Phoenicodera scapularis ( 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 : 20-21

Phoenicodera scapularis ( Thunberg, 1821)

Fig. 10

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

Clythra scapularis – Forsberg 1821: 262, 275 (redescription).

Clythra (Phoenicodera) scapularis – Lacordaire 1848: 94.

Tituboea scapularis – Gemminger & Harold 1874: 3282 (catalogue).

Tituboea (Phoenicodera) scapularis – Jacoby & Clavareau 1906: 24 (catalogue).

Antipa (Phoenicodera) scapularis – Clavareau 1913: 440 (catalogue).

Type locality

“Cap” [= from the publication title].

Material examined

Syntypes

SOUTH AFRICA • 1 ♂; “Uppsala Univ. Zool. Mus. / Thunbergsaml. nr. 15368 / Clythra scapularis / TYP [r, p] // scapularis . / 104 [box label, w, h]”; UUZM • 1 ♀, “Uppsala Univ. Zool. Mus. / Thunbergsaml. nr. 8191 / Clythra scapularis / Cap. TYP [r, p] // scapularis . / Cap. 7 [box label, w, h]”; UUZM .

Distribution

RSA.

Comments

The genus Phoenicodera was originally proposed as a subgenus of Clythra by Lacordaire (1848), who included two species: Clythra scapularis Thunberg, 1821 and Clythra varicollis Lacordaire, 1848 . Subsequent authors catalogued Phoenicodera as a subgenus of either Tituboea or Antipa. Medvedev (1993b) raised Phoenicodera to genus level, but without any comments.

Phoenicodera clearly needs modern revision. In particular, its relationships with the genera Tituboea and Antipus need clarification. To my knowledge the type species of Phoenicodera was not designated. However, I will avoid doing that without performing a comprehensive revision of the genus. Currently, five species are classified in Phoenicodera : the two abovementioned, Phoenicodera robusta Medvedev, 1993 (from RSA), P. metallica Pic, 1939 and P. nigrovittata Pic, 1939 (both from Angola). Medvedev (1993b) keyed three South African species.

Figures

Fig. 10. Phoenicodera scapularis (Thunberg, 1821). A–D. Syntype, ♂, 9.0 mm, UUZM. A. Dorsal view. B. Lateral view. C. Frontal view. D. Label and box label. E–G. Syntype, ♀, 7.8 mm, UUZM. E. Dorsal view. F. Label. G. Box label.