Bonesioides trispiculata, Freund & Wagner, 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 : 1965-1966

Bonesioides trispiculata sp. nov.

Description

Total length. 4.2–4.6 mm (mean: 4.34 mm).

Head. Labrum, labial and maxillary palpus dark brown, frons and vertex dark metallic blue. Antenna dark brown, first three articles paler. Antennal article 3 about 50% longer than article 2 (figure 91), A2/A3: 0.60–0.67 (mean: 0.63); article 4 about same length of articles 2 and 3 combined, A3/A4: 0.60–0.67 (mean 0.63). Eyes large (figure 90), WE/DE: 0.67–0.70 (mean: 0.68).

Thorax. Pronotum and elytra dark metallic blue. PL: 0.7–0.8 mm (mean: 0.75 mm), PW: 1.2–1.5 mm (mean: 1.35 mm), PL/PW: 0.54–0.57 (mean: 0.56). EL: 3.2–3.6 mm (mean: 3.34 mm), EW: 1.9–2.2 mm (mean: 2.03 mm), EW/EL: 0.58–0.63 (mean: 0.61). Mesothorax, metathorax and legs dark metallic blue, metatibia about twice as long as metatarsus (figure 90), TA/TI: 0.48–0.49 (mean: 0.49).

Abdomen. Dark metallic blue.

Male genitalia. Median lobe slightly expanded medially, strongly narrowed from tectum towards apex (figure 92). Base of orifice rectangular, tectum broad and short. Endophallus with broad base and three spiculae, one protruding out of endophallus. Endophallic brush absent, protruding apical part of sclerotized ductus ejaculatorius very long, extending from tectum towards apex of median lobe.

Female genitalia. Female unknown.

Distribution. Recorded from two locations in Central Congo (figure 38).

Diagnosis. Bonesioides trispiculata sp. nov. is very similar in coloration and size to B. gambiae sp. nov., B. kirschi and B. laboissierei nom. nov. (figures 17, 34, 54, 92), but can be unmistakeably identified by the peculiar pattern of the median lobe and the endophallus, since B. trispiculata sp. nov. is the only Bonesioides species , which has three endophallic spiculae (figure 92). The antennal articles in B. kirschi and B. laboissierei nom. nov. are shorter and broader than in B. trispiculata sp. nov. (figures 17, 34, 54). The eyes in B. trispiculata sp. nov. are larger than in B. kirschi (figures 17, 90; mean WE/DE in B. trispiculata sp. nov. 0.68, B. kirschi 0.59). Furthermore, B. trispiculata sp. nov. is restricted to Central Congo, while B. gambiae sp. nov. is restricted to Gambia and the other two species mainly occur in eastern and southern Africa (figure 38).

Type material

H: W ‘ Holotypus Bonesioides trispiculata / Bonesioides trispiculata Freund & Wagner 2000 / Musée du Congo, Bumbuli, I-IV-1915, R. Mayné’ (MRAC); Congo: 3°24∞S/20°31∞E. P: Congo: 2 ex., Yangambi, 0°47∞N/24°28∞E, November 1951, J. Decelle (MRAC); 1 ex., Yangambi (Stanleyville), 0°47∞N/24°28∞E, December 1958, P. Dessart (MRAC).