Pleophylla warnockae, 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 : 339

PLEOPHYLLA WARNOCKAE AHRENS, BECKETT, EBERLE & FABRIZI SP. NOV. ( FIGS 3Y – AB , 5M , 6)

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:12F9482F-5443-442E-970F-C0113C594151

Type material examined: Holotype: ♂ “ Balloon Forest Tzaneen 24 ° 11 0 S 30 ° 20 0 E 6-9 XI 1980 D.H. Jacobs ” ( TMSA) . Paratypes: see Appendix S1.

Description: Body length: 10.0 mm, elytral length: 6.9 mm, maximum width: 4.9 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 three times as wide as long; ratio of eye diameter/interocular width: 0.73. 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 distinctly elevated but convex; white, fine pilosity 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: 1/1.6. Metatibia, ratio of width/length: 1/3.62. Metatarsi dorsally smooth; first metatarsomere as long as subsequent one. Aedeagus: Fig. 3Y – Aa. Habitus: Fig. 3 Ab. Female genitalia: Fig. 5M .

Diagnosis: Pleophylla warnockae sp. nov. is quite similar to P. ruthae sp. nov. in external morphology but it differs in the slightly shorter metatibia (ratio length/maximum width: 3.6) and the strongly reflexed margins of the labroclypeus; the basomedial teeth are widely separated from each other, whereas in P. ruthae sp. nov. they are adjacent.

Variation: Body length: 8.1 – 10.0 mm, elytral length: 6.3 – 7.1 mm, maximum width: 4.4 – 5.8 mm. Density of dark spots may vary, never completely without spots. Female: antennal club of female straight, composed of five antennomeres, as long as the remaining antennomeres combined; sixth antennomere shorter than a quarter of club length. Eyes smaller than in male: ratio of eye diameter/interocular width: 0.5.

Etymology: The new species is dedicated to Rachel Warnock; her Master’s thesis contributed to a better understanding of the integrative taxonomy of Pleophylla .

Remarks: In previous publications we referred to this species as ‘sp9’ (Ozg € ul-Siemund € & Ahrens, 2015; Eberle et al., 2016b).

Figures

Figure 3. A–D, Pleophylla ferruginea Burmeister (RSA, Tygerkloof); E–H, Pleophylla murzini sp. nov. (holotype); I– L, Pleophylla navicularis Burmeister (RSA, Weza); M–P, Pleophylla silvatica sp. nov. (holotype); Q–T, Pleophylla transkeiensis sp. nov. (holotype); U–X, Pleophylla ruthae sp. nov. (holotype); Y–Ab, Pleophylla warnockae sp. nov. (holotype); Ac–Af, Pleophylla harrisoni 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 5. Female genitalia of Pleophylla species. A, Pleophylla fasciatipennis; B, Pleophylla pilosa; C, Pleophylla pseudopilosa sp. nov.; D, Pleophylla nelshoogteensis sp. nov.; E, Pleophylla burundiensis sp. nov.; F, Pleophylla settentrionalis sp. nov.; G, Pleophylla ferruginea; H, Pleophylla murzini sp. nov.; I, Pleophylla navicularis; J, Pleophylla silvatica; K, Pleophylla transkeiensis sp. nov.; L, Pleophylla ruthae sp. nov.; M, Pleophylla warnockae sp. nov.; N, Pleophylla harrisoni sp. nov.; O, Pleophylla stalsi sp. nov. Scale bars = 0.5 mm.