Paraclytra sennariensis ( 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 : 14-17

Paraclytra sennariensis ( Lacordaire, 1848) , valid species

( Figs. 10–13 , 22–24 , 34–35 , 45–46 )

Clythra (Clythra) Sennariensis Lacordaire, 1848: 224 (original description, attributed to Kollar)

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

Clytra signata ssp. sennariensis: Medvedev, 1971a: 23 (key, Sudan, Erythrea, Ethiopia)

Paraclytra signata ssp. sennariensis: Medvedev, 1975: 132 ( Sudan) ; Medvedev, 1979: 295; Medvedev, 1993b: 130 ( Saudi Arabia), 134 (key); Medvedev, 1996: 218 (key), 234 ( North Yemen)

Clytra signata ssp. signata: Medvedev, 1971a: 23 (key, partim)

Clythra rufitarsis: Chevrolat, 1836: 417 (nomen nudum; attributed to Klug); Chevrolat, 1837: 441 (nomen nudum, attributed to Klug)

Clythra (Clythra) rufitarsis Lacordaire, 1848: 226 (original description); Medvedev, 1979: 295 (synonymized with P. sennariensis )

Clytra rufitarsis: Lefèvre, 1872: 141 (key), 150; Jacoby & Clavareau, 1906: 36 (catalogue); Clavareau, 1913: 52 (catalogue); Winkler, 1929: 1240 (catalogue)

Clytra plicatipennis Pic, 1939: 31 (original description). Syn. nov.

Clytra signata ssp. aethiopica Medvedev, 1971a: 23 (original description). Syn. nov.

Clytra notata: Lefèvre, 1877: 224 ( Ethiopia, on Mimosa sp.); Chapuis, 1879: 6 ( Ethiopia); Selman, 1963: 1149 (partim, Chad, on Acacia senegal and A. scorpioides )

Paraclytra crocata: Medvedev, 1978: 55 ( Yemen) ; Medvedev, 1980: 301 ( Yemen)

Tituboea olivieri: Warchałowski, 2003: 50 (key), plate 8 (colour photo)

Paraclytra gambiensis: Medvedev & Beenen, 2005: 361 ( Sudan, partim, on Acacia sp.)

(see also P. c ro c a t a)

Type locality. „Arabie“ ( Clytra rufitarsis ); „ Abyssinia “ ( Clytra plicatipennis ); „ Ethiopia “ ( Clytra signata ssp. aethiopica). Lacordaire (1848) described C. sennariensis 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“. Due to present designation of lectotype, the type locality of C. sennariensis is restricted to „Sennaar“.

Type material. Paraclytra sennariensis : Lectotype 3 ( ZMHB), designated here, labelled: „Sennaar / Kolb. [blue-grey label, h]“. Paralectotypes: 1Ƥ ( ZMHB), labelled: „Sennaar / Kolb. [blue-grey label, h]“; 13 ( ZMHB), labelled: „Senaar [blue-green label, h]“ // Clythra / sennariensis / Kollar / Sennar [blue-green label, h]“; 1Ƥ ( ZMHB), labelled: „23171 [w, p] // Sennaar / Kolb. [blue-grey label, h] // Clythra * / notata Dej. var. / Lacord. [w, h] // sennaariensis / rufitarsis / Sennaar Koll. [w, h]“; 1Ƥ ( ZMHB), labelled: „Sennaar / 8178-2 [grey label, h] // 1Ƥ ( ZMHB), labelled: „Sennaar / 8178-1 [grey label, h]“. The specimens are provided with one additional red printed label: „ LECTOTYPUS, [PARALECTOTYPUS, resp.] / Clythra (Clythra) / sennariensis Lacordaire, 1848 / des. J. Bezdĕk & / F. Kantner 2006 [red label, p]“.

