Baeocera pulga, Groll, 2025

Baeocera pulga sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:DD0E4C47-48F1-4615-A269-D62D7A1B01D4

Figs 1A–B, G View Fig , 39–43 View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig

Diagnosis

Body length: 1.23–1.25 mm; moderately oblong. Dark brown. Antennomeres VII and VIII oblong, IX– XI distinctly larger than remaining. Mesepimeron 0.73 the width of the mesanepisternum, and 2.73 × as wide as long. Submesocoxal lines strongly arcuate, punctate. Basal striae connected to sutural and reaching approximately the outer ⅔ of the basal width. Aedeagus with parameres sinuous. Internal sac formed by twisted sclerites that form an elongate and just slightly curved shape; terminal part of flagellum extends at a right angle from main part, forming an ‘L-shaped’ structure. Tergite VIII in females with a small posterior projection. Distal gonocoxite triangular, moderately elongate.

Etymology

The species epithet is a Portuguese noun in apposition, referring to friends’ humorous observations that the author studies fleas rather than beetles.

Material examined

Holotype

BRAZIL • ♂; Minas Gerais, Viçosa, EPTEA Mata do Paraíso ; 24 Mar. 2022; E. von Groll et al. leg.; “Falcon 20 / Em Ceratiomyxia fruticulosa em Pinus / HOLOTYPUS ♂ ”; CELC. ( Fig. 39D–E View Fig )

Paratypes

BRAZIL • 3 ♂♂ (1 ♂ *, 1 ♂ **); same collection data as for holotype; 10 Mar. 2022; E. von Groll et al. leg.; “Falcon 26 / Em Ceratiomyxia fruticulosa em Pinus ”; CELC • 1 ♀ *; same collection data as for holotype; “Falcon 42 / Em Ceratiomyxia fruticulosa em Pinus ”; CELC .

Description

COLOURATION. Dark brown; clypeus, tip of elytra, and femora dark ochreous; antennomeres, mouthparts, tibiae, apex of each ventral ventrite, and tarsi yellow ( Figs 39A–C View Fig , 43A–D View Fig ). Variations: brown, with ochreous parts paler.

HEAD ( Figs 39H–K View Fig , 40A–E View Fig ). Frons with punctation sparse and fine. Labrum curved posteriorly ( Fig. 40A View Fig ). Maxillary palpomeres elongate and moderately thin ( Fig. 40D View Fig ). Labial palpomeres distinctly thin and curved; mentum concave posteriorly ( Fig. 40E View Fig ). Antennomeres VII and VIII oblong ( Fig. 39J– K View Fig ); antennomere proportions (n =2): I 69/32:II 68/34: III 33/17: IV 36/16: V 42/16:VI 37/17: VII 47/27: VIII 45/29: IX 69/44:X 76/44: XI 110/44.

PROTHORAX ( Fig. 40F–J View Fig ). Punctation sparse and very fine; pubescence sparse. Hypomeron subglabrous, impunctate ( Fig. 40N View Fig ). Prosternal process distinctly elongate and spinose in lateral view ( Fig. 40H View Fig ). Profurca thin ( Fig. 40J View Fig ).

MESOTHORAX ( Fig. 40K–N View Fig ). Scutellum visible in dorsal view ( Fig. 40F View Fig ), wider than long; tip rounded ( Fig. 40K View Fig ). Mesoventral lines smoothy curved; median lines closed ( Fig. 40L View Fig ). Mesepimeron 2.73 × as wide as long and about 0,73 × the width of the mesanepisternum ( Fig. 40N View Fig ). Mesoventral process with a posterior ridge in lateral view ( Fig. 40M View Fig ).

METATHORAX ( Figs 40L–N View Fig , 41A–C View Fig ). Metaventrite smooth, shining, pubescence moderately sparse ( Fig. 40N View Fig ). Submesocoxal lines arcuate and punctate; submesocoxal area length: 0.04–0.06 mm ( Fig. 40L–M View Fig ). Metanepisternal suture punctate, more or less convex ( Fig. 40N View Fig ). Metanotum with alacrista trapezoidal-shaped; scutoscutellar suture trespassing the apodeme ( Fig. 41A View Fig ). Arms of metendosternite slightly ticker than stalk ( Fig. 41B–C View Fig ).

WINGS ( Figs 39A–C, F–G View Fig , 41D–F View Fig ). Elytra with coarse and sparse punctures – coarser than pronotum. Basal striae connected to sutural, impunctate, and reaching approximately the outer ⅔ of the basal width ( Fig. 40F View Fig ). Lateral striae fine, impunctate, and curved near humeral region ( Fig. 40N View Fig ).

LEGS. Thin, elongate, not microsculptured ( Figs 41G–L View Fig , 43C–D View Fig ).

