Bonesioides jacksoni (Bryant, 1953), 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 : 1944-1947

Bonesioides jacksoni (Bryant, 1953) ; comb. nov.

Monolepta jacksoni Bryant, 1953: 864 .

Redescription

Total length. 4.6–5.9 mm (mean: 5.17 mm).

Head. Labrum, labial and maxillarx palpus black, frons and vertex dark metallic blue. Antenna short, extending towards end of mesosternum (figure 44). Antennal articles short and broad, dark brown to black, first three articles paler. Antennal article 3 about 30% longer than antennal article 2 (figure 45), A2/A3: 0.64–0.70 (mean: 0.66); antennal article 4 not longer than articles 2 and 3 combined, A3/A4: 0.69–0.85 (mean: 0.75). Eyes small (figure 44), WE/DE: 0.43–0.65 (mean: 0.52).

Thorax. Pronotum and elytra dark metallic blue. PL: 0.8–1.0 mm (mean: 0.91 mm), PW: 1.4–1.9 mm (mean: 1.57 mm), PL/PW: 0.53–0.64 (mean: 0.58). EL: 3.5–4.6 mm (mean: 4.01 mm), EW: 2.2–2.9 mm (mean: 2.47 mm), EW/EL: 0.48–0.70 (mean: 0.62). Mesothorax, metathorax and legs black, metatibia more than twice as long as metatarsus (figure 44), TA/TI: 0.39–0.48 (mean: 0.42).

Abdomen. Black.

Male genitalia. Median lobe broad, nearly parallel-sided, narrowed in apical quarter only (figure 47). Orifice broad and nearly rectangular, tectum very short. Endophallus with broad base and two very long right-curved spiculae; base of spiculae large. Endophallic brush small, protruding apical part of ductus ejaculatorius long and not covered by tectum.

Female genitalia. Spermatheca with slender nodulus, homogeneously converging towards short and straight middle part; cornu long and strongly curved (figure 46).

Distribution. Recorded only from southern Kenya (figure 48).

Diagnosis. Bonesioides jacksoni is most similar to other metallic blue species of median size, like B. laevicollis , B. virens and B. montana sp. nov. (figures 30, 39, 75). It can be distinguished by the short and broad antennal articles, especially by the shape of article 4 (figure 45), which is much longer and more slender in B. laevicollis , B. virens and B. montana sp. nov. (figures 31, 40, 76; mean A3/A 4 in B. jacksoni is 0.75, in B. virens 0.55, in B. laevicollis 0.50, in B. montana sp. nov. 0.54). Species with similar-sized antenna, like B. laboissierei nom. nov., B. trispiculata sp. nov. and B. gambiae sp. nov. (figures 35, 55, 91) are smaller than B. jacksoni (mean total length in B. jacksoni is 5.17 mm, B. laboissierei nom. nov. 4.15 mm, B. trispiculata sp. nov. 4.34 mm, B. gambiae sp. nov. 4.24 mm). B. kirschi and B. montana sp. nov., the only species occur syntopically with B. jacksoni , can be distinguished by the median lobe. It is rather similar in B. jacksoni and B. kirschi , but the spiculae are right-curved in the first and left-curved in the latter species. B. montana sp. nov. has a unique and unmistakeable, very elongated and apically narrowed median lobe (figures 20, 47, 78).

Type material

H  : W ‘ Monolepta jacksoni Bryant, Det. G. E. Brayant / Stony Athi, E. A. U., Nat: Hist: Soc: Biol: Survey, 5-40 / Pres. by Com. Inst. Ent., B.M. 1953-358 / Type H .T.’ (BMNH); Kenya: 1°35∞S/37°0∞E; examined. P : 8 ex., same data label as holotype ( BMNH (6 ex.) / NMK (1 ex.) / NMNH (1 ex. )); 2 ex., same data label as holotype, ‘4-40’ ( BMNH); examined .

Other material examined

Kenya: 96 ex., same data label as holotype, ‘4-40 (2 ex.) / 5-40 (30 ex.) / 6-40 (64 ex.)’ ( NMK) ; 1 ex., Chyulu Hills, 2°41∞S/37°53∞E, 1900 m, June 1888 ( BMNH) ; 1 ex., Nairobi Park, 1°22∞S/37°0∞ E, D. G. Furth ( NMNH) .