Blepharidina macarthuri (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 macarthuri (Bryant)

( Figs 13 , 23 , 49 , 60 , 69 )

Blepharida macarthuri Bryant, 1948: 150

Blepharidina macarthuri (Bryant) : Biondi et al. 2017: 131

Type material examined. Lectotype ♂ ( Biondi des. in Biondi et al. 2017): “( KENYA) MacArthur and Museum Staff., Ikutha (2°04′12''S, 38°10′48''E). 1–42” ( BMNH) . Paralectotypes: KENYA, “Makindu (2°16′30''S, 37°49′12''E), xii.1933, MacArthur”, 1 ♀ ( BMNH). Additional material examined in Appendix 1 .

Taxonomic observations. Blepharidina macarthuri shows clear affinities with B. ornaticollis . These two species share: similar size, habitus, sculpture of the dorsal integuments ( Figs 13, 15 ), anterior margin of the pronotum slightly thicker medially than laterally ( Figs 23, 25 ); anterior angles of the pronotum sharply pointed and laterally oriented ( Fig. 31 ), and dorsal surface of the aedeagus densely carinate longitudinally ( Figs 49 , 51 ). However, B. macarthuri is mainly distinguishable by the more slender distal part of the aedeagus ( Figs 49 , 51 ), and the spermatheca with thicker and subcylindrical basal part (piriform and elongate in B. ornaticollis ) ( Figs 60, 62 ). Morphometry in Appendix 2.

Distribution. Kenya ( Fig. 69 ). Possibly Northern–Eastern Afrotropical (NEA) chorotype.

Ecological notes. The collection sites fall within the following vegetation types: Eastern African Xeric Scrub (belonging to the Warm Desert & Semi-Desert Scrub & Grassland formation); Eastern African Salt Pan (belonging to the Salt Marsh formation); Afromontane Dry Forest (belonging to the Tropical Montane Humid Forest formation).

Figures

FIGURES 11–19. Blepharidina s. str. species habitus: 11, B. knighti (Bryant), ♂ lectotype; 12, B. laesa (Kolbe), ♂ lectotype; 13, B. macarthuri (Bryant), ♂ lectotype; 14, B. matabelelandensis sp. nov., ♂ holotype; 15, B. ornaticollis (Jacoby), ♂ lectotype; 16, B. partita (Jacoby), ♂ from Solwezi, Zambia; 17, B. picta (Kolbe), ♂ from Mikindani, Tanzania; 18, B. regalini sp. nov., ♂ holotype; 19, B. rudeli (Weise), ♀ lectotype.

FIGURES 20–25. Blepharidina s. str. species pronotum, in dorsal view: 20, B. guttulata (Baly); 21, B. himba sp. nov.; 22, B. intermedia (Jacoby); 23, B. macarthuri (Bryant); 24, B. matabelelandensis sp. nov.; 25, B. ornaticollis (Jacoby).

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 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 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 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.