Sennius margarete sp. nov.

(Figure 4 A–Q)

Description

Dimension. Length (Pronotum–elytra) 2.46–3.32 mm. Width 1.52–2.08 mm.

Integument colour. Head, thorax, abdomen, pygidium and legs light brown to black (Figure 4 A–L). Maxillary and labial palps dark brown. Hind legs and antennae light to dark brown. Anterior and middle legs light brown (Figure 4B, F, J).

Pubescence. Head with dense tuft of light yellow pubescence posterior to postocular lobe, remainder of head with moderately dense pubescence. Labrum with scattered golden pubescence, slightly denser at apex (Figure 4C, G, K). Pronotum with moderately dense yellow and golden pubescence (Figure 4A, E, I). Scutellum with dense white pubescence (Figure 4A, E, I). Elytron intermixed with light yellow and golden pubescence homogeneously distributed, sometimes in moderately dense to dense tufts at base of third to seventh striae intervals (Figure 4A, E, I). Pygidium with moderately dense light yellow pubescence, often with denser tuft at middle-basal (Figure 4D, H, L). Ventral surface with light yellow pubescence denser at base of mesepimeron, posterior margin of metepisternum, and distal region of hind coxa (Figure 4B, F, J).

Head with coarse punctuations except at midline of frons, with fine punctuations; labrum smooth; convex frons, frontal carina and transverse sulcus absent; ocular sinus deep, more than half eye length (Figure 4C, G, K). First and third antenna segments filiform, second and fourth moniliform, fifth to tenth wider than long, and eleventh globose with pointed apex (Figure 4B, F, J). Pronotum moderately convex, disc slightly sulcate at basal lobe (Figure 4A, E, I). Scutellum subquadrate, slightly wider than long (Figure 4A, E, I). Base of fourth and fifth striae of elytron with denticles (Figure 4M). Hind femur on ventral margin near the apex with very prominent tooth (0.06–0.1 mm) microserrate (Figure 4N). Hind tibia with lateroventral carina about half its length (Figure 4O), lateral, dorsomesal, and ventral carinae long, ending near the coronal denticles (Figure 4N, O); mucro about the same length as coronal denticles (Figure 4N, O). Last abdominal ventrite of male emarginate at middle, rounded in female. Pygidium not concealed by elytra, lateral margins slightly curved; apex rounded in male, apex more acuminate in female (Figure 4B, D, F, H, J, L).

Male genitalia. Median lobe about 5.4 times longer than its width at middle, expanded at apex, ventral valve triangular with lateral margins straight, apex slightly truncate; hinge sclerites long, slender, almost straight; internal sac trilobate, basal region near ventral valve with two small dense clusters of spicules, submedian region with dense spicules forming irregular sclerotized areas that extend along lateral sides, middle, and apical regions of the internal sac, more intense on lateral lobes (Figure 4P). Tegmen with lateral lobes separated by deep emargination, about 0.7 times the length of lateral lobes (Figure 4Q).

Type material

Holotype, allotype and 10 paratypes deposited in DZUP with labels: “ Brazil, RJ- Teresópolis | P.N. Serra dos Órgãos | VI / 2006 | J.H. Viana col.” “ Em | Senna neglecta | var. oligophylla ”. Five paratypes with the same label as the holotype, deposited in each museum: MZSP, MNRJ, TAMU, USNM, FSCA, CEAM and CNCI.

Additional specimens

BRAZIL: Rio de Janeiro: Teresópolis: P.N. Serra dos Órgãos, VI / 2006, J.H. Viana col., in Senna neglecta var. oligophylla, 70 specimens (DZUP); 09 / VI / 2006, same collector and host plant, 3 specimens (DZUP); 22 / VIII / 2006, same collector and host plant, 16 specimens (DZUP); 05 / IX / 2006, same collector and host plant, 11 specimens (DZUP); 02 / V / 2007, same collector and host plant, 3 specimens (DZUP); 02 / VIII / 2007, same collector and host plant, 5 specimens (DZUP); 15 / VIII / 2007, same collector and host plant, 1 specimen (DZUP); 17 / VIII / 2007, same collector and host plant, 1 specimen (DZUP); 22 / VIII / 2007, same collector and host plant, 3 specimens (DZUP); 29 / VIII / 2007, same collector and host plant, 1 specimen (DZUP). Paraná: Curitiba: 1997, Bobato col., in Senna neglecta var. neglecta, 1 specimen (DZUP); 12 / VI / 1997, C.S. Ribeiro-Costa col., no host plant, 17 specimens (DZUP); VI / 1998, same collector, in Senna neglecta var. neglecta, 8 specimens (DZUP); 16 / VI / 1998, same collector and host plant, 4 specimens (DZUP); 15 / VI / 1998, same collector and host plant, 1 specimen (DZUP); Centro Politécnico, 29 / II / 2008, same collector and host plant, 8 specimens (DZUP); Ed Física – UFPR, 24 / IV / 2008, same collector and host plant, 2 specimens (DZUP); 27 / VI / 2008, same collector and host plant, 3 specimens (DZUP).

Distribution

Brazil (Rio de Janeiro, Paraná).

Host plant

Fabaceae: Caesalpinioideae: Senna neglecta var. oligophylla, S. neglecta var. neglecta.

Discussion

Sennius margarete sp. nov. differs mainly by the pubescence of elytra usually evenly distributed, dense hair bands when present only at base (Figure 4 A–L), and median lobe with nearly straight hinge sclerites (Figure 4P). Unlike Sennius bondari and Sennius nappi, which belong to the abbreviatus group, this species belongs to the fallax group of Sennius, composed of Sennius fallax (Boheman 1839), Sennius auricomus Johnson and Kingsolver 1973 (subgroup 1), Sennius alticola (Sharp, 1885), Sennius chalcodermus Johnson and Kingsolver 1973, Sennius discolor (Horn 1873), and Sennius atripectus Johnson and Kingsolver 1973 (subgroup 2), with particular resemblance to species of the last subgroup, sharing characters of the male genitalia, such as spicules distributed almost throughout the entire internal sac. Within subgroup 2 it is more similar to Sennius atripectus because both share the same distribution pattern of sclerites in internal sac, differing mainly by the shapes of the hinge sclerites (almost straight in Sennius margarete sp. nov., curved in Sennius atripectus) and shapes of the ventral valve (truncate at the apex in Sennius margarete sp. nov., rounded in Sennius atripectus).

Etymology

The specific name “ margarete ” is in honour of Professor Margarete de Macedo Monteiro, for her great professional and personal contribution in instructing J.H. Viana. This is a noun in apposition, gender feminine.