Omophoita mateusi Begha & Prado, 2025

Begha, Bruno Piotrovski, Prado, Laura Rocha & Oliveira, Sarah Siqueira, 2025, Oedionychina (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae: Alticini) from the Parque Estadual Altamiro de Moura Pacheco, a Cerrado remnant, Zootaxa 5659 (1), pp. 29-50 : 34-36

Omophoita mateusi Begha & Prado sp. nov.

zoobank.org:act: 7832F306-4BF0-46A7-B850-7452E0789FCC

( Figs 1D , 3D , 5D , 6D , 7B , 8B , 9B )

Length: 8.84 mm, based on one male.

Head: rounded. Pale rounded macula present, covering the area of the antennal calli and vertex. Width of head subequal to height in frontal view. Interocular space slightly wider than twice width of eye. Height of eye slightly longer than twice its width. Interantennal space projected to the length of antennal bulbus. Vertex smooth. Antennal calli trapezoid, midfrontal sulcus well-marked, supracallinal sulcus nearly inconspicuous. Anterofrontal ridge not forming a narrow slope, making more than 90-degree angle between frons and labrum. Gena bearing many short setae. Two pale maculae visible at the lower portion of the frons and clypeus. Labrum suboval with small, curved recess in margin, with 12 horizontal evenly spaced setae. Antennae: filiform, with 11 antennomeres. Antennomere I as long as II and III combined. All antennomeres black.

Prothorax: light pink to orange, side margins of pronotum explanate, anterior angle of the pronotum extending beyond the head insertion, posterior angle of pronotum rounded, slightly pointed outwards. Anterolateral callosity rounded, swollen in lateral view. Pronotal margins strongly convex. Prosternum with the same color as the pronotum, nearly flat, prosternal process rounded, droplet shaped. Metathorax and mesothorax: black, except for small yellow macula between mesocoxae, mesothorax short, metathorax rectangular with metathoracic suture visible. Fine setae present throughout. Elytra: explanate, epipleura bent upwards except for the distal third of elytra. Covered with confused punctuation. Elytral integument red. Four white maculae present, two rectangular, positioned diagonally in the median portion, two subtrapezoid in the posterior portion. Scutellum red. Legs: black, pro and mesothoracic tibiae similar, lacking spurs. Metafemur fusiform, longer than wide, evenly convex on anterior side. Metatibia with wide rounded distal recess, tibial spur slender. Distal metatarsomere moderately globose, fusiform.

Abdomen: dark brown, distal and lateral portions yellow, five visible segments. Fine setae present throughout. Abdominal process between metacoxae narrow, relatively long. Aedeagus, median lobe (7B, 8B, 9B): dorsal process acuminate. Apical hood retracted exposing complex structures on the dorsal face. Long, length slightly over three and a half times the length of the exposed apical portion. Dorsal median process broad with sides subparallel, ventral sclerite longer than dorsal median process, oblique dorsal process subparallel. Basal hooks small, acuminate.

Holotype: BRAZIL, GO, Goianápolis Parque Altamiro de Moura Pacheco-PEAMP | Malaise Mata, próximo ao reservatório – Trilha da Mangueira | -16.555119 -49.172473 | 05.viii.2022 - 08.ix.2022 | Cols. Oliveira, S.S. & Lopes, W.R. ♂ ( MZSP).

Etymology: The specific epithet is a patronym honoring Dr. Mateus Henrique Santos (Universidade Estadual de Ponta Grossa – UEPG), for his important contributions to the knowledge of biology of Brazilian Oedionychina .

Distribution: Brazil – state of Goiás.

