Blepharidina rudeli (Weise)

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 rudeli (Weise)

( Figs 19 , 67 , 69 )

Blepharida rudeli Weise, 1905: 41

Blepharidina rudeli (Weise) : Biondi et al. 2017: 133

Type material examined. Lectotype ♀ ( Biondi des. in Biondi et al. 2017): “( Tanzania) Lukuledi (10°33′36''S, 38°48'E), Rudel” ( ZMHB).

Taxonomic observations. Blepharidina rudeli can be attributed to the species group including B. bimbiensis , B. carinata , B. guttulata , B. partita and, probably, B. sedecimguttata ( Figs 2, 4, 6 , 16, 19 ) (see “Taxonomic observations” in B. bimbiensis ). However, B. rudeli is easily recognizable by the partially irregular elytral punctuation ( Fig. 19 ), and the reddish-brown dorsal integuments with large and roundish yellow patches. These characters are likely shared, based on the original description of the latter species by Weise (2012), with B. sedecimguttata . However, B. rudeli seems distinguishable for the: number of large yellow patches on each elytron (nine instead of eight in B. sedecimguttata ); deeper and coarser elytral punctation; larger yellow patches on pronotum; more elongate pronotal longitudinal furrows. Compared to B. carinata , B. guttulata and B. partita , the spermatheca in B. rudeli has more slender and sclerotized basal part and more sclerotized ductus ( Figs 56, 58, 63, 67 ). Male is unknown for this species. Morphometry in Appendix 2.

Distribution. Tanzania ( Fig. 69 ). Possibly Northern-Eastern Afrotropical (NEA) chorotype.

Ecological notes. Not available. The collection site falls within the area of Miombo & Associated Broadleaf Savanna (belonging to the Tropical Lowland Grassland, Savanna & Shrubland 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 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 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.