Paraclytra gambiensis ( Lacordaire, 1848 )

Bezděk, Jan & Kantner, František, 2010, Revision of the genus Paraclytra (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cryptocephalinae: Clytrini), with description of P. cervenkai sp. nov. from Sultanate of Oman, Zootaxa 2353, pp. 1-33 : 9-12

Paraclytra gambiensis ( Lacordaire, 1848)

( Figs. 6–7 , 19 , 30–31 , 41–42 )

Clythra notata Klug, 1835: 49 (partim)

Clythra gambiensis: Chevrolat, 1836: 417 (nomen nudum, attributed to Buquet); Chevrolat, 1837: 441 (nomen nudum, attributed to Buquet)

Clythra (Clythra) Gambiensis Lacordaire, 1848: 224 (original description, attributed to Buquet) ( Monrós, 1953: 49 incorrectly replaced Clythra notata Klug, 1853 nec Clythra notata Gebler, 1830 , now syn. of Labidostomis lucida , by Clythra gambiensis )

Clytra notata ab. gambiensis: Clavareau, 1913: 50 (catalogue)

Clythra (Clythra) notata: Lacordaire, 1848: 224

Paraclytra notata: Medvedev, 1978: 55 ( Ghana) ; Medvedev, 1980: 301 ( Ghana)

(see also P. sennariensis , P. signata and P. traegaordhi )

Type locality. Lacordaire (1848) described C. gambiensis under variety D of C. notata . The localities are stated together for all varieties of C. notata as „ Sénégal , des bords de la Gambie et du Sennaar“. We presume that specimens of C. gambiensis were collected in Gambia. However, due to designation of neotype, the type locality becomes „ Senegal , 3 km SSW of Toubakouta, 10 km S of Ziguinchor “.

Type material. Neotype 3 ( ZMHB), designated here, labelled: „ Senegal , 3 km SSW of Toubakouta / 10 km S Ziguinchor, 4.III.1977 / At light 19.00-22.00 / Loc. No. 16. UTM 28PCJ585782 [w, p] // Lund Univ. Syst. Dept. / Sweden.- Gambia / Senegal / Febr.- March 1977 / Cederholm-Danielsson- / Larsson-Norling- / Samuelsson [w, p] // Paraclytra / signata ssp. / sennariensis Lac. [h] / L. N. Medvedev det. 19 [p] 86 [w, h]“. The neotype is provided with one additional printed red label: „ NEOTYPUS / Clythra gambiensis / Lacordaire, 1848 / des. J. Bezdĕk & / F. Kantner 2009 [red label, p]“.

Additional material studied. 109 specimens — BENIN: 333 6ƤƤ, Dept. du Borgou, Saa env., Kandi, 22.vi.2001, F. & L. Kantner leg. ( FKCC); 233 2ƤƤ, Dept. L´Atakora, Tandafa env., ca 45 km N of Natitingou, 26.-27.vi.2001, F. & L. Kantner leg. ( FKCC); 1833 11ƤƤ, Dept. L´Atakora, Kerou env., ca 50 km NE of Natitingou, 23.-24.vi.2001, F. & L. Kantner leg. ( FKCC, 2 ex. in JBCB); 333 8ƤƤ, Brignamaro env., 11 km S of Kerou, 24.vi.2001, F. & L. Kantner leg. ( FKCC); 233 1Ƥ, Bembereke (Borgou), 105 km N of Parakou, 2.vii.2001, F. & L. Kantner leg. ( FKCC); 733 3ƤƤ, Dept. L´Atakora, Quari Maro, 50 km W of Parakou, 1.vii.2001, F. L. Kantner leg. ( FKCC). BURKINA FASO: 13, Ouagadougou, iii.1972, Bespard leg. ( ZMHB); 13 1Ƥ, Ouagadougou, without additional data ( ZMHB). CAMEROON: 13, Mandama, 14.- 26.xii.1979, Wypr. SKNB leg. ( FKCC). GAMBIA: 2ƤƤ, Tendaba, 24.-27.vii.2003, B. Voříšek leg. ( FKCC); 1Ƥ, between Serrekunda and Kololi Point, 12.ix.1984, Blech leg. ( FKCC); 1Ƥ, Bamba Forest ca 4 km NNW of Brikama Road Junction, 24.ii.1977, Cederholm, Danielsson, Larsson, Mireström, Norling & Samuelsson leg. ( ZMHB); 1Ƥ, Outside Abuko Nature Reserve at Waterworks, in and at Lamin Stream, 25.-26.ii.1977, Cederholm, Danielsson, Larsson, Norling & Samuelsson leg. ( ZMHB). GHANA: 13, Northern region, Tamale, 9°25´N 0°53´W, 200 m, S. Endrödy-Younga leg. ( HMNH). GUINEA: 1Ƥ, Kouroussa, 21.ii.1996, on Hymenocardia acida, Lange leg. ( ZMHB). GUINEA-BISSAU: 2ƤƤ, Bocan, without additional data ( BMNH); 13, Chime, Rio Géba, 1906, G. Favarel leg. ( USNM). MALI: 1Ƥ, Sikasso, v.1968, Verner leg. ( FKCC). NIGERIA: 2ƤƤ, Zaria, 7.vii.1931, F. D. Golding leg. ( BMNH); 13 1Ƥ, same data, but 8.vii.1931 ( BMNH); 13, Azare, 1925, L. Lloyd leg. ( BMNH); 3ƤƤ, same data, but 1928-1929 ( BMNH); 1Ƥ, Kano distr., vii.1952, W. E. S. Merrett leg. ( BMNH). SENEGAL : 1Ƥ, Bambey, ix.1939, J. Risbec leg. ( BMNH); 13 1Ƥ, same data but, 3.-9.x.1939 ( BMNH); 233 2ƤƤ, same data but, 9.-12.x.1939 ( BMNH); 1Ƥ, same data but, 1943 ( BMNH); 233 1Ƥ, Richard-Toll, 15.ix.1951, J. Appert leg. ( BMNH). TOGO: 1Ƥ, Mangu, ix.1901, G. Thierry leg. ( ZMHB). NOT PRECISE OR UNCERTAIN LOCALITY: 233 4ƤƤ, Gold Coast, Yapi, 1916, J. J. Simpson leg. ( BMNH); 13, Sudan, Gash delta, 26.iii.1931, H. K. Bedford leg. ( BMNH).

