Cazeresia parentalis, Gómez-Zurita & Cardoso, 2025

Gómez-Zurita, Jesús & Cardoso, Anabela, 2025, Systematics and evolution of the New Caledonian endemic genus Cazeresia (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae, Eumolpinae), Arthropod Systematics & Phylogeny 83, pp. 127-170 : 127-170

Cazeresia parentalis sp. nov.

Figures 1 b , 4 a , 4 b , 7 f , 8 b , 10 b

Species # 17: Papadopoulou et al., 2013, p. 481.

Material.

Holotype: Male (Fig. 10 b ), JGZC-NC 046 , Monts Kwa Ne Mwa, on road btw Noumeá and Yaté, 2 km E Pic Mouirange , 22°12.356’S 166°40.798’E, 220 m, 19.i–17.ii.2007, Christine Pöllabauer leg., Holotype Cazeresia parentalis sp. nov. Gómez-Zurita & Cardoso [red label] ( JGZC) . — Paratypes: JGZC: 5 females ( JGZC-NC 044 , JGZC-NC 045 , JGZC-NC 154 , JGZC-NC 834 , and JGZC-NC 835 ), Monts Kwa Ne Mwa, on road btw Noumeá and Yaté, 2 km E Pic Mouirange , 22°12.356’S 166°40.798’E, 220 m, 19.i–17.ii.2007, Christine Pöllabauer leg., Paratype Cazeresia parentalis sp. nov. Gómez-Zurita & Cardoso [red label] ; 1 female, JGZC-NC 039 , Monts Kwa Ne Mwa, on road btw Noumeá and Yaté, 2 km E Pic Mouirange , 22°12.356’S 166°40.798’E, 220 m, 17.ii–16.iii.2007, R. Pöllabauer leg., Paratype Cazeresia parentalis sp. nov. Gómez-Zurita & Cardoso [red label] ; 2 females ( JGZC-NC 049 , JGZC-NC 050 ), Monts Kwa Ne Mwa, on road btw Noumeá and Yaté, 2 km E Pic Mouirange , 22°12.356’S 166°40.798’E, 220 m, 16.iii–15.iv.2007, R. Pöllabauer leg., Paratype Cazeresia parentalis sp. nov. Gómez-Zurita & Cardoso [red label] .

Other material examined.

