Pleophylla charlyi, 2017

Eberle, Jonas, Beckett, Marc, Ozgul-Siemund, Alev, Frings, Jujina, Fabrizi, Silvia & Ahrens, Dirk, 2017, Afromontane forests hide 19 new species of an ancient chafer lineage (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae): Pleophylla Erichson, 1847 - phylogeny and taxonomic revision, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society (Zool. J. Linn. Soc.) 180 (2), pp. 321-353 : 340-341

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.1111/zoj.12489
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:3663E0A-2E17-4346-A388-6BEE53081814
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03CB6967-FF97-3840-3876-FBBD934AFCB3
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Pleophylla charlyi
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

PLEOPHYLLA CHARLYI AHRENS, BECKETT, EBERLE & FABRIZI View in CoL SP. NOV. ( FIGS 4E – H View Figure 4 , 7 View Figure 7 )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:00BFEBA3-5CCA-4189-B934-3B4587703F0A

Type material examined: Holotype: ♂ “ Tanzania 14.XII.1998 Njombe Southern Highland Werner & Lizler leg.” ( ZFMK).

Description: Body length: 12.1 mm, elytral length: 8.4 mm, maximum width: 6.0 mm. Angle between lateral margins of labroclypeus and ocular canthus indistinct; anterior margin of labroclypeus medially straight; margins of labroclypeus strongly reflexed; smooth area in front of eyes twice as wide as long; ratio of eye diameter/interocular width: 0.7. 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 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: 1/1.39. Metatibia, ratio of width/length: 1/ 4.28. Metatarsi dorsally smooth; first metatarsomere slightly longer than subsequent one. Female unknown. Aedeagus: Fig. 4E, F View Figure 4 . Habitus: Fig. 4H View Figure 4 .

Diagnosis: Pleophylla charlyi sp. nov. is quite similar to P. navicularis and P. silvatica sp. nov. in external morphology. Pleophylla charlyi sp. nov. differs from both in the strongly asymmetrical ventral lobes of the parameres being distinctly produced dorsally. From P. mpumalanga sp. nov., which is similar in the shape of the parameres, P. charlyi sp. nov. differs in the evenly distributed white pilosity on the elytra and the large lobes produced dorsally by the extensions of the ventral lobes.

Etymology: The new species is named after one of its collectors, Karl Werner (his nickname was ‘Charly’). He passed away too early.