Pleophylla transkeiensis, 2017

PLEOPHYLLA TRANSKEIENSIS AHRENS, BECKETT, EBERLE & FABRIZI View in CoL SP. NOV. ( FIGS 3Q – T View Figure 3 , 5K View Figure 5 , 6)

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:74086E27-186C-4C5A-80F7-868A2FAAD37E

Type material examined: Holotype: ♂ “ S. Afr., Transkei Ntsubane forest 31.27 S - 29.44 E / 25.11.1987 E-Y: 2537 Fungi & for. litter leg Endrody-Younga” ( TMSA) GoogleMaps . Paratypes: see Appendix S1.

Description: Body length: 10.6 mm, elytral length: 7.4 mm, maximum width: 5.7 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: 0.6. Pronotum with dense and thick erect setae; unicoloured; basal margin of pronotum narrowly interrupted medially (distinctly less than scutellum width); 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: 1/1.53. Metatibia, ratio of width/length: 1/4.38. Metatarsi dorsally smooth; first metatarsomere as long as subsequent one. Aedeagus: Fig. 3Q – S View Figure 3 . Habitus: Fig. 3T View Figure 3 . Female genitalia: Fig. 5K View Figure 5 .

Diagnosis: Pleophylla transkeiensis sp. nov. is similar to P. ferruginea in external morphology. Pleophylla transkeiensis sp. nov. differs from the latter by the wider labroclypeus and the distinctly asymmetric parameres.

Variation: Body length: 9.7 – 10.6 mm, elytral length: 7.2 – 7.4 mm, maximum width: 5.1 – 5.7 mm. Density of dark spot may vary, sometimes completely without spots. Female: antennal club of female straight, composed of five antennomeres, as long as the remaining antennomeres combined; sixth antennomere short, a quarter as long as club length. Eyes smaller than in male: ratio of eye diameter/ interocular width: 0.51.

Etymology: The new species is named ‘ transkeiensis ’ after its occurrence in the Transkei Region of South Africa.

Remarks: In a previous publication we referred to this species as ‘SpM-16’ (Ozg € ul-Siemund € & Ahrens, 2015).