Bonesioides laevicollis (Laboissière, 1940), Freund & Wagner, 2003

Freund, W. & Wagner, TH., 2003, Revision of Bonesioides Laboissière, 1925 (Coleoptera; Chrysomelidae; Galerucinae) from continental Africa, Journal of Natural History 37 (16), pp. 1915-1976 : 1942-1944

Bonesioides laevicollis (Laboissière, 1940) ; comb. nov.

Barombiella laevicollis Laboissière, 1940: 87 .

Redescription

Total length. 4.3–6.0 mm (mean: 5.26 mm).

Head. Labrum, labial and maxillary palpus, frons and vertex dark metallic blue. Antenna long and black, extending towards end of metasternum (figure 39). Antennal articles 2 and 3, rarely first three articles brown. Antennal article 3 very short, A2/A3: 0.64–1.00 (mean: 0.83), antennal article 4 longer than articles 2 and 3 combined (figure 40), A3/A4: 0.33–0.67 (mean: 0.50). Eyes large (figure 39), WE/DE: 0.60–0.83 (mean: 0.72).

Thorax. Pronotum and elytra dark blue metallic. PL: 0.7–0.9 mm (mean: 0.85 mm), PW: 1.3–1.8 mm (mean: 1.58 mm), PL/PW: 0.51–0.58 (mean: 0.54). EL: 3.2–4.7 mm (mean: 4.06 mm), EW: 2.0–3.0 mm (mean: 2.41 mm), EW/EL: 0.53–0.65 (mean: 0.60). Mesothorax, metathorax and legs black, rarely dark brown; TA/TI: 0.45–0.49 (mean: 0.48).

Abdomen. Dark brown to black.

Male genitalia. Median lobe slender, homogeneously narrowed apically (figure 42). Orifice nearly rectangular at base, tectum slender. Endophallus with broad base and two very long spiculae, which are stronger sclerotized at apex. Small endophallic brush and protruding apical part of sclerotized ductus ejaculatorius are not covered by tectum.

Female genitalia. Spermatheca with insignificantly expanded nodulus, homogeneously converging to the small, strongly curved middle part and cornu (figure 41).

Distribution. Distributed from Cameroon through the Congo Basin to Uganda and Tanzania (figure 43).

Diagnosis. Bonesioides laevicollis is most similar to B. marcoi sp. nov., B. kamerunensis sp. nov. and to metallic blue specimens of B. virens (figures 30, 39, 67, 71). These species can be distinguished by the length of the third antennal article, which is nearly of same length as article 2 in B. laevicollis (figure 40), but is much longer in the other species (figures 31, 68, 72); mean A2/A 3 in B. laevicollis 0.83, in B. marcoi sp. nov. 0.58, in B. kamerunensis sp. nov. 0.51 and in B. virens 0.59; mean A3/A 4 in B. laevicollis 0.50, in B. marcoi sp. nov. 0.65, in B. kamerunensis sp. nov. 0.81 and in B. virens 0.55. The median lobe of B. laevicollis is much more slender and the spiculae are longer than in B. marcoi sp. nov., which has a much shorter and more slender tectum, a hooked base of the endophallus and much stronger protruding sclerotized ductus ejaculatorius (figures 42, 74). The spermatheca of B. laevicollis is smaller, the nodulus much more slender and less sclerotized than in B. marcoi sp. nov. (figures 41, 73). B. kamerunensis sp. nov. can be easily distinguished by the brighter coloration of pronotum and elytra, which are also stronger microsculptured than in B. laevicollis .

Type material

H: W ‘ Barombiella laevicollis m, V. Laboissière—Det. / Musée du Congo, Rutshuru, May 1937, J. Ghesquiere, 4521 / Type laevicollis / Holotypus / Type / R. Det. A 3922’ ( MRAC); Congo: 1°11∞S/29°27∞E; examined. P    : 1 ex., same data as holotype, ‘ paratypus ; R. Det: C 3636’ (MRAC); examined.

