Macrosiagon bipunctata ( Fabricius, 1801 )

Batelka, Jan, 2011, Contribution to the synonymies, distributions, and bionomics of the Old World species of Macrosiagon (Coleoptera: Ripiphoridae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 51 (2), pp. 587-626 : 597-598

Macrosiagon bipunctata ( Fabricius, 1801)

Ripiphorus bipunctatus Fabricius, 1801: 120 . Type locality: [ India, Tamil Nadu], Tranquebariae.

Macrosiagon bipunctatum: CSIKI (1913) : 11 (new combination).

Ripiphorus Buquetii Dejean : DEJEAN (1837: 240) (nomen nudum).

For synonymy see BATELKA (2008a).

Material examined. CHAD: 1 ♀ ( MRAC), ‘COLL. MUS. CONGO / Tchad: Mao, distr. de / Kanem, X/ XI – 1957 / P. Renaud [p]’. INDIA: UTTAR PRADESH: 1 J ( BMNH), ‘C. Almora Diva / Kumaon U. P. / July 1918 H.G.C. // H.G. Champion Coll. / B.M. 1953-156. [p]’; 1 J ( BMNH), ‘C. Almora Diva / Kumaon U. P. / Sept.’19 H.G.C. // H.G. Champion Coll. / B.M. 1953-156. [p]’ [both ‘Kumaon’ specimens are provided by M. bipunctata identification labels by Z.H. Falin]. PAKISTAN: 1 ♀ ( SMNS), ‘Pakistan: Shogan, / Kagan Valley, 28.-30.vii. / 1998, leg. J. Rejsek [p]’. SENEGAL: 1♀ ( IRSNB), ‘Coll. J. Thomson [p] / R.[ Ripiphorus ] / Trimaculatus / Buq.[unpublished name] / Senegal [hw, round pink label] // bipunctata / var [Pic hw] // Determin. / M. Pic [p]’; 1 J ( IRSNB), ‘Coll. J. Thomson / 193 [p] / R. [ Ripiphorus ] / Buquetii / Dej. [nomen nudum from DEJEAN (1837)] / Senegal [hw, round pink label] // Determin. / M. Pic [p] // dimidiatta / probabl [Pic hw]’; 1 J ( IRSNB), ‘Coll. J. Thomson / 189 [p] / R. [ Ripiphorus ] / 6. Signatus / Buq. [unpublished name] / Senegal [hw, round pink label] // Emenadia / dimidiata F. [Pic hw] / dét. M. Pic 1913 [p] prob. [hw]’; 5 ex. ( MRAC), ‘Senegal: Konkoyo / 22Km W. Kébémer [p] / 4.8. [hw] 1979 / A. Pauly rec [p] 10 [hw, on Spermacoce (= Borreria ) verticillata L. ( Rubiaceae : Spermacoceae ) (for details of habitat see PAULY 1984)]’; 3 ex. ( MRAC), ‘Senegal: Konkoyo / 22Km W. Kébémer [p] / 4.8. [hw] 1979 / A. Pauly réc [p] // FL 10 [p, on Spermacoce verticillata L. ( Rubiaceae : Spermacoceae )]’; 6 ex. ( MRAC), ‘Senegal: Konkoyo / 22Km W. Kébémer [p] / 1.IX. [hw] 1979 / A. Pauly rec [p] 10 [hw, on Spermacoce verticillata L. ( Rubiaceae : Spermacoceae )]’; 1 ex. ( MRAC), ‘Senegal / Tiougoune [p] / 27.7. [hw] 1979 / A. Pauly rec [p] fl 11 [hw, on Mikania cordata (Asteraceae) (for details of habitat see PAULY 1984)]’; 1 ex. ( MRAC), ‘Senegal / Thiès / vii.24. 1979 / A. Pauly réc [p] // FL 4 [p, on Spermacoce (= Borreria ) verticillata L. ( Rubiaceae : Spermacoceae ) (for details of habitat see PAULY 1984)]’.

Biology. Plant associations of the specimens mentioned in the Additional material are discussed in Discussion: Visited plants.

