Antipus rufus rufus DeGeer, 1778

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 : 3-5

Antipus rufus rufus DeGeer, 1778

Fig. 1

Antipus rufus DeGeer, 1778: 659 (original description).

Cryptocephalus maxillosus Fabricius, 1781: 139 (original description).

Clytra capensis Olivier, 1808: 853 (original description) (not examined).

Clythra unipunctata Thunberg, 1821: 183 (original description) (not examined).

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

Micropyga transvalense Jacoby, 1903: 93 (original description) (not examined).

Type localities

Antipus rufus : “Cap”. Cryptocephalus maxillosus : “Cap. bon. sp.”. Clytra capensis : “cap de Bonne-Espérance”. Clythra unipunctata : “Cap” [= from the publication title]. Clythra octonotata : “Cap” [= from the publication title]. Micropyga transvalense : “Transvaal”.

Material examined

Syntypes

SOUTH AFRICA • 1 ♂; “Sp. [w, h] // Antipus rufus . VII p 659 [box label common for both specimens, w, h]”; NHRS • 1 ♂, without any labels; NHRS .

Additional material

SOUTH AFRICA • 1 ♂, syntype of Cryptocephalus maxillosus ; “ Cryp. Maxillosus / Fabr. Sp. Ins. n. 11 [w, h]”; BMNH – Banks coll. • 1 ♀, syntype of Clythra octonotata ; “Uppsala Univ. Zool. Mus. / Thunbergsaml. nr. 8212 / Clythra octonotata / Cap. TYP [r, p] // 8-notata. / α / Cap. 23 [box label, w, h]”; UUZM • 1 ♀ (almost destroyed), syntype of Clythra octonotata ; “Uppsala Univ. Zool. Mus. / Thunbergsaml. nr. 8213 / Clythra octonontata / Cap. TYP [r, p] // 8-notata. / β / Cap. 24 [box label, w, h]”; UUZM • 1 ♀, syntype of Clythra octonotata ; “Uppsala Univ. Zool. Mus. / Thunbergsaml. nr. 15384 / Clythra octonotata / TYP [r, p] // 8-notata. / 110x [box label, w, h]”; UUZM .

Distribution

Republic of South Africa ( RSA).

Comments

Thunberg (1821) accompanied the name Clythra unipunctata with a very short description and a reference to Cryptocephalus maxillosus Fabricius, 1781 . I can only speculate whether Thunberg wanted to replace the older name or not. However, because there is no explicit intention of replacement, I treat Clythra unipunctata as a validly described species conspecific with Cryptocephalus maxillosus . In UUZM, no type specimens of Clythra unipunctata were traced.

In the same paper, Thunberg (1821) described Clythra octonotata . In UUZM three female syntypes are deposited (one almost destroyed). The syntypes belong to a colour aberration with black spots on elytra often occurring in females of Antipus rufus rufus . Lacordaire (1848) correctly listed Clythra octonotata under his variety B of Antipus rufus rufus . Here I confirm Clythra octonotata as a synonym of Antipus rufus rufus .

The genus Antipus DeGeer, 1778 includes three species: A. nasicornis Medvedev, 2008 ( Congo) , A. signatifera ( Lacordaire, 1848) ( RSA) and the widely distributed Antipus rufus DeGeer, 1778 forming three subspecies ( Antipus r. rufus ; Antipus r. cornuta Medvedev, 1993; Antipus r. haefligeri (Weise, 1907)). The genus requires a modern taxonomic revision.

Figures

Fig. 1.Antipus rufus DeGeer, 1778.A. Syntype,♂,not measured, NHRS.B–E. Syntype of Cryptocephalus maxillosus Fabricius, 1781, ♂, not measured, BMNH. B. Dorsal view. C. Lateral view. D. Frontal view. E. Label. F–J. Syntype of Clythra octonotata Thunberg, 1821, ♀, 7.5 mm, UUZM. F. Dorsal view. G. Lateral view. H. Frontal view. I. Label. J. Box label.