Procalus maculipennis (Bryant, 1942) D'Alessandro & Biondi, 2023

D'Alessandro, Paola & Biondi, Maurizio, 2023, Generic placement of the African flea beetle Polyclada maculipennis Bryant and the possible occurrence of the genus Procalus Clark in sub-Saharan Africa (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae, Alticini), ZooKeys 1145, pp. 181-189 : 181

Procalus maculipennis (Bryant, 1942) comb. nov.

Figs 1-3 , 5-8

Polyclada maculipennis Bryant, 1942: 164.

Type material examined.

Lectotype of Polyclada maculipennis ♂: "Kamerun Conradt // Coll. Kraatz // Pres. By Imp. Inst. Ent. B.N. 1933-468 // Polyclada maculipennis Bryant / Det. G.E. Bryant" (NHMUK) (here designated by M. Biondi and P. D’Alessandro) (Figs 1-3 ). Paralectotypes of Polyclada maculipennis , 2♀♀: same data as for lectotype (NHMUK).

Material of Procalus species examined for comparison.

Chile: Procalus reduplicatus , syntype, 1♀, " Chile // Coll. Nickerl / Mus. Pragense // Procalus mutans Blchd. // Typus // Procalus reduplicatus n. sp. Type ♀ / 1948 Det. J. Bechyně” (NMPC); Procalus cf. viridis , 1 specimen, El Tabo, Valparaiso, 29 Sept. 1986 (NHMB); Procalus cf. lenzi , 1 specimen, Santiago, Pudahuel, 20 Nov. 1986 (NHMB); Procalus cf. malaisei , 2 specimens, D. Ed. Varas Arangua leg., 1921 (MSNG); Procalus cf. lenzi , 1 specimen, ibid (MSNG); Procalus cf. viridis , 1 specimen, Vina del Mar , Valparaiso, May 1899, F. Silvestri leg. (MSNG); Procalus cf. silvai , 1 specimen, Concepcion, 1903, P. Herbst leg. (MSNG); Procalus cf. reduplicatus , 1 specimen, ibid (MSNG); Procalus cf. mutans , 1 specimen, Concepcion, Sept. 1903, P. Herbst leg. (MSNG); Procalus sp., 2 specimens, ibid (MSNG); Procalus cf. reduplicatus , 1 specimen, Concepcion, 1904, P. Herbst leg. (MSNG); Procalus sp., 1 specimen, ibid (MSNG) .

Remarks.

Polyclada can be immediately distinguished from similar genera by the antennae, longer than half body length, with antennomeres 4-10 pectinate or flabellate in male and serrate in female (Fig. 4 ). Characters of the antenna along with other morphological features, such as procoxal cavities open posteriorly, antennomere 4 at least double length of antennomere 3, as well as elytral punctation always confused, densely and uniformly impressed, permits identification of the genus within the Blepharida group in the Afrotropical region ( Biondi and D’Alessandro 2012; Biondi et al. 2017).

The type material of Polyclada maculipennis has all the diagnostic characters of Procalus ( Clark 1865; Jerez 1992), none of which occur in any Polyclada species: antennae with antennomeres 1-5 flattened compared to 6-11, especially in male, and antennomere 1 clearly distally enlarged, and strikingly serrated in male (Fig. 1 ; Clark 1865; Jerez 1992: figs 4A, 5A, 6A, 7A, 8A, 1995: figs 1, 2); fifth abdominal sternite in male with a wide, deep, oval depression (Fig. 5 ; Jerez 1992: figs 5E, 6D, 7C, 8F, 1995: fig. 2); metafemoral extensor tendon simplified, very slender (Fig. 6 ; Furth and Suzuki 1994: fig. 6b; Jerez 1992: figs 2, 3D): dorsal lobe straight, with very elongate extended arm; central furrow very wide; ventral lobe subtriangular; recurved flange short, poorly sclerotized. Additionally, the median lobe of aedeagus and spermatheca (Figs 7 , 8 ) are typical of the Procalus species (median lobe of aedeagus: Furth and Suzuki 1994: fig. 6a; Jerez 1992: figs 4E, 5C, 6E, 7B, 8G, 1995: fig. 10; spermatheca: Furth and Suzuki 1994: fig. 6c; Jerez 1992: figs 4D, 5D, 6B, 7D, 8E, 1995: fig. 11). Median lobe of the aedeagus of the lectotype here designated (Fig. 7 ): thickset and smooth; in ventral view tapering towards the apex, and slightly narrowing subapically; apex subtriangular, widely obtuse, with a small median tooth; in lateral view, clearly curved. Spermatheca of the paralectotypes (Fig. 8 ): subcylindrical and elongate basally, curved towards the ductus attachment; distal part distinctly bent and about 1/3 the basal part in length; ductus basally inserted, short, uncoiled, moderately thickset. We therefore propose the new combination Procalus maculipennis (Bryant, 1942), comb. nov.

Figures

Figures 1 - 4. Lectotype of Polyclada maculipennis Bryant, 1942 1 habitus, dorsal view 2 ibid., labels 3 ibid., habitus, lateral view 4 Polyclada bohemani Baly, male, Kenya (BAQ), habitus.

Figures 5 - 8. Procalus maculipennis Bryant, 1942 comb. nov. 5 ventral parts in male 6 metafemoral extensor tendon 7 median lobe of aedeagus in ventral, dorsal, and lateral views (a-c, respectively) 8 spermatheca. Abbreviations: cf: central furrow; dl: dorsal lobe; ea: extended arm; rf: recurved flange; vl: ventral lobe.