Jeanneliusa kwazulua, Jałoszyński, 2025

Jeanneliusa kwazulua sp. nov.

( Figs 1–35 View FIGURES 1‒4 View FIGURES 5‒6 View FIGURES 7‒10 View FIGURES 11‒17 View FIGURES 18‒23 View FIGURES 24‒29 View FIGURES 30‒35 )

Type material. Holotype: Republic of South Africa ( KwaZulu-Natal province): ♀, two labels: “ RSA (E) KZN 1440 m PJ#2 / -29.4866 / 29.8978, 22.11.2019 / Wakefield Farm, / at light, leg. P. Jałoszyński ” [white, printed], “ JEANNELIUSA / kwazulua m. / Jałoszyński, 2025 / HOLOTYPUS ” [red, printed] ( TMSA) GoogleMaps . Paratype: ♀, “ RSA (E) KZN 1480 m PJ#7 / -29.3175 / 30.2961, 25.11.2019 / Karkloof Bushwillow Camp / leg. P. Jałoszyński, at light” [white, printed], “ JEANNELIUSA / kwazulua m. / Jałoszyński, 2025 / PARATYPUS ” [yellow, printed] ( MNHW) GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis. Female with scape much longer than half length of flagellum and strongly curved ( Figs 1 View FIGURES 1‒4 , 16 View FIGURES 11‒17 ); eye with deep and narrow posteromedian indentation ( Fig. 4 View FIGURES 1‒4 ); head, pronotum and elytra smooth; pronotum ( Fig. 5 View FIGURES 5‒6 ) with large rounded anterolateral lobes projecting anterad and delimited from anteromedian region of disc by deep anterior indentations and pair of deep round impressions slightly longer than 1/3 of PL, lateral margins of pronotum strongly concave in posterior half; sternite VIII ( Fig. 23 View FIGURES 18‒23 ) with rounded posteromedian expansion bearing transverse row of long setae along its posteromedian margin; spermatheca ( Fig. 35 View FIGURES 30‒35 ) with elongate, distally broadened and rounded receptacle proximally confluent with strongly elongate and weakly sclerotized stem except for strongly sclerotized short tubular region in middle between insertion of ductus spermathecae and insertion of accessory gland.

Description. Body of female ( Figs 1–2 View FIGURES 1‒4 ) flattened and slender, head dark brown, remaining body parts yellowishbrown; setae barely discernible and of similar color as cuticle. BL 4.13–4.18 mm.

Head ( Figs 5–6 View FIGURES 5‒6 ) only slightly narrower than pronotum, broadest across eyes, HL 0.75–0.78 mm, HW 0.70 mm. Eyes large and strongly convex, extremely finely faceted, in lateral view ( Fig. 4 View FIGURES 1‒4 ) with deep and narrow posteromedian indentation reaching middle of eye length. Clypeus ( Figs 5 View FIGURES 5‒6 , 7 View FIGURES 7‒10 ; cl) transversally subtrapezoidal, strongly convex at middle and flattened along lateral margins, with anterior margin strongly convex and evenly rounded, sharply delimited from frons by deep and short frontoclypeal groove ( Fig. 7 View FIGURES 7‒10 ; fcg) with barely marked anterior tentorial pits ( Fig. 7 View FIGURES 7‒10 ; atp), and laterally sharply demarcated from antennal fossae by deep sulci; surface of clypeus sparsely covered with small and shallow setiferous punctures, separated by spaces 2–4 × as wide as puncture diameters, anterolateral clypeal regions with scale-like microsculpture, anterolateral clypeal margin with two long setae, similarly long pair of setae present near posteromedian clypeal margin just anterior to frontoclypeal groove, remaining surface with microscopic setae. Frontal region ( Fig. 5 View FIGURES 5‒6 ; fr) weakly convex, with short and shallow longitudinal median groove, anterior frontal margin bisinuate between antennal fossae, supra-antennal regions wide and weakly elevated, with sharp anterior margins; lateral (adocular) margins of frontal region weakly diverging posterad; posteriorly frons indistinguishably fused with vertex. Vertexal region ( Fig. 5 View FIGURES 5‒6 ; vt) weakly convex, with lateral postocular margins (= tempora) distinctly longer than eyes and slightly sinuate, strongly converting posterad, posterior vertexal margin arcuate (anteriorly convex) and accentuated by diffuse transverse impression demarcating vertex from short occipital region about as wide as 1/3 of HW. Frontovertexal area in anterior half impunctate and asetose, posterior vertexal region with sparse and extremely small setiferous punctures discernible only in SEM images; setae short and recumbent. Antennal fossae conspicuously large ( Fig. 7 View FIGURES 7‒10 ). Genal regions ( Fig. 6 View FIGURES 5‒6 ; gen) lacking longitudinal ridges and sulci, strongly expanding mesad to connect along fused gular sulci forming long longitudinal median sulcus ( Fig. 6 View FIGURES 5‒6 ; gs); genal surface asetose and impunctate, covered with extremely fine isodiametric polygonal microsculpture not discernible under stereomicroscope. Gular plate ( Fig. 6 View FIGURES 5‒6 ; gp) vestigial, reduced to minute transverse smooth region anterolaterally demarcated by weakly marked gular sulci ( Fig. 6 View FIGURES 5‒6 ; gs) laterally continuous with sharply marked postoccipital sulcus ( Fig. 6 View FIGURES 5‒6 ; pos).