Distribution. This species was described from Tamil Nadu (= Tranquebariae). It is widely distributed in the Indian subcontinent, represented in the Arabian Peninsula ( Yemen) and in continental Africa. Macrosiagon bipunctata occurs syntopically with M. bifasciata on the locality Kumaon ( India, Uttar Pradesh, circa 29°36′N 79°39′E). It is recorded here from Chad, Pakistan and Senegal for the first time.

Unresolved taxa of the M. bifasciata species group. For the reason mentioned below un-

der M. caffra I will not synonymize these species with M. bipunctata until more material is available.

Macrosiagon dentaticolle Pic, 1950b: 149 .Type locality: Niger, Air , Dabaga. Type material examined. HOLOTYPE: 1 ♀ (MNHN – coll. Pic, box no. 6), ‘ Dabaga / Air sud / 600 m 13-16-viii [hw] // IFAN 1947 / L. Chopard / A. Villiers [hw] // type [p, red label] // Macrosiagon / denticolle/ n. sp. [Pic’s hw]’.

Remarks. An elevated process at the apex of the medial lobe of the pronotal disc is strongly pronounced, MTs 2 and 3 are shortened (possibly due to allometry), elytra are orange with a black isolated central spot, humeral regions, and apices. This species is most probably a synonym of M. bipunctata .

Macrosiagon natalense Pic, 1950a: 11 . Type locality: [ Republic of South Africa], Natal [= Durban]. Type material examined. SYNTYPE: 1 J (MNHN – coll. Pic, box no. 6), ‘Port Natal [p] // type [Pic’s hw, orange label] // type [p, red label] // natalense / n. sp. [Pic’s hw] // [label with differential diagnosis, see ( Fig. 18 ), Pic’s hw]’.

Remarks. Black species with brown elytra, medial lobe of pronotal disc with elevation at the apex, hind legs are missing. This species is most probably a synonym of M. bipunctata .

Macrosiagon rieli Pic, 1949: 11 . Type locality: Senegal. Type material examined. SYNTYPE: 1 J (MNHN – coll. Pic, box no. 6), ‘ Sénegal / G. Melou [hw] // 14 [hw] // type [Pic’s hw] // type [p, red label] // Rieli n. sp. / prés Marcelli [Pic’s hw]’.

Remarks. Dark brown antennae with black apices, medial lobe of pronotal disc with elevation at the apex, MT 2 shortened. The specimen is completely covered by fungus. It is most probably a synonym of M. bipunctata .

Macrosiagon rufoapicale Pic, 1951a: 14 . Type locality: [ Tanzania], Zanzibar. Type material examined. SYNTYPES: 1 J (MNHN – coll. Pic, box no. 6), ‘ Zanzibar [hw] // type [Pic’s hw] // type [p, red label] // rubroapicale [sic!] / n. sp. //? Marcelli / All var. [Pic’s hw]’; 1 J ( MNHN – coll. Pic, box no. 6), ‘ Zanzibar [hw] ’.

Remarks. Dark brown antennae with black apices, medial lobe of pronotal disc with elevation at the apex, MT 2 shortened, elytra with coloration typical in M. bipunctata . It is most probably a synonym of M. bipunctata .

Confusion of the handwritten name on the identification label versus the name given in the description apparently happened in this case.

I consider the second specimen to be a syntype because of its original position next to the type, the same locality label, and because nothing is indicated contrary in the original description.

Figures

Figs 16–24. 16–17 – Ripiphorus dubius, syntypes (syn. of Macrosiagon bimaculata (Fabricius, 1787), photos by Aleksey Gusakov 2008). 18 – Pic’s handwritten label with differential diagnosis to Macrosiagon natalense Pic, 1950 (Verbatim: ‘diffère de caffrum / par les élytres sans / macule discale / noire le thorax / á bordure rouge / postèrieuere’). 19–24 – Macrosiagon caffra (Fåhraeus, 1870) (19–21 – female syntype with labels; 22–24 – male syntype with labels).