pinto 2018). The male traits separating Pseudozonitis from Zonitis , i.e., the recurved gonostyli of the genitalia and the strongly emarginate and medially impressed fifth abdominal ventrite, cannot be evaluated in Z. bolognorum . However, several features of the female preclude placement in Pseudozonitis but are consistent with Zonitis . These include the structure of the antennae, maxillary galeae, and abdominal ventrite 6. In Pseudozonitis , antennomere 3 is shorter than 4, the maxillary galeae are penicillate apically and extend slightly beyond the mandibles, and abdominal ventrite 6 typically has a relatively deep U- or Vshaped emargination ( Pinto 2018). As is characteristic of Zonitis , antennomere 3 is longer than 4 in Z. bolognorum , the maxillary galeae do not extend beyond the mandibles and, while setose, are not penicillate apically. Also, as is typical of Zonitis females, abdominal ventrite 6 is not deeply emarginate in Z. bolognorum . In contrast to Pseudozonitis , the more robust body, head and pronotal shape, and overall surface texture all suggest assignment to Neozonitis as currently defined. Although enlarged eyes and long filiform antennae are not typical of Zonitis , they do occur in one other North American species, Zonitis (Neozonitis) interpretis Enns.

Zonitis bolognorum is unlike any Zonitis described. It can be distinguished from all New World Zonitis by eye size alone. In no other species do the eyes extend beyond the inner margin of the maxillae and almost approach one another on the underside of the head. In most Zonitis , the eyes extend ventrally, at most, to the outer margin of the maxillae.

The most similar species to Z. bolognorum is Z. interpretis . In both species, overall color is similar, and the antennae are elongate and filiform. In Z. interpretis , the eyes also are larger than in congeners but only attain the inner maxillary margin on the underside of the head and remain considerably disjunct from one another. A comparison of interocular distances best illustrates the interspecific difference. In Z. interpretis , eye separation on the underside of the head varies 0.5–0.7X the interocular distance on the frons. In Z. bolognorum , this ratio is ca. 0.2. The two species are distinguished further by body shape, pronotal structure, elytral surface texture, and the metatibial spurs. Zonitis interpretis is a considerably more slender species ( Pinto 2017, fig. 1). In Z. interpretis , the pronotum is as long as wide, and the disk is relatively smooth and shiny ( Fig. 9 ); its elytra are densely punctate. In Z. bolognorum , the pronotum is distinctly wider than long, and the disk is relatively dull with two pairs of foveae ( Figs. 6, 8 ); also, its elytra lack punctures. In addition, the outer metatibial spur in Z. interpretis is considerably wider than the inner spur ( Pinto 2017, figs. 2, 3). In Z. bolognorum , not only are both metatibial spurs similar, but they also are considerably shorter than in Z. interpretis .

The similarity between Z. bolognorum and Z. interpretis does not necessarily imply close relationship. Both species have been collected at light and, unlike other North American Zonitis , are probably nocturnal. Thus, it is possible that the features in common are convergent. It should be noted that Pseudozonitis , the genus that both species superficially resemble, is predominantly nocturnal ( Pinto 2018). These traits (larger eyes, elongate filiform antennae) similarly are shared by presumably unrelated nocturnal nemognathines in other parts of the world, namely Zonitoschema Péringuey, Zoltanzonitis Bologna and Pinto , and certain species of Australozonitis Bologna, Turco, and Pinto ( Bologna and Pinto 2018).

Figures

Figs. 6–9. Zonitis bolognorum, holotype ♀ (body length = 17 mm): 6) Habitus; 7) Head; 8) Pronotum. 9) Zonitis interpretis, pronotum.