Craspedophorus carbonarius ( Harold, 1879 )

Häckel, Martin, 2016, A contribution to the knowledge of the subfamily Panagaeinae Hope, 1838 from Africa. Part 1. Revision of the Craspedophorus reflexus group (Coleoptera: Carabidae), Zootaxa 4061 (5), pp. 504-526 : 509-510

5. Craspedophorus carbonarius ( Harold, 1879)

(Plate 2, Figs 15, 16, Plate 3, Fig. 23, Plate 4, Figs 30, 31.)

Eudema carbonarium Harold 1879: 20 (type loc. “ Zanzibar ”). Craspedophorus carbonarius Burgeon 1930: 160, 1935b: 182 . Basilewsky, 1953: 172, Häckel et Farkač 2012: 80.

Material examined. Ethiopia. 1♂: “[Oromiya] Omo, Mago National Park, Jinka”, (Plate 3, Fig. 23, Plate 4, Fig. 30, cMH). Kenya. 1♀: “Indian Ocean, Mombasa to Aldabra, on board m.v. “Maritime”, ( BMNH); 1♂: “ Kenia ”, (Plate 2, Fig. 15, Plate 4, Fig. 30, NMWC). Tanzania. 1♀: “Morogoro prov., 50 km NE Mikumi”, (Plate 2, Fig. 16, cMH).

Note. The original description of this species was based on a single specimen, labelled “ Sansibar ” Description (in part, see Harold 1879: 20). “Length 23–25 mm. Body moderately convex, black, pronotal width hardly shorter [wider than long], rounded, almost hexagonal, elytra deeply striated and punctured, intervals fairly convex, quite densely punctured” [translated from Latin]. At the same time as that species [ C. impictus ( Boheman, 1848) ], the same explorer [Pogge] collected also the other, very close species, which was originally identified also as C. impictus , because of different sex. Only a single male and a single female were collected, each belonging to a different species. The other sexual differences are here hardly marked; I have not found any other differences except those of ventral setae in male protarsomeres, which are somewhat longer and stronger. The Zanzibar species differs by pronotal shape, which although similar is relatively smaller than that of C. impictus , and hardly wider than long, maximum width at midlength, not behind midlength as in C. impictus , lateral margins forming an angle sharper than in C. impictus . Also elytral striae more coarsely and randomly punctured, punctuation transversely interrrupted and somewhat deeper than that on interval's surface. I add here diagnosis of this species” [translated from German].

Type not seen, and identified specimens are rare in collections. It appears though that specimens perfectly matching the original description belong to a species widespread along the eastern African shores, so far known from southern Ethiopia, eastern Kenya and eastern Tanzania including Zanzibar. The elytral coloration, namely macular reduction (especially apical) is quite variable even within the same sex (Plates 2, 3, Figs 15, 23,). More material is needed to better understand the intraspecific variability.

Distribution. Ethiopia: Oromiya; Kenya: Coast Province; Tanzania: Morogoro, Zanzibar Island.