Pseudocistela ceramboides ( Linnaeus, 1758 )

Novák, Vladimír, 2013, Review of the West Palaearctic Pseudocistela with description of P. hajeki sp. nov. from Iran (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae: Alleculinae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 53 (1), pp. 293-301 : 295-296

Pseudocistela ceramboides ( Linnaeus, 1758)

( Figs 1–2, 5 –12)

Chrysomela ceramboides Linnaeus, 1758: 377

Cistela ceramboides: FABRICIUS (1775: 116)

Pseudocistela ceramboides: SCHILSKY (1890: 190)

Cistela serrata Chevrolat, 1844: 125 , syn. nov.

Gonodera (Pseudocistela) ceramboides var. serrata: SEIDLITZ (1891: 525)

Pseudocistela ceramboides var. serrata: SEIDLITZ (1896: 88)

Pseudocistela ceramboides serrata: NOVÁK & PETTERSSON (2008: 327)

Material examined. Pseudocistela ceramboides ‘ ceramboides ’: 1 J: CZ Moravia mer. / Hnanice / 10. 6. / Číla lgt. 1997 ( VNPC).

Pseudocistela ceramboides ‘ serrata ’: 1 J: SLOVAKIA mer. / Hajnáčka / 20.6.1988 / Zd. Černý lgt. ( VNPC) ; 1 J: ROMANIA Mt. Mehedinti / Motru Sec, valea Lupşei / 13.6.2010 / V. Zieris lgt. ( VZPC) ; 1 ♀: Greece centr. Thessalia / Kria Vrisi, Kefambaka env. / Pimdos mts. , E part, 900m / Tomáš Sitek lgt. 12.6.2010 ( TSOC) ; 1 f*: CZ-BOHEMIA, Č. Středohoří: / Děčín-Krásný Studenec / vrch Klobouk , 23.5.2006 / P. Moravec lgt. (5520) ( VNPC) .

Comments on synonymy. Both former subspecies of P. ceramboides differ easily by the colouration of the pronotum, plus in the following details:

Pseudocistela ceramboides ceramboides ( Figs 1, 5–6 , 9–10): Commonly known form. Body (including pronotum) black, elytra ochre yellow. Male: habitus as in Fig. 1 ; head and pronotum as in Fig. 5 ; antennae as in Fig. 6 ; aedeagus as in Figs 9, 10. HL 1.52 mm; HW 1.70 mm; OI 25.00; PL 1.51 mm; PW 2.93 mm; PI 51.65; EL 8.54 mm; EW 4.05 mm; BL 11.57 mm; BL/EW 2.86; HW/PW 0.58; PW/EW 0.72; AL 8.30 mm; AL/BL 0.72. RLA (1–11): 1.33: 0.66: 1.00: 2.78: 2.99: 2.91: 2.95: 3.12: 3.07: 2.90: 3.58. RLA/W (1–11): 1.84: 1.18: 1.37: 2.04: 2.09: 2.12: 2.41: 2.48: 2.77: 3.04: 5.41.

Pseudocistela ceramboides serrata ( Figs 2, 7–8 , 11–12). Body black, pronotum and elytra ochre yellow. Male: habitus as in Fig. 2 ; head and pronotum as in Fig. 7 ; antennae as in Fig. 8 ; aedeagus as in Figs 11, 12. HL 1.53 mm; HW 1.54 mm; OI 28.76; PL 1.46 mm; PW 2.77 mm; PI 52.70; EL 7.68 mm; EW 3.48 mm; BL 10.67 mm; BL/EW 3.07; HW/PW 0.59; PW/EW 0.80; AL 7.27 mm; AL/BL 0.68. RLA (1–11): 1.27: 0.54: 1.00: 2.68: 2.79: 2.87: 2.87: 2.92: 2.81: 2.63: 3.51. RLA/W (1–11): 1.77: 1.00: 1.52: 2.36: 2.38: 2.61: 2.82: 2.80: 2.74: 2.87: 5.47.

However, all important morphological characters (i.e. shape of the body, pronotum, antennae, and especially aedeagus), as well as morphometric characters (i.e. OI, PI, and RLA) are approximately the same in P. ceramboides ceramboides and P. ceramboides serrata . As the distribution of P. ceramboides serrata is completely within the distribution range of P. ceramboides ceramboides , it cannot be considered an allopatric geographic subspecies. Therefore, I here regard both taxa as mere colour forms, consistent also with SEIDLITZ (1891, 1896), considering P. ceramboides serrata a junior synonym of P. ceramboides ceramboides .

Known distribution of both colour forms. Typical Pseudocistela ceramboides with black pronotum (‘ P. c. ceramboides ’): Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Great Britain, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, South European Territory of Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, ‘Caucasus’ ( NOVÁK & PETTERSSON 2008).

Colour form with ochre yellow pronotum (‘ P. ceramboides serrata ’): Hungary, Slovakia ( NOVÁK & PETTERSSON 2008); Czech Republic, Greece, Romania (this paper).

Figures

Figs 1–8. 1–4 – habitus of male: 1 – Pseudocistela ceramboides (Linnaeus, 1758); 2 – P. ceramboides serrata (Chevrolat, 1844) syn. nov.; 3 – P. hajeki sp. nov. 4 – P. znojkoi (Iablokoff-Khnzorian, 1959). 5–8 – details of head (5, 7) and antenna (6, 8): 5–6 – P. ceramboides; 7–8 – P. c. serrata.