Taxonomy, host-plant associations and phylogeny of African Crotalaria - feeding seed beetles (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Bruchinae): the Conicobruchus strangulatus (Fåhraeus) species group
Author
Le Ru, Bruno P.
Author
Delobel, Alex
Author
György, Zoltán
Author
Genson, Gwenaëlle
Author
Kergoat, Gael J.
text
Zootaxa
2014
3895
2
238
256
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.3895.2.6
09123b18-f65f-4cd7-9f65-ab0c722eee4f
1175-5326
226173
ACF6C45F-E37F-4483-9001-17634FCE5990
Conicobruchus rubricollis
(
Pic, 1903
)
Bruchus rubrithorax
Pic, 1903
:169
Bruchus rubricollis
Pic, 1913
:45
(name preoccupied)
Conicobruchus rubricollis
:
Kergoat
et al
., 2011
:756
Material examined.
Male
paratype
,
Zimbabwe
: Harare (with label “
Bruchidius rubrithorax
Pic
” handwritten by J. Decelle) [
MNHN
].
Other material:
Kenya
:
2♂
, Thange Town,
02°34.738’N
37°57.129’E
,
904m
,
24.iv.2011
, ex
Crotalaria
cf.
polysperma
[
1♂
0 3211, specimens GK406 and GK440 used for
DNA
extraction] (B. Le Ru) [
MNHN
];
1♂
, SE
Kenya
, Voi (Tsavo), 23.3.-
4.4.1997
;
2♂
,
Kenya
mer., Tsavo East, Buchuma env.,
28.xi.1997
[specimen GK196 used for
DNA
extraction] (M. Snizek) [
OÖLM
]; 1♀,
Kenya
, S. Taita, Mwatate,
30.xi.1997
(M. Snizek) [
OÖLM
].
Zimbabwe
:
1♂
, Masvingo,
22.i.1998
[
1♂
18907] (M. Halada) [
OÖLM
].
Large species well defined by its mainly red colour, with major part of antennae, elytra, and often disc of mesothoracic sternite, black (
Fig. 1
); pubescence white, denser on median longitudinal line of pronotum, scutellum, base of elytral suture; pygidium with two lateral spots near base and a longitudinal line.
Other major morphological traits are as follows: pronotum 1.5 times wider at base than long, without oblique lateral impression, its sides concave, produced anteriorly into a neck; elytral striae narrow and deep, with small punctures, interstriae wide and flat, with small punctures on shagreened background; antennae serrate.
Male genitalia. Median lobe (
Fig. 8
) of moderate length (maximum width excluding basal hood / total length = 0.23), strongly widened and sclerotized apically; basal hood oval, apically indented; ventral valve large, subtriangular, with apex acute, with numerous sensillae, bearing two lateral groups of 10–12 setae; dorsal valve unsclerotized; no hinge sclerites; anterior part of the internal sac lined with hyaline spinules becoming denser and larger distally, then large ctenoid scales, posterior saccus with numerous sclerotized teeth; apical ampoule unarmed. Tegminal strut (
Fig. 9
) without keel, triangularly pointed apically, lateral lobes cleft to base; apex of parameres with numerous setae, slightly modified, with dorsal velum.
Biology.
Specimens from Thange were reared from a sample of
Crotalaria
sp. near
polysperma
pods. This constitutes the first report on its biology.
Distribution.
Kenya
and
Zimbabwe
.
Discussion.
The red color of the last visible tergite distinguishes
Conicobruchus rubricollis
from
C. cicatricosus
,
C. flabellicornis
and
C. strangulatus
(
Fig. 1
). It cannot be confounded with
C. decoratus
based on differences on the shape of the pronotum. Finally the presence of a longitudinal line of whitish setae on the pronotum separates
C. rubricollis
from dark specimens of
C. atrosuturalis
. Male genitalia (
Fig. 8
) are similar in shape with other members of the group (except
C. decoratus
) but completely lack large sclerites.