Serraphula aenea Jacoby

Biondi, Maurizio & D’Alessandro, Paola, 2010, Revision of the Afrotropical flea beetle genus Serraphula Jacoby and description of Bechynella, a new genus from Western and Central Africa (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Alticinae), Zootaxa 2444, pp. 1-44 : 6

Serraphula aenea Jacoby ( Figs 1 , 21 , 23 , 31 , 53 )

Serraphula aenea Jacoby, 1897: 557 ; Jacoby, 1900: 248, Figs 7–7 a; Maulik, 1929: 205, Fig. 14 d; Scherer, 1961: 278, Fig. 17 .

MATERIAL EXAMINED. ZIMBABWE, Mashonaland [~ 19°08’S 29°46’E], M. Jacoby Coll. 1909-28 a, lectotype 3 (Biondi M. and P. D’Alessandro des.) ( BMNH); ditto, G.A.K. Marshall, 97-100, 150, 1 3 (paralectotype) ( BMNH); “6947”, “don. Brit. Museum, Jacoby det.”, “1953 Coll. Heikertinger”, “cotypus”, 1 3 (paralectotype) ( NHMB). A lectotype is designated for S. aenea because the description of this species was based on multiple syntypes.

MORPHOLOGICAL REMARKS. Body shape elliptical, weakly elongate and moderately convex, with pronotum and elytra laterally clearly rounded. Dorsal integument brown, with evident bronze metallic reflection. Antennae shorter than body length, yellowish, with distal segments gradually darkened. Legs uniformly yellowish. Tibiae and femora distinctly thickset. Hind tibiae straight. Apical spur of hind tibiae slightly shorter than hind tibial length (LHT/ LHTS = 1.13 ± 0.04), internally slightly and regularly curved, especially in distal half; dorsal furrow gradually and weakly open in distal part; denture coarsely formed by large teeth. First anterior and middle tarsomeres clearly dilated, with adhesive structures on ventral side (cf. Figs 77,79, 81–82 ). Apical part of last abdominal sternite medially without pubescence. Median lobe of aedeagus thickset, in ventral view sub-parallel, apically moderately rounded with an evident median small tooth; ventral sulcus apically visible; in lateral view, median lobe basally weakly bent and apically straight; dorsal sulcus Vshaped, visible in apical half; dorsal ligula sub-triangular. Female unknown.

VARIATION. 3 (n = 3; mean and standard deviation): LE = 1.33 ± 0.10 mm; WE = 0.90 ± 0.09 mm; LP = 0.59 ± 0.05 mm; WP = 0.73 ± 0.01 mm; LAN = 1.57 ± 0.04 mm; LAED = 0.71 ± 0.04 mm; LB = 1.90 ± 0.19 mm; LE/LP = 2.27 ± 0.02; WE/WP = 1.23 ± 0.09; WP/LP = 1.24 ± 0.04; LE/LAED = 1.88 ± 0.06; LAN/ (LE+LP) = 0.82 ± 0.05; LHT/LHTS = 1.13 ± 0.04.

DISTRIBUTION. Zimbabwe. Southern-Eastern African chorotype (SEA) (cf. Biondi & D’Alessandro, 2006).

ECOLOGICAL NOTES. No ecological information is available for this species.

Figures

FIGURE 21. Geographical distribution of: Serraphula aenea Jacoby; S. alticola sp. n.; S. debiasei sp. n.; S. drakensbergensis sp. n.; S. duplessisi sp. n.; S. grobbelaariae sp. n.; S. monticola sp. n.; S. oberprieleri sp. n.; S. osellai sp. n.; S. transvaalensis sp. n.; S. uysi sp. n.

FIGURES 1 – 4. Habitus of: Serraphula aenea Jacoby (1); S. alticola sp. n. (2); S. audisiana sp. n. (3); S. bulirschi sp. n. (4).

FIGURES 23 – 30. Morphological characters in Serraphula Jacoby: apical spur of hind tibiae of S. aenea Jacoby (23); ibidem S. audisiana sp. n. (24); ibidem S. elongata Jacoby (25); ibidem S. monticola sp. n. (26); ibidem S. osellai sp. n. (27); ibidem S. puncticollis Bryant (28); metafemoral spring of S. elongata Jacoby (29); head of S. elongata Jacoby (30).

FIGURES 31 – 36. Head and pronotum of Serraphula Jacoby: S. aenea Jacoby (31); S. audisiana sp. n. (32); S. bulirschi sp. n. (33); S. colonnellii sp. n. (34); S. debiasei sp. n. (frontal dimple pointed) (35); S. drakensbergensis sp. n. (36).

FIGURES 43 – 60. Median lobe of aedeagus of Serraphula Jacoby; lateral, ventral and dorsal view: S. elongata, Eastern Cape Province, Southwell area (43 a); S. elongata, Eastern Cape Province, nr Thornhill (43 b); S. colonnelii, Kwazulu- Natal, Ifafa Mouth (44); S. debiasei, Eastern Cape Province, 4 km S Barkly Pass (45); S. uysi, Transvaal, Palala (46); S. puncticollis, Eastern Cape Province, Port St. John (47); S. natalensis, KwaZulu-Natal, Blesberg (48); S. oberprieleri, Zimbabwe, Bunga Forest (49); S. mpumalangaensis, Mpumalanga, Houtenbek Farm, Macabelel Lodge (50); S. alticola, Mpumalanga, Mount Sheba area (51); S. audisiana, Kwazulu-Natal, Ngele Forest (52); S. aenea, Mashonaland (53); S. drakensbergensis, Kwazulu-Natal, Cathedral Peak (54); S. grobbelaariae, Mpumalanga, Houtenbek Farm, Boskrans Dam (55); S. duplessisi, Limpopo, Entabeni Forest Reserve, Soutpansberg (56); S. bulirschi, Kwazulu-Natal, Ntendeka Wilderness Area, Ngomi Forest (57); S. transvaalensis, Eastern Transvaal, Nelshoogte Pass (58); S. osellai, Kwazulu- Natal, Ngele Forest (59); S. wittmeri, Limpopo, Branddraai (60).

FIGURES 5 – 8. Habitus of: S. colonnellii sp. n. (5); S. debiasei sp. n. (6); S. drakensbergensis sp. n. (7); S. duplessisi sp. n. (8).

FIGURES 13 – 16. Habitus of: S. natalensis sp. n. (13); S. oberprieleri sp. n. (14); S. osellai sp. n. (15); S. puncticollis Bryant (16).

FIGURES 17 – 20. Habitus of: S. transvaalensis sp. n. (17); S. uysi sp. n. (18); S. wittmeri sp. n. (19); Bechynella bohumilae (Bechyné) (20).

FIGURES 77 – 82. Ventral side of first anterior and middle tarsomeres in male and female of Serraphula elongata Jacoby: male with differentiated adhesive structure (77, 79, 81 – 82); female without differentiated adhesive structure (78, 80).