Bondariella mucugeana Bondar 1949

Bondariella mucugeana Bondar, 1949

(Figs. 1 C, 6)

Bondariella mucugeana Bondar, 1949: 208; Vaurie 1953: 28 (lectotype designation); Wibmer & O’Brien 1986: 316 (catalogue).

Male (Figs. 1 C, 6). Length of pronotum + elytra: 2.5–2.7mm (N=5). Integument (Fig. 1 C) reddish black; antennae and legs reddish brown, evidently lighter the remaining of the body; elytra completely or variously reddish black but darker at least on sutural interval and on base of remaining intervals; covered by narrow whitish spatulate scales, larger and denser on lateral region of thorax. Rostrum (Fig. 1 C) 0.8 times as long as pronotum, curved in lateral view. Antennae: antennal insertion premedian (0.4); scape 1.7 times as long as article I of funicle. Pronotum 1.3–1.4 times wider than long; disc with large and closely spaced punctures (distant by 0.5 times their own diameter); scales subequal in length throughout; median line not evident; collar not evident. Interprocoxal distance slightly shorter (0.9 times) than procoxal diameter. Femora and tibiae lacking comb of setae. Elytra 1.3– 1.4 times longer than wide; 2.0–2.2 times as long as pronotum; sutural interval with two rows of scales; remaining intervals with 2–3 rows of scales on base, becoming variously two rows toward apex. Abdominal tergites (Fig. 6 A): laterotergites subdivided into three smaller sclerites; median fissure complete, reaching distal margin of tergite IV; tergite IV with lateral and median spiculate patches on median sclerites; tergite VII with two rows of plectra, each with ten closely spaced plectra. Ventrites (Fig. 6 B): I–II combined 2.1–2.2 times as long as III–IV combined; ventrite I 1.2–1.4 times as long as ventrite II; ventrite V transversally oblong, 3.1–3.3 times wider than long, flat, distal margin rounded, lacking tufts of scales. Sternum VIII (Fig. 6 C): each sclerite trapezoidal, with six posteroventral setae. Spiculum gastrale (Fig. 6 D) 2.2 times as long as median lobe; stylus curved and relatively wide; furcal arms sclerotized, elongate, narrowed, not clavate, symmetrical. Tegmen (Fig. 6 E) sclerotized, 2.1 times as long as median lobe; dorsal parameroid lobes free (not connected medially on base), each parameroid lobe 0.6 times as long as median lobe, clothed with long setae on distal ½; ventral tegminal apodeme 0.7 times as long as median lobe, narrowed, elongate and reflexed dorsally. Aedeagus (Fig. 6 F): median lobe short and wide, 2.0 times longer than wide; apex acutely truncate; lateral margins large; sides sinuous; endophallus membranous, clothed with sparse spinules (larger medially), with an anterior pair of membranous bags bearing numerous denser spinules; ostium evident, distal; orificial plates larger, subtriangular. Apodemes of aedeagus 1.8 times as long as median lobe, not sclerotized on basal 1/3.

Female (Fig. 1 C). Length of pronotum + elytra: 2.4–2.6mm (N=3). Differs from male by generic characters of the rostrum, scrobe, antennal scape, interocular distance and ventrite II (cited above). In addition, by rostrum (Fig. 1 C) reddish brown, strongly curved; scrobe 0.2 times as long as rostrum; antennal insertion basal (0.1 times); scape shorter than article I of funicle (0.6 times); interprocoxal distance subequal to procoxal diameter. Body part ratios. Length rostrum/length pronotum: 0.9 times; pronotum width/length: 1.3–1.4 times; elytron length/width: 1.3–1.5 times; length elytron/length pronotum: 2.0–2.1 times; length ventrite I/length ventrite II: 1.4 times; length ventrites I+II/length ventrites III+IV: 3.3–3.4 times; ventrite V width/length: 3.1–3.2 times.

Etymology. Named by Bondar (1949) in reference to the locality Mucugê (Bahia, Brazil), the only one where B. mucugeana has so far been found.

Remarks. Bondariella mucugeana (Fig. 1 C) and B. ruschiana (Fig. 1 A) are the only species of Bondariella with the integument reddish black but evidently lighter (reddish brown) on antennae, legs and female rostrum but they can be distinguished each other by the characters discussed in remarks of B. ruschiana. Additionally, specimens of B. mucugeana with lighter integument on elytra can be similar to B. mimica (Fig. 2 A) but in B. mucugeana (Fig. 1 C) the body is dorsally covered by narrow whitish spatulate scales and the integument on legs and female rostrum is evidently lighter than that on abdomen, while in B. mimica the body is covered by large yellowish spatulate scales and the integument on legs and female rostrum is similar to that on abdomen. B. mucugeana is further distinguished from B. mimica and B. ruschiana by the abdominal tergites with three laterotergites and plectra closely spaced (Fig. 6 A), sternum VIII trapezoidal (Fig. 6 C), median lobe (Fig. 6 F) acutely truncate on the apex and with sides slightly sinuous. Finally, B. mucugeana is distributed in the Caatinga biome while B. ruschiana and B. mimica are distributed in the Atlantic Forest biome.

Natural history. Bondariella mucugeana is recorded from the Caatinga biome, from Mucugê, Bahia, Brazil. Adults were collected by Bondar on flowers of a palm with subterraneous stem, locally known as “coco de vaqueiro” and “coqueirinho da serra”, identified by Bondar (1949) only as Cocos sp. However, currently Cocos is monotypic (Cocos nucifera L.) since the remaining species were transferred to genus Syagrus and others (Glassman 1987, Henderson et al. 1995, Lorenzi et al. 2004). Also, “coco de vaqueiro” is cited as the vernacular name of Syagrus flexuosa (Mart.) Becc. (Glassman 1987, Lorenzi et al. 2004), so it is likely that the host palm of B. mucugeana is a species of Syagrus.

Material examined. Lectotype male deposited in AMNH: “Mucugê, Bahia,\ Brazil, Oct.1948 \ in Cocos 4601 [label 1], ♂ [label 2], Gregorio Bondar\ Collection\ David Rockefeller\ Donor [label 3], Lectotype \ Bondariella \ mucugeana \ Bondar\ P. Vaurie [label 4–rectangular, pink, print]”. Paralectotypes: “Mucuge [Mucugê], Bahia\ Brazil, Oct. 1948 [label 1], cotipo [label 2–rectangular, red, manuscript], Gregorio Bondar\ Collection\ David Rockefeller\ Donor [label 3]” (AMNH: 14♂ (1 dissected), 6♀).