Description. Coloration very variable. Head orange with black vertex, paler specimens with head completely orange. Apices of mandibles black. Antennomeres 1 to 4 orange, antennomeres 5 to 6 (or to 7) usually black with orange bases or antennae black, the rest of antennomeres completely black. Pronotum orange, usually with three black spots (one median, two lateral) of variable size. In some specimens, the median spot is divided into a small anterior spot and a larger posterior one. Paler specimens with pronotum completely orange, dark specimens sometimes with spots connected and covering most of pronotal disc except the orange margins. Scutellum completely black, rarely with brownish anterolateral angles. Elytra orange, usually with a black humeral spot, one spot at the first third near suture and a black postmedian band not touching lateral margin of elytra and suture. Paler specimens with the black marking smaller. Two anterior spots are often connected in darker specimens as well as the postmedian band is broader, touching lateral margin of elytra and connected in the suture. Some dark specimens have also an additional black apical spot on each elytron. Prosternum completely orange or black with orange anterior half; meso-, metasternum and abdomen black. Legs black with brownish knees, tarsi usually brownish (sometimes only the last two tarsomeres brown). Some specimens have fore tibia brown with a large black stripe on the outer side.

Measurements. Males: 7.10–9.60 mm (neotype: 7.85 mm); females: 7.75–10.40 mm.

Male ( Figs. 6–7 ). Labrum transverse, anterior margin widely shallowly incised. Head lustrous, the anterior part of the head and vertex covered with fine punctures, frons with larger punctures. Hairs on the anterior part of the head and frons short and fine, more distinct along the inner margins of the eyes, vertex covered with long dense pale hairs. Frons broad, 2.35–2.40 times as wide as the diameter of the eye, with a round shallow impression in the middle. Antennomere 1 moderately clavate, antennomere 4 triangular, antennae distinctly serrated from segment 5.

Prothorax transverse, 1.60–1.65 times as wide as long, widest at two thirds, moderately convex, covered with very fine, almost indistinct punctures, lustrous. Lateral margins moderately rounded, anterior margin nearly straight, posterior margin slightly rounded, thickened in the scutellar area, distinctly sinuated before the thickening. Anterior angles rectangular with shortly rounded tip, posterior ones nearly rectangular, widely rounded, all angles with pore bearing long pale seta. All margins bordered, except the middle part of anterior margin where the border disappears. Scutellum subtriangular with rounded apex, lustrous, covered with very fine punctures, laterally with punctures more distinct and with pale hairs.

Elytra cylindrical, 1.85–1.95 times as long as wide at humeral part, glabrous, lustrous, densely covered with small fine confused punctures dissappearing in elytral apices.

Tarsi short and broad. First protarsomere short, 1.20 times as broad as long, 0.50 times as long as the two following tarsomeres combined.

Aedeagus very characteristic, with triangularly dilated alae ( Fig. 19 ).

Female. Tarsi narrower. Spermatheca and rectal sclerites as in Figs. 30–31 , 41–42 .