Other material examined

Cameroon: 1 ex., Ebolowa , 3°54∞N/ 11°54E, 700 m, April 1912, v. Rothkirch ( MNHU) ; 5 ex., Johann-Albrechtshöhe , 4°37∞N/ 9°26E, February 1896 – April 1898, L. Conradt ( MNHU) ; 1 ex., Manusquelle, Kamerunberg , 2300 m, February 1935, Dr F. Zump ( MNHU) . Congo: 1 ex., Bambesa , 3°28∞N/25°43∞E, January 1934, H. J. Bredo ( MRAC) ; 2 ex., Bambesa , May–October 1938, J. Vrydagh ( MRAC) ; 1 ex., Beni a Lesse , 0°29∞N/29°27∞E, July 1911, Dr Murtula ( MRAC) ; 1 ex., Bokuma , 0°6∞S/18°42∞E, December 1951, Rev. P. Lootens ( MRAC) ; 2 ex., Dingila , 3°39∞N/26°4∞E, July–August 1933, J. V. Leroy ( MRAC) ; 1 ex., Eala , 0°4∞N/18°17∞E, January 1936, J. Ghesquiere ( MRAC) ; 4 ex., Elisabethville , 11°40∞S/27°28∞E, November 1951 – February 1952 (1 ex.) / 1956–58 (3 ex.), a la lumiere, Ch. Seydel ( MRAC) ; 1 ex., Ibembo , 2°38∞N/23°37∞E, June 1950, R. F. Hutsebaut ( MRAC) ; 2 ex., Ilenge , 0°15∞S/20°35∞E, January 1918, R. Mayne ( MRAC) ; 1 ex., Kalonge , 0°20∞N/29°48∞E, 2100–2480 m, August 1952, etage Bambous, P. Vanschuytbroeck and J. Kekenbosch ( IRSNB) ; 1 ex., Kunungu, 2°6∞S/16°26∞E, 1938, Schouteden ( MRAC) ; 2 ex., Libenge , 3°39∞N/18°38∞E, November 1947 – January 1948, R. Cremer and M. Neumann ( IRSNB) ; 1 ex., Lusembo et env., 1950, P. Hostie ( MRAC) ; 1 ex., Mondombe , 0°54∞S/22°48∞E, October 1912, R. Mayne ( MRAC) ; 2 ex., Mongbwalu , 1°57∞N/30°2∞E, March–May 1939, Mme A. Lepersonne ( MRAC) ; 1 ex., Mt Hoyoy , 1°13∞N/29°49∞E, 1280 m, July 1955, sur plantes basses, P. Vanschuytbroeck ( IRSNB) ; 1 ex., Nouvelle Anvers , 1°36∞N/19°7∞E, December 1952, P. Basilewsky ( MRAC) ; 1 ex., Rutshuru , 1285 m, July 1935, G. F. de Witte ( IRSNB) ; 4 ex., Rwankwi , 1°20∞S/29°22∞E. April 1948 – February 1951, J. V. Leroy ( MRAC) ; 1 ex., Semliki , 1°14∞N/30°28∞E, July 1957, P. Vanschuytbroeck ( IRSNB) ; 1 ex., Stanleyville, 0°31∞N/25°11∞E, 1924, Lt J. Ghesquiere ( MRAC) ; 1 ex., Yolo , June 1937, Buckinckx ( MRAC) . Tanzania: 1 ex., Kidugala, 9°34∞S/34°40∞E ( IRSNB) ; 1 ex., Terr. Tanganyika, Mziha, 5°34∞S/37°47∞E, 400 m, I. R. S. A. C., April 1957, P. Basilewsky and N. Leleup ( MRAC) . Uganda: 7 ex., Masindi, Budongo Forest , 1°45∞N/31°35∞E, July 1995, Th. Wagner ( ZFMK) .