Paraclytra rufitarsis : Lectotype 3 (ZMHB), designated here, labelled: „Hist. Coll. / 23172 [w, h] // Clythra * / rufitarsis Lac. [w, h]“. Paralectotypes: 233 (ZMHB), labelled: „Hist. Coll. / 23172 [w, h] // Arab. / F. Ehrb. [w, h]“; 13 (ZMHB), labelled: „Hist. Coll. / 23172 [w, h]“; 13 (ZMHB), labelled: „23172 [w, p] // Arab. F. Ehrb. [w, h] // [blank label, w] // rufitarsis / (Klug) Lac. [w, h] // Paraclytra / signata ssp. / sennariensis Lac. [h] L. N. Medvedev det. 19 [p] 72 [w, h]“. The specimens are provided with one additional red printed label: „ LECTOTYPUS, [PARALECTOTYPUS, resp.] / Clythra (Clythra) / rufitarsis Lacordaire, 1848 / des. J. Bezdĕk & / F. Kantner 2006 [red label, p]“.

Clytra plicatipennis : Lectotype Ƥ (MNHN), designated here, labelled: „Abyss Raf. [w, p, blue letters] // type [w, h] // TYPE [red label, p] // Museum Paris / Coll. M. Pic [pale blue label, p] // Clytra / plicatipennis / n. sp. [w, h] // LECTOTYPUS, / Clytra plicatipennis / Pic, 1939, / des. J. Bezdĕk 2007 [red label, p]“.

Clytra signata ssp. aethiopica: Paratypes: 1Ƥ (ZMHB), labelled: „Erythrea [p] / Cheren [w, h] // Allotypus [p] Clytra / signata sbsp. / aethiopica L. Medv. [red label, h]“; 13 (ZMHB), labelled: „Erythrea [p] / Cheren [w, h] // Paratypus [p] Clytra / signata sbsp. / aethiopica L. Medv. [red label, h]“; 13 2ƤƤ (ZMHB), labelled: „Cheren / Erythraea [w, p] // Paratypus [p] Clytra / signata sbsp. / aethiopica L. Medv. [red label, h]“; 1Ƥ (ZMHB), labelled: „[smal rectangular blank label] // ex coll. / J. Weise [w, p] // Paratypus [p] Clytra / signata sbsp. / aethiopica L. Medv. [red label, h]“.

Additional material studied. 75 specimens — CHAD: 13, Ouedi Koboué-Ennedi, 25.ix.1958, J. Mateu leg. ( BMNH); 1Ƥ, Mare d´Ortebi-Ennedi, 10.ix.1958, on Acacia senegal, J. Mateu leg. ( BMNH); 1Ƥ, Mare de Damas, Ennedi, viii-ix.1958, J. Mateu leg. ( BMNH); 1Ƥ, Mare de Damas, Basso, Ennedi, 14.ix.1958, on Acacia senegal and A. scorpioides, J. Mateu leg. ( BMNH). DJIBOUTI: 233, Randa, 25.v.1991, Nazareth leg. ( ZMHB). EGYPT: 333 5ƤƤ, Gebel Elba, 7.iii.1938, H. Priesner leg. ( NHMB). ERITREA: 233 2ƤƤ, Cheren, without the date of collecting and the name of collector ( SMTD), 2ƤƤ, same data ( HMNH); 13, Salamona, without the date of collecting and the name of collector ( HMNH); 13 1Ƥ, Massaua, without additional data ( ZMHB); 2ƤƤ, Ghinda, without additional data ( ZMHB). ETHIOPIA: 13, Habyss. [= Ethiopia], without additional data ( ZMHB); 233 1Ƥ, regione boschiva da Goundet ad Adoua, 1000-2000 m, 1873, Raffray leg. ( MSNG); 13, Abyssinia, without the date of collecting, Raffray leg. ( BMNH); 13, Abyssinia, without additional data ( BMNH); 1Ƥ, Abyssinia, Diré Dawa, ca 4.500 ft., i.1935, H. Uhlenhuth leg. ( BMNH). SAUDI ARABIA: 13, Jizan, 25.-26.iii.1983, C. Holzschuh leg. ( NHMB); 13, Jizan, 1.ii.1982, A. Talhouk, S. Tilkian, R. Abouzouheyrrah, K. Eltaher & A. Elmadi leg. ( NHMB); 13, same data but 25.iii.1983 ( NHMB); 13, Jizan, 10.ii.1981, A. S. Talhouk leg. ( LMRM); 13, Wadi Dawasir, 20.vi.1981, without the name of collector ( NHMB); 1Ƥ, Wadi El Alaib, 4.iv.1947, W. Thesiger leg. ( BMNH). SOMALIA: 8ƤƤ, British Somaliland, Hartan Pen., 22.iii.1903, M. Cameron leg. ( BMNH). SUDAN: 333 1Ƥ, Wadi Nigea, 25.ix.1988, on Acacia , without the name of collector ( RBCN); 433 4ƤƤ, J. Kussa, 30.x.1987, on Acacia , without the name of collector ( RBCN); 13 2ƤƤ, Sennar, without additional data ( ZMHB); 13, Mekale, 29.iii.1931, H. W. Bedford leg. ( BMNH); 1Ƥ, Barakat, 3.ix.1923, on grass, H. W. Bedford leg. ( BMNH). SYRIA: 13, Syria, without additional data ( ZMHB). YEMEN: 333, Wadi Zabid, x.1969, A. Szalay-Marszó leg. ( HMNH); 1Ƥ, same data, but ii.1970 ( HMNH); 333 2ƤƤ, Lakej [= Lahij], without additional data ( BMNH); 1Ƥ, Lahij, 13°03´26´´N 44°52´25´´E, 100 m, vi.2002, Malaise trap, without the name of collector ( LMRM); 13, Al Kawd, vii-ix.2001, on light, without the name of collector ( LMRM).

