Bonesioides kirschi (Jacoby, 1899), 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 : 1928-1931

Bonesioides kirschi (Jacoby, 1899) ; comb. nov.

Monolepta kirschi Jacoby, 1899: 374 .

Monolepta (Candezea) kirschi Jacoby, 1899 ; in Weise, 1924: 176.

Monolepta munroi Bryant, 1931: 256 ; syn. nov.

Barombia lesnei Laboissière, 1931b: 54 ; syn. nov.

Barombiella lesnei (Laboissière, 1931b) ; in Wilcox, 1973: 602.

Barombiella babaulti Laboissière, 1939: 162 ; syn. nov.

Redescription

Total length. 3.9–5.3 mm (mean: 4.52 mm).

Head. Labrum, labial and maxillary palpus black, frons and vertex dark metallic blue. Antenna dark brown to black, first three antennal articles paler; antenna and antennal articles short, extending towards end of metasternum (figure 17); antennal article 3 about 50% longer than article 2 (figure 18), A2/A3: 0.60–0.70 (mean: 0.67); antennal article 4 not longer than antennal articles 2 and 3 combined, A3/A4: 0.69–0.80 (mean: 0.75). Eyes small (figure 17), WE/DE: 0.48–0.67 (mean: 0.59).

Thorax. Pronotum and elytra dark metallic blue. Pronotum very convex, PL: 0.6–0.9 mm (mean: 0.78 mm), PW: 1.1–1.7 mm (mean: 1.39 mm), PL/PW: 0.53–0.59 (mean: 0.56). EL: 3.0– 4.2 mm (mean: 3.49 mm), EW: 2.0– 2.7 mm (mean: 2.26 mm), EW/EL: 0.61–0.69 (mean: 0.65). Mesothorax, metathorax and legs black. Metatibia on average more than twice as long as metatarsus (figure 17), TA/TI: 0.44–0.54 (mean: 0.47).

Abdomen. Black.

Male genitalia. Median lobe broad and short, nearly parallel-sided in basal two-thirds, slightly narrowed apically (figure 20). Orifice very broad and nearly rectangular, tectum short and broad. Endophallus with broad base and two leftcurved spiculae; spiculae with enlarged base. Endophallic brush small, protrudent apical part of sclerotized ductus ejaculatorius not covered by tectum.

Female genitalia. Spermatheca with slightly expanded nodulus, middle part and cornu varying in curvature and length, usually short and slightly curved (figure 19).

Distribution. Southern Africa; recorded from Angola, Namibia, Zambia, Mocambique and South Africa (figure 38).

Diagnosis. Bonesioides kirschi is similar to other metallic blue species, but it is the only species distributed in southern Africa, while others are only known from Central, East or West Africa (figure 38). It can be identified by the short antenna and the short, broad antennal articles (figure 18), which are much longer in B. virens and B. laevicollis (figures 31, 40). Compared to species with similar antennal characters, B. kirschi can be identified by the broad, apically significantly expanded elytra (figure 17). Mean EW/EL in B. kirschi is 0.65, in B. gambiae sp. nov.: 0.58 and in B. marcoi sp. nov.: 0.59. The most similar species, B. jacksoni and B. laboissierei nom. nov., can be clearly distinguished only by examination of the median lobe. In B. laboissierei nom. nov. it is much slenderer and elongated than in B. kirschi (figures 20, 37). Furthermore, the endophallic brush is close to the apex of the sclerotized ductus ejaculatorius, which is extremely protrudent in B. laboissierei nom. nov. The median lobe in B. jacksoni and B. kirschi are very similar, but spiculae are right-curved in B. jacksoni and left-curved in B. kirschi (figures 20, 47). Distribution can also be used for identification, since B. jacksoni is recorded only from Kenya and B. laboissierei nom. nov. mainly from Central Africa (figures 38, 48).