JGZC: 1 male, JGZC-5138 , Haute Rivière Bleue, track to La Tranchée , 22°05’S 166°38’E, 180–330 m, 22–23.i.2004, M. Wanat leg. ; 1 female, JGZC-5444 , Rivière Bleue Park, forest near Grand Kaori , 22°06’S 166°41’E, 160 m, 26.i.2004, M. Wanat leg. ; 1 male, JGZC-5231 , Rivière Bleue Parc, Kaori géant , 22°05.9’S 166°40.7’E, 160 m, 22.xii.2006, M. Wanat and R. Dobosz leg. ; 1 female, JGZC-5135 , Rivière Bleue, Pont Germain to Kaori géant , 22°06.0’S 166°39.3’E, 160–180 m, 22.i.2007, M. Wanat leg. MNHW: 1 female, JGZC-5254 , Port Boisé ( Gite Kanua ), 22°21’S 166°58’E, 0–40 m, forest at sea shore, 14.ii.2004, M. Wanat leg. ; 1 female, JGZC-5453 , Pic du Pin, base , 22°14.9’S 166°49.7’E, 280 m, 25.xii.2006, forest and plantation, M. Wanat and R. Dobosz leg. ; 3 males (two with: JGZC-5474 and JGZC-5475 ), Pic du Pin (base) , -22.24843 166.82883, 280 m, 22.x.2008, plantation, M. Wanat leg. ; 1 male, JGZC-5473 , Pic du Pin (base) , -22.24843 166.82883, 280 m, 23.x.2008, forest, M. Wanat leg. ; 1 female, JGZC-5476 , Pic du Grand Kaori , 22°16.8’S 166°53.5’E, 240 m, night coll. (lamp and beating), 26.xii.2006, M. Wanat and R. Dobosz leg. ; 2 males (one with: JGZC-5208 ) and 2 females (one with: JGZC-5207 ), Pic du Grand Kaori , -22.2843 166.8954, 220 m, 1.xi.2010, R. Ruta and M. Wanat leg. ; 2 females ( JGZC-5129 , JGZC-5200 ), Forêt Cachée , -22.19085 166.78688, 250 m, sifting litter, 26.x.2008, M. Wanat leg. ; 1 female, JGZC-5122 , forest patch 1 km E of Col de Mouirange , -22.2135 166.6655, 240 m, 9.xii.2010, M. Wanat and R. Ruta leg. ; 2 males ( JGZC-5125 and JGZC-5126 ) and 1 female, Col des Deux Tétons , -22.2059 166.6797, 220–250 m, humid forest, 9.xii.2010, M. Wanat and R. Ruta leg. ; 1 female, JGZC-5121 , Col des Deux Tétons , -22.2059 166.6797, 220–250 m, humid forest, 10.xii.2010, M. Wanat and R. Ruta leg. ; 4 males (three with: JGZC-5216 , JGZC-5219 and JGZC-5448 ) and 2 females ( JGZC-5106 and JGZC-5217 ), Bois du Sud , 22°10.5’S 166°45.8’E, 160 m, maquis, night coll. (lamp and beating), 23.xii.2006, M. Wanat and R. Dobosz leg. ; 1 male, Bois du Sud , -22.17200 166.76111, 220 m, at light, 17.x.2008, M. Wanat leg. ; 1 males and 5 females (one with: JGZC-5218 ), Bois du Sud , -22.17200 166.76111, 220 m, night, 18.x.2008, M. Wanat leg. ; 2 females, Bois du Sud , -22.17200 166.76111, 220 m, maquis night beating, 20.x.2008, M. Wanat leg. ; 2 females, Bois du Sud , -22.17288 166.76330, 220–250 m, beating along track entering forest reserve, 20.x.2008, M. Wanat leg. ; 2 females, Bois du Sud, ‘ Araucaria’ hut , -22.1740 166.7627, 220 m, at light, 8.xii.2010, M. Wanat and R. Ruta leg. ; 2 males ( JGZC-5107 and JGZC-5212 ) and 1 female ( JGZC-5108 ), Bois du Sud , -22.1759 166.7625, 220 m, 10.xii.2010, M. Wanat and R. Ruta leg. ; 1 male, JGZC-5115 , Chute de la Madeleine , 22°14’S 166°52’E, 270 m, 13.ii.2004, maquis, ad lucem, M. Wanat leg. ; 1 male ( JGZC-5204 ) and 5 females ( JGZC-5116 , JGZC-5117 , JGZC-5202 , JGZC-5203 and JGZC-5205 ), Chute de la Madeleine , 22°14.2’S 166°51.7’E, 240 m, 24.xii.2006, maquis, night coll. (lamp and beating), M. Wanat and R. Dobosz leg. ; 2 males and 1 female, Haute Rivière Bleue, track to La Tranchée , 22°05’S 166°38’E, 180–330 m, 22–23.i.2004, M. Wanat leg. ; 2 males, Haute Rivière Bleue, La Tranchée-Sentier des Kaoris , 22°05’S 166°38’E, 280–330 m, 24.i.2004, humid forest, M. Wanat leg. ; 5 males, Rivière Bleue Park, Grand Kaori , 22°06’S 166°41’E, 190 m, 25.i.2004, humid forest, M. Wanat leg. ; 3 males and 1 female, Rivière Bleue Park, forest near Grand Kaori , 22°06’S 166°41’E, 160 m, 26.i.2004, M. Wanat leg. ; 1 male, Haute Rivière Bleue, La Tranchee-Sentier des Kaoris , 22°05’S 166°38’E, 280–330 m, 26.i.2004, humid forest, M. Wanat leg. ; 2 males, Haute Rivière Bleue, La Tranchee-Sentier des Kaoris , 22°05’S 166°38’E, 280–330 m, 28.i.2004, humid forest, M. Wanat leg. ; 2 males, H te Rivière Bleue, La Tranchee-Sent. des Kaoris , 22°05’S 166°38’E, 190–330 m, 20.xii.2006, M. Wanat and R. Dobosz leg. ; 8 males and 1 female, Rivière Bleue Parc, Kaori géant , 22°05.9’S 166°40.7’E, 160 m, 22.xii.2006, M. Wanat and R. Dobosz leg. ; 4 males, Rivière Bleue, Pont Germain to Kaori géant , 22°06.0’S 166°39.3’E, 160–180 m, 22.i.2007, M. Wanat leg.

Description.

Body elongate elliptic, moderately convex. Mandibles, head, pronotum, hypomera and prosternum very dark brown, with slight bronze reflection; elytra and scutellum matt brown; ventral surfaces brown; labrum, antennae and legs testaceous, with apical antennomeres and base of tibiae infuscate; palpi ochre. Length: 4.4 mm; width: 2.3 mm (range of male specimens: 4.0–5.0 mm long, 2.0– 2.5 mm wide).