Remarks: We propose that Omophoita mateusi sp. nov. is part of the O. octoguttata species group within Omophoita , as it shares several morphological features with O. octoguttata ( Fabricius, 1775) , such as the black body integument, the rounded shape of the pale maculae of the head, and similar morphology of the median lobe ( Begha et al. 2023a), while maintaining different elytral patterns and areas of distribution. This group also comprises but is likely not limited to, O. personata ( Illiger, 1807) , O. sesquilunata ( Klug, 1829) , and O. elytralis ( Bechyně, 1956) , according to recent morphological studies ( Begha et al. 2021a; Begha et al. 2023a; Begha et al. 2023b). As suggested by a preliminary phylogeny by Begha et al. (2021b), these species appear to be part of a monophyletic group within Omophoita , but further studies including other taxa are required. We also suggest that O. aequinoctialis , found in the northern regions of Brazil within the Amazon rainforest ( Konstantinov et al. 2022; Begha et al. 2023a) belongs to this group based on similar external morphology ( Konstantinov et al. 2022) and male genitalia ( Blake 1931).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Oedionychina sampled in Malaise trap in the Parque Estadual Altamiro de Moura Pacheco, Goiás, Brazil, dorsal view. A, Alagoasa burmeisteri (female and male, morphotype 1); B, Alagoasa burmeisteri (female, morphotype 2); C, Alagoasa burmeisteri (female, morphotype 3), arrow pointing the fourth visible strongly globose metatarsomere; D, Omophoita mateusi sp. nov. (male), arrow pointing the fourth visible fusiform metatarsomere.

FIGURE 3. Oedionychina sampled in Malaise trap in the Parque Estadual Altamiro de Moura Pacheco, Goiás, Brazil, dorsal view. A, Alagoasa burmeisteri (female and male, morphotype 1); B, Alagoasa burmeisteri (female, morphotype 2), arrow pointing the triangular metafemur; C, Alagoasa burmeisteri (female, morphotype 3); D, Omophoita mateusi sp. nov. (male), arrow pointing the fusiform metafemur. Scale bar 1 mm.

FIGURE 5. Oedionychina sampled in Malaise trap in the Parque Estadual Altamiro de Moura Pacheco, Goiás, Brazil, lateral view of the pronotum. A, Alagoasa burmeisteri (female, morphotype 1); B, Alagoasa burmeisteri (female, morphotype 2); C, Alagoasa burmeisteri (female, morphotype 3); D, Omophoita mateusi sp. nov. (male); E, Omophoita magniguttis (female); F, Paranaita opima (male); G, Walterianella marae sp. nov. (female); H, Walterianella tapuiae sp. nov. (male). Scale bar 1 mm.

FIGURE 6. Oedionychina sampled in Malaise trap in the Parque Estadual Altamiro de Moura Pacheco, Goiás, Brazil, frontal view of the head. A, Alagoasa burmeisteri (female, morphotype 1); B, Alagoasa burmeisteri (female, morphotype 2); C, Alagoasa burmeisteri (female, morphotype 3); D, Omophoita mateusi sp. nov. (male); E, Omophoita magniguttis (female); F, Paranaita opima (male); G, Walterianella marae sp. nov. (female); H, Walterianella tapuiae sp. nov. (male). Scale bar 1 mm.

FIGURE 7. Dorsal view of median lobe of aedeagus of male Oedionychina sampled in Malaise trap in the Parque Estadual Altamiro de Moura Pacheco, Goianápolis, Goiás, Brazil. A. Alagoasa burmeisteri; B. Omophoita mateusi sp. nov.; C. Paranaita opima; D. Walterianella tapuiae sp. nov. Scale bar 1 mm.

FIGURE 8. Lateral view of median lobe of aedeagus of male Oedionychina sampled in Malaise trap in the Parque Estadual Altamiro de Moura Pacheco, Goianápolis, Goiás, Brazil. A. Alagoasa burmeisteri; B. Omophoita mateusi sp. nov.; C. Paranaita opima; D. Walterianella tapuiae sp. nov. Scale bar 1 mm.

FIGURE 9. Lateral view of median lobe of aedeagus of male Oedionychina sampled in Malaise trap in the Parque Estadual Altamiro de Moura Pacheco, Goianápolis, Goiás, Brazil. A. Alagoasa burmeisteri; B. Omophoita mateusi sp. nov.; C. Paranaita opima; D. Walterianella tapuiae sp. nov. Scale bar 1 mm.