Macromonycha apicalis ( Gebler, 1845 )

Sekerka, Lukáš, 2008, Review of the genus Macromonycha (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 48 (1), pp. 95-102 : 97-98

Macromonycha apicalis ( Gebler, 1845)

( Figs. 5-9 )

Cassida apicalis Gebler,1845: 105 . Type locality:‘deserto Kirgisico-Songorico’ [= desert area in central Asia covering a part of present eastern Kyrgyzstan, western Mongolia, and the Xinjiang province of China; the territory was known as Dzungaria (= Songoria or Sungaria)].

Macromonycha apicalis: SPAETH (1911) : 271; BOROWIEC (1999): 311.

Cassida olivieri Boheman, 1854: 332 . Type locality: ‘Oriens’ [= generally Orient]. Synonymized by SPAETH (1911): 271 with M. apicalis .

Cassida suberosa Weise, 1889 in REITTER (1889): 132. Type locality: ‘Chodscha-kala’ [now Chodzhakala in Turkmenistan, western part of the Kopet Dag mountains, ca. 30 km south of Kizyl Arvat (or Gyzylarbat, 38.58′ N / 56.16′ E)] and ‘Araxesthal’ [= the Aras river valley in Armenia, Caucasus Mts.]. Synonymized by SPAETH (1914b): 88 with M. apicalis .

Cassida suberosa var. discoidalis Reitter, 1891: 35 . Type locality: ‘Turkestan’ [= former Russian Central Asia]. Synonymized by SPAETH (1914b): 88 with M. apicalis .

Kari brunnea Maulik, 1923: 602 . Type locality: ‘ Palestine: 10 miles east of Jerusalem’. SPAETH & REITTER (1926): 19 (as syn. of M. anatolica ); BOROWIEC (2001): 81 (as syn. of M. apicalis ).

Type material examined. Cassida suberosa Weise, 1889 . LECTOTYPE (here designated): ♀, ‘Turcmenien. / Reitter. [w, p, cb, bb] // ex.Coll. / J.Weise [w, p, cb] // Chiridula / apicalis Gebl. / v. / suberosa m [w, hw, s] // Chiridula / suberosa / * [w, hw, s, underside of preceding label]’ ( ZMHB). PARALECTOTYPES: ♀, ‘Turcmenien. / Reitter. [w, p, cb, bb] // Cassida / suberosa / n. sp. [w, hw, s] // Holotypus 1888 / Cassida / suberosa / Weise [w, hw, cb, rb, bold data red and p] // Typus / Cassida / suberosa / Weise / Coll. Reitter [w, hw, cb, rb, bold data red and p] // Verh.Naturf. Ver. / Brünn. 27, / 1888, / p.132. [w, hw, cb, underside of preceding label] // M. apicalis ab. / suberosa Wse / Coll. Reitter [w, hw, cb, bold data p]’ ( HNHM); unsexed specimen, ‘Caucasus. / Araxesthal. / Leder.Reitter.[w, p, cb, bb] // Paratypus 1888 / Cassida / suberosa / Weise [w, hw, cb, rb, bold data red and p] // Typus / Cassida / suberosa / Weise / Coll. Reitter [w, hw, cb, rb, bold data red and p] // Verh.Naturf.Ver. / Brünn XXVII, / 1888, 132. [w, hw, cb, underside of preceding label] // M. apicalis ab. / suberosa Wse / Coll. Reitter [w, hw, cb, bold data p]’ ( HNHM).The specimens are provided with the following label: ‘ LECTOTYPUS [or PARALECTOTYPUS] / Cassida / suberosa / Weise, 1889 / L. Sekerka des. 2008 [r, p, bb, cb]’.

Cassida suberosa var. discoidalis Reitter, 1891 . HOLOTYPE: J, ‘Turkestan / Akinin [w, hw, cb] // Holotypus 1891. / Cassida / suberosa / var. discoidalis / Reitter [w, hw, cb, rb, bold data red and p] // suberosa / Wse.var. / discoidalis / m. 1890 [w, hw, cb] // Typus / Cassida suberosa / var.discoidalis [w, hw, cb, rb, bold data red and p] // D.E.Z.1891,p. 35. [w, hw, cb, underside of preceding label] // M. apicalis / Gebl. / Coll. Reitter [w, hw, cb, bold data p]’ ( HNHM). The specimen is provided with the following label: ‘ HOLOTYPUS / Cassida suberosa / var. discoidalis / Reitter, 1891 / L. Sekerka des. 2008 [r, p, bb, cb]’.

