Prometopia binotata Murray, 1867

Jelínek, Josef, Hájek, Jiří, Eos, Canon, Mp-, Canon, Bx, Olympus & Ds, Canon, 2020, Review of the Afrotropical species of the genus Prometopia (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae: Prometopiinae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 60 (1), pp. 189-199 : 192-193

Prometopia binotata Murray, 1867

(Figs 1, 7, 9, 12)

Prometopia binotata Murray, 1867: 168 (original description); MUR-

RAY (1878): 86 (reprint of MURRAY 1867); GROUVELLE (1913): 132

(catalogue).

Material examined. ANGOLA: I.I.A.A., Salazar, 9.–15.iii.1972, at light, 3 spec., A. G. Kirejtshuk det. 2003 (BMNH). BENIN: Zou Department, Save env., 18.–20.vi.2001, F.et L.Kantner lgt., 1 spec. (SMNS);Akonbgbere vill. near Save, 16.–20.vi. 2001, A. Kudrna jr. lgt., 1 spec. (ALCB); Bohicon, quartier Soglogon, 07°10′54″N, 02°01′54″E, 200 m, 6.vi.2016, A. Coache lgt., 1 spec. (CEREB). CAMEROON: North-West Province, Bali Nyonga, 8.iii.2006, J. L.Voma lgt., 1 spec. (ALBC). CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Ombella-Mpoko Province, Damara-Bouca road, 95 km SW Sibut (GPS), 600 m, 24.–25.v.2009, A. Kudrna jr. lgt., 1 spec. (NMPC); Ombella-Mpoko Province, 75 km NNE Bangui, 5.–6. iv. 2010, A. Kudrna jr. lgt., 3 spec. (ALBC); Ouham-Pende Province, S Bozoum, 50 km SW Bossentele, 21.–22.iii.2010,A. Kudrna jr.lgt., 1 spec. (ALBC). EQUATORIAL GUINEA: Guinea Espaňol, Evinayong, Dr. Báguena lgt., 2 spec.; Rio Benito, Dr. Báguena lgt., 1 spec.; Mikomeseng, Dr. Báguena lgt., 1 spec. (all NMPC, ex coll. O. Marek). GHANA: ‘Gold Coast’, Mpraeso, 1945–1946, G. H.Thomson lgt., 1 spec., A. G.. Kirejtshuk det. 2003 (BMNH); Volta Province, WLI, Hohoe env., 3.–6. vi.2006, J. Rolčík lgt., 1 spec. (NMPC); Upper-East Province, Navrongo env., 11.–13.vi.2006, J. Rolčík lgt., 1 spec. (NMPC); Eastern region,Atewa Range, 19.–23.iii.2009, E. Kondorosy lgt., 1 spec. (HNHM); Central region, Kakum forest, 5°20′50″N, 1°22′58″W, 7.iii.2009, E. Kondorosy lgt., 1 spec. (HNHM). IVORY COAST: Kakpin Village, Comoe O., 08°39′07.0″N, 03°46′58.8″W, 259 m, 27.vi.–2.vii.2015, light trap, M. Aristophanous, P. Moretto & E. Ruzzier lgt., 1 spec.; Mt. Tonkoui Peak, 07°27′15.2″N, 07°38′12.5″W, 1171 m, 9.–16.iv.2016, M.Aristophanous & P. Moretto lgt., 1 spec.; same data, but 16.–21.vii.2016, 2 spec.; Yéalé Village, Mt.Nimba, 07°31′35.3″N, 08°25′20.1″W, 380 m, 18.–29.iv.2016, light trap, M.Aristophanous, M. Geiser & P. Moretto lgt., 10 spec.; same data, but 8.v.2016, 38 spec.; same data, but track before reserve border, 07°32′18.8″N, 08°25′23.8″W, 376 m, 18.