Revision of the Afrotropical flea beetle subgenus Blepharidina s. str. Bechyné (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae) Author Iannella, Paola D’Alessandro Mattia Author Biondi, Maurizio text Zootaxa 2019 2019-01-16 4545 1 journal volume 27649 10.11646/zootaxa.4545.1.2 d8036fa9-32eb-4c5f-bdb2-428d22250ea8 1175-5326 2618635 1D2EC333-517D-4FC1-A0AA-61EDD8BE8BEE Blepharidina matabelelandensis sp. nov. ( Figs 14 , 24 , 50 , 61 , 69 ) urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 642DEF0E-0B5B-4B50-9373-708721B6B9A5 Type material . Holotype ♂ : “ Zimbabwe , 50 km S of Bulawayo ( 20°33'S 28°36'E ), Matobo Nat. Park , 3– 5.xii.1995 , S. Bečvář leg.” ( BAQ ) . Paratype . ZIMBABWE : Lonely ( Lonely Mine , 19°30'S 28°45'E ), H. Swale leg., 1 ♀ ( BMNH ) . Diagnosis . Blepharidina matabelelandensis sp. nov. shows clear affinities with B. himba sp. nov. These two species share similar size, habitus, color pattern ( Figs 7 , 14 ), and a very slender aedeagus with laterally widely rounded apical part in ventral view ( Figs 43 , 50 ). B. matabelelandensis sp. nov. can be easily distinguishable from B. himba sp. nov. by the: darker integuments; different arrangement of the pronotal punctures, with three lateral groups and a small basal medial group (two lateral groups and an elongate medial group in B. himba sp. nov. ) ( Figs 21, 24 ); aedeagus in ventral view fusiform from base to subapical part (clearly tapered in B. himba sp. nov. ) ( Figs 43 , 50 ). Description of the holotype ( ♂ ). Body elliptical-elongate, rather convex ( Fig. 14 ); LB = 7.88 mm ; maximum pronotal width (WP = 3.13 mm ) in basal third; maximum elytral width (WE = 4.25 mm ) in middle. Head brown with pale clypeus and labrum; antennae yellowish; pronotum with several yellow patches, and brown and black areas; elytra mostly blackish, with numerous yellow patches on interstriae; legs brown, with paler tarsi. Head distinctly pubescent, roughly and densely punctate; frontal grooves short, distinctly impressed near upper ocular margin; frontal tubercles small, paler than head, weakly raised; interantennal space distinctly wider than length of first antennomere; interocular space wider than transverse ocular width; antennae slightly longer than half body length (LAN = 4.50 mm ; LAN/LB = 0.57); LA: 100:40:79:84:105:90:95:87:79:76:84. Pronotum ( Fig. 24 ) subrectangular, moderately transverse (LP = 1.81 mm ; WP/LP = 1.72), with clearly sinuate lateral margin; anterior margin slightly thicker than basal margin, and clearly sinuate laterally; anterior angles distinctly prominent laterally; pronotal surface with lines and groups of differently sized punctures, with no striae of punctures in middle; pronotal base with two lateral, distinctly impressed, longitudinal striae. Scutellum brown, subrounded, moderately elongate. Elytra moderately elongate (LE = 6.13 mm ; WE/LE = 0.69; LE/LP = 3.38), subparallel laterally, jointly rounded and entirely covering pygidium posteriorly; punctation deeply impressed, arranged in 9 (+ 1 scutellar) regular rows; interstriae distinctly carinate laterally and posteriorly. First pro- and mesotarsomeres distinctly dilated; tarsal claws bifid. Ventral parts brown; last abdominal ventrite without distinctive preapical impressions. Aedeagus (LAED = 3.59 mm ; LE/LAED = 1.70) ( Fig. 50 ) in ventral view fusiform from base to subapical part; apical part widely rounded, with a median tooth; ventral sulcus deep, open towards basal part; in lateral view, aedeagus straight in basal 2/3s, then distinctly curved dorsally, with apex ventrally bent; dorsal ligula connected to about apical fourth, with slightly carinate basal surface. FIGURES 50–54. Blepharidina s. str. species aedeagus, from left to right in ventral, dorsal, and lateral view: 50, B . matabelelandensis sp. nov. , holotype; 51, B . ornaticollis (Jacoby) , from Ramisi River, Kenya; 52, B . partita (Jacoby) , from Solwezi, Zambia; 53, B . picta (Kolbe) , from Mikindani, Tanzania; 54, B . regalini sp. nov. , holotype. FIGURES 55–67. Blepharidina s. str. species spermatheca: 55, B . burtli (Bryant) , lectotype; 56, B . carinata (Bryant) , paralectotype from Angola; 57, B . delineata (Bryant) , lectotype; 58, B . guttulata (Baly) lectotype; 59, B . intermedia (Jacoby) , from Bagamoyo, Tanzania; 60, B . macarthuri (Bryant) , from Usambara, Tanzania; 61, B . matabelelandensis sp. nov. , paratype from Lonely, Zimbabwe; 62, B . ornaticollis (Jacoby) , from Ramisi River, Kenya; 63, B . partita (Jacoby) , from Huila region, Angola; 64, ditto, from Democratic Republic of The Congo; 65, B . picta (Kolbe) , from Lindi region, Tanzania; 66, B . regalini sp. nov. , paratype from Taveta, Kenya; 67, B . rudeli (Weise) , lectotype. Variation . Paratype (female) similar in shape, sculpture and color to the holotype . Tarsi not dilated. Spermatheca ( Fig. 61 ) with piriform, thick, very sclerotized basal part; distal part short and thin, clearly bent; ductus apically inserted, very thick, with S-shaped distal part. Morphometry in Appendix 2. Etymology . The female specific epithet is after Matabeleland , the Zimbabwe region where the species was collected. Distribution . Zimbabwe ( Fig. 69 ). Possibly Central Afrotropical (CAT) chorotype. Ecological notes . Not available. The collection site falls within the area of Miombo & Associated Broadleaf Savanna (belonging to the Tropical Lowland Grassland, Savanna & Shrubland formation).