Type material

H : X ‘ Monolepta kirschi Jac. / Salisbury, Mashonald. / Jacoby coll. 1909-28a’ ( BMNH); Zimbabwe: 17°43∞S/31°5∞E; examined. H   X ‘ Monolepta munroi Bryant, Det. G. E. Bryant / Warmbath TP, Roodekuil, 6.12.29, H. K. Munroi’ ( BMNH); South Africa: 24°55∞S/28°15∞E; examined. L : X ‘ Barombia lesnei m., V. Laboissière — Det. / Type / Museum Paris, Zambese, Chemba, P. Lesne 1929’ ( MNHN); Zambia: 17°11∞S/34°53∞E; this designation. P  : Zambia: 1 W, Zambese, Chiramba, 16°55∞S/34°39∞ E, P. Lesne, 1929 ( MNHN); this designation. No holotype was designated either in the original description or on the material examined. H  X ‘ Barombiella babaulti m., V. Laboissière — Det. / Museum Paris, Coll. generale / Type / Huila, 1939’ ( MNHN); Angola: 15°4∞S/13°33∞E; examined .

Other material examined

Namibia: 4 ex., Osana , 22°1∞S/16°56∞E, March–April 1989, J. Irish ( MNHU) ; 2 ex., Okahandja , 21°59∞S/16°58∞ E, S. G. Casper ( MNHU) ; 1 ex., Okaukuejo , 19°10∞S/15°55∞E, lux, March 1994, B. and M. Uhlig ( MNHU) ; 1 ex., Otjitambi , 19°48∞S/15°10∞E, at light, February 1972 ( BMNH) ; 6 ex., Popa Falls , 18°7∞S/21°34∞E, lux, March 1994, U. Göllner ( MNHU) ; 6 ex., Popa Falls , January 1993, F. Koch ( MNHU) . Mocambique: 1 ex., Pomene , 22°59∞S/35°35∞E, grassnetting savanna, May 1975, A. Strydom ( TMSA) . South Africa: 1 ex., Natal, D’Urban ( SAMC) ; 2 ex., Omaramba , January 1898, Erikson ( SAMC) ; 8 ex., Bandolier Kop , 23°19∞S/29°47∞E, ‘on vegetation’, January 1975, W. Breytenbach ( TMSA) ; 4 ex., Barberton , 25°48∞S/31°3∞E, ‘on aloe ’, January 1928, J. S. Taylor ( BMNH) ; 2 ex., Estcourt , 29°0∞S/29°53∞E, ‘on acacia ’, December 1892, G. A. K. Marshall ( BMNH) ; 1 ex., Happy Rest Nat. Res. , 23°2∞S/29°40∞E, ‘on vegetation’, April 1976, Proz. - Schulze ( TMSA) ; 18 ex., Hluhluwe , 28°2∞S/32°17∞E, January 1971, coll. Bishop, J., J. H., M. Sedlacek ( BMH) ; 5 ex., Honet Nature Reserve , 22°36∞S/30°10∞E, 300 m, November 1996, M. Hartmann ( NME) ; 1 ex., Itala Game Reserve , 27°30∞S/31°20∞E, January 1994, F. Koch ( MNHU) ; 4 ex., Nelspruit Nat. Res., Koppee , 25°29∞S/30°55∞E, beating, December 1986, Endrödy-Younga ( TMSA) ; 1 ex., Nerina Nat. Res. , 23°42∞S/30°16∞E, grassnetting, March 1975, W. Breytenbach ( TMSA) ; 1 ex., Natal ( ZMUH) ; 4 ex., Warmbaths , 24°55∞S/28°15∞E, December 1929, H. K. Munro ( BMNH) . Zambia: 1 ex., Mweru-Wantipa , 8°50∞S/29°40∞E, April 1944, H. J. Bredo ( IRSNB) . Zimbabwe: 2 ex., Salisbury , April 1899, G. A. K. Marshall ( SAMC) ; 10 ex., Bulawayo, 20°15∞S/28°30∞E, December 1903, G. A. K. Marshall ( BMNH) ; 1 ex., Chirinda , 20°25∞S/32°42∞E, January 1938, C. F. M. Swynnerton ( BMNH) ; 17 ex., Chirinda Forest, 23°0∞S/33°0∞E, 1908, David Odendaal ( BMNH) ; 3 ex., Harare, 17°43∞S/31°5∞E, February 1898 ( BMNH) ; 7 ex., Harare, ‘on acacia ’, April 1899 (3 ex.) / 1908 (4 ex.), G. A. K. Marshall ( BMNH) .