Description. Extremely variable species. Head completely orange or with two small black spots on inner margins of eyes, darker specimens with black vertex or almost completely black with orange clypeus. Apices of mandibles black, palpi varies from orange to black. Antennomeres 1 to 4 orange, antennomeres 5 to 6 usually with brownish bases, the rest of antennomeres black. Pronotum completely orange, with two irregular black spots basally or a broad black band basally, in the darkest specimens almost whole surface of pronotum black except anterior and lateral margins. Scutellum orange or black. Elytra orange, usually with a black spot on humeral callus, one small spot at the first third near suture and one black band at two third of elytral length isolated from epiplaurae and suture. In paler specimens, the humeral and postscutellar spots often missing. Dark specimens usually with the spots larger and connected (humeral and postscutellar spots connected together, postmedian black band broad, touching lateral margins of elytra and connected in suture), and with an additional small black spot on elytral apex. Legs varies from almost orange with reduced black stripes on femora and tibiae to mid and hind legs dark with paler knees, or, in the darkest specimens, legs black and only fore tibiae orange at the inner side. Tarsi completely orange or black with paler last two tarsomeres. Prosternum orange with black base behind coxae or, in darker specimens, black with orange lateral margins. Meso-, metasternum and abdomen black.

Measurements. Males: 6.60–7.70 mm; females: 7.30–8.70 mm (lectotype of Clythra s ennariensis: 7.40 mm).

Male ( Figs. 10–13 ). Labrum transverse, anterior margin widely shallowly incised. Head lustrous, anterior part of head and vertex covered with very fine punctures or nearly impunctate, frons with distinct punctures. Surface almost glabrous, short hairs visible only along the inner margins of eyes. Frons broad, 2.05–2.25 times as wide as the diameter of the eye, with a large round shallow impression in the middle. Antennomere 1 moderately clavate, antennomere 4 triangular, antennae distinctly serrated from segment 5.

Pronotum transverse, 1.55–1.70 times as wide as long, widest at two thirds, moderately convex, nearly impunctate (rarely with sparse small punctures), larger punctures only in scutellar thickening, lustrous. Lateral margins moderately rounded, convergent anteriad and slightly posteriad, anterior margin slightly concave, posterior margin slightly rounded, thickened in scutellar area, distinctly sinuated before the thickening. Anterior angles rectangular, posterior ones obtusangulate. All margins bordered, except the middle part of anterior margin where the border disappears. Scutellum subtriangular with rounded apex, lustrous, laterally and basally with distinct punctures and pale hairs.

Elytra cylindrical, 1.60–1.75 times as long as wide at the humeral part, glabrous, lustrous, densely covered with small fine confused punctures dissappearing in elytral apices. Darker specimens sometimes with indistinct longitudinal ridges before apex.

Tarsi robuster. First protarsomere 1.05–1.30 times as broad as long, 0.55 times as long as the two following tarsomeres combined.

