Afrogethes Audisio & Cline, 2009
publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.5319334 |
persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03BE87CC-F648-FFAC-BA9C-FBE3FD5CF9A6 |
treatment provided by |
Felipe |
scientific name |
Afrogethes Audisio & Cline |
status |
gen. nov. |
10. Afrogethes Audisio & Cline View in CoL View at ENA , gen. nov.
( Figs. 10 a–h View Fig )
Type species. Meligethes reticulatus Reitter, 1872: 243 , 253 (by present designation) [= Afrogethes reticulatus (Reitter, 1872) comb. nov.].
Generic description and diagnosis. Inclusive species vary greatly in size (1.4–4.4 mm length), and share the following combination of characters.
Body color and pubescence: pubescence silvery-whitish, highly variable, short and fine, faintly distinct to long and dense, recumbent, in a few species partly obscuring the blackish (rarely reddish-brown) dorsal body surface; pronotal and elytral sides narrowly flattened, typically the same color as disc. Lateral margin of pronotum and elytra with a series of more or less distinct, small and short setae, each seta usually 0.3–0.5× as long as those on elytral disc; posterior margin of pronotum comprising moderately long, usually distally trifid to multifid and stellate microsetae, microsetae uniformly distributed on middle region anterior to scutellum ( Fig. 10e View Fig ).
Dorsal habitus: body more or less convex, highly variable in shape ( Figs. 10a, k View Fig ; Figs. 1–13 View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig , 15– 16 View Fig View Fig in AUDISIO 1997b); dorsal punctures on discal portion of pronotum as large as or larger than eye facets, usually deeply impressed and densely distributed, rarely fine, sparse, and shallow; anterior margin of clypeus usually moderately arcuately emarginate, distinctly and narrowly bordered ( Fig. 10b View Fig ), usually with a small, faintly distinct medial bulge, slightly protruding anteriorly; circum-ocular furrows (occipital sulci) on dorsal side of head not developed, absent or indistinct ( Fig. 10b View Fig ); eyes large and usually moderately projecting laterally ( Figs. 10a, b, d, k View Fig ); pronotum with distinct obtuse posterior angles, never posteriorly directed ( Figs. 10a, k View Fig ); scutellum more or less regularly and sparsely punctured at least in posterior half of exposed portion ( Fig. 10k View Fig ); elytra with highly variable punctation, completely transversely strigose or with simple punctures; elytral humeral angle moderately distinct, not protruding laterally ( Figs. 10a, k View Fig ); elytral humeral striae usually distinct; elytral pre-sutural striae visible, originating slightly posterior to scutellar vertex, terminating close to elytral apex, and delimiting on each elytron a more or less distinct, flat, unraised sutural border, widest at posterior third and nearly as wide as proximal portion of 3 rd antennomere; elytral apices truncately rounded in both sexes ( Figs. 10a, k View Fig ); pygidium partially exposed, moderately convex, apically rounded in both sexes ( Figs. 10a, k View Fig ).
Ventral habitus: antennal furrows markedly delimited, nearly parallel-sided, slightly divergent posteriorly; mentum subpentagonal ( Fig. 10d View Fig ); prosternal antennal furrows of anterior margin of prosternum more or less strongly raised but relatively short ( Fig. 10d View Fig ); prosternal process variable, usually relatively narrow, subapical dilated portion 2.0–2.5× as wide as maximum width of 1 st antennomere, usually distally blunt ( Fig. 10c View Fig ); lateral borders of prosternal process delimiting moderately deeply impressed and distinct furrows, distally terminating over predistal lateral expansions, frequently nearly reaching posterior margin ( Fig. 10c View Fig ), which is usually microscopically denticulate; posterior margin of mesoventrite simple, never incised medially; male impressions on metaventrite moderately developed; first two visible abdominal ventrites simple in both sexes, without tufts of setae; caudal marginal lines of metacoxal cavities simple, moderately narrowly paralleling metacoxal cavities, comprising moderately deep arched impression of outer ‘axillary’ line ( Fig. 10g View Fig ); ‘axillary’ space on first abdominal ventrite moderately developed, ‘axillary’ angle usually broadly obtuse ( Fig. 10g View Fig ); relatively large, long, and deeply impressed arched impressions on basal portion of last visible abdominal ventrite, typically partially covered by distal portion of penultimate visible abdominal ventrite ( Fig. 10f View Fig ).