Labrum ( Figs 7 View FIGURES 7‒10 , 11–12 View FIGURES 11‒17 ; lbr) strongly transverse, bilobate, with anterior margin deeply indented at middle, its lateral portions arcuate, lateral margins weakly rounded and weakly converging posterad; dorsal labral surface in posterior 2/3 impunctate and asetose, finely transversely rugulose, in anterior third covered with shallow but wide setiferous punctures bearing sparse setae of various lengths distributed symmetrically, longest and thickest seta inserted in sublateral region of anterior margin of each lateral labral lobe. Longitudinal region between lateral labral lobes weakly sclerotized ( Fig. 12 View FIGURES 11‒17 ), anteromedian emargination with two transverse rows each with of ~6 short peg-like sensilla. Epipharynx virtually lacking microtrichia; tormae converging and narrowing posterad, with posterior ends slightly curved mesad and rounded. Clypeolabral connecting membrane ( Fig. 7 View FIGURES 7‒10 ; com) exposed, about half as long as labrum.

Mandibles ( Fig. 13 View FIGURES 11‒17 ) symmetrical, long and slender, with apical regions strongly curved mesad and pointed, lacking preapical teeth; prostheca ( Fig. 13 View FIGURES 11‒17 ; pst) developed as strongly elongate and flat hyaline process with short and dense marginal microtrichia.

Maxilla ( Figs 8 View FIGURES 7‒10 , 14 View FIGURES 11‒17 ) with large cardo ( Figs 8 View FIGURES 7‒10 , 14 View FIGURES 11‒17 ; cd), its exposed distal region strongly transverse and bearing several short ventral setae; basistipes ( Figs 8 View FIGURES 7‒10 , 14 View FIGURES 11‒17 ; bst) subtriangular and elongate, bearing numerous ventral setae of various lengths; mediostipes ( Figs 8 View FIGURES 7‒10 , 14 View FIGURES 11‒17 ; mst) large and elongate, asetose and covered with oblique polygonal microsculpture composed of strongly elongate cells; galea and lacinia ( Figs 8 View FIGURES 7‒10 , 14 View FIGURES 11‒17 ; gal, lac) of subequal lengths, slender, with mesal and distal setae, those on galea much denser and more numerous than those on lacinia. Palpifer ( Figs 8 View FIGURES 7‒10 , 14 View FIGURES 11‒17 ; ppf) elongate and finely setose, with one long subapical seta; maxillary palp short and stout, palpomere 1 ( Figs 8 View FIGURES 7‒10 , 14 View FIGURES 11‒17 ; mxp1) minute, annular, with several setae; palpomere 2 ( Figs 8 View FIGURES 7‒10 , 14 View FIGURES 11‒17 ; mxp2) pipe-shaped, elongate, with short and narrow peduncle and large distal region broadening distad, entire surface sparsely covered with setae; palpomere 3 ( Figs 8 View FIGURES 7‒10 , 14 View FIGURES 11‒17 ; mxp3) subcylindrical, distinctly longer than 2, covered with sparse short setae except for its asetose mesal region and with distal ring of several thick and long setae; palpomere 4 ( Figs 8 View FIGURES 7‒10 , 14 View FIGURES 11‒17 ; mxp4) strongly elongate, almost subconical, slender and narrow in relation to palpomere 3, asetose.

