Pleophylla settentrionalis, 2017

PLEOPHYLLA SETTENTRIONALIS AHRENS, BECKETT, EBERLE & FABRIZI View in CoL SP. NOV. ( FIGS 2 AC – AF View Figure 2 , 5F View Figure 5 , 7 View Figure 7 )

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Type material examined: Holotype ♂ “ Coll. Mus. Congo N. Lac Kivu Rwankwi XI-1951 J.V. Leroy ” ( RMCA) . Paratypes: see Appendix S1.

Description: Body length: 7.7 mm, elytral length: 5.6 mm, maximum width: 4.0 mm. Angle between lateral margins of labroclypeus and ocular canthus indistinct; anterior margin of labroclypeus medially weakly sinuate; margins of labroclypeus strongly reflexed; smooth area in front of eyes twice as wide as long; ratio of eye diameter/interocular width: 0.77. Pronotum with dense and thick erect setae; unicoloured; basal margin of pronotum complete; larger punctures on pronotum very coarse. Hypomeron not carinate. Elytra with dark spots; erect dorsal pilosity on elytra dense (more than ten setae per interval); sutural interval in apical declivity of elytra flat and not delimited by a sharp carina; white, fine pilosity not condensed to longitudinal patches; intervals punctate at least laterally; adpressed white pilosity long, 1/3 to 1/2 of width of elytral intervals; external apical elytral angle evenly convex. Mesosternal process short. Ratio of length of metepisternum/metacoxa: 1/1.35. Metatibia, ratio of width/length: 1/4. Metatarsi dorsally smooth; first metatarsomere as long as subsequent one. Aedeagus: Fig. 2 View Figure 2 Ac – Ae. Habitus: Fig. 2 View Figure 2 Af. Female genitalia: Fig. 5F View Figure 5 .

Diagnosis: Pleophylla settentrionalis sp. nov. differs from the previous two species, P. congoensis sp. nov. and P. burundiensis sp. nov., by having the centre of the elytral intervals impunctate rather than densely punctate.

Variation: Body length: 7.6 – 9.0 mm, elytral length: 5.6 – 7.0 mm, maximum width: 4.0 – 4.8 mm. Density of dark spots may vary, sometimes completely without spots. Female: antennal club of female straight, composed of five antennomeres, slightly longer than the remaining antennomeres combined; sixth antennomere short, slightly shorter than a quarter of club length. Eyes smaller than in male: ratio of eye diameter/interocular width: 0.53.

Etymology: This new species is named ‘ settentrionalis ’ in reference to its occurrence in the northernmost part of the known range of Pleophylla species.

Remarks: In a previous publication we referred to this species as ‘sp27’ (Ozg € ul-Siemund € & Ahrens, 2015).