Aedeagus as in Figs. 22–24 .

Female. Tarsi slenderer. Frons broader, 2.40–2.45 times as wide as the diameter of the eye. Spermatheca and rectal sclerites as in Figs. 34–35 , 45–46 .

Differential diagnosis. By its habitus, pale specimens of P. sennariensis are very similar to P. c ro c a t a and P. cervenkai sp. nov., but both species differ in narrow frons (1.20–1.40 times as broad as the diameter of the eye in P. crocata and P. cervenkai sp. nov., 2.05–2.45 times in P. sennariensis ) and in the structure of aedeagus ( Figs. 16–17 , 22–24 ). Dark specimens of P. sennariensis resembles West African P. signata . Aedeagi of both taxa are very similar, but differ in the shape of alae and in the presence of ventral impressions in P. sennariensis ( Figs. 22–25 ). Moreover, P. signata is larger in size (8.00– 9.90 mm), while P. sennariensis is smaller (6.60–8.70 mm). Paraclytra sennariensis has also shorter elytra (1.60–1.75 times as long as wide at the humeral part in P. sennariensis , 1.85 times in P. signata ).

Distribution. Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Yemen. Medvedev (1996) mentioned Palestine in the general distribution of P. c ro c a t a. This record surely do not refer to P. c ro c a t a but may belong to P. sennariensis . However, the records from Syria and Palestine are isolated from the main areal and needs verification.

Comments. Aedeagi of all relevant taxa ( P. sennariensis , P. rufitarsis , P. signata ssp. aethiopica) are almost identical in dorsal view, including the shape of alae (see the Figs. 22–25 ). In the ventral view, three shallow depressions (one median longitudinaly and two small round apicaly) of slightly different shapes in mentioned taxa are found. Because of a large geographic distribution of P. sennariensis we consider such small differencies as insufficient for discrimination of the taxa at the species or subspecies level and we prefer to synonymize P. rufitarsis and P. signata ssp. aethiopica with P. sennariensis .

Lacordaire (1848) attributed Clythra sennariensis to Kollar in litteris and gave the valid description. In his conception, C. sennariensis was treated as a part of „Var. D“ of Clythra notata . Later, Clavareau (1913) used it as an aberration of C. notata . In 1971, Medvedev upgraded its status to a subspecies rank, surprisingly not as subspecies of C. notata but of C. signata .

The name Clythra rufitarsis was firstly published as nomen nudum in Chevrolat (1836, 1837). The first realible description was presented by Lacordaire (1848). He described it from an unknown number of specimens. Medvedev (1979) synonymized P. rufitarsis with P. sennariensis . Five syntypes, all males, were found in ZMHB (one male is designated here as lectotype). Based on the study of aedeagus C. rufitarsis is confirmed as a synonym of P. sennariensis .

The number of type specimens of Clytra plicatipennis was not specified in the original description ( Pic 1939). The only female found in MNHN and designated here as lectotype is identical with the dark specimens described as P. signata ssp. aethiopica. Due to this fact Clytra plicatipennis is also proposed as a new synonym of P. sennariensis .

Three specimens from Yemen: Wadi Zabid, x.1969 (HNHM) published as P. crocata by Medvedev (1978, 1980) were dissected and proved to be P. sennariensis . A specimen of Tituboea olivieri pictured and keyed in Warchałowski (2003) refers to Paraclytra . The same specimen was photographed at http:// culex.biol.uni.wroc.pl/cassidae/European%20 Chrysomelidae /index.htm including aedeagus. Based on the photograph of aedeagus the specimen without any doubts belongs to P. sennariensis .

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 13 – 15. Habitus of Paraclytra, males. 13 — P. sennariensis (paratype of P. signata ssp. aethiopica, Eritrea: Cheren, 6.75 mm); 14 — P. signata (lectotype of P. notata, Senegal, 8.70 mm); 15 — P. traegaordhi (Sudan: Kazangolo, 7.25 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 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.

FIGURES 34 – 37. Spermatheca of Paraclytra. 34 — P. sennariensis (paralectotype); 35 — P. sennariensis (paratype of P. signata ssp. aethiopica); 36 — P. signata; 37 — P. traegaordhi. 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).

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.