Labium ( Figs 6 View FIGURES 5‒6 , 8, 9 View FIGURES 7‒10 , 15 View FIGURES 11‒17 ) with subtriangular submentum ( Fig. 6 View FIGURES 5‒6 ; smn) sharply demarcated laterally by lateral submental sulci ( Fig. 6 View FIGURES 5‒6 ; lss), impunctate and asetose, with short stripe along anterior margin finely microsculptured; mentum ( Fig. 8 View FIGURES 7‒10 ; mn) subtrapezoidal, strongly transverse, with arcuate posterior (anteriorly convex) and anterior (anteriorly concave) margins, lateral margins rounded in posterior half and slightly concave in anterior third; ventral mental surface uneven, large posterior region weakly convex and flanked by narrow lateral impressions, slightly shorter anterior region impressed and covered with distinct polygonal microsculpture in contrast to weakly microsculptured and medially nearly smooth posterior region, mentum with one pair of long and thick anterolateral setae and ~22 minute setae distributed on posterior convex region; prelabium ( Fig. 8 View FIGURES 7‒10 ; prl) elongate, with membranous proximal region delimited by distinct transverse fold from sclerotized prementum ( Figs 9 View FIGURES 7‒10 , 15 View FIGURES 11‒17 ; pmns), which bears three pairs of setae arranged in transverse rows; palpigers indistinguishable as separate structures; labial palps with palpomere 1 ( Figs 9 View FIGURES 7‒10 , 15 View FIGURES 11‒17 ; lp1) subcylindrical and weakly elongate, bearing several setae of various lengths; palpomere 2 ( Figs 9 View FIGURES 7‒10 , 15 View FIGURES 11‒17 ; lp2) as wide as and longer than lp1, subcylindrical and largely asetose except for distal ring of several robust setae, palpomere 3 ( Figs 9 View FIGURES 7‒10 , 15 View FIGURES 11‒17 ; lp3) narrow and elongate, almost subconical and asetose. Ligula ( Figs 9, 10 View FIGURES 7‒10 , 15 View FIGURES 11‒17 ; lig) developed as weakly elongate narrow projection with shallowly divided apex; lateral lobes of hypopharynx ( Fig. 15 View FIGURES 11‒17 ; llh) short and rounded, weakly sclerotized and covered with extremely fine microtrichia.

Antennae ( Figs 1 View FIGURES 1‒4 , 16, 17 View FIGURES 11‒17 ) long and slender, indistinctly thickening distad; AnL 2.23–2.25 mm. Scape conspicuously long and curved, about 6 times as long as broad, weakly and gradually broadening distad; pedicel less than 1/4 as long as scape and slightly narrower, strongly broadening distad, about twice as long as broad; antennomere 3 shorter than pedicel, weakly elongate, 4–8 subequal in length and width, each weakly elongate, 9 slightly wider and longer than 8, about as long as broad, 10 slightly wider and longer than 9, indistinctly elongate and with slightly projecting outer anterolateral margin ( Fig. 17 View FIGURES 11‒17 ), 11 shorter than 9 and 10 combined, about twice as long as broad. All antennomeres with fine polygonal transverse microsculpture and relatively densely covered with setae ( Fig. 17 View FIGURES 11‒17 ).

Pronotum ( Fig. 5 View FIGURES 5‒6 ) cordiform and flattened dorsally, broadest near anterior fourth; PL 0.70 mm, PW 0.75–0.78 mm. Anteriorly, pronotal disc divided into three lobes by pair of deep sublateral indentations posteriorly prolonged by deep round impressions with coarse polygonal microsculpture ( Figs 18, 19 View FIGURES 18‒23 ) composed of elevated granulose areolae, presumably functioning as evaporation apparatus for glandular secretions, each of three lobes anteriorly rounded; anterior pronotal corners not marked, broadly rounded; lateral pronotal margins strongly sinuate (convex in anterior half and concave in posterior half), lacking marginal carinae; posterior pronotal corners well-defined, slightly sharp-angled but with blunt tips; posterior pronotal margin arcuate, anteriorly convex. Pronotal base with one pair of small and shallow pits ( Fig. 5 View FIGURES 5‒6 ; abp) and distinct marginal groove ( Fig. 5 View FIGURES 5‒6 ; mg) along entire posterior margin. Disc in anterior half covered with microscopic setiferous punctures, setae extremely short and recumbent, barely discernible, posterior half of disc impunctate and asetose. Hypomera ( Fig. 6 View FIGURES 5‒6 ; hyp) exposed in lateral view, impunctate and asetose, lacking hypomeral ridges; notosternal sulci ( Fig. 6 View FIGURES 5‒6 ; nss) nearly transverse in relation to long body axis. Prosternum ( Fig. 6 View FIGURES 5‒6 ; pst) conspicuously long, impressed anteromedially, impunctate and asetose, covered with microscopic polygonal microsculpture.

