Lechanteuria S. Endrödy-Younga, 1978

Audisio, Paolo, Cline, Andrew Richard, Biase, Alessio De, Antonini, Gloria, Mancini, Emiliano, Trizzino, Marco, Costantini, Lorenzo, Strika, Sirio, Lamanna, Francesco & Cerretti, Pierfilippo, 2009, Preliminary re-examination of genus-level taxonomy of the pollen beetle subfamily Meligethinae (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 49 (2), pp. 341-504 : 483-484

40. Lechanteuria S. Endrödy-Younga, 1978

(Figs. 40 a–g)

Prianella Lechanteur, 1955: 238 . Junior homonym of Prianella Reitter, 1919: 16 .

Lechanteuria S. Endrödy-Younga, 1978: 303 , 307. Substitute name for Prianella Lechanteur, 1955 (non Reitter, 1919).

Type species. Prianella binotata Lechanteur, 1955: 239 (by original designation) [= Lechanteuria binotata ( Lechanteur, 1955) ].

Generic redescription and diagnosis. The single known species (4.2–4.3 mm length; 2.4–2.5 mm width) exhibits the combination of characters listed by LECHANTEUR (1955) and ENDRÖDY- YOUNGA (1978) (Figs. 40 a–g; drawings from LECHANTEUR 1955, ENDRÖDY- YOUNGA 1978, and KIREJTSHUK 1980b).

Fig. 40. Lechanteuria S. Endrödy-Younga, 1978 : a–g – L. binotata ( Lechanteur, 1955) . a – male habitus; b – dorsal view of male head and first three antennomeres; c – male antenna; d – ovipositor; e – mentum; f–g – male genitalia. Drawing a modified from LECHANTEUR (1955); drawings b, e modified from ENDRÖDY- YOUNGA (1978); drawings c–d, f–g modified from KIREJTSHUK (1980b). Refer to LECHANTEUR (1955), ENDRÖDY- YOUNGA (1978), and KIREJTSHUK (1980b) for scale.

Etymology. The generic name was derived from F. Lechanteur, a renowned Belgian specialist on Afrotropical Nitidulidae , who was active mostly in the second half of the past century, and who first described this genus under Prianella , a preoccupied name by REITTER (1919) (see ENDRÖDY- YOUNGA 1978). Gender feminine.

Biology. The biology of the single representative of Lechanteuria , L. binotata from Zaire, is not completely known ( LECHANTEUR 1955, ENDRÖDY- YOUNGA 1978, KIREJTSHUK 1980b). The type series was collected in Zaire on fruits of Treculia africana var. engleriana (De Wild. & Th. Dur.) Engl. (Moraceae) , but a frugivorous larval life style seems unlikely. However, we cannot exclude that Lechanteuria is associated with inflorescences of Moraceae .

Phylogenetic position. Available morphological data provide evidence of a likely sister-group relationship to Microporodes and Palmopria (ENDRÖDY- YOUNGA1978). Weaker relationships may also be postulated with members of Microporum and Cornutopria . A revision of the whole Afrotropical complex of genera including Microporodes , Palmopria , Lechanteuria , Cornutopria , and Microporum s. l. is currently in preparation (AUDISIO et al. in prep.). See also the discussion below on the phylogenetic position of Microporodes . No molecular data are currently available.

Taxonomy and geographic distribution. The genus includes a single species from central Africa ( LECHANTEUR 1955, ENDRÖDY- YOUNGA 1978).

Lechanteuria binotata ( Lechanteur, 1955) Zaire