Blepharidina sedecimguttata (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 sedecimguttata (Weise)

( Fig. 69 )

Blepharida sedecimguttata Weise, 1912: 94

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

Taxonomic observations. Blepharida sedecimguttata was described by Weise (1912) from Gawiro in Uhehe ( Tanzania, Gairo 6°08′06''S, 36°51′44''E). Neither the type nor other specimens attributed to this species were found in any examined collections. However, the description by Weise (1912) leaves no doubt about its attribution to the genus Blepharidina , as well as its similarity with B. rudeli . B. sedecimguttata can be distinguished from B. rudeli by the: eight large yellow patches on each elytron, as well as a small yellow patch in the shoulder angle before the humeral callus, with only one patch in front of the apex (nine large yellow patches, with two patches in front of the apex in B. rudeli ); more finely impressed elytral punctation; more sparsely stained pronotum, with shorter longitudinal furrows.

Distribution. Tanzania ( Fig. 69 ). Possibly Northern-Eastern Afrotropical (NEA) chorotype. Ecological notes. Not available. The collection site falls within the area of Eastern African Xeric Scrub (belonging to the Warm Desert & Semi-Desert Scrub & Grassland formation).

Figures

FIGURES 68–69. Blepharidina s. str. species distribution. Vegetation types are from Sayre et al. (2013).