Generic placement of the African flea beetle Polyclada maculipennis Bryant and the possible occurrence of the genus Procalus Clark in sub-Saharan Africa (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae, Alticini) Author D'Alessandro, Paola https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4481-9152 Department of Life, Health & Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Via Vetoio-Coppito, 67100 L'Aquila, Italy paola.dalessandro@univaq.it Author Biondi, Maurizio https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2190-7376 Department of Life, Health & Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Via Vetoio-Coppito, 67100 L'Aquila, Italy text ZooKeys 2023 2023-02-03 1145 181 189 http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1145.90667 journal article http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1145.90667 1313-2970-1145-181 60D183EBA5A349AB8A6CA2BA9B395E41 51133424FE065812A1E6434518904D50 Procalus maculipennis (Bryant, 1942) comb. nov. Figs 1-3 , 5-8 Polyclada maculipennis Bryant, 1942: 164. Type material examined. Lectotype of Polyclada maculipennis ♂: "Kamerun Conradt // Coll. Kraatz // Pres. By Imp. Inst. Ent. B.N. 1933-468 // Polyclada maculipennis Bryant / Det. G.E. Bryant" (NHMUK) (here designated by M. Biondi and P. D'Alessandro ) (Figs 1-3 ). Paralectotypes of Polyclada maculipennis , 2♀♀: same data as for lectotype (NHMUK). Figures 1-4. Lectotype of Polyclada maculipennis Bryant, 1942 1 habitus, dorsal view 2 ibid., labels 3 ibid., habitus, lateral view 4 Polyclada bohemani Baly, male, Kenya (BAQ), habitus. Material of Procalus species examined for comparison. Chile : Procalus reduplicatus , syntype , 1♀ , " Chile // Coll. Nickerl / Mus. Pragense // Procalus mutans Blchd. // Typus // Procalus reduplicatus n. sp. Type ♀ / 1948 Det. J. Bechyne" (NMPC); Procalus cf. viridis , 1 specimen , El Tabo, Valparaiso , 29 Sept. 1986 (NHMB); Procalus cf. lenzi , 1 specimen , Santiago , Pudahuel, 20 Nov. 1986 (NHMB); Procalus cf. malaisei , 2 specimens , D. Ed. Varas Arangua leg., 1921 (MSNG); Procalus cf. lenzi , 1 specimen , ibid (MSNG); Procalus cf. viridis , 1 specimen , Vina del Mar , Valparaiso , May 1899 , F. Silvestri leg. (MSNG); Procalus cf. silvai , 1 specimen , Concepcion, 1903, P. Herbst leg. (MSNG); Procalus cf. reduplicatus , 1 specimen , ibid (MSNG); Procalus cf. mutans , 1 specimen , Concepcion, Sept. 1903 , P. Herbst leg. (MSNG); Procalus sp., 2 specimens , ibid (MSNG); Procalus cf. reduplicatus , 1 specimen , Concepcion, 1904, P. Herbst leg. (MSNG); Procalus sp., 1 specimen , ibid (MSNG) . Remarks. Polyclada can be immediately distinguished from similar genera by the antennae, longer than half body length, with antennomeres 4-10 pectinate or flabellate in male and serrate in female (Fig. 4 ). Characters of the antenna along with other morphological features, such as procoxal cavities open posteriorly, antennomere 4 at least double length of antennomere 3, as well as elytral punctation always confused, densely and uniformly impressed, permits identification of the genus within the Blepharida group in the Afrotropical region ( Biondi and D'Alessandro 2012 ; Biondi et al. 2017 ). The type material of Polyclada maculipennis has all the diagnostic characters of Procalus ( Clark 1865 ; Jerez 1992 ), none of which occur in any Polyclada species: antennae with antennomeres 1-5 flattened compared to 6-11, especially in male, and antennomere 1 clearly distally enlarged, and strikingly serrated in male (Fig. 1 ; Clark 1865 ; Jerez 1992 : figs 4A, 5A, 6A, 7A, 8A, 1995: figs 1, 2); fifth abdominal sternite in male with a wide, deep, oval depression (Fig. 5 ; Jerez 1992 : figs 5E, 6D, 7C, 8F, 1995: fig. 2); metafemoral extensor tendon simplified, very slender (Fig. 6 ; Furth and Suzuki 1994 : fig. 6b; Jerez 1992 : figs 2, 3D): dorsal lobe straight, with very elongate extended arm; central furrow very wide; ventral lobe subtriangular; recurved flange short, poorly sclerotized. Additionally, the median lobe of aedeagus and spermatheca (Figs 7 , 8 ) are typical of the Procalus species (median lobe of aedeagus: Furth and Suzuki 1994 : fig. 6a; Jerez 1992 : figs 4E, 5C, 6E, 7B, 8G, 1995: fig. 10; spermatheca: Furth and Suzuki 1994 : fig. 6c; Jerez 1992 : figs 4D, 5D, 6B, 7D, 8E, 1995: fig. 11). Median lobe of the aedeagus of the lectotype here designated (Fig. 7 ): thickset and smooth; in ventral view tapering towards the apex, and slightly narrowing subapically; apex subtriangular, widely obtuse, with a small median tooth; in lateral view, clearly curved. Spermatheca of the paralectotypes (Fig. 8 ): subcylindrical and elongate basally, curved towards the ductus attachment; distal part distinctly bent and about 1/3 the basal part in length; ductus basally inserted, short, uncoiled, moderately thickset. We therefore propose the new combination Procalus maculipennis (Bryant, 1942), comb. nov. Figures 5-8. Procalus maculipennis Bryant, 1942 comb. nov. 5 ventral parts in male 6 metafemoral extensor tendon 7 median lobe of aedeagus in ventral, dorsal, and lateral views ( a-c , respectively) 8 spermatheca. Abbreviations: cf: central furrow; dl: dorsal lobe; ea: extended arm; rf: recurved flange; vl: ventral lobe.