Paraclytra minuta (Medvedev, 1971)

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 : 13-14

Paraclytra minuta (Medvedev, 1971)

( Figs. 9 , 21 , 33 , 44 )

Clytra minuta Medvedev, 1971a: 23 (original description) Paraclytra minuta: Medvedev, 1971b: 656

Type locality. „ Cameroon: Uam region, Bosum“.

Type material. Holotype Ƥ ( ZMHB), labelled: „Uamgebiet / Bosum 11.-20.6. / 14 Tessmann S. [blue label, p] // Holotypus [p] Clytra [h] / minuta L. Medv. [red label, h]“. Paratypes: 13 3ƤƤ ( ZMHB), labelled: „Uamgebiet / Bosum 11.-20.6. / 14 Tessmann S. [blue label, p] // PARATYPUS, / Clytra / minuta Medvedev, 1971 / des. J. Bezdĕk & / F. Kantner 2006 [red label, p]“; 1Ƥ ( ZMHB), labelled: „ Kamerun / Tessmann S. [blue-grey label, p] // PARATYPUS, / Clytra / minuta Medvedev, 1971 / des. J. Bezdĕk & / F. Kantner 2006 [red label, p]“; 1Ƥ ( NHMB), labelled: „Uamgebiet / Bosum 11.-20.6. / 14 Tessmann S. [blue label, p] // PARATYPUS [red label, p] // Clytra / minuta m. / L. Medvedev [w, p]“.

Additional material studied. 4 specimens — CAMEROON: 13, Babua, 4.v.1914, without the name of collector ( BMNH); 2ƤƤ, Babua Bondaye, 6.v.1914, without the name of collector ( BMNH); 1 spec., Buar, 10.-29.v.1914, without the name of collector ( BMNH).

Description. Body almost completely black. First three antennomeres yellow. Humeral area of each elytron orange, including the adjacent part of epipleurae. Humeral calli with a small elongated black spot. The shape and size of the orange desing is variable: the palest specimens have completely orange extreme anterior margin of elytra and suture behind scutellum, the darker specimens have more extended the humeral black spot. Usually, the orange design is hooky-elongated to elytral disc.

Measurements. Males: 5.70–5.75 mm; females: 4.80–5.55 mm (holotype: 5.05 mm).

Male ( Fig. 9 ). Clypeus almost glabrous and impunctate. Frons broad, 1.85 times as wide as the diameter of the eye, with a large shallow impression in the middle. Vertex and frons pubescent, densely punctate. Antennae serrated from segment 4, segment 4 much smaller than the following ones.

Pronotum transverse, 2.00–2.05 times as wide as long, moderately convex. Lateral margins almost straight, slightly convergent anteriad, anterior margin concave, posterior margin moderately rounded and slightly enlarged in scutellar area, all angles rounded. Anterior margin indistinctly bordered, lateral and posterior margins bordered, grooved. Surface lustrous, sparsely covered with large punctures, laterally with two indistinct oblique impressions. Scutellum triangular with apex truncate, lustrous, impunctate.

Elytra cylindrical, 1.60–1.80 times as long as wide at the humeral part, densely covered with strong confused punctures, extreme apex impunctate.

Tarsi slightly broader than in females. First protarsomere triangularly elongated, 1.5 times as long as broad.

Aedeagus as in Fig. 21 .

Female. Tarsi narrower. Spermatheca and rectal sclerites as in Figs. 33 , 44 .

Differential diagnosis. Due to black pronotum covered with strong punctures and the elytral colouring Paraclytra minuta resembles P. intersecta . Other Paraclytra species have pronotum nearly impunctate and usually red or bicolorous. Orange colour on elytra of P. intersecta covers the anterior half with a black spot near suture, while it is restricted to humeral area (with a small black spot on humeral callus) in P. m i n u t a.

Distribution. Cameroon.

Comments. According to the original description, the type series of P. m i n u t a consists of 9 specimens, six of which were found in ZMHB and an additional one in NHMB. Surprisingly, from the specimens deposited in ZMHB only the holotype (female) bears original red Medvedev´s label. We decided to provide the rest of specimens with a new red type label (see „ Type material“).

Figures

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 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 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 44 – 46. Rectal sclerites of Paraclytra (a—dorsal view, b—ventral view). 44 — P. m i n u t a; 45 — P. sennariensis (paralectotype); 46 — P. sennariensis (paratype of P. signata ssp. aethiopica).