Bonesioides barombiensis (Jacoby, 1903), 2003

Freund, W. & Wagner, TH., 2003, Revision of Bonesioides Laboissière, 1925 (Coleoptera; Chrysomelidae; Galerucinae) from continental Africa, Journal of Natural History 37 (16), pp. 1915-1976 : 1931-1932

Bonesioides barombiensis (Jacoby, 1903) ; comb. nov.

Monolepta barombiensis Jacoby, 1903: 335 .

Barombiella graciosa Laboissière, 1941: 321 ; syn. nov.

Redescription

Total length. 6.4–8.5 mm (mean: 7.95 mm).

Head. Labial and maxillary palpus brown to black, mandible dark brown to black with brighter apex; labrum, frons and vertex brown to black. Antenna extending towards the end of the metasternum (figure 21), entirely black or first antennal article brown, becoming paler brown distally and all following articles brownish yellow. Second article on average one-third shorter than third article (figure 22): A2/A3: 0.50–0.85 (mean: 0.71); article 4 longer than articles 2 and 3 combined, A3/A4: 0.43–0.59 (mean: 0.51). Eyes very large (figure 21), WE/DE: 0.69–0.92 (mean: 0.77).

Thorax. Pronotum black, PL: 1.0– 1.3 mm (mean: 1.22 mm), PW: 2.0– 2.6 mm (mean: 2.42 mm), PL/PW: 0.48–0.52 (mean: 0.50). Elytra pale brown, EL: 5.0–7.0 mm (mean: 6.42 mm), EW: 3.0–4.0 mm (mean: 3.63 mm), EW/EL: 0.49–0.62 (mean: 0.57). Mesothorax and metathorax black. Legs either black, with distal ends of tibiae dark brown to brown, or coxa, trochanter and femur dark brown, tibia and tarsus pale brown. Metatibia about twice as long as metatarsus (figure 21), TA/TI: 0.50–0.56 (mean: 0.53 mm).

Abdomen. Dark brown to black.

Male genitalia. Median lobe very slender, parallel-sided in basal three-quarters, slightly narrowed apically (figure 24). Orifice narrow, tectum narrow and long. Base of endophallus with two small spiculae, endophallic brush large, apical part of sclerotized ductus ejaculatorius long, partly protrudent.

Female genitalia. Spermatheca with insignificantly expanded nodulus, homogeneously converging towards straight middle part; cornu strongly curved (figure 23).

Distribution. Each one specimen recorded from Cameroon and Gabon and several specimens from Congo and Congo-Brazzaville (figure 25).

Diagnosis. B. barombiensis can be easily identified by the pale brown elytra which is a unique character in Bonesioides . Two different coloration types of antennae and legs were found. Some specimens have dark brown or black antennae and legs, while others are characterized by pale brown antennae, tibiae and tarsi.

Type material

H : W ‘ Monolepta barombiensis Jac. / Kamerun, Barombi, Conradt / Jacoby coll. 1909-28a’ ( BMNH); Cameroon : 4°40∞N/9°25∞E; examined. L : W ‘ Barombiella graciosa m., V. Laboissière det. 1940 / Musée du Congo, Tshuapa: Eala , May 1935, J. Ghesquière’ ( MRAC); Congo: 0°4∞N/18°17∞E; this designation. P  : Congo: 1 ex., same data as holotype; 5 ex., same data as holotype (1 ex., ‘ X.1935 ’; 1 ex., ‘ X.1935 ’; 1 ex., ‘ I.1936 ’; 2 ex., ‘ IV.1936 ’, all ( MRAC)); 1 ex., Bombona, 2°23∞N/19°3∞E, July 1935, A. Bal ( MRAC); 1 ex., River Busira, 0°7∞S/19°18∞E, June 1936, J. Ghesquière ( MRAC); 1 ex., Ilenge , 0°15∞S/20°35∞E, January 1918 , R. Mayné ( MRAC); 1 ex., N’Gomo, 0°55∞S/9°20∞E, Junod, coll. Clavereau ( MRAC); this designation. No holotype was designated either in the original description or on the material examined .

Other material examined

Congo: 1 ex., Tshuapa: Bamanya , 0°0’/18°20∞E, 1968, P. Hulstaert ( MRAC) ; 13 ex., same data as holotype (2 ex., July 1935; 1 ex., January 1936; 1 ex., February 1936; 6 ex., September 1936; 1 ex., October 1936; 2 ex., November 1936) ( MRAC) ; 1 ex., Kasai: Kondue , 4°57∞S/23°21∞ E, E. Luja ( IRSNB) ; 1 ex., Kisangani , 0°31∞N/25°11∞E, March 1971, J. Taverniers ( MRAC) ; 3 ex., 180 km W from Bukavu , May 1988, Hung. Sci. Africa Exp. ‘ Telekei’, A. Vojnits ( HNHM) . Congo-Brazzaville : 5 ex., Odzala Nat. Park , 0°55∞S/9°20∞ E, S. Muzin and V. Siniaev (CBe) .