Blepharidina burtli (Bryant)

Iannella, Paola D’Alessandro Mattia & Biondi, Maurizio, 2019, Revision of the Afrotropical flea beetle subgenus Blepharidina s. str. Bechyné (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae), Zootaxa 4545 (1) : -

Blepharidina burtli (Bryant)

( Figs 3 , 27 , 34 , 40 , 55 , 68 )

Blepharida burtli Bryant, 1944: 134

Blepharidina burtli (Bryant) : Biondi et al. 2017: 129, 142 (pars)

Type material examined. Lectotype ♀ (Biondi des. in Biondi et al. 2017): “Tanganyika ( Tanzania) T., Mshughaa, 30 ml. E of Singida (5°03'S, 35°01′48''E), xii.1935 – i.1936, E. Burtl ” ( BMNH) . Paralectotypes: same data as lectotype, 2 ♀ ( BMNH). Additional material examined in Appendix 1 .

Taxonomic observations. Blepharidina burtli , especially in females, is similar to B. delineata ( Fig. 5 ) in size, habitus and color pattern. However, the two species do not seem closely related because of the clear differences in the spermatheca ( Figs 55, 57 ), having a more elongate distal part, and a thicker and shorter ductus in B. burtli . This species can be distinguished also by: the lateral margin of pronotum moderately sinuate ( Fig. 27 ), with anterolateral part not visible in dorsal view (almost straight and entirely visible in B. delineata ); pronotal surface with an incomplete medial stria of punctures touching both posterior and anterior margins ( Fig. 27 ) (complete in B. delineata ); elytral surface with smaller points and flat interstriae ( Fig. 34 ) (with larger points and more carinate interstriae in B. delineata ). Aedeagus ( Fig. 40 ) in ventral view thick and slightly sinuate laterally, with subrounded apical part and small median acute apex; in lateral view, straight and tapered from basal part to subapical part. Based on the general shape of the aedeagus, B. burtli could be closely related to B. aliquantula sp. nov., B. kasigauensis sp. nov., and B. regalini sp. nov. ( Figs 38 , 45 , 54 ), but the aedeagus of B. burtli is easily distinguishable for being slightly stubbier, apically more rounded, and with a differently shaped dorsal ligula. Morphometry in Appendix 2.

Distribution. Tanzania ( Fig. 68 ). Possibly Northern-Eastern Afrotropical (NEA) chorotype.

Ecological Notes. Not available. The collection sites fall within the area of Eastern African Xeric Scrub vegetation, and Miombo & Associated Broadleaf Savanna vegetation (belonging respectively to the Warm Desert & Semi-Desert Scrub & Grassland, and Tropical Lowland Grassland, Savanna & Shrubland formations).

Figures

FIGURES 1–10. Blepharidina s. str. species habitus: 1, B. aliquantula sp. nov., ♂ holotype; 2, B. bimbiensis (Bechyné), ♂ lectotype; 3, B. burtli (Bryant), ♂ from Manjoni, Tanzania; 4, B. carinata (Bryant), ♂ lectotype; 5, B. delineata (Bryant), ♀ lectotype; 6, B. guttulata (Baly), ♂ from Zamibuo, Angola; 7, B. himba sp. nov., ♂ holotype; 8, B. intermedia (Jacoby), ♂ from Kindwitvi, Tanzania; 9, B. kasigauensis sp. nov., ♂ holotype; 10, B. kenyana sp. nov., ♂ holotype.

FIGURES 26–33. Blepharidina s. str. species pronotum and basal part of elytra, in lateral view: 26, B. aliquantula sp. nov.; 27, B. burtli (Bryant); 28, B. kasigauensis sp. nov.; 29, B. kenyana sp. nov.; 30, B. knighti (Bryant); 31, B. ornaticollis (Jacoby); 32, B. picta (Kolbe); 33, B. regalini sp. nov.

FIGURES 34–37. Blepharidina s. str. species elytra, in lateral view: 34, B. burtli (Bryant); 35, B. carinata (Bryant); 36, B. knighti (Bryant); 37, B. picta (Kolbe).

FIGURES 38–43. Blepharidina s. str. species aedeagus, from left to right in ventral, dorsal, and lateral view: 38, B. aliquantula sp. nov., holotype; 39, B. bimbiensis (Bechyné), lectotype; 40, B. burtli (Bryant), from Manjoni, Tanzania; 41, B. carinata (Bryant), lectotype; 42, B. guttulata (Baly), from Masséssé, Republic of Congo; 43, B. himba sp. nov., holotype.

FIGURES 55–67. Blepharidina s. str. species spermatheca: 55, B. burtli (Bryant), lectotype; 56, B. carinata (Bryant), paralectotype from Angola; 57, B. delineata (Bryant), lectotype; 58, B. guttulata (Baly) lectotype; 59, B. intermedia (Jacoby), from Bagamoyo, Tanzania; 60, B. macarthuri (Bryant), from Usambara, Tanzania; 61, B. matabelelandensis sp. nov., paratype from Lonely, Zimbabwe; 62, B. ornaticollis (Jacoby), from Ramisi River, Kenya; 63, B. partita (Jacoby), from Huila region, Angola; 64, ditto, from Democratic Republic of The Congo; 65, B. picta (Kolbe), from Lindi region, Tanzania; 66, B. regalini sp. nov., paratype from Taveta, Kenya; 67, B. rudeli (Weise), lectotype.

FIGURES 68–69. Blepharidina s. str. species distribution. Vegetation types are from Sayre et al. (2013).

FIGURES 44–49. Blepharidina s. str. species aedeagus, from left to right in ventral, dorsal, and lateral view: 44, B. intermedia (Jacoby), from Kindwitvi, Tanzania; 45, B. kasigauensis sp. nov., holotype; 46, B. kenyana sp. nov., holotype; 47, B. knighti (Bryant), lectotype; 48, B. laesa (Kolbe), lectotype; 49, B. macarthuri (Bryant), lectotype.

FIGURES 50–54. Blepharidina s. str. species aedeagus, from left to right in ventral, dorsal, and lateral view: 50, B. matabelelandensis sp. nov., holotype; 51, B. ornaticollis (Jacoby), from Ramisi River, Kenya; 52, B. partita (Jacoby), from Solwezi, Zambia; 53, B. picta (Kolbe), from Mikindani, Tanzania; 54, B. regalini sp. nov., holotype.