Pygidiapion zeppelinii De Sousa & Mermudes, 2021

Sousa, Wesley Oliveira De & Mermudes, José Ricardo M., 2021, Pygidiapion De Sousa & Mermudes, a new genus of Apioninae (Brentidae Apioninae: Apionini) associated with Fabaceae from Brazil, with the description of a new species and transfer of Apion zikani Heller, 1922, Zootaxa 4948 (4), pp. 575-585 : 578-581

Pygidiapion zeppelinii De Sousa & Mermudes sp. n.

http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:59B2D098-2637-44F6-ADA6-39312DE9E7A4

( Figs. 1–17 )

Diagnosis. This new species is distinguished from the members of Apioninae in the Americas by the following combination of male characters: ventral surface of rostrum with two elongate longitudinal and coarsely punctate sulci; meso- and metatibiae mucronate; pygidium with transverse sulcus rounded and deep medially and with proximal and medial angulate marginal rim (apical flange) corresponding to the distal medially emarginate marginal rim ( Figs. 10, 11 ); apical portion of parameroid lobes with weak median notch, suprafenestral plate with 5 macrochaetae posterior to each fenestra; fenestrae separated by about 3.2 times fenestral width; linea arquata visible; prostegium with rounded medial protrusion; tegminal apodeme with apex narrow and rounded.

Description. Measurements: male holotype (in mm): total length 1.75; rostrum length 0.65; pronotum length 0.50 and maximum width 0.75; elytra length 1.20 and maximum width 1.10.

Integument brownish, head and rostrum dark brown, antennae ferrugineous, legs yellowish, abdomen brownish ( Figs. 1, 2 ).

Vestiture in general conspicuous ( Figs. 1–4 ), scales sparse in most parts of the body, homogeneous, off-white; meta- and mesorostrum with scales reduced, lacking prorostrum; head, thorax and coxae with scales of similar size; pronotum with centripetal vestiture, except at posterior margin which has perpendicular scales; scales on sides of pro-, meso- and metasternum denser; elytral interstria with two or three irregular rows of scales; legs with very sparse scales; ventrites uniform; pygidium with centrifugal vestiture ( Fig. 10 ).

Rostrum ( Figs. 1–5 ) curved, more convex dorsally at prorostral level, in lateral view; in dorsal view about 4.5 times longer than maximum width, with parallel sides; 1.46 times longer than pronotum length along midline; and about 1.11 times wider than apex of prorostrum; polished and finely punctate; ventral surface of mesorostrum with two punctate squamous latero-ventral sulci ( Figs. 5, 6 ).

Antennae ( Fig. 5 ) inserted at 0.28 of base of rostrum length; scape 4.33 times as long as wide, longer than mesorostral width, longer than first five desmomeres; first desmomere longer than second and third combined; second desmomere slightly longer than wide; desmomeres 3–7 transverse; club fusiform, loosely segmented, as long as scape, with prominent pilosity.

Head ( Figs. 1–5, 7 ) with frons slightly sloped; medially glabrous,with marginal scales smaller than those around eyes; interocular distance as long as mesorostral width; eye diameter ca. 2 times interocular distance; subocular keel developed, not extending to posterior margin of eyes; area between subocular keels microreticulate, impunctate.

Thorax ( Figs. 1–4 ). Pronotum slightly bisinuate at base, with rounded median projection toward scutellum; outline in lateral view slightly convex medially; pronotal disc with sub-basal fovea slightly depressed. Scutellum subtriangular, length about 1.2 times maximum width, glabrous, depressed in middle. Meso- and metatibiae mucronate. First protarsomere triangular, 1.4 times as long as wide; second protarsomere triangular, subtransverse; third protarsomere bilobed. Elytral length 1.83 times width, convex in profile; interstriae 7 and 9 each with one specialized seta in apical half; apex elytral with interstriae joining 1+9, 2, 3+4, 5+6, 7+8.

