Apalus Fabricius, 1775

Bologna, Marco A., Amore, Valentina & Pitzalis, Monica, 2018, Meloidae of Namibia (Coleoptera): taxonomy and faunistics with biogeographic and ecological notes, Zootaxa 4373 (1), pp. 1-141 : 96

Genus Apalus Fabricius, 1775

Apalus hilaris ( Marseul, 1879) ( Fig. 6B )

Coriologiton hilaris Marseul, 1879

Distribution. Angola and Namibia (new species record for this country).

Material examined and literature records. [Omaheke] Steinhausen: Summerdown , 21.4113°S 18.5146°E (CK).

Remarks. The holotype of this species is lost.

We examined only the photo of one Namibian specimen, which corresponds completely to the description of A. hilaris , a neglected species described from Angola ( Marseul 1879) and no more collected. Possibly the holotype was burned in the fire (1978) of the zoological collection housed at the National Museum of Natural History and Science, Lisbon; in this case the Namibian specimen could represent the only available voucher of this species. Marseul (1879) described the species as “? Criolis ” and in the last paragraph proposed for it the new genus Coriologiton Marseul, 1879. Criolis is a subjective synonym of Apalus , and Coriologiton was considered as synonym in most of the previous literature. The inclusion in Apalus of hilaris and two other eastern African species, namely A. robustus Pic, 1913 (from Kenya), and A. tanganyikanus Kaszab, 1981 (from Tanzania), needs confirmation. Kaszab (1981) considered as African Apalus only hilaris , tankanyikanus, bipartitus Pic, 1909, from Erytraea, which actually is a Sitaris, and rubripennis Laporte de Castelanu, 1840 from South Africa, which actually is an Iselma . A future revision of types and additional material of the three Afrotropical species referred to Apalus , probably could support the distinction of Coriologiton as distinct genus, as suggested by Bologna & Pinto (2002).

Figures

FIGURE 6. A. Synhoria testacea; B. Apalus hilaris; C. Nemognatha fluviatilis; D. Nemognatha cfr. notaticeps; E. Nemognatha peringueyi; F. Nemognatha vansoni; G. “Zonitis” maculicollis; H. “Zonitis” notaticollis; I. Zonitodema posoka; J. Zonitodema viridipennis; K. Zonitomorpha costata; L. Zonitomorpha sellata; M. “Zonitoschema” bivittipennis; N. “Zonitoschema” deserticola; O. “Zonitoschema” posticalis; P. “Zonitoschema” cfr. testaceiventris; Q. Zonitoschema capensis; R.Zonitoschema complex cocccinea; S. Zonitoschema dunalis; T. Zonitoschema eborina.