Diplocladus rufus ( Pic, 1953 )

John M. Leavengood, Jr., 2015, On the distribution of some African species of Diplocladus Fairmaire and Strotocera Schenkling (Coleoptera: Cleridae: Tillinae), Insecta Mundi 2015 (411), pp. 1-3 : 2

Diplocladus rufus ( Pic, 1953)

Distribution Records for Diplocladus rufus (Pic) . Kenya: Kilifi distr., Arabuko Sokoke Forest Reserve (20 km S of Malindi), legit L. Bartolozzi, B. Cecchi, A. Sforzi, 21.V-7.VI.1994 (UFBI; 1); Zimbabwe: Matopos National Park, 8-9- Nov 1989, Pete Cresswell (CMNH; 1); [ South Africa:] Hluhluwe, 4-15-Oct. 1947, H. van Son (WOPC; 1); [country unknown] Wylie’s Port, 9-XI-1920, C. J. Swierstra (WOPC; 1).

Discussion of Diplocladus rufus . Gerstmeier and Weiss (2009) only referenced the holotype and three other specimens. These specimens represent a considerable contribution to our knowledge of this large and ostentatious species and expand the known distribution to include Kenya and Zimbabwe, new country records.

Gerstmeier and Weiss (2009) redescribed D. rufus as having the legs with “femora reddish brown, tibiae and tarsi dark brown.” The specimens examined in the present work have legs ranging from entirely reddish (as the bright elytra and thorax) with only hints of terminal infuscation in the tibiae and tarsi to nearly entirely black legs only hinting at dark reddish coloration in the tarsi.