–29.iv.2016, 4 spec.; Mt. Nimba camp, 07°35′15″N, 08°25′05″W, 823 m, 28.iv.–8.v.2016, light trap, M. Aristophanous, M. Geiser & P. Moretto lgt., 2 spec.; Bidjan, Banco Forest (Parc National du Banco), 05°23′03.8″N, 04°03′11.2″W, 39–48 m, 21.–30.v.2017, MV light, A. & M. Aristophanous, M. Geiser & P. Moretto lgt., 1 spec. (all BMNH). LIBERIA: Harold Olsen, Nat. Mus. Aarh., 1 spec. (NMPC, ex coll. O. Marek). MALAWI: Southern Region, Mulanje Mts., Likhubula lodge, 827 m, 15°56′15.7″S, 35°30′4.9″E, 18.–25.xi.2011, P. Pacholátko lgt., 3 spec. (NMPC). NIGERIA: Ibadan, 2.iv.1957, J. L. Gregory lgt., 6 spec. (BMNH); Ibadan, iii.1965, Říhová lgt., 1 spec. (NMPC); near Benin, J. L. Gregory lgt., 2.–18.iv.1958, 63 spec.; same data, but 18.–30.iv.1958, 10 spec.; 19.–30.iv.1958, 23 spec.; 1.–12.v.1958, 22 spec.; 13.–19.v.1958, 17 spec.; 19.–27.v.1958, 26 spec., 20.–27.vi.1958, 11 spec. (all BMNH); Sapoba Forest near Benin, 21.iii.1972, E. W. Classey lgt., 1 spec., A. G. Kirejtshuk det. 2003 (BMNH). SIERRA LEONE: Sierra Leone, 1904-171, 1 spec., S. Endrödy-Younga det.1968 (BMNH); Kambama village on the banks of the Moa River, 07°33′29″N, 11°21′51″W, 110 m, 22.vi.2016, light trap, Takano, Miles & Goff lgt., 4 spec. (BMNH); Mansonia village at the foothills of Loma Mts., 09°07′47″N, 11°05′06″W, 420 m, 6.vi.2016, Takano, Miles & Goff lgt., 5 spec. (BMNH); Loma Mountains, farmland/forest mosaic, 09°07′47″N, 11°05′24″W, 420 m, 11.–15.vi.2016, light trap, Takano, Miles & Goff lgt., 8 spec. (BMNH). UGANDA: Entebbe, x.1929, G. A. K. Marshall lgt., 1 spec.,A. G. Kirejtshuk det. 2003 (BMNH); Kawanda, 15.ii.–6.iii.1958, at light, P.Whalley lgt., l spec., S. Endrödy-Younga det. 1968 (BMNH); Njala, 21.xi.1926, dead palm, E. Hargreaves lgt., 1 spec., S. Endrödy-Younga det.1968; same data, but vi.1930, 1 spec.; 29.x.1930, 1 spec. (all BMNH). ZAMBIA: Northern province, Chipona Falls, 30 km S Chinsali, 5.–8.xii.2002, F. et L. Kantner lgt., 1 spec. (NMPC); Northwestern Province, 5 km E of Solvezi, 17.x.2008, M. Snížek lgt., 1 spec. (NMPC); Central Province, 70 km N Lusaka, Chisamba valley, 21.xi.2004, M. Snížek & V. Tichý lgt., 1 spec. (ALBC); Kasanka River Pontoon, Kasanka N.P., 12°34′23″S, 30°14′05″E, 1191 m, 2.–4.xii.2012, light trap, R. Smith & H. Takano lgt., 1 spec. (BMNH); Kapishya Hot Springs, Shiwa N’gandu Estate, 11°10′13″S, 31°36′00″E, 1437 m, 17.–21.xi.2016, light trap, Smith, Takano & Cram lgt., 1 spec. (BMNH); Kambishi School, 11°54′42″S, 25°28′50″E, 1346 m, 10.–13.xi.2017, M. Carter, A. Lloyd, W. Miles, D. Cram & R. Smith lgt., 1 spec. (BMNH).

