Pimentelia maculata (Jacoby, 1895)

Pimentelia maculata (Jacoby, 1895) comb. n.

( Figs 12–14 View FIGURES 12 – 14 )

Sermyla maculata Jacoby, 1895: 333 –334.

Sermyloides unifasciata Jacoby, 1900: 257 ; syn. n.

Type material examined. Sermyla maculata . Holotype: “ Type, H.T. / Mashonald, Salisbury / 1410 / 85 / Sermyla maculata Jac. , Type / Jacoby Coll., 1909-28 a / AfriGa, specimen ID:, 320, specimen data, documented, IV 2004.” ( BMNH; Fig. 15 View FIGURES 15 – 16 ). Type locality: Zimbabwe, Harare, 17°51’S / 31°01’E. Holotype by indication “The single specimen before me …” (Jacoby, 1895).

The species was described in Sermyla Chapuis, 1875 , a younger homonym of Sermyla Walker, 1854 (Lepidoptera) and Sermyla Adams, 1854 (Mollusca) . Sermyla maculata was transferred to Sermyloides by Jacoby (1900) in the description of the second African species.

Sermyloides unifasciata . Holotype: “ Type, H.T. / Salisbury, Nov. 98, on Zizyphus, GAKM / Mashonald / Jacoby Coll., 1909-28 a / Sermyloides unifasciata, Jac. / AfriGa, specimen ID:, 1604, specimen data, documented, IV 2004.” ( BMNH; Fig. 16 View FIGURES 15 – 16 ). Type locality: Zimbabwe, Harare, 17°51’S / 31°01’E.

Other material examined. South Africa. 18 ex., Houtenbek Farm, NW Dullstrom: Macabelel Lodge, 25°18’S / 30°03’E, XII.2002, E. Grobbelaar ( SANC); 1 ex., MPU, Goedehoop Farm (The Brook Hiking Trail), 26°10’S / 30°38’E, XI.2002, E. Grobbelaar ( SANC).– Zimbabwe. 5 ex., Salisbury, 17°51’S / 31°01’E, XII.1893 - XI.1898, G. A. K. Marshall ( BMNH); 1 ex., Inyanyadzi Riv., SE Mashonald, 19°45'S / 32°25'E, X.1901, G. A. K. Marshall ( BMNH).

Diagnosis. Pimentelia maculata is easily recognizable against the only other species in this group. P. kuanduensis is only recorded from Angola and therefore is not sympatric with P. maculata ( Fig. 11 View FIGURE 11 ). Also it has more prolonged pronotum, is more slender and has on average shorter second antennomeres (pronotal length to width 0.60 in P. kuanduensis ; 0.47–0.56 in P. maculata ; maximal width of both elytra to length of elytron 0.63–0.79 in P. maculata , 0.56–0.61 in P. kuanduensis ; length of second to third antennomere 0.56–0.62 in P. kuanduensis ; 0.64–0.82 in P. maculata ).

Total length. 5.85–9.25 mm (mean: 7.56 mm).

Head. Head reddish brown, yellowish brown or brown, rarely black, maxillary palpi brown or black. Antenna dark brown or black, only first or three to four antennomeres brown or yellowish-brown. Third antennomere in female specimens longer than second, fourth and following antennomeres conical and shorter than antennomeres of male specimens. Length of second to third antennomere 0.68–0.82 (mean: 0.77) in males, 0.64–0.75 (mean: 0.70) in females; length of third to fourth antennomere in male specimens 0.45–0.56 (mean: 0.52), in female specimens 0.52–0.63 (mean: 0.57; Fig. 14 View FIGURES 12 – 14 ). Eyes big and rounded ( Figs 12 View FIGURES 12 – 14 a–e), width of eyes to eye distance 0.36–0.45 (mean: 0.41).

Thorax. Pronotum trapezoidal, yellow, brownish-yellow, reddish-yellow or reddish-brown, sometimes with dark brown heart- or berry-shaped spot or entirely black ( 1 specimen), lightly punctuated. Pronotal width 2.15–3.50 mm (mean: 2.77 mm), pronotal length 1.10–1.90 mm (mean: 1.45 mm), pronotal length to width 0.47–0.56 (mean: 0.52). Elytra yellow or brownish-yellow, in 70% of specimens with black sutural and elytral margins and black transverse bands around shoulder and middle of the elytra, which can rarely ( 2 specimen) be reduced to black spots. Elytra with deep punctuation and iridescent sheen, elytral length 4.60–7.50 mm (mean: 5.71 mm), elytral width 3.00– 5.20 mm (mean: 3.97 mm), maximal width of both elytra to length of elytron 0.63–0.79 (mean: 0.69; Fig. 12 View FIGURES 12 – 14 ). Meso- and metathorax brownish-yellow or brown, legs yellowish-brown or brown, tarsomeres dark brown or black, length of basi-metatarsus to metatibia 0.31–0.41 (mean: 0.34).

Abdomen. Brownish yellow.

Male genitalia. Median lobe long and slender, in ventral view with v-shaped incision and strongly sclerotised structures beside incision, in lateral view sclerotised at apex without significant ridges. Paralell-sided and straight, orifice ovate. Median lobe with very delicate small pair of spiculae ( Fig. 13 View FIGURES 12 – 14 ).

Distribution. Recorded from South Africa and Zimbabwe ( Fig. 11 View FIGURE 11 ).