Ootheca kibonotensis Weise, 1909

Kortenhaus, Sabine & Wagner, Thomas, 2010, Revision of Ootheca Chevrolat, 1837 from tropical Africa — redescriptions, descriptions of new species and identification key (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae), Zootaxa 2659, pp. 1-52 : 31

Ootheca kibonotensis Weise, 1909

( Figs 27 , 41–45 )

Ootheca kibonotensis Weise, 1909: 199 .

Total length. 4.30–5.90 mm (mean: 5.05 mm; n = 11; Fig. 41 ).

Head. Yellow, brownish-yellow or darker brownish-red, very rarely dark brown. Antennae pale yellow and either only last one to three antennomeres brownish, or becoming dark brown to black from fifth antennomere towards apex; length ratios: second to third antennomere 0.60–0.80 (mean: 0.71); third to fourth antennomere 0.62–0.83 (mean: 0.79; Fig. 42 ). Eyes large, ratio of maximal width of eye to minimal distance between eyes 0.57–0.86 (mean: 0.69).

Thorax. Pronotum: pale yellow to brownish-red, very rarely dark brown; very finely punctuated with latero-basal impression absent or indistinct; width 1.75–2.50 mm (mean: 2.04 mm); length 1.00– 1.35 mm (mean: 1.18 mm); width to length ratio 1.60–1.86 (mean: 1.73). Elytral colouration ranges from brownishyellow to brown, very rarely black, about 15% of specimens examined have dark brown to black elytral discs, i.e. elytra have paler brownish outer margins, suture and apex ( Fig. 43 ); irregularly and somewhat more coarsely punctuated than pronotum, generally with fine punctuation; length 3.70–4.60 mm (mean: 4.06 mm); maximal width of elytra together 3.00– 3.90 mm (mean: 3.31 mm); maximal width of elytra together to length of elytron ratio 0.76–0.85 (mean: 0.82). Scutellum, meso- and metathorax yellow to yellowish-brown. Legs entirely yellowish-brown, in about 30% of specimens examined distal three quarters of tibiae dark brown, in those specimens femora often also darker brownish colour. Length ratio of basi-metatarsus to metatibia 0.22– 0.29 (mean: 0.25).

Abdomen. Yellow to brown.

Male genitalia. Median lobe broad at base, nearly parallel-sided in the middle third, tapering towards non-incised apex. Tectum consists of one pair of short tectorial spurs, broad basally and hooked apically. Endophallus with very broad, short base and pair of slender, down-curved spines ( Fig. 44 ).

Diagnosis. Only the specimens that are characterized by brownish to black discal spots on the elytra can be reliably assigned to O. kibonotensis by external characters, as these are markings unique to this species. Ootheca kibonotensis is on average significantly smaller (total length 4.30–5.90 mm), and has a finer dorsal punctuation, than the sympatrically occurring O. mutabilis (total length 4.75–6.30 mm) or O. bennigseni (total length 4.75–6.75 mm), and can be distinguished from those species in most cases by its large eyes (maximal width of eye to minimal distance between eyes 0.57–0.86; O. mutabilis 0.39–0.63; O. bennigseni 0.39–0.67), but here also, only the male genitalia allow a reliable identification in most cases.

Distribution. Most specimens known from a restricted area around Kilimandjaro to the coastal region in northern Tanzania southern Kenya including the Taita Hills and Zanzibar, few records far away in Angola and northern Zambia ( Fig. 27 ).

Type material examined. Lectotype: male, “Kilimandj. Sjöstedt / Kibonoto 1’– 1200 m. / 24 april / 3 / Type. / Lectotypus Th. Wagner desig. 2008 Ootheca kibonotensis Wse. / AfriGa specimen ID 866 specimen data documented 4.X.2006 ” ( NHRS; Fig. 45 ). This designation. Type locality: Tanzania, Kibonoto, 3°00’S / 37°20’E. Paralectotypes: 7 ex., same basic data (at least “Kilimadjaro, Sjoestedt 1905”) as lectotype (4 ex. MNHU, 3 ex. NHRS). Weise mentioned eight specimens in his original publication, and a lectotype is herein designated to fix the name to a single specimen.

Additional material examined. Angola: 1 ex., Salazar, 9°18’S / 14°55’E, 9.–15.III.1972, Southern African Exp. ( BMNH). Kenya: 1 ex., Voi, 3°23’S / 38°34’E, III.1911, S. A. Neave ( BMNH); 8 ex., Shimoni, 4°39’S / 39°23’E, XI.1911, Alluaud & Jeannel ( ZMUH); 1 ex., Sekoke, VII.1932, A. Turner ( NMK); 1 ex. Malindi, 3°13’S / 40°07’E, V.1940, G. W. Jeffery ( BMNH). Tanzania: 1 ex., Ramissi, V.1915, Methner ( MNHU); 1 ex., Zanzibar, 6°10’S / 39°11’E, Fairmaire, coll. Clavareau ( MRAC); 1 ex., Kilimandjaro, 5°23’S / 38°03’E, 1905, Sjöstedt ( NHRS); 1 ex., Narobi b. Tanga, 5°07’S / 39°7’E, V.1915, Methner ( MNHU). Zambia: 3 ex., Lake Bangweulu, N’Sumba Island, 11°05’S / 29°45’E, XI.1946, M. Steele ( BMNH).

Figures

FIGURE 27. Distribution of Ootheca chapuisi, O. variabilis and O. kibonotensis.

FIGURE 45. Lectotype of Ootheca kibonotensis Weise, 1900, a. specimen with labels, b. close-up detail of specimen.

FIGURES 41 – 44. Ootheca kibonotensis Weise, 1909. 41. Habitus, dorsal view; 42. Antennomeres 1 – 4 of two different males and two different females; 43. Colour pattern of some specimens; 44. Median lobe: dorsal (left), lateral (right).