Atelechira elegans ( Thunberg, 1821 )

Bezděk, Jan, 2019, Annotated review of Cryptocephalinae (Clytrini), Synetinae and part of Galerucinae (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae) described by Carl Peter Thunberg, European Journal of Taxonomy 499, pp. 1-42 : 5-7

Atelechira elegans ( Thunberg, 1821)

Fig. 2

Clythra elegans Thunberg, 1821: 184 (original description).

Type locality

“Cap” [= from the publication title]: Western Cape Province, Republic of South Africa.

Material examined

Holotype

SOUTH AFRICA • ♂, “Uppsala Univ. Zool. Mus. / Thunbergsaml. nr. 8211 / Clythra elegans / Cap. TYP [r, p] // elegans. / Cap. 22 [box label, w, h]”; UUZM.

Additional material

SOUTH AFRICA – Eastern Cape • 2 ♀♀; Dunbrody ; 23 Feb. 1907; BMNH • 3 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀; Somerset East ; Oct. 1930; R.E. Turner leg.; BMNH • 2 ♂♂; Aliwal North ; 1–13 Jan. 1923; R.E. Turner leg.; BMNH – Western Cape • 1 ♀; BMNH • 4 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀; Table Mt., Oudtshoorn ; 1906; W. Bevins leg.: BMNH • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Matjesfontein ; 19–31 Dec. 1928; R.E. Turner leg.; BMNH – KwaZulu-Natal • 1 ♀; Durban ; G.A.K. Marshall leg.; BMNH – Northern Cape • 4 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀; Kimberley ; Feb. 1881; BMNH .

ZIMBABWE • 1 ♂; S. Rhodesia, Salisbury ; G.A.K. Marshall leg.; BMNH.

NAMIBIA • 1 ♀; 27 miles NNE Grunau, Noachabeb ; 10–12 Jan. 1972; BMNH .

Distribution

RSA. Newly recorded for Zimbabwe and Namibia.

Comments

Clythra elegans was synonymized with another South African species Atelechira aulica ( Fabricius, 1781) by Lacordaire (1848). This synonymy was accepted by all subsequent authors. However, it was recently discovered that the holotype of Crioceris aulica deposited in Banks’ collection in BMNH is a representative of Hadrocnemus Kraatz, 1895 (Malachiidae) . Subsequently, Atelechira elegans was restored as correct name for Clytrini species (for details see Geiser & Bezděk in press).

Lacordaire (1848) proposed the subgeneric name Atelechira Lacordaire, 1848 with two included species, Clythra (Atelechira) aulica and C. (A.) baculus Lacordaire, 1848 . Medvedev (1993a) designated Atelechira aulica as the type species of Atelechira . Because this designation was based on a misapplication of a previously established nominal species, the type of Atelechira is Atelechira elegans ( Thunberg, 1821) (see ICZN, Art. 69.2.4).

Currently, the genus Atelechira comprises ten species. All of them except A. schultzei Weise, 1905 from Nigeria were keyed by Medvedev (1993a). The generic assignment of Atelechira foersbergi ( Lacordaire, 1848) needs confirmation as it was also classified in Merilia Lacordaire, 1848 by Medvedev & Erber (2003). Atelechira elegans can be distinguished from its congeners by the combination of the following characters: pronotum punctate, elytra dull, legs completely yellow, mandibles yellow ( Lacordaire 1848; Medvedev 1993a).

Figures

Fig. 2. Atelechira elegans (Thunberg, 1821), holotype, ♂, 7.5 mm, UUZM. A. Dorsal view. B. Lateral view. C. Frontal view. D. Label. E. Box label.