Mesospiracular peritremes ( Fig. 6 View FIGURES 5‒6 ; prt) strongly expanded and occupying most of ventral surface of promesothoracic connecting membrane, leaving only its posterior region unsclerotized, and connecting along prothoracic midline, of similar color as remaining ventral body structures ( Fig. 3 View FIGURES 1‒4 ) and finely microsculptured with polygonal cells.

Elytra ( Figs 1, 2 View FIGURES 1‒4 , 20 View FIGURES 18‒23 ) together subtrapezoidal, broadest slightly anterior to posterior corners; EL 0.75–0.78 mm, EW 1.10 mm. Humeri rounded and weakly elevated, lateral elytral margins strongly diverging posteriorly, indistinctly concave just behind humeral calli and straight posteriorly, except for strongly rounded posterior 1/6; posterior margins nearly straight and strongly diverging towards slightly obtuse-angled outer posterior corners; adsutural posterior corners obtuse-angled and rounded. Elytral disc with sinuate adsutural sulcus ( Fig. 20 View FIGURES 18‒23 ; as) anteriorly extending along adscutellar elytral margin. Epipleural regions strongly deflexed and broad, exposed in ventral view ( Fig. 21 View FIGURES 18‒23 ), not delimited by carinae. Elytral disc with microscopic punctures bearing extremely short recumbent setae; disc along posterior margin and epipleura covered with fine polygonal microsculpture composed of elongate areoles.

Hind wings ( Fig. 24 View FIGURES 24‒29 ) long and functional, ~0.8 × BL, not folded under elytra but enclosed by lateral regions of abdomen rolled over them ( Figs 1, 2 View FIGURES 1‒4 ), radial cell ( Fig. 24 View FIGURES 24‒29 ; R) broad and darkly sclerotized; branch 1 of radius posterior ( Fig. 24 View FIGURES 24‒29 ; RP 1) diffuse and extending nearly to anterior wing margin; fused branches 3 and 4 of radius posterior ( Fig. 24 View FIGURES 24‒29 ; RP 3+4) well-defined and nearly reaching posterior wing margin; fused branches 1 and 2 of median posterior ( Fig. 24 View FIGURES 24‒29 ; MP 1+2) broad; cubitoanal strut (i.e., cubitus + cubitus posterior + branch 3 of anal anterior) long and narrow; medial spur (i.e., continuation of MP 1+2) reaching posterior wing margin.

Mesoscutellar shield largely exposed between elytral bases ( Fig. 5 View FIGURES 5‒6 ), its visible region transversally subtriangular, impunctate and asetose, wider than 1/3 of pronotal base.

Mesoventrite ( Fig. 21 View FIGURES 18‒23 ; v 2 View FIGURES 1‒4 ) conspicuously elongate, so that mesocoxae are inserted close to middle length of pterothorax; posterior region of mesoventrite subtriangular, broadest posteriorly and with straight lateral margins strongly converging anterad, posteriorly not forming defined intermesocoxal process but indistinguishably fused with metaventrite, region between mesocoxae about as wide as half width of mesocoxa and weakly convex. Mesanepisterna ( Fig. 21 View FIGURES 18‒23 ; aest2) subtriangular and their mesal and outer lateral margins accentuated by broad and deep impressions; mesepimera ( Fig. 21 View FIGURES 18‒23 ; epm2) narrow and elongate. Ventral and pleural mesothorax asetose and impunctate, covered with fine polygonal microsculpture.

Metaventrite ( Fig. 21 View FIGURES 18‒23 ; v 3 View FIGURES 1‒4 ) strongly transverse, with lateral margins straight and strongly diverging posterad; posterior margin convex in front of each metacoxa, adcoxal margin oblique in relation to long body axis, intermetacoxal region forming broad (slightly narrower than width of metacoxa) subtrapezoidal process with weakly convex posterior margin. Metaventrite sparsely covered with microscopic setiferous punctures, setae moderately long, recumbent; entire metaventral surface covered with extremely fine polygonal microsculpture, with larger and more distinct areoles in anterolateral regions posterolaterad mesocoxal insertions. Metanepisterna ( Fig. 21 View FIGURES 18‒23 ; aest3) exposed in ventral view, broad and covered with similar punctures, setae and microsculpture as on posteromedian region of metaventrite.

