Macrosiagon caffra ( Fåhraeus, 1870 )

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 : 598

Macrosiagon caffra ( Fåhraeus, 1870)

( Figs. 19–24 )

Emenadia caffra Fåhraeus, 1870: 340 . Type locality: [ Republic of South Africa], Caffraria.

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

Macrosiagon caffrum var. fahraeusi Pic, 1953: 497 , syn. nov. Type locality: [ Republic of South Africa], Natal [= Kwazulu Natal prov.], Howick [29°29′S 30°13′E].

Type material examined. Emenadia caffra . SYNTYPES: 1 J ( Figs. 22–24 ) ( NHRS), ‘Caffra- / ria [p] // J. Wahlb [p] // J // Typus [p, red label with black margin] // Emenadia / caffra / n. sp. [hw] ’; 1 ♀ ( Figs. 19–21 ) ( NHRS), ‘Caffra- / ria [p] // J. Wahlb [p] // ♀ // Var. [hw] ’.

Macrosiagon caffrum var. fahraeusi . SYNTYPE: 1 ex. ( MNHN – coll. Pic, box no. 9), ‘Natal / Howick [p] // IFAN 195. [p] / ex coll: / Oberthur [hw] // désiré [Pic’s hw] // type [p, red label] // Macrosiagon / caffra Fahr. / var. [Pic’s hw] // v. Fahraeusi / mihi [Pic’s hw]’.

Additional material examined. MADAGASCAR: 1 J ( NHMW), ‘Tamatave / Madagasc. or. [p]’.

Remarks. Both syntypes of M. caffra have shortened MT 2 similar to those of M. bipunctata , however differing from M. bipunctata by having a smooth, not elevated, medial lobe of pronotal disc. In my collection I have some intermediate specimens which vary in the size and shape of this pronotal process. Moreover, there may be two or three additional sister (probably undescribed) species to both taxa from tropical Africa in my collection. I am not able to comment as to their putative validity without examination of more Afrotropical material from the M. bifasciata species group. This group is rather speciose in the North Africa, Europe and Asia and I expect the same for continental Africa.

Type of Macrosiagon caffrum var. fahraeusi should be deposited in ‘IFAN’ according to the original description but is actually deposited in the MNHN.

An examined syntype of Macrosiagon caffrum var. fahraeusi is identical with female syntype of Emenadia caffra and both taxa are therefore synonymised. It seems that sexual dichroism similar to M. bifasciata is developed in this species.

Distribution. Distribution of this species in the Afrotropical Region has yet to be clarified. The specimen from Madagascar represents the first record of the M. bifasciata species group from this island (for redefinition of the group see Definition of species groups).

Unresolved taxon of the M. bifasciata species group. For the reason mentioned above, I will not synonymize the following species with M. caffra until more material is available.

Macrosiagon angustatum Pic, 1951a: 14 (type locality: ‘Congo’). Type material examined. SYNTYPE: 1 J (MNHN – coll. Pic, box no. 6), ‘ Congo [Pic’s hw] // type [Pic’s hw] // type [p, red label] // angustatum / n. sp. [Pic’s hw]’. Remarks. Dull black including extremities, each elytron with two brown spots, MT 2 robust, flattened dorsally, pronotal disc without elevation. This species is possibly a synonym of M. caffra but more specimens of this morphotype from central Africa are needed.

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).