Hoplosaenidea sarah Mohamedsaid, 2009

Mohamedsaid, Mohamed S., 2009, A new species of Hoplosaenidea Laboissiere, 1933 from Malaysia (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae), Zootaxa 2300 (1), pp. 47-50 : 47-49

Hoplosaenidea sarah Mohamedsaid , new species

( Figs 1 –4 )

Male. Purplish blue, except the following: Fronto-clypeal area of head brownish, antennae black, with three terminal segments yellowish, legs brownish, with tibiae and tarsi black, and ventral surface of thorax brownish.

Head with vertex alutaceous, longitudinally grooved in middle; frontal tubercles large, triangular, alutaceous; clypeus very deeply excavated, with a pair sharp projections in middle; anterior border of the cavity lined with rows of hairs, the posterior border with tuft hairs at each corner; labrum dark brown, subquadrate, truncate at apex, sparsely covered with long hairs; mandibles strongly curved, black at apices; maxillary palpi black, with penultimate segment swollen, the apical segment small, conical. Eyes small, widely separated, with interocular space 3 times as broad as transverse diameter of each eye; sides behind eyes parallel forming neck. Antennae very long, extended slightly beyond apex of elytra; segment 1 widest, longest, with apex strongly expanded, excavated on inner surface, forming a lateral spine; segment 2 shortest, as long as broad; segments 3–7 thickened, subequal in length, four times as long as 2; segment 8 slightly shorter, narrower than 7; segment 9 narrower, as long as 8; segment 10 shorter than 9; segment 11 slightly longer than 10, pointed; interantennal space as broad as antennal socket. Pronotum broader than long, broadest at apical third, moderately densely impressed with small punctures and on each sides with a deep oblique depression; anterior border unmargined, lateral and posterior borders margined; anterior margin concave, posterior margin broadly rounded; angles with seta-bearing pore; anterior angles thickened, posterior angles angulate. Procoxal cavities closed posteriorly. Scutellum triangular, as long as broad, alutaceous, impunctate. Elytra elongate oblong, parallel-sided, rounded at apex; surface moderately depressed subbasally, transversely rugose, especially at sides, densely strongly punctured, with punctures nearly twice as large as on pronotum; epipleuron broad in basal half, then gradually narrowed to apex. Legs long, slender; metatibiae with a spine at apex; metatarsi with first segment as long as remaining segments combined; tarsal claws appendiculate. Abdomen with apical sternite trilobed, the median lobe subquadrate, deeply concave. Pygidium exposed, strongly narrowed to apex. Aedeagus slightly curved, inflated medially, before tapering to apex. Body length 6 mm.

Female: Unknown, but as expected, the head not excavated and the first antennal segment normal.

HOLOTYPE. MALE. MALAYSIA, Pahang, Bukit Fraser , 1–2 September 2001, Syarif Syakrinal.

Etymology. The new species, sarah , is named after my daughter.

Remarks. Hoplosaenidea singaporensis differs from the new species with head, pronotum and elytra blue-green, legs entirely black, ventral surfaces of thorax and abdomen entirely black and male with antennae shorter, extending to middle of elytra. H. takizawai differs from the new species in having head and elytra greenish, pronotum dark brown with greenish tinge, antennae entirely dark brown, ventral surfaces of metathorax and abdomen black.

Figures

FIGURES 1–4. Hoplosaenidea sarah Mohamedsaid, new species (male). Fig. 1. Habitus; Fig. 2. Head in frontal view. Fig. 3. Apical sternite. Fig. 4a. Aedeagus in lateral view. Fig. 4b. Aedeagus in ventral view. Fig. 5. Habitus of Hoplosaenidea takizawai Mohamedsaid (male). Fig. 6. Habitus of Hoplosaenidea singaporensis Mohamedsaid (male).