Macrosiagon bifasciata (Marseul, 1877)

Batelka, Jan, 2011, Contribution to the synonymies, distributions, and bionomics of the Old World species of Macrosiagon (Coleoptera: Ripiphoridae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 51 (2), pp. 587-626 : 617

Macrosiagon bifasciata species group

Included species. BATELKA (2004: 12, 2008b: 150, 2010: 159) and BATELKA & HOEHN (2007: 147) established and continuously complemented the composition of the bifasciata species group in the Old World. The present study revealed that more species should be included in this group. Even though additional Australian and New World species will be added into the group later, the group at present requires redefinition. At least the following species should be included, although the validity of some of these needs still to be revisited: Macrosiagon bifasciata , M. biguttata , M. bipunctata , M. caffra , M. dohertyi Pic, 1949 , M. elegans (Marseul, 1876) , M. fortieri (Chobaut, 1893) , M. gabonica , M. grombczewskii , M. medvedevi Iablokoff- Khnzorian, 1973, M. meridionalis (Costa, 1859) and five unresolved Pic’s taxa listed in this study under M. bipunctata and M. caffra .

Diagnosis. Elytra black basally (with the exception of M. elegans ‘form A’ sensu BATELKA (2010)) and apically, with an isolated black spot in the middle of each elytron (the spot is missing in males of M. elegans and M. gabonica ( BATELKA 2010, present study)) or this spot is partially fused through the external and/or internal elytral margin with apical and basal markings so the two light spots remain on each elytron (completely black or brown specimens of M. biguttata exist). Sexual dichroism in some of its members is developed. Elytra flat, each elytron with one shallow longitudinal depression, moderately acute apically (strongly acute in M. biguttata ).