Serraphula puncticollis Bryant, 1944

Biondi, Maurizio & D’Alessandro, Paola, 2010, Revision of the Afrotropical flea beetle genus Serraphula Jacoby and description of Bechynella, a new genus from Western and Central Africa (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Alticinae), Zootaxa 2444, pp. 1-44 : 24-25

Serraphula puncticollis Bryant, 1944 ( Figs 16 , 22 , 28 , 41 , 47 )

Serraphula puncticollis Bryant, 1944: 823 -824, Figs 7–7 a.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA, Eastern Cape Province, Pondoland, Port St. John [31°38’S 29°33’E], ix.1923 (510), R.E. Turner leg., lectotype 3 (Biondi M. and P. D’Alessandro des.) ( BMNH); ditto, 2 3 (paralectotypes) ( BMNH); ditto, 15-31.viii.1923 (463), 1 3 (paralectotype) ( BMNH). A lectotype is designated for S. puncticollis because the description of this species was based on multiple syntypes.

MORPHOLOGICAL REMARKS. Body shape elliptical, slightly elongate, moderately convex, with pronotum large and weakly convex. Dorsal integument light brown, with metallic reflection; antennae yellowish, with pale proximal segments. Legs partially darkened but not hind femora and hind tibiae, always yellowish. Hind tibiae externally curved. Apical spur of hind tibiae slightly longer than hind tibial length (LHT/ LHTS = 0.92 ± 0.08), apically slightly internally curved; dorsal furrow moderately enlarged but slightly narrowed in distal 3/4s; denture densely and regularly formed by small teeth. First anterior and middle tarsomeres weakly dilated, with adhesive structures on ventral side (cf. Figs 77, 79, 81–82 ). Last abdominal sternite without special preapical impressions. Median lobe of aedeagus in ventral view medially slightly narrowed and apically moderately rounded, with a scarcely evident median small tooth; ventral sulcus not visible; in lateral view, median lobe thickset, medially clearly bent and apically narrowed and straight; dorsal sulcus visible in apical third; dorsal ligula sub-triangular, apically truncate. Female unknown.

VARIATION. 3 (n = 4; mean and standard deviation): LE = 1.40 ± 0.11 mm; WE = 0.98 ± 0.13 mm; LP = 0.52 ± 0.02 mm; WP = 0.72 ± 0.04 mm; LAN = 1.71 ± 0.12 mm; LAED = 0.72 ± 0.04 mm; LB = 1.88 ± 0.15 mm; LE/LP = 2.71 ± 0.13; WE/WP = 1.36 ± 0.11; WP/LP = 1.40 ± 0.04; LE/LAED = 1.94 ± 0.06; LAN/ (LE+LP) = 0.89 ± 0.05; LHT/LHTS = 0.92 ± 0.08.

DISTRIBUTION. Republic of South Africa (eastern coastal area of Eastern Cape Province). Southern- Eastern African chorotype (SEA) (cf. Biondi & D’Alessandro, 2006).

ECOLOGICAL NOTES. No information about its host plant is available for this species. Biome: Forest (cf. Rutherford & Westfall, 1994). Veld type: Coastal Forest and Thornveld (cf. Acocks, 1988).

Figures

FIGURE 22. Geographical distribution of: Serraphula audisiana sp. n.; S. bulirschi sp. n.; S. colonnellii sp. n.; S. elongata Jacoby; S. mpumalangaensis sp. n.; S. natalensis sp. n.; S. puncticollis Bryant; S. wittmeri sp. n.

FIGURES 13 – 16. Habitus of: S. natalensis sp. n. (13); S. oberprieleri sp. n. (14); S. osellai sp. n. (15); S. puncticollis Bryant (16).

FIGURES 23 – 30. Morphological characters in Serraphula Jacoby: apical spur of hind tibiae of S. aenea Jacoby (23); ibidem S. audisiana sp. n. (24); ibidem S. elongata Jacoby (25); ibidem S. monticola sp. n. (26); ibidem S. osellai sp. n. (27); ibidem S. puncticollis Bryant (28); metafemoral spring of S. elongata Jacoby (29); head of S. elongata Jacoby (30).

FIGURES 37 – 42. Head and pronotum of Serraphula Jacoby: S. duplessisi sp. n. (37); S. grobbelaariae sp. n. (38); S. oberprieleri sp. n. (39); S. osellai sp. n. (40); S. puncticollis Bryant (41); S. wittmeri sp. n. (42).

FIGURES 43 – 60. Median lobe of aedeagus of Serraphula Jacoby; lateral, ventral and dorsal view: S. elongata, Eastern Cape Province, Southwell area (43 a); S. elongata, Eastern Cape Province, nr Thornhill (43 b); S. colonnelii, Kwazulu- Natal, Ifafa Mouth (44); S. debiasei, Eastern Cape Province, 4 km S Barkly Pass (45); S. uysi, Transvaal, Palala (46); S. puncticollis, Eastern Cape Province, Port St. John (47); S. natalensis, KwaZulu-Natal, Blesberg (48); S. oberprieleri, Zimbabwe, Bunga Forest (49); S. mpumalangaensis, Mpumalanga, Houtenbek Farm, Macabelel Lodge (50); S. alticola, Mpumalanga, Mount Sheba area (51); S. audisiana, Kwazulu-Natal, Ngele Forest (52); S. aenea, Mashonaland (53); S. drakensbergensis, Kwazulu-Natal, Cathedral Peak (54); S. grobbelaariae, Mpumalanga, Houtenbek Farm, Boskrans Dam (55); S. duplessisi, Limpopo, Entabeni Forest Reserve, Soutpansberg (56); S. bulirschi, Kwazulu-Natal, Ntendeka Wilderness Area, Ngomi Forest (57); S. transvaalensis, Eastern Transvaal, Nelshoogte Pass (58); S. osellai, Kwazulu- Natal, Ngele Forest (59); S. wittmeri, Limpopo, Branddraai (60).

FIGURES 5 – 8. Habitus of: S. colonnellii sp. n. (5); S. debiasei sp. n. (6); S. drakensbergensis sp. n. (7); S. duplessisi sp. n. (8).

FIGURES 77 – 82. Ventral side of first anterior and middle tarsomeres in male and female of Serraphula elongata Jacoby: male with differentiated adhesive structure (77, 79, 81 – 82); female without differentiated adhesive structure (78, 80).