Blepharidina intermedia (Jacoby)

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

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4545.1.2
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:1D2EC333-517D-4FC1-A0AA-61EDD8BE8BEE
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5935494
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03C087BA-FF8F-9958-FF24-FC7B03A18404
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Blepharidina intermedia (Jacoby)
status

Treatment

( Figs 8 View FIGURES 1–10 , 22 View FIGURES 20–25 , 44 View FIGURES 44–49 , 59 View FIGURES 55–67 , 68 View FIGURES 68–69 )

Blepharida intermedia Jacoby, 1888: 197 ; Weise 1902: 160

Blepharidina intermedia (Jacoby) : Biondi et al. 2017: 130, 142

Type material examined. Lectotype ♂ ( Biondi des. in Biondi et al. 2017): “( Tanzania) Zanzibar (6°09′50, 39°11′53)” ( BMNH) . Paralectotypes: “ Zanzibar, 1909-28 a, Jacoby coll.”, 1 ♀ ( BMNH). Additional material examined in Appendix 1 .

Taxonomic observations. Blepharidina intermedia shows clear affinities with B. laesa and B. picta , with which it shares the following characters: lateral margins of pronotum strongly sinuate, with anterior angles obliquely truncate and pointed ( Fig. 32 View FIGURES 26–33 ); elytral margin very thin from base up to basal fifth, and distinctly enlarged around basal fifth of elytra ( Fig. 37 View FIGURES 34–37 ); aedeagus ( Figs 44, 48 View FIGURES 44–49 , 53 View FIGURES 50–54 ) with ventral sulcus slightly longer than half aedeagal length, closed and shortly divided basally. However, B. intermedia is easily distinguishable by the different elytral color pattern, generally with dark striae, and small, irregular brown patches (evident yellow patches in B. laesa and B. picta ) ( Figs 8 View FIGURES 1–10 , 12, 17 View FIGURES 11–19 ). Aedeagus ( Fig. 44 View FIGURES 44–49 ) is also distinguishable by the subapical part gradually but distinctly narrower in ventral view, and by the apical part distinctly bent dorsally in lateral view. Spermatheca ( Fig. 59 View FIGURES 55–67 ) shows piriform basal part, apical part almost 90° bent respect to the basal part, and a moderately elongate ductus. Both males and females are quite variable in size and morphometric ratios (see Appendix 2).

Distribution. Central African Republic, Kenya and Tanzania ( Fig. 68 View FIGURES 68–69 ). Central Afrotropical (CAT) chorotype. One specimen of B. intermedia from MNHN collection was labelled “ Madagascar ”, but the presence of this species in Madagascar needs confirmation.

Ecological notes. Not available. The collection sites fall within different vegetation types belonging to the following formations: Mangrove; Tropical Lowland Grassland, Savanna & Shrubland; Warm Desert & Semi- Desert Scrub & Grassland; Tropical Seasonally Dry Forest; Salt Marsh.