Legs ( Fig. 1 View FIGURES 1‒4 ) long and slender, all coxae, femora and tibiae straight, especially metacoxae conspicuously elongate and nearly subconical ( Fig. 21 View FIGURES 18‒23 ), each tibia with two apical spines covered with minute pointed denticles ( Fig. 28 View FIGURES 24‒29 ), and with subapical pore ( Figs 25‒27 View FIGURES 24‒29 , indicated by arrows); tarsi ( Figs 25‒27 View FIGURES 24‒29 ) 4-4-4, increasingly longer from fore to hind, protarsomere 1 4 × as long as wide, 2 and 3 weakly elongate, 4 slightly longer than 1 and about 5 × as long as broad; mesotarsomere 1 about 6 × as long as broad, 2 and 3 each about twice as long as broad, 4 slightly longer than 1 and about 7 × as long as broad; metatarsomere 1 extremely long, about 9 × as long as wide, 2 slightly over 3 × as long as wide, 3 nearly 3.5 × as long as wide, 4 much shorter than 1, 5 × as long as wide. Tarsomeres 1‒3 of fore and middle legs with ventral lanceolate setae, numerous and dense on tarsomere 1 and two pairs on tarsomeres 2 and 3 ( Fig. 29 View FIGURES 24‒29 ).

Abdomen ( Figs 1‒2 View FIGURES 1‒4 , 20‒23 View FIGURES 18‒23 ) much broader than elytra, but in dry-mounted specimens rolled into tubular structure over wings resting on tergites; AbL 1.93 mm, AbW (measured in rolled condition) 1.00 mm. Tergites not exposed, except for hemitergites IX visible in ventral view ( Fig. 22 View FIGURES 18‒23 ; tIX), which are finely and distinctly microsculptured with isodiametric polygonal areoles. Tergite VIII ( Figs 30, 31 View FIGURES 30‒35 ) with narrow and shallow posteromedian emargination and a few long setae in and near it. Sternite III ( Fig. 21 View FIGURES 18‒23 ) distinctly longer than IV, sternites IV‒VII indistinctly reducing in length, sternite VIII ( Figs 22, 23 View FIGURES 18‒23 , 32,33) with rounded posteromedian projection bearing dense row of long setae. Each exposed sternite with barely discernible (even in SEM images) shallow polygonal microsculpture, largely impunctate except for fine and sparse punctures along posterior margin (sternites III‒VII) or in posterior half (VII). Broad lateral regions of sternites curled upward and mesad over tergites and wings, so that they are visible in dorsal view, largely smooth, except for relatively dense shallow but large punctures on proximal and mesal (as seen in dorsal view) region, each remaining curled sternal region with a few similar but even shallower punctures.

Bursa copulatrix with asymmetrical and diffuse median sclerotization ( Fig. 34 View FIGURES 30‒35 ; mscl) (= ‘abdominal foot structure’ of Kistner (1993)).

Spermatheca ( Fig. 35 View FIGURES 30‒35 ) 0.15 mm in length, with elongate, distally broadened and rounded sclerotized receptacle proximally confluent with strongly elongate and weakly sclerotized stem except for strongly sclerotized short tubular region in middle between insertion of ductus spermathecae and insertion of large accessory gland.

Male. Unknown.

Distribution. Eastern RSA, KwaZulu-Natal.

Etymology. The adjective kwazulua refers to the KwaZulu-Natal province.

Remarks. Most species of Jeanneliusa have an unmodified anterior margin of the pronotal disc, or, if a pair of indentations occurs, the grooves or furrows extend posterad from the indentations at most to 0.25 × length of the pronotum. Impressions or furrows reaching over 1/4 × length of the pronotum can be found only in J. simonae Lavasseur, 1962 ( DR Congo), J. chappuisi Bernhauer, 1936 (in Bernhauer & Jeannel 1936) ( Kenya), J. katangana Fagel, 1959 ( Angola, DR Congo), J. asper Kistner, 1993 ( Ghana), and the newly described J. kwazulua . Jeanneliusa simonae has strongly angulate tempora in dorsal view, a unique feature lacking in J. kwazulua . Jeanneliusa asper has long anterolateral pronotal furrows, but lacks large oval impressions, so that the anterior region of the pronotum is not subdivided into three large lobes, as in J. kwazulua . Moreover, the head, pronotum and elytra in J. asper are distinctly shagreened, not smooth as in J. kwazulua . Jeanneliusa katangana , illustrated in Kistner (1993) in fig. 11c, has a distinctly elongate pronotum with anterolateral impressions extending posterad to middle of pronotal length, whereas in J. kwazulua the pronotum is wider than long and with impressions about as long as 1/4 PL. Jeanneliusa chappuisi was illustrated in Bernhauer & Jeannel (1935): fig. 3 as having anterolateral pronotal impressions extending posterad as long narrow furrows reaching middle of the pronotal length (furrows lacking in J. kwazulua ), and the scape straight (strongly curved in J. kwazulua ).