Mastostethus ruficauda (Forsberg, 1821) Bezděk, 2016

Bezděk, Jan, 2016, Identity of taxa proposed inClythra (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cryptocephalinae) by Carl Peter Forsberg (1821), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 56 (2), pp. 769-784 : 771

Mastostethus ruficauda (Forsberg, 1821) comb. nov.

( Figs 1–6 )

Clythra ruficauda Forsberg, 1821a: 261 , 274 (original description).

Type locality. ‘America meridionali’.

Type material examined. HOLOTYPE: spec. unsexed, ‘ Uppsala Univ.Zool. Mus. / Thunbergsaml.nr. 8230 / Typsaml. nr. 1580 / Clythra ruficauda Forsberg 1821 [r, p] // ruficauda. / 9 / Amer. merid. [box label, w, h]’ ( UUZM).

Distribution. South America ( FORSBERG 1821a).

Comments. Clythra ruficauda was usually classified as a possible synonym or variety of Anomoea laticlavia (Förster, 1771) (e.g. LACORDAIRE 1848, GEMMINGER & HAROLD 1874, JACOBY & CLAVAREAU 1906). However, the holotype is not representative of Clytrini but belongs to Megalopodidae . As it is characterized by a raised anterior part of the metasternum, it has to be transferred to the genus Mastostethus Lacordaire, 1845 .

The genus Mastostethus comprises of approximately 140 species distributed in South and Central America, but has never been revised. Based on the catalogues by JACOBY & CLAVAREAU (1905), CLAVAREAU (1913) and BLACKWELDER (1946) the morphologically most similar species are M. nigricollis Jacoby, 1904 (completely orange abdomen in M. ruficauda , while black with last ventrite pale in M. nigricollis ) and M. rufipennis (Mannerheim, 1826) (pronotum black with small orange spot in the middle near basal margin in M. ruficauda , completely black pronotum in M. rufipennis ). However, these differences may result from intraspecific variability, as the species of Mastostethus display a great variability in coloration. Nevertheless, I avoid to propose any new synonymy without study of the appropriate type material. Hence, I transfer Clythra ruficauda to Mastostethus as a valid species.

Figures

Figs 1–6. Mastostethus ruficauda (Forsberg, 1821) (holotype, 9.5 mm): 1 – dorsal habitus; 2 – lateral habitus; 3 – ventral habitus; 4 – frontal habitus; 5 – box label; 6 – label of holotype.