Alphitobius viator Mulsant & Godart, 1868

Schawaller, Wolfgang & Grimm, Roland, 2014, The genus Alphitobius Stephens (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae, Alphitobiini) in Africa and adjacent islands, ZooKeys 415, pp. 169-190 : 182-183

Alphitobius viator Mulsant & Godart, 1868 Figs 8, 31

Uloma rufula Fairmaire, 1883, syn.

New material.

Ethiopia, Ambo, 3.XI.1990, leg. L. Medvedev, 1 ex. SMNS. - Sudan, North Dafur, El Geneina, 10.VII.1978, leg. I. Abuzinid, 1 ex. ZSM (det. Kaszab). - Ivory Coast, Bingerville, 1962-1964, leg. J. Decelle, 6 ex. MRAC (det. Ardoin). - Ivory Coast, Kafolo/ Comoé, 21.IV.1988, leg. F.-T. Krell, 1 ex. SMNS. - Burkina Faso (labelled as Haute Volta), Ouagadongou, no date, leg. Škulina, 1 ex. NMP. - Guinea, N’Zerekoré, 1.-15.XI.1951, leg. S. H. Olsen, 4 ex. NHMB. - Guinea Bissau, Bolama, VI.-XII.1899, leg. L. Fea, 1 ex. NHMB. - Congo, Tshiobo, N’Goy, 3.-4.VII.1926, leg. A. Collart, 2 ex. TMSA, 1 ex. SMNS. - Central African Republic, Uam, Bosum, IV.-VI.1914, leg. Tessmann, 11 ex. MNB. - Central African Republic, 40 km SW Bandoro, 530 m, 14.IV.2010, leg. Halada, 1 ex. SMNS. - Cameroon, Jaunde, X.1914, leg. Tessmann, 1 ex. MNB. - Kenya (labelled as Afr. or.), Ikutha, no further dates, 7 ex. MNB. - Kenya, Mt. Elgon, eastern slope, 2200 m, 23.-27.III.1988, leg. H. J. Bremer, 1 ex. ZSM. - Tanzania, 2 miles SE Mkomazi, 1500 ft. (460 m), 7.I.1970, leg. M. E. Irwin & E. S. Ross, 1 ex. CRA. - Malawi, Salima, 5.-6.I.2002, leg. J. Bezděk, 1 ex. SMNS. - Zambia (labelled as N Rhodesia), Lochinvar, near Monze, 13.-26.X.1962, leg. F. Zumpt, 3 ex. NHMB. - Zambia, Northern Prov., Chipona Falls, 30 km S Chinsali, 5.-6.XII.2002, leg. F. Kantner, 1 ex. SMNS. - Zambia, 150 km S Kasempa, 11.XI.2002, leg. F. Wachtel, 1 ex. CRG. - Zimbabwe, 60 km N Bulawayo, Maraposa Road, 3.XII.1998, leg. M. Snižek, 1 ex. ZSM. - Botswana, 10 km N Martin’s Drift, 7.I.2010, leg. P. Schüle, 1 ex. SMNS. - Angola, Sá da Bandeira, 2.X.1949, leg. B. Malkin, 1 ex. CRA. - Angola, Huambo Prov., 75 km N Caconda near Cuima, 10.-11.XI.2011, leg. P. Schüle, 1 ex. SMNS. - South Africa, Limpopo, Manyeleti Game Reserve, 17.-19.XI.1987, leg. T. van Viegen, 2 ex. TMSA. - South Africa, Limpopo, Naboomspruit, Torino Ranche, 15.I.1990, leg. S. Endrödy-Younga, 1 ex. TMSA. - South Africa, Limpopo, Kruger NP, Skukuza Research Camp, 1.-16.XII.2010, leg. J. Harrison, 1 ex. TMSA. - South Africa, Limpopo, Amatola, Scott Farm, 26.I.1998, leg. R. Müller, 1 ex. TMSA. - South Africa, Limpopo, Thabazimbi, 16.XI.2002, leg. F. Wachtel, 4 ex. CRG. - South Africa, Limpopo, N Makopane (Potgietersrus), Thabaphaspha Farm, 1400 m, 13.-14.XII.2003, leg. R. Müller & W. Schawaller, 1 ex. SMNS, 1 ex. TMSA. - South Africa, Limpopo, Mapungubwe, Little Muck NR, 500 m, 6.-9.XII.2008, leg. W. Schawaller, 1 ex. SMNS. - South Africa, Limpopo, 10 km N Modimolle (Nylstroom), Kuthaba Bush Lodge, 1300 m, 10.-13.XII.2008, leg. W. Schawaller, 2 ex. SMNS. - South Africa, Limpopo, Waterberg, Geelhoutbosch Farm, 15.XII.1997, leg. C. L. Bellamy, 1 ex. TMSA. - South Africa, Limpopo, 15 km NE Klaserie, Guernsey Farm, 18.-30.XII.1985, leg. S. & J. Peck, 1 ex. TMSA. - South Africa, Mpumalanga, Booysendal Farm, 25.X.2000, leg. TMSA staff, 1 ex. TMSA. - South Africa, Gauteng, Tswaing, 17.II.2003, leg. TMSA staff, 1 ex. TMSA. - South Africa, Free State, Bothaville, 15.II.1898, leg. H. Brauns, 5 ex. TMSA. - South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal, SW Magudu, 4.-5.I.2009, leg. P. Schüle, 3 ex. SMNS.

Type locality.

"Marseille, importée” (viator), “Abyssinie” (rufula).

Remarks.

We could not clear, if rufula Fairmaire, 1883 is a synonym of viator Mulsant & Godart, 1868 (as listed in all catalogues), or of hobohmi Koch, 1953 (with rufus Ardoin, 1976, syn. n.). In some localities (for example Modimolle and Magudu) Alphitobius viator was collected together with Alphitobius hobohmi .

Distribution.

Tropical and southern Africa, the holotype was imported to Marseille in southern France ( Mulsant and Godart 1868).