Frons with few small punctures anteriorly and supraocular sulci shortly prolonged medially to outer third of dorsal edge of supraantennal calli; clypeus with few small punctures basally and anterior border moderately emarginate (Fig. 4 a ). Eyes large, separate by 1.4 × their transverse diameter. Relative proportions of antennomeres: 2.2-1.0 - 1.5 - 1.6 - 2.4 - 2.1 - 2.6 - 2.3 - 2.3 - 2.2 - 2.9. Fine anterior margin of pronotum obsolete at middle; surface of pronotum matt, similar to frons, with scattered small punctures on disc and lateral declivities, without micropunctures. Prosternal process about 0.7 × as wide as transverse diameter of procoxae. Elytra about 1.2 × as long as ensemble width at base, widest behind humeri; surface finely alutaceous, slightly shinier than pronotum, with relatively large punctures, smaller than intervals, rather confused anteriorly on disc. Basitarsomeres enlarged, wider than third tarsomere in protarsi, shorter than second and third tarsomeres combined in protarsi and as long as these in meso- and metatarsi. Median apodeme of first abdominal ventrite about half as long as ventrite, subtrapezoidal, narrower than mesosternal process; all ventrites with fine microreticulation, sparse fine punctures and long fine, posteriorly adpressed pale yellow setae. Penis (Fig. 7 f ) slender, regularly curved ventrally, with sides slightly concave in ventral view, as wide preapically as wide at base; apex elongate oval, arched distally with short blunt tooth; gonopore elongate oval, with distal end separated from apex of penis by distance slightly longer than maximum width of gonopore; dorsal flap subrectangular, longer than wide, covering about basal half of gonopore. — Females. Externally identical to males, with typical secondary sexual differences, also in facial structure, with clypeus broader basally and lacking apical emargination (Fig. 4 b ). Spermatheca (Fig. 1 b ) shaped as question mark, with cornu shorter than nodulus, bent more or less at right angle relative to nodulus; nodulus bulbous basally, with short protruding insertion of spermathecal gland submedially, opposite to cornu; spermathecal duct thin and weakly sclerotized near insertion, inserted laterally near base of nodulus, oriented obliquely opposite to cornu for short distance, markedly enlarged and sclerotized with less than one complete, elongate coil distally.

Diagnosis.

This species belongs to the group of small (length <6.0 mm), relatively slender species (ratio length: width> 1.8) with prosternum narrower than transverse diameter of procoxae in males (nearly as wide in females) and completely glabrous elytra, and females provide a reliable character for its identification, namely the spermatheca with short, narrow duct, translucent, poorly sclerotized at base with strongly widened, sclerotized coil. The only other species with identical spermathecal duct is C. tricolor sp. nov., very similar in size, shape and proportions, but recognizable by the slight metallic green tinge on pronotum. The penis of this species is mucronate, which also helps distinguishing this species from others very similar in size and shape, particularly the parapatric C. gracilis sp. nov., where males have the apex of penis arched.

Derivatio nominis.

This species is dedicated with love to our parents, Catalina Frau Oliver and Esteban Gómez-Zurita Rodríguez, parents of J. Gómez-Zurita, and Maurília Grazina Piedade and Manuel de Oliveira Cardoso, parents of A. Cardoso, for their lifetime support, which allowed us to pursue our careers and contribute today to discover and describe the amazing biodiversity of this World. The specific epithet is a Latin adjective (f.) parentālis, derived from parēns (n.), meaning of or belonging to the parents.

Distribution.

This species has an ample distribution in maquis and humid forest of dry lowland areas (<330 m a. s. l.) in the southern part of Grand Terre (Fig. 8 b ).

Figures

Figure 1. Spermathecae of Cazeresia subgeminata sp. nov. (a), C. parentalis sp. nov. (b), C. tricolor sp. nov. (c), C. wanati sp. nov. (d), C. clipeata sp. nov. (e), C. maquis sp. nov. (f), C. ovata sp. nov. (g), C. petitpierrei sp. nov. (h), C. thyiana (Jolivet, Verma & Mille) (i), C. holosericea sp. nov. (j), C. globosa sp. nov. (k), C. globosa altitudinalis ssp. nov. (l), C. australis sp. nov. (m), C. tibialis sp. nov. (n), C. laevigata sp. nov. (o), C. imperiosa sp. nov. (p), C. montana Jolivet, Verma & Mille (q), C. robusta sp. nov. (r), C. corrugata sp. nov. (s), C. laticollis sp. nov. (t), C. gracilis sp. nov. (u), C. spadicea sp. nov. (v), C. spadicea bruna ssp. nov. (w), and C. humboldtiana (Heller) (x).

Figure 4. Details of the heads of male (a) and female (b) Cazeresia parentalis sp. nov., and of the males of C. holosericea sp. nov. (c).

Figure 7. Lateral and apical dorsal views of the penis of Cazeresia humboldtiana (Heller) (a), C. australis sp. nov. (b), C. globosa sp. nov. (c) and C. globosa altitudinalis ssp. nov. (d), C. tricolor sp. nov. (e), C. parentalis sp. nov. (f), C. impressicornis sp. nov. (g), C. spadicea sp. nov. (h) and C. spadicea bruna ssp. nov. (i), C. tibialis sp. nov. (j), C. gracilis sp. nov. (k), C. laevigata sp. nov. (l), and C. wanati sp. nov. (m).

Figure 8. Distribution maps of the species and subspecies of Cazeresia Jolivet, Verma & Mille in New Caledonia.

Figure 10. Holotypes of Cazeresia laticollis sp. nov., with detail of female pronotum (a), C. parentalis sp. nov. (b), C. holosericea sp. nov. (c) and C. gracilis sp. nov. (d). Scale bar = 2.0 mm.