Lalagetes sarkae Borovec & Skuhrovec 2018, sp. nov.

Lalagetes sarkae sp. nov.

(Figs 3C, 7A–F)

Type locality. South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal, Ithala Game Reserve, 27°30′ S, 31°20′ E.

Type material. Holotype: ♂, R. S. Africa [South Africa], Natal [KwaZulu-Natal]: Itala [Ithala] Game Reserve, 27°30′ S / 31°20′ E, 27.-29.i.1994, leg. U. Göllner (TMSA). Paratypes: 10 ♂ ♀, the same data as holotype (MFNB, TMSA); 1 spec., RSA (NE) [South Africa, North East], KwaZulu-Natal, Ubombo Mountain Nat. Res., 27.6100 S / 32.0802 E, 30.11. 2012, 110 m, beating, leg. R. Ruta (MNHW).

Description (Figs 3C, 7A–F). Body length males 2.00– 2.06 mm, females 2.25–2.38 mm, holotype 2.06 mm. Body (Fig. 7A) dark brownish; antennae and legs paler, reddish brown, only apical half of clubs dark brownish. Elytra with large, rounded, appressed isolated scales, indistinctly longitudinally striate, in males 3, in females 4 across width of one interval; pronotum and head with rostrum with similar, but slightly smaller appressed scales, distinctly longitudinally striate. Perpendicularly erect elytral setae slender, lancet-shaped, pointed apicad, at midlength distinctly narrower than diameter of one appressed scale, distance between two setae shorter length of one seta, in odd intervals longer than in even ones, in males almost twice as long as width of one interval, in females distinctly longer than width of one interval; pronotum and head with rostrum with distinctly shorter setae than those on elytra, slightly wider; scapes and outer side of femora and tibiae with subspatulate, moderately long whitish setae, scapes with semiappressed, tibiae with semierect setae. Body vestiture greyish white with weak pearly sheen, with wide light to darker brownish transverse stripe at inner 6 intervals at elytral midlength and more slender and shorter stripe at posterior declivity and two wide, indistinct longitudinal stripes at pronotal disc, sometimes hardly distinct.

Rostrum (Figs 7A–C) in males 1.17–1.18, in females 1.20–1.25 × as wide as long, widest at base, in both sexes at base 1.04–1.08 × as wide as at apex, with straight sides. Epifrons wide, widest at base, weakly tapered anteriad with slightly concave sides; when cleared of scales slightly shallowly depressed, matt, laterally edged with narrow carina and with slender median longitudinal carina, interrupted at middle by shallow fovea. Vertex finely longitudinally striate at anterior half. Antennal scrobes dorsally narrowly pit-shaped at anterior third.

Antennae (Fig. 7A) with scape distinctly enlarged apicad, at apex 1.2 × as wide as club. Segments 1 and 2 slender, long, conical; segment 1 2.0–2.2 × as long as wide and 1.2 × as long as segment 2, which is 2.7–3.0 × as long as wide; segment 3 1.9–2.1 × as long as wide; segments 4 and 5 1.1 × as long as wide; segment 6 1.2 × as long as wide. Club 1.9–2.0 × as long as wide.

Pronotum in males 1.69–1.71, in females 1.75–1.80 × as wide as long.

Elytra in males 1.09–1.15, in females 1.04–1.10 × as long as wide; when cleared of scales with striae shallow, with separated fine punctures.

Legs (Figs 7A, D). Tarsal segment 2 isodiametric; segment 3 1.2–1.3 × as wide as long and 1.4–1.5 × as wide as segment 2; onychium 1.1 × as long as segment 3.

Male genitalia (Figs 3C, 7E). Penis medium sized, weakly longer than metatarsus, ventrally widest at apical fifth and at base, along the whole length with distinctly concave sides, apex subtriangular, tip rounded. Penis in lateral view weakly curved, almost regularly tapered apicad. Temones 1.5 × as long as penis.

Female genitalia. Gonocoxites with very small and indistinct apical styli, about isodiametric. Sternite VIII with apodeme 4.5 × as long as plate, plate isodiametric, subtriangular. Spermatheca (Fig. 7F) with large subtriangular corpus, ramus short and wide, inconspicuous, nodulus perpendicular to it, long and straight, tube-shaped, about 3 × as long as wide.

Biology. Unknown.

Distribution. South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal (Fig. 4).

Derivation of name. The second author cordially dedicates this new species to his wife Šárka, for her support in his work and life. Without her understanding and amazing food services due to his health problems, he is not able to concetrate so easily and work hard in such a huge insect world.

Differential diagnosis. This is the only Lalagetes species with 6-segmented antennal funicles.