Appendages: male 1 st antennomere 0.8–0.9× as long as width of protibiae excluding distal teeth ( Figs. 10a, k View Fig ); 3 rd antennomere in both sexes usually only 2.0–2.1× as long as wide, 0.9–1.0× as long but distinctly thinner than 2 nd antennomere ( Fig. 10d View Fig ); 4 th and 5 th antennomeres in both sexes subequal, short, nearly as long as wide; antennal club compact, small, simple, comprising last 3 antennomeres in both sexes (8 th antennomere scarcely widened, 0.5–0.6× as wide as 9 th antennomere) ( Figs. 10a, d View Fig ), slightly or distinctly narrower than width of protibiae, sexual dimorphism absent; labial palpi relatively short in both sexes ( Fig. 10d View Fig ), terminal segment nearly1.8× as long as wide; maxillary palpi moderately long and slender in both sexes ( Fig. 10d View Fig ), terminal segment 2.1–2.2× as long as wide; mandible mid-sized ( Fig. 10d View Fig ), apex moderately acuminate, no sexual dimorphism present; tarsal claws highly variable, simple, bluntly toothed at base, or strongly and acutely toothed; tarsi of normal size and shape, 0.6–0.7× as long as corresponding tibiae ( Figs. 10a, k View Fig ); protibiae with a series of usually large, uneven, long and variably shaped (blunt to sharply acuminate) teeth on lateral margin ( Figs. 10a, k View Fig ; Figs. 18–19 View Fig View Fig and 23–32 View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig in EASTON 1960; Figs. 129 f–l, m–n in AUDISIO 1993b; Figs. 17–29 View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig in AUDISIO 1997b); meso- and metatibiae on lateral margin bearing a single and usually moderately even row of large and robust pegs ( Fig. 10h View Fig ), without U-shaped sinuosity at distal third; meso- and metatibiae of variable width, usually moderately slender and narrow ( Figs. 10a, h, k View Fig ), never subtrapezoidal or axe-shaped; male metatibiae more sinuate than in females; tarsal plates of prolegs usually distinctly wider in males; posterior margin of metafemora simple in both sexes, without tubercles or projections.
Male genitalia: processes along inner side of parameres absent (Figs. 70–73 and 76–93 in EASTON 1960; Figs. 140 and 141 m –p in AUDISIO 1993b; Figs. 30–80 in AUDISIO 1997b), with more or less deeply incised or truncate distal margin, without deep median longitudinal desclerotization from proximal portion of tegmen extending to medial distal V-shaped excision; median lobe of aedeagus variable, without lateral emargination, narrowed and variably shaped distally.
Female genitalia (ovipositor): highly variable in shape, usually large; styli long and pigmented, or short and unpigmented, simple, cylindrical. Afrogethes howdeni ( Kirejtshuk, 1990) from South Africa with entire ovipositor absent and replaced by an unsclerotized tubular structure ( AUDISIO 1997b). Afrogethes africanus ( Kraatz, 1895) from Western Africa, with abruptly and widely truncate apex (AUDISIO unpublished data). Styli situated close to apex of usually contiguous gonostyloids, each gonostyloid lightly sclerotized and not darkly pigmented distally. Outer portion of basicoxites simple, never indentate (Figs. 112–116 and 118–127 in EASTON 1960; Figs. 157 a–f in AUDISIO 1993b; Figs. 81–93 in AUDISIO 1997b), with a single, narrow, scarcely pigmented and sclerotized arcuate area along outer subdistal portion of gonostyloids. ‘Central point’ of ovipositor usually more distad than middle, with or without proximad directed spicule.
