Miopristis stigma ( Thunberg, 1821 )

Bezděk, Jan, 2019, Annotated review of Cryptocephalinae (Clytrini), Synetinae and part of Galerucinae (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae) described by Carl Peter Thunberg, European Journal of Taxonomy 499, pp. 1-42 : 17-18

Miopristis stigma ( Thunberg, 1821)

Fig. 8

Clythra stigma Thunberg, 1821: 184 (original description).

Clythra stigma – Forsberg 1821: 276 (redescription).

Miopristis stigma – Gemminger & Harold 1874: 3278 (catalogue).

Miopristis (Miopristis) stigma – Jacoby & Clavareau 1906: 12 (catalogue). — Clavareau 1913: 29 (catalogue).

Type locality

“Cap” [= from the publication title].

Material examined

Holotype

SOUTH AFRICA • ♂; “Uppsala Univ. Zool. Mus. / Thunbergsaml. nr. 8190 / Clythra stigma / Cap. TYP [r, p] // stigma. / Cap. 6 [box label, w, h]”; UUZM.

Distribution

RSA.

Comments

Only the holotype is known, whose head and pronotum are broken and artificially stuck back together. The generic assignment was not clearly understood by the subsequent authors.While Lacordaire (1848) mentioned Clythra stigma among the species unknown to him, Gemminger & Harold (1874) classified it in Miopristis . Jacoby & Clavareau (1906) and Clavareau (1913) followed the assignment to Miopristis with doubts.

The examination of the holotype showed very densely pubescent propleura. Based on the keys to identification of clytrine genera with pubescent propleurae ( Medvedev 1970, 1989a), Clythra stigma should be classified in Protoclytra . Here I have to point out that there is evident confusion in the definition of the genera Miopristis and Protoclytra . Medvedev (1970, 1989a) did not include Miopristis in his keys to clytrine genera with pubescent propleurae, which could lead to the assumption that species of Miopristis have the propleura bare. However, the type species Miopristis lepida ( Lacordaire, 1848) has the propleura pubescent, which I verified from the type specimen deposited in the BMNH. Also Medvedev (1993b, 1993c) himself mentioned pubescent propleura in the descriptions of Miopristis namaquensis Medvedev, 1993 and Miopristis dimorphus Medvedev, 1993 . As the generic relationships between Miopristis and Protoclytra still require further studies, I tentatively leave Clythra stigma in Miopristis .

Figures

Fig. 8. Miopristis stigma (Thunberg, 1821), holotype, ♂, 7.0 mm, UUZM. A. Dorsal view. B. Lateral view. C. Frontal view. D. Label. E. Box label.