A new species of Mylabris Fabricius, 1775 (Coleoptera, Meloidae) from the southeastern region of the Iberian Peninsula

Abstract

We describe a new species of Mylabris Fabricius, 1775, from the mountains of the southeastern region of the Iberian Peninsula (Macizo de la Sagra and surrounding areas, Province of Granada, Spain). Mylabris deferreri sp. nov. is included within the subgenus Micrabris based on the presence of a bell-shaped pronotum, smoothly convex, without anterior transverse depression; black tegument; mesosternal plate with a marked smooth and shiny central “shield”; aedeagus with the median lobe showing two subequal ventral hooks, clearly separated from the apex. Within the Iberian fauna of Micrabris, Mylabris deferreri is phenetically similar to M. varians, M. dejeani, and M. platai. These four species are characterized by a particular elytral basis, displaying very dense and fine shallow punctures, little marked, covered by very short and dense straight pubescence. Mylabris varians is likely related to M. deferreri, both sharing a similar structure of the male anterior tibiae. These two taxa differ by the shape of the male genitalia and the elytral coloration pattern. Mylabris deferreri is one of the three species of the tribe Mylabrini endemic to relatively high elevation areas of the Betic Mountains of southern Spain.