Zonitoschema Péringuey, 1909

Bologna, Marco A., Amore, Valentina & Pitzalis, Monica, 2018, Meloidae of Namibia (Coleoptera): taxonomy and faunistics with biogeographic and ecological notes, Zootaxa 4373 (1), pp. 1-141 : 101

Genus Zonitoschema Péringuey, 1909

This Palaeotropical genus, distributed also in New Guinea and eastern Australia, represents one of most difficult group of Nemognathini and the identification of species is always hard. Only the study of types and numerous specimens could clarify the validity of most species. Waiting for the revision of the Afrotropical species (Bologna et al., in preparation), we prefer do not define here groups of species.

A recent study made by Batelka & Bologna (2014) reviewed the Palaearctic species, pointing out taxonomical problems also for some Afrotropical species. Most species were described according to the constant colour of antennomeres and legs, but male genitalia, pronotum shape and punctures have distinctive additional characters more relevant to recognize some species.

Moreover, some Afrotropical species belong to an undescribed genus, differring at least by the structure of the ejaculatory ductus and the antennomere II, distinctly shorter than third (Bologna et al. 2013; Bologna & Pinto, in preparation). We maintain provisionaly as “ Zonitoschema ” also the following four species from Namibia , which actually refer to this new genus under description: bivittipennis Kaszab, 1981, deserticola sp. n., posticalis ( Péringuey, 1892), and testaceiventris ( Pic, 1931).