Differential diagnosis. Paraclytra gambiensis is well characterised by the triangularly dilated alae of aedeagus ( Fig. 19 ). The coloration is variable but normally coloured specimens with three black spots on pronotum cannot be confused with any other Paraclytra . Paler specimens with completely orange pronotum are similar to East African and Arabian species ( P. sennariensis , P. crocata and P. cervenkai sp. nov.). Dark specimens with extended and connected black pattern on pronotum are similar to the dark forms of P. sennariensis and can be identified by the structure of the aedeagus ( Figs. 19 , 22–24 ).

Distribution. Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal . The record from Sudan (1 male deposited in BMNH) needs verification.

Comments. Paraclytra gambiensis was described together with P. sennariensis under variety D of Clytra notata and was separated from other varieties by completely orange head and pronotum and elytra with a black marking not touching lateral margins of elytra ( Lacordaire, 1848). Lacordaire´s concept of P. notata is evidently erroneous. In the general description he mentions that the pronotum has three black spots (one median, two lateral). Moreover, under variety B (pronotum without black markings) he writes that this variety was described by Klug as P. n o t a t a. Neither the general description of P. notata nor the description of variety B ( Lacordaire, 1848) fit the original description of P. notata where the basal black band on pronotum is clearly stated ( Klug 1835). It is evident that Lacordaire´s concept of P. n o t a t a does not refer to true Klug´s P. notata but rather to the another West African species with triangularly extended alae on the aedeagus: Paraclytra gambiensis .

Monrós (1953) found that Clythra notata Klug, 1835 is a homonym and, following Lacordaire´s arrangement of P. notata , replaced it by P. gambiensis . We believe that the replacement of P. notata by P. gambiensis was an incorrect act. No specimen of P. notata known to us has completely orange pronotum. On the other hand, specimens with completely orange pronotum and black elytral spots not touching lateral margins of elytra relatively frequently occurs in P. gambiensis . Unfortunately, the deposition of the type material of P. gambiensis is unknown to us, despite the fact that we tried to discover it in all institutions where the parts of Lacordaire´s collection are deposited. To definitely clarify the status Paraclytra gambiensis we decided to designate a neotype. Because all available specimens from Gambia are females, we chose a male from Senegal , a closely adjacent country. The neotype is a pale male with completely orange pronotum and reduced black markings on elytra ( Fig. 6 ).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Habitus of Paraclytra, males. 1 — P. cervenkai sp. nov. (paratype, Sultanate of Oman: Taqah, 7.85 mm); 2 — P. crocata (Saudi Arabia: Fifa, 7.70 mm); 3 — P. crocata (Saudi Arabia: Taif, 7.95 mm); 4 — P. crocata (Yemen: Hammam Ali, 7.05 mm); 5 — P. elegans (paratype, Namibia: Namuskluft, 7.25 mm); 6 — P. gambiensis (neotype, Senegal: Toubakouta-Ziguinchor, 7.85 mm).

FIGURES 7 – 12. Habitus of Paraclytra, males. 7 — P. gambiensis (Benin: Kerou, 8.25 mm); 8 — P. intersecta (Benin: Bembereke, 8.10 mm); 9 — P. minuta (Cameroon: Buar, 6.20 mm); 10 — P. sennariensis (Yemen: Lahij, 7.15 mm); 11 — P. sennariensis (Djibouti: Randa, 7.55 mm); 12 — P. sennariensis (Sudan: Kussa, 7.70 mm).

FIGURES 16 – 19. Aedeagus of Paraclytra (a—dorsal view, b—lateral view, c—ventral view). 16 — P. cervenkai sp. nov.; 17 — P. c ro c a t a; 18 — P. elegans; 19 — P. gambiensis. Scale bar 1 mm.

FIGURES 30 – 33. Spermatheca of Paraclytra. 30 — P. gambiensis (paralectotype of P. notata); 31 — P. gambiensis; 32 — P. intersecta; 33 — P. m i n u t a. Scale bar 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 41 – 43. Rectal sclerites of Paraclytra (a—dorsal view, b—ventral view). 41 — P. gambiensis (paralectotype of P. notata); 42 — P. gambiensis; 43 — P. intersecta.

FIGURES 20 – 23. Aedeagus of Paraclytra (a—dorsal view, b—lateral view, c—ventral view). 20 — P. intersecta; 21 — P. minuta; 22 — P. sennariensis (lectotype, Sudan: Sennar); 23 — P. sennariensis (paralectotype of P. rufitarsis, „ Arabie “). Scale bar 1 mm.

FIGURES 24 – 26. Aedeagus of Paraclytra (a—dorsal view, b—lateral view, c—ventral view). 24 — P. sennariensis (paratype of P. signata ssp. aethiopica, Eritrea: Cheren); 25 — P. signata (lectotype of P. notata, Senegal); 26 — P. traegaordhi. Scale bar 1 mm.