Pleophylla pseudopilosa, 2017

PLEOPHYLLA PSEUDOPILOSA AHRENS, BECKETT, EBERLE & FABRIZI View in CoL SP. NOV. ( FIGS 2I – L View Figure 2 , 5C View Figure 5 , 6)

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:877B006F-29D1-44E7-AB0D-FB3F8189AE48

X-DA0394 South Africa Cheerio Farm, Haenertsburg, ca

Type material examined: Holotype: ♂ “834699 X-DA0394 South Africa Cheerio Farm , Haenertsburg, ca 20 km W of Tzaneen, 1492 m 023° 53 0 42, 7 ″ S 029° 57 0 09, 7 ″ E 20-22.XI.2006 leg. D. Ahrens & S. Fabrizi, Pleophylla sp1 ″ ( TMSA) GoogleMaps . Paratypes: see Appendix S1.

Description: Body length: 8.3 mm, elytral length: 6.0 mm, maximum width: 4.6 mm. Angle between lateral margins of labroclypeus and ocular canthus indistinct; anterior margin of labroclypeus medially straight; margins of labroclypeus moderately reflexed; smooth area in front of eyes twice as wide as long; ratio of eye diameter/interocular width: 0.65. 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 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: 1/1.34. Metatibia, ratio of width/length: 1/4. Metatarsi dorsally smooth; first metatarsomere as long as subsequent one. Aedeagus: Fig. 2I – K View Figure 2 . Habitus: Fig. 2L View Figure 2 . Female genitalia: Fig. 5C View Figure 5 .

Diagnosis: Pleophylla pseudopilosa sp. nov. differs from P. pilosa in the parameres by having the ventral lobe in lateral view wider and shorter; the base of the dorsal lobe of left paramere has a single narrow medial tooth (not two as in P. pilosa ).

Variation: Body length: 6.8 – 8.5 mm, elytral length: 4.2 – 6.1 mm, maximum width: 3.8 – 4.8 mm. Colour varies from reddish brown with dark spot to entirely yellowish brown without spots. Female: antennal club of female straight, composed of five antennomeres, slightly longer than the remaining antennomeres combined; sixth antennomere subequal a quarter of club length. Eyes smaller than in male: ratio of eye diameter/interocular width: 0.5.

Etymology: The name of the new species is composed of the Latinized Greek prefix pseudo- (false) and pilosa (species name of Pleophylla pilosa , with reference to its general similarity with this species) (noun in apposition).

Remarks: In previous publications we referred to this species as ‘sp1 0 (Ozg € ul-Siemund € & Ahrens, 2015; Eberle et al., 2016b).