Abdomen. Ventrites with midline length ratios: 40–25–5–5–19; ventrite 1 the most elongate, impressed at disk; ventrite 2 longer than ventrites 3+4; ventrites 3 and 4 narrow; ventrite 5 apically truncate; pygidium of incomplete apionine type ( Figs. 10, 11 ), semicircular, transverse, 0.68 times longer than wide, distinctly modified with transverse sulcus not reaching lateral margins, with transverse sulcus rounded and deep medially, with proximal and medial angulate marginal rim, corresponding to distal medially emarginate marginal rim.

Male terminalia and genitalia. Ninth sternite (spiculum gastrale) asymmetrically Y-shaped, manubrium ca. 1.95 times arm length ( Fig. 12 ). Penis ( Fig. 13 ) depressed, curved, pedon with apical plate straight in lateral view, rounded apically in dorsal view; tectum slender, with clear margins; temones length about 0.47 times pedon length. Tegmen ( Fig. 14 ) with tegminal plate fused to arms of basal piece, apical portion of parameroid lobes medially notched, suprafenestral plate with 5 macrochaetae posterior to each fenestra; fenestrae width 1.25 times length, separated by about 3.2 times fenestral width; prostegium with medial rounded protrusion; tegminal apodeme 0.76 as long as basal piece, with apex narrow and rounded.

Female. Similar to male, differing in length and width of body; rostrum narrower and more slender ( Figs. 2, 4 ); ventral surface at mesorostral level without latero-ventral sulci ( Figs. 7, 8 ).

Female genitalia. Spiculum ventrale elongate, straight, apical plate membranous and setiferous ( Fig. 15 ). Ovipositor ( Fig. 16 ): Coxite length about 3.5 times width, with microchaetae. Styli subcylindrical, length about 1.8 times width, with 5 macrochaetae. Spermatheca C-shaped ( Fig. 17 ), no nodulus or ramus; cornu narrower than corpus.

Measurements: Male/female paratypes (in mm): length 1.75–2.10/1.80–2.20; rostrum length 0.65–075/0.88– 1.00 and maximum width 0.16/0.13; pronotum length 0.50/45–0.53 and maximum width 0.75–0.80/0.70–0.95; elytra length 1.20–1.40/1.30–1.40 and maximum width 1.10–1.30/1.00–1.13.

Type material. Holotype male [printed label with red border] ( DZRJ), glued on paper triangle. Brasil, Paraíba, João Pessoa —PB, Campus I — UFPB, mata do Biotério , 12/II/2003, in flower buds of Pterocarpus violaceus, Zeppelini leg . Paratypes [white printed label], same information as holotype: 3 males (1 dissected) and 3 females (1 dissected) ( DZRJ), 3 males (1 dissected) and 3 females ( MNRJ), 3 males (1 dissected) and 3 females (1 dissected) ( UFR), 3 males and 3 females ( MZSP), 2 males (1 dissected) and 3 females ( DZUP), 1 male and 2 females ( UFMT), glued on paper triangle, with genitalia in a separate microvial .

Etymology. This species is named in honor of Dr. Douglas Zeppelini Filho, Professor at the Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, who provided us with this material of Apioninae .

Biology. Larvae and pupae of Pygidiapion zeppelinii develop in floral buds of Pterocarpus violaceus Vogel (Fabaceae) (regional name aldrago or pau-vidro), an ornamental tree that occurs from southern Bahia and Minas Gerais to Paraná, on slopes in the Atlantic Rainforest. The tree flowers from October through December, and the fruits and seeds mature in May through July. The plants multiply rapidly and are an indispensable component in reforestation of degraded permanent preservation areas ( Lorenzi 1992; Nakamura & Oliveira 2005).

Figures

FIGURES 1–8. Pygidiapion zeppelinii sp. n.: holotype male (1) and paratype female in lateral view (2); SEM micrographs of male (3) and female (4) in lateral view, head (5) and rostrum of male (6); head (7) and rostrum of female (8).

FIGURES 9–17. Pygidiapion zeppelinii sp. n.: hind wing (9); male pygidium, dorsal view (10) and lateral view (11); spiculum gastrale (12); penis, dorsal view (13); tegmen, dorsal view (14); spiculum, ventral view (15); coxite and styli (16); spermatheca (17).