Blepharidina guttulata (Baly)

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 guttulata (Baly)

( Figs 6 , 20 , 42 , 58 , 69 )

Blepharida guttulata Baly, 1881: 52

Blepharidina guttulata (Baly) : Bechyné 1968: 1707; Biondi et al. 2017: 130, 142

Type material examined. Lectotype ♀ ( Biondi des. in Biondi et al. 2017): “ Angola ” ( BMNH) . Paralectotypes: same data as lectotype, 5 ♀ ( BMNH), 1 ♀ ( MNHN). Additional material examined in Appendix 1 .

Taxonomic observations. Blepharidina guttulata can be attributed to the species group including B. bimbiensis , B. carinata , B. partita , B. rudeli , and, probably, B. sedecimguttata ( Figs 2, 4, 6 , 16, 19 ) (see the paragraph “Taxonomic observations” in B. bimbiensis ). Dorsal integuments in B. guttulata are slightly variable in color, but always with yellow, rather small patches on darker pronotum and elytra, often similar to B. bimbiensis ( Figs 2, 6 ). However, B. guttulata is immediately distinguishable from B. bimbiensis by its larger size. The aedeagus of B. guttulata is easily distinguishable because more slender in ventral view, with narrower apical part, and subtriangular apex ( Figs 39, 41–42 , 52 ). Compared with the other species of the group, spermatheca shows a slightly shorter distal part ( Figs 56, 58, 63–64, 67 ). Males and females are apparently similar each other, and little variable in size, with females showing slightly shorter antennae (see Morphometry in Appendix 2).

Distribution. Angola and Republic of Congo ( Fig. 69 ). Central Afrotropical (CAT) chorotype.

Ecological notes. Not available. The collection sites fall within the area of the Guineo-Congolian Swamp Forest, the Miombo & Associated Broadleaf Savanna, and the Guineo-Congolian Evergreen & Semi-Evergreen Rainforest vegetation (belonging respectively to the Tropical Flooded & Swamp Forest, the Tropical Lowland Grassland, Savanna & Shrubland, and the Tropical Lowland Humid Forest 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 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 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 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 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.