Amphimela raydahensis Torkey & Dhafer, 2015, sp. nov.

Abstract

<i>Amphimela raydahensis</i> sp. nov. <p> <b>Type specimens:</b> HOLOTYPE ♂: “ Saudi Arabia, Asir Province, Abha, Garf Raydah, 18°11.749’N 42°23.345’E, Alt. 1614 m, 21.II.2014, LT, leg. Al Dhafer H., Fadl H., Abdel-Dayem M., El Gharbawy A., El Torkey A.” (KSMA).</p> <p>PARATYPES: Saudi Arabia, Asir, Abha, Garf Raydah, 18°11.884’N 42°24.435’E, 2387 m, 27.IV.2014, LT, leg. Al Dhafer H., Fadl H., Abdel-Dayem, M., El Gharbawy A., El Torkey A. (♂, KSMA); Saudi Arabia, Asir, Abha, Garf Raydah, 18°13.347’N 42°24.133’E, 2717 m, 27.IV.2014, LT, leg. Al Dhafer H., Fadl H., Abdel-Dayem M., El Gharbawy A., El Torkey A. (♂, KSMA); Saudi Arabia, Asir, Abha, Garf Raydah, 18°11.766’N 42°24.315’E, 2285 m, 27.IV.2014, LT, leg. Al Dhafer H., Fadl H., Abdel-Dayem M., El Gharbawy A., El Torkey A. (♀, KSMA).</p> <p> <b>Description</b>. Body shape sub-elliptical elongate (LB = 7.5 mm); reddish-brown with almost apical half of elytra, and humeral callus black (Fig. 3), clearly convex; maximum pronotal width at base (WP = 2.5 mm); maximum elytral width at basal half (WE = 3.3 mm).</p> <p>Head with frons and vertex very densely punctate (Fig. 9); orbital line obvious; interantennal space wider than length of first antennomere; eyes large, sub-elliptical; clypeus short, sub-rectangular; labrum sub-rectangular, with apical margin rounded; mandibles reddish-brown with apical points black; antennae filiform, reddish-brown, clearly shorter than body length (LAN = 2.97 mm; LAN/LB = 0.396 mm; LAN/(LE+LP) = 0.26 mm); length of antennomeres 0.38, 0.15, 0.2, 0.23, 0.28, 0.28, 0.28, 0.28, 0.28, 0.28, and 0.33 mm, respectively (right antenna).</p> <p>Pronotum slightly transverse (LP = 1.5 mm; WP/LP = 1.67 mm), clearly convex, basally slightly wider, with maximum width at base (WP = 2.5 mm); lateral margin bordered; anterior and posterior margins very finely bordered; anterior angles protruding; posterior angles slightly pointed (Fig. 14); densely punctate, with slightly larger and deeper punctures laterally than on disc. Scutellum triangular, with fine border, with fine punctures.</p> <p>Elytra reddish-brown, with apical half black (sometimes black band extended forward laterally near basal margin of elytra); slightly elongate (LE = 10 mm; LE/LP = 6.67 mm), slightly narrower from middle to apex, laterally moderately parallel, apically rounded, covering pygidium; elytral punctures striate, sparse and fine; intervals wide, with fine small micropunctures; humeral callus protruding.</p> <p>Legs reddish-brown, with dark reddish-brown claws; covered apically and basally by pubescence; tibiae, especially hind tibiae, dorsally moderately but not deeply channeled (Fig. 15); All tarsi with a pad of fine setae ventrally. Ventral surface reddish-brown; abdomen slightly convex, sparsely punctate and pubescent (LV 2.5 mm), last abdominal sternite bisinuate and truncate medially (Fig. 12). Median lobe of aedeagus in ventral view subparallel, with a slightly oval groove underside (LA 2.05 mm) and apically with acute rounded tip; in lateral view, median lobe slightly curved, (Figs. 16, 17 and 18).</p> <p> <b>Variability.</b> Paratypes similar in habitus and markings to the holotype. Measurements of two males (Fig. 5): LB = 6.45 & 6.85 mm; LP = 1.15 & 1.4 mm; WP = 2.45 & 2.5 mm; LE = 4.4 & 4.75 mm; WE = 3 & 3.3 mm; LV = 2.4 & 2.5 mm; LA = 1.8 & 2 mm). Some specimens slightly darker in colour (reddish brown). Females generally slightly smaller than males (measurements of female (Fig. 4): LB = 6.4 mm; LP = 1.3 mm; WP = 2.4 mm; LE = 4.6 mm; WE = 3.0 mm; LV = 2.5 mm (Fig. 13); LS = 0.74 mm). Spermatheca hook-shaped with well sclerotized duct (Fig. 19).</p> <p> <b>Distribution.</b> Southwestern Saudi Arabia (Garf Raydah Nature Reserve).</p> <p> <b>Habitat.</b> This species was collected by black light traps at different elevations (1,614-2,717 m a.s.l.). This area was dominated by <i>Juniperus procera</i> Hochst ex. Endl., <i>Olea europaea africana</i> (Burm.f.) Green, and <i>Opuntia ficus-indica</i> (L.) Miller (Figs. 2 a, b and c).</p> <p> <b>Etymology.</b> The species is named after the geographical location of the types.</p> <p> <b>Diagnosis.</b> The new species is most similar to two Afrotropical species, <i>A. citri</i> known from Ghana and <i>A. quadrinotata</i> described from Uganda, but can easily be distinguished by the following key.</p> <p> 1 Elytra reddish-brown, apical half black (Figs. 3, 4)......................................... <i>Amphimela raydahensis</i></p> <p>- Elytra with two or four reddish-brown spots................................................................2</p> <p> 2 Elytra bluish-black, with two large reddish-brown spots sub-basally behind humeral callus (Fig. 8). Body of moderate size, LB = 5.4 mm................................................................................ <i>Amphimela citri</i></p> <p> - Elytra bluish-green with four large reddish-brown spots (Fig. 7). Body small, LB = 3.3 mm........ <i>Amphimela quadrinotata</i></p>Published as part of <i>El Torkey, Ashraf M. & Al Dhafer, Hathal M., 2015, Amphimela raydahensis sp. nov. from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae: Alticini), pp. 430-440 in Zootaxa 4028 (3)</i> on pages 435-438, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4028.3.8, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/245254">http://zenodo.org/record/245254</a&gt