ABDOMEN. Ventrite I with ( Fig. 39C View Fig ) or without ( Fig. 43B View Fig ) a lateral curved impression – unrelated to sex, collection date, or life stage (including teneral specimens). Submetacoxal lines coarse punctate ( Figs 39B View Fig , 43B View Fig ). Ventral surface shining; pubescence dense; punctures fine ( Figs 39B View Fig , 43B View Fig ). Propygidium dense and coarsely punctate; micropunctured; pubescence dense ( Figs 42A View Fig , 43E View Fig ).

Males

Tibiae slightly arcuate ( Fig. 41G–I View Fig ). Pro- and mesotarsomeres I–III widened, bearing tenent setae ( Fig. 41J–L View Fig ). Sternite VIII with a large triangular posterior projection ( Fig. 42B View Fig ). Tergite VIII triangular, lacking posterior projection ( Fig. 42C View Fig ). Tergite IX with curved ventral struts ( Fig. 42D–E View Fig ). Sternite IX somewhat acute posteriorly, elongate ( Fig. 42F View Fig ). Tergite X triangular, wide ( Fig. 42G View Fig ).

AEDEAGUS ( Fig. 42H–R View Fig ). Median lobe with basal bulb membranous, oval, and longer than apical lobe; apical lobe bent in lateral view ( Fig. 42J, Q View Fig ). Parameres thin and sinuous in frontal view ( Fig. 42I, P View Fig ). Internal sac formed by a twisted sclerite that forms an elongate and just slightly curved main structure; terminal part of flagellum extending at a right angle from main part, forming an ‘L-shaped’ structure ( Fig. 42L–N, Q–R View Fig ).

MEASUREMENTS (n= 4, including holotype). TL 1.23–1.27 (1.25± 0.01), SY 0.10–0.11 (0.11± 0.01), HW 0.35–0.36 (0.35± 0.01), IS 0.16–0.18 (0.17 ± 0.01), WA 0.07–0.12 (0.09 ± 0.02), PL 0.51–0.55 (0.53 ± 0.02), PA 0.35–0.40 (0.37 ± 0.02), PB 0.72–0.76 (0.74 ± 0.02), SL 0.02–0.03 (0.02 ± 0.01), SW 0.04–0.05 (0.05 ±0.01), EI 0.75–0.80 (0.78 ±0.02), EL 0.87–0.90 (0.88 ± 0.01), EW 0.39–0.44 (0.41 ± 0.02), EH 0.32–0.38 (0.36 ± 0.03), MsW 0.19–0.20 (0.20± 0.01), MeL 0.03–0.05 (0.04 ± 0.01), MeW 0.14–0.15 (0.15±0.01), MB 0.11–0.14 (0.13± 0.01), MC 0.26–0.30 (0.28 ±0.02), ML 0.04–0.06 (0.05 ±0.01), VL 0.16–0.17 (0.17 ± 0.01), PrF 0.31–0.32 (0.32 ±0.01), PrT 0.23–0.25 (0.24 ± 0.01), MsF 0.34–0.35 (0.35 ± 0.01), MsT 0.28–0.32 (0.30 ± 0.02), MtF 0.39–0.41 (0.41± 0.01), MtT 0.32–0.37 (0.35± 0.02).

Female ( Fig. 43 View Fig )

Antennae thicker than those of the males ( Fig. 39K View Fig ). Sternite VIII with a triangular posterior projection

( Fig. 43F View Fig ). Tergite VIII elongate, bearing a small posterior triangular projection ( Fig. 43G View Fig ). Spermatheca filiform. Triangular distal gonocoxite; gonostylus rectangular ( Fig. 43H–I View Fig ).

MEASUREMENTS (n =1; in mm). TL 1.25, SY 0.12, HW 0.34, IS 0.19, WA 0.11, PL 0.50, PA 0.36, PB 0.72, SL 0.02, SW 0.04, EI 0.77, EL 0.83, EW 0.40, EH 0.36, MsW 0.20, MeL 0.04, MeW 0.14, MB 0.12, MC 0.30, ML 0.05, VL 0.15, PrF 0.30, PrT 0.25, MsF 0.34, MsT 0.30, MtF 0.40, MtT 0.38.

Host

Collected from Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa on a fallen Pinus sp. tree ( Fig. 1G View Fig ).

Remarks

Resembles B. bottine sp. nov. and B. colibri sp. nov. Differs from both species by the oblong antennomeres VII and VIII, and by the more elongate and thinner last labial palpomere. It differs from B. bottine by the more sinuous parameres in frontal view, the shorter flagellum, and the less curved sclerite of internal sac. It can be distinguished from B. colibri by the straighter parameres, lacking a distinct posterior constriction. Females can be distinguished by the proportions of the distal gonocoxite: not distinctly elongate as B. bottine , and not strongly robust as B. colibri .

Distribution

Mata do Paraíso, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, campus of Viçosa, state of Minas Gerais, Southeast Brazil ( Fig. 1A–B View Fig ).