Etymology. The generic name is derived from the Latin ‘ africanus ’ (= African), to emphasize the probable African origin of the ancestor for all inclusive species and species-groups, and from ‘- gethes ’, to emphasize its phylogenetic relationship with Meligethes . Gender masculine.
Biology. The biology of most inclusive species is only partially known, and likely being heterogeneously expressed within this large taxon. Members of the large Afrogethes reticulatus / forcipatus / coronatus species-group are likely all associated with flowers of Verbenaceae , while members of the A. planiusculus species-group are all associated with the related Boraginaceae , in particular with Echium L., Trichodesma R. Brown and allied genera ( AUDISIO 1993b; WILLIAMS 2002; AUDISIO et al. 2009b). Members of the large African A. amplicollis and A. aethiopicus species-groups are, on the contrary, all associated with Fabaceae , except the single southern African species, A. breithenbachae Audisio, 1997 , which is likely associated ( AUDISIO 1997b, AUDISIO & DE BIASE 2004a) with phylogenetically related Polygalaceae ( JUDD et al. 1994, 2002).
Phylogenetic position. Available molecular and morphological datasets provide moderately concordant evidence for a possible monophyletic clade including Afrogethes gen. nov., as well as Fabogethes gen. nov., Genistogethes gen. nov., Sagittogethes gen. nov., and Thymogethes gen. nov. ( AUDISIO et al. 2009b, TRIZZINO et al. 2009). However, phylogenetic relationships between these taxa and between this clade and Aristogethes gen. nov. are still unclear.
Taxonomy and geographic distribution. Afrogethes gen. nov. is the largest genus of the ‘ Meligethes s. l. ’ generic complex, including ~120 described and some additional 30 undescribed species. The genus is mainly distributed in Tropical Africa and Madagascar, with a few species-groups marginally penetrating into Europe, eastern Asia, and North America ( AUDISIO et al. 2009b). The tentatively included species below are attributed to at least five formerly recognized species-groups, i.e. the ‘ Meligethes reticulatus / forcipatus / coronatus ’,
‘ M. planiusculus ’, ‘ M. aethiopicus ’, ‘ M. voeltzkowi ’, and ‘ M. amplicollis ’ species-groups (EAS- TON 1954b, 1959b, 1960; AUDISIO 1994, 1997b; KIREJTSHUK 2001; AUDISIO et al. 2009b).
Afrogethes abstractus (Grouvelle, 1908) comb. nov. Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somaliland
Afrogethes adenensis (Easton, 1954) comb. nov. S Arabian Peninsula
Afrogethes adversus (Easton, 1959) comb. nov. Ethiopia
Afrogethes aethiopicus (Grouvelle, 1908) comb. nov. Central and S Africa
Afrogethes africanus ( Kraatz, 1895) comb. nov. Togo
Afrogethes alani (Kirejtshuk, 1988) comb. nov. South Africa: KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga Afrogethes alluaudi ( Grouvelle, 1896) comb. nov. Gambia, Senegal
Afrogethes altercatio (Easton, 1959) comb. nov. Ethiopia
Afrogethes amplicollis ( Boheman, 1851) comb. nov. South Africa: KwaZulu-Natal, E Cape
Afrogethes amplimanus ( Easton, 1960) comb. nov. Tanzania
Afrogethes annae (Kirejtshuk, 1996) comb. nov. South Africa: KwaZulu-Natal
Afrogethes arabicus ( Jelínek, 1988) comb. nov. Arabian Peninsula
Afrogethes arcopenis (Kirejtshuk, 1996) comb. nov. Namibia
Afrogethes aspalathi (Audisio & De Biase, 2004) comb. nov. South Africa: W and E Cape
Afrogethes assutus ( Easton, 1960) comb. nov. Kenya
Afrogethes astylus ( Easton, 1960) comb. nov. Kenya
Afrogethes attactus ( Kirejtshuk & Viklund, 2002) Kenya comb. nov.
Afrogethes basicollis (Easton, 1964) comb. nov. South