Blepharidina macarthuri (Bryant)

Iannella, Paola D’Alessandro Mattia & Biondi, Maurizio, 2019, Revision of the Afrotropical flea beetle subgenus Blepharidina s. str. Bechyné (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae), Zootaxa 4545 (1) : -

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4545.1.2
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:1D2EC333-517D-4FC1-A0AA-61EDD8BE8BEE
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5935504
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03C087BA-FF8A-995D-FF24-FF43010E8031
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Blepharidina macarthuri (Bryant)
status

Treatment

( Figs 13 View FIGURES 11–19 , 23 View FIGURES 20–25 , 49 View FIGURES 44–49 , 60 View FIGURES 55–67 , 69 View FIGURES 68–69 )

Blepharida macarthuri Bryant, 1948: 150

Blepharidina macarthuri (Bryant) : Biondi et al. 2017: 131

Type material examined. Lectotype ♂ ( Biondi des. in Biondi et al. 2017): “( KENYA) MacArthur and Museum Staff., Ikutha (2°04′12''S, 38°10′48''E). 1–42” ( BMNH) GoogleMaps . Paralectotypes: KENYA, “Makindu (2°16′30''S, 37°49′12''E), xii.1933, MacArthur”, 1 ♀ ( BMNH). Additional material examined in Appendix 1 GoogleMaps .

Taxonomic observations. Blepharidina macarthuri shows clear affinities with B. ornaticollis . These two species share: similar size, habitus, sculpture of the dorsal integuments ( Figs 13, 15 View FIGURES 11–19 ), anterior margin of the pronotum slightly thicker medially than laterally ( Figs 23, 25 View FIGURES 20–25 ); anterior angles of the pronotum sharply pointed and laterally oriented ( Fig. 31 View FIGURES 26–33 ), and dorsal surface of the aedeagus densely carinate longitudinally ( Figs 49 View FIGURES 44–49 , 51 View FIGURES 50–54 ). However, B. macarthuri is mainly distinguishable by the more slender distal part of the aedeagus ( Figs 49 View FIGURES 44–49 , 51 View FIGURES 50–54 ), and the spermatheca with thicker and subcylindrical basal part (piriform and elongate in B. ornaticollis ) ( Figs 60, 62 View FIGURES 55–67 ). Morphometry in Appendix 2.

Distribution. Kenya ( Fig. 69 View FIGURES 68–69 ). Possibly Northern–Eastern Afrotropical (NEA) chorotype.

Ecological notes. The collection sites fall within the following vegetation types: Eastern African Xeric Scrub (belonging to the Warm Desert & Semi-Desert Scrub & Grassland formation); Eastern African Salt Pan (belonging to the Salt Marsh formation); Afromontane Dry Forest (belonging to the Tropical Montane Humid Forest formation).