Pleophylla lizleri, 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 : 341

PLEOPHYLLA LIZLERI AHRENS, BECKETT, EBERLE & FABRIZI SP. NOV. ( FIGS 4I – L , 7 )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:90E49B52-FB80-42A1-A1D2-E76580C33646

Type material examined: Holotype: ♂ “ Tanzania 7.XII.1999 Porote Mts. Mbeya prov. Werner & Lizler leg.” ( ZFMK) . Paratypes: 2 ♂ “ Tanzania 7.XII.1999 Porote Mts. Mbeya prov. Werner & Lizler leg.” ( ZFMK) .

Description: Body length: 11.4 mm, elytral length: 7.6 mm, maximum width: 5.6 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: 0.78. 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: 1/1.18. Metatibia, ratio of width/length: 1/3.84. Metatarsi dorsally smooth; first metatarsomere as long as subsequent one. Aedeagus: Fig. 4I – K . Habitus: Fig. 4L .

Diagnosis: Pleophylla lizleri sp. nov. differs from the quite similar P. charlyi sp. nov. and P. mpumalanga sp. nov. in the less extended lobe produced by the dorsolateral extension of the ventral lobe of the right paramere. Furthermore, P. lizleri sp. nov. differs from P. charlyi sp. nov. by the robust basomedial teeth of the left paramere, which is basally more widened, and from P. mpumalanga sp. nov. by the wider parameres (lateral view).

Variation: Body length: 9.9 – 11.4 mm, elytral length: 7.1 – 7.6 mm, maximum width: 4.8 – 5.6 mm. Female unknown.

Etymology: The new species is named after one of its collectors, Robert Lızler (Hradec Kralove).

Figures

Figure 4. A–D, Pleophylla mpumalanga sp. nov. (holotype); E–H, Pleophylla charlyi sp. nov. (holotype); I–L, Pleophylla lizleri sp. nov. (holotype); M–P, Pleophylla taitaensis sp. nov. (holotype); Q–T, Pleophylla stalsi sp. nov. (holotype); U–X, Pleophylla wakkerstroomensis sp. nov. (holotype); Y–Ab, Pleophylla tongaatsana Peringuey (RSA, Sjonajona); Ac–Af, Pleophylla kruegeri sp. nov. (holotype). A, E, I, M, Q, U, Y, Ac, aedeagus left side lateral view; C, G, K, O, S, W, Aa, Ae, aedeagus right side lateral view; B, F, J, N, R, V, Z, Ad, parameres, dorsal view; D, H, L, P, T, X, Ab, Af, habitus, dorsal view. Scale bars = 0.5 mm. Habitus not to scale.

Figure 7. Distribution of Pleophylla species (left side) and absence records (right side), represented by sampling locali- ties of all other sampled Sericini species without records of Pleophylla (white dots).