Redescription. Broadly oval, moderately convex, shining. Brown to black-brown, each elytron with one round orange spot situated before midlength of elytron in sutural half. Explanate sides of pronotum and elytra, legs and antennae rusty, mouth parts red-brown. Pubescence inconspicuous (Fig. 1). Body length 3.1–4.0 mm, width 1.9–2.5 mm.

Head across eyes narrower than anterior pronotal margin. Eyes coarsely facetted, widest in anterior portion, gradually narrowed posteriad, with indistinct light interfacetal setae. Temples short, convergent. Frons separated from clypeus by transverse impression; clypeus truncate, not bordered, its surface forming obtuse angle with frons. Punctures of frons smaller than eye-facets, separated by about one diameter, becoming closer at eyes and at anterior corner of clypeus, intermixed with a few scattered larger punctures nearly equal in size to eye-facets. Interspaces smooth and shining. Antennae shorter than width of head across eyes, ratio HEAW/ANLE = 1.18–1.20.Antennomere III almost as long as IV–VIII combined. Antennal club oval, ratio ANLE/ANCL = 3.25–3.33.

Pronotum transverse (ratio WPR2/LEPR = 2.38–2.61), widest at base (ratio WPR1/WPR2 = 0.97–1.00), gradually narrowed anteriad, ratio WPR1/WPR3 = 1.51–1.81, WPR2/WPR3 = 1.54–1.81. Anterior margin not bordered, truncate; anterior angles acute, strongly prominent. Basal margin besides prescutellar lobe obliquely subtruncate and bordered (not bordered on lobe), basal rim with series of fine punctures. Posterior angles feebly obtuse, not prominent. Lateral margins arcuate, gradually converging anteriad, sides narrowly explanate, as wide as antennal flagellum. Punctures of rather constant size, separated by about 1 diameter, at sides intermixed with scattered larger punctures nearly equal in size to eye-facets. Pubescence consisting of short and thin dark recumbent and inconspicuous setae; sometimes intermixed with longer setae, especially at sides.

Scutellar shield transverse, almost semicircular, smooth and shining except for group of very fine dense punctures in middle.

Elytra broadly oval, regularly convex, widest in basal portion, distinctly wider than long, ratio WELY/LELY = 1.09–1.17 (mean 1.12). Lateral margins arcuate, gradually converging posteriad, slightly so anteriad; sides explanate, as wide as antennal flagellum. Humeral angle obtuse. Humeral bulges low, inconspicuous. Sutural line indistinct. Punctures like on pronotum, but generally sparser, mostly separated by more than one diameter, becoming somewhat larger laterally. Pubescence like on pronotum.

Legs. Femora oval, somewhat more than twice as long as wide. Protibia ca. 3.75× longer than wide, widest at distal end, outer subapical angle subrectangular, not prominent. Meso- and metatibia ca. 4.18× and 5.50× longer than wide respectively, flat, outer subapical angle rounded.

Ventral surface. Postmentum shallowly concave, punctate; punctures smaller than eye-facets, separated by less than one diameter, interspaces smooth and shining. Antennal furrows deep, partly concealed by extended outer edges of postmentum, converging posteriad, posterior to temples continued as an incised arcuate series of punctures curved outwards. Genae posterior to eyes impunctate. Prosternum broadly transversely vaulted, punctate, in front of prosternal process transversely wrinkled; punctures smaller than eye-facets, separated by one diameter in middle, becoming sparser laterally, interspaces smooth. Prosternal process broad, horizontal, punctate as pronotum, bordered at sides, widest near apex, apical margin shallowly concave in middle. Distances between pro-, meso- and metacoxae as 3: 4: 5. Hypomera concave, markedly transversely wrinkled. Mesoventrite transversely vaulted, anterior margin completely bordered, anterior half impunctate, posterior one distinctly punctate, punctures smaller than eye-facets, separated by1.0–1.5 diameters. Metaventrite almost flat in middle, flatly vaulted laterally, punctate like posterior half of mesoventrite. Discrimen absent. Suture between meso- and metaventrite very fine, obsolete, posterior intercoxal margin subtruncate. Mesocoxal lines somewhat S-shaped, median portion rectilinear and transverse, outer one almost rectilinear (safe its outer end), oblique, running posterolaterad to reach lateral margins of metaventrite at their midlength (Fig. 7). Axillary spaces and two anterior thirds of epipleura with small obsolete punctures separated by one diameter or less, interspaces reticulate, moderately shining. Posterior third of metepisterna separated by oblique raised ridge, with large, almost contiguous indistinct punctures, densely reticulate, dull. Abdominal ventrite I almost as long as metaventrite (ratio LMTV/LEV1 = 1.12), punctures somewhat finer and shallower than on metaventrite. Metacoxal lines of two parts, inner one rectilinear, running posterolaterad from inner end of metacoxal cavity to posterior margin of ventrite, outer one transverse, arcuate. Abdominal ventrites II–IV equally long, markedly densely punctate; punctures smaller than eye-facets, separated by less than one diameter, interspaces smooth and shining. Hypopygium somewhat longer, broadly rounded apically.

Male genitalia. Median lobe of aedeagus nearly twice as long as wide, widest at apical third, slightly narrowed apically to distinctly incised apex; valves of phallotreme with acute tips directed anterolaterally ( Fig. 9 ). Tegmen longer than wide, gradually dilated distad, lateral margins slightly arcuate; apical margin broad, subtruncate ( Fig. 12 ). Distribution. Originally described from Old Calabar in Southern Nigeria ( MURRAY 1867); currently also known from other countries in Africa south of the Sahara (see material examined). Thus far unknown from the southernmost part of Africa (Fig. 15).

Figures

Figs 9–14. Male genitalia of Prometopia species. 9, 12 – P. binotata Murray, 1867 (Nigeria); 10, 13 – P. intermedia sp. nov.; 11, 14 – P. quadrinotata Grouvelle, 1896 (RSA). 9–11 – median lobe of aedeagus; 12–14 – tegmen. Scale bar = 0.2 mm.