Additional material examined. AFGHANISTAN: HERAT: Bala Murghab , 450 m a.s.l., 25.v.-10.iv.1964, 1 spec., O. Jakeš lgt. ( MMBC; typical form) . AZERBAIJAN: ‘ Elisabetpol’ [= Ganja], 2 spec., v.1902, 5 spec. ( DEBT; typical form) ; 5 spec., Babadjanides lgt. ( MMUK; two suberosa , rest typical form) ; 1 spec., Maljushenco lgt. ( HNHM; typical form), 3 spec. ( MMUK; typical form) . IRAN: BALUCHESTAN: Taftan, Tamandai , 2100 m a.s.l., 20.iv.1973, 2 spec., Exp. Nat. Mus. Praha ( NMPC; one suberosa and one typical form). KHORASAN: Sarakhs, 29.iv.1994, 1 spec., R. Linavuori lgt. ( DEBT; suberosa form). WEST AZERBAIJAN: Maku env., 1.v.1999, 1 spec., K. Orszulik lgt. ( JBBC; typical form) . SYRIA: Tadmor [= Palmyra], 60 km SW, 4.iv.1998, 2 spec., J. Mertlík lgt. (1 JBBC, 1 LSLC; both typical form) . KAZAKHSTAN: WEST KAZAKHSTAN: ‘ Uralsk’ [= Oral], 1 spec., Reitter lgt. ( HNHM; suberosa form) . TURKMENISTAN: AHAL: Aidere, 10 km N, Kopet-Dagh Mts. , 38°14′ N, 56°46′ E, 600-1000 m a.s.l., 1 spec., G. Fabián, B. Herczig, A. Podlussány & Z. Varga lgt. ( HNHM; suberosa form) ; Annau, Kara-Kum desert, iv.1981, 3 spec., A. Pfeffer lgt. (2 NMPC, 1 LSLC; suberosa form) ; Bairam-Ali , 2 spec. ( MMUK; suberosa form) ; Bikrova, Kopet-Dagh Mts. , 37°59′ N, 58°08′ E, 300 m a.s.l., 6.iv.1993, 1 spec., M. Herblay, G. László & A. Podlussány lgt. ( HNHM; typical form) ; Chull, 5 km S, Kopet-Dagh Mts. , 37°56′ N, 58°01′ E, 700-800 m a.s.l., 28.iii.1993, 1 spec., M. Herblay, G. László & A. Podlussány lgt. ( LSLC; typical form) ; ‘ Transcaspien’ , 1 spec., Atrer lgt. ( MMUK; typical form) . UZBEKISTAN: BUKHARA: Buchara , 1 spec. ( DEBT; suberosa form) ; SAMARQAND: Samarkand , 1 spec., Reitter lgt. ( HNHM; typical form), 1 spec., Sklichal lgt. ( MMUK; suberosa form) .

Distribution. Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan ( SPAETH 1914a); Uzbekistan ( SPAETH & REITTER 1926); Armenia, Israel, and Turkey ( BODENHEIMER 1937); Afghanistan ( GRUEV 1988); Iraq ( GRUEV 1995). New species to Iran and Syria.

Comments. Macromonycha apicalis varies in size and colour and has four known forms: specimens with uniformly yellow dorsum (f. suberosa , Figs. 8-9 ), black specimens with basal 2/3 length of elytral marginalia yellow (f. discoidalis, Fig. 6 ), mostly black specimens with pale rugosities (forma typica, Fig. 5 ), and specimens with uniformly brown dorsum (unnamed Iran population, Fig. 7 ). However, it is well characterized by low pronotal tubercles and feebly costate elytra. It has the lowest costae and tubercles in comparison with its congeners. It also has a distinctly transverse clypeus, while M. anatolica and M. kantnerorum sp. nov. have the clypeus at most as wide as long.

Kari brunnea is a synonym of M. apicalis , not M. anatolica as suggested by SPAETH & REITTER (1926). This point of view was also presented in BOROWIEC (1999). Unfortunately, the type has been lost recently, but according to L. Borowiec (pers. comm.) it had distinctly lower pronotal tubercles and elytral structures than M. anatolica and thus also lower than in M. kantnerorum sp. nov.

Figures

Figs. 5-9. Habitus of Macromonycha apicalis (Gebler, 1845). 5 – M.apicalis f. typica (Gebler, 1845); 6 – M. apicalis f. discoidalis (Reitter, 1891), holotype; 7 – M. apicalis (Gebler, 1845), population from Iran; 8-9 – M. apicalis f. suberosa (Weise, 1889), holotype (5-8 – body in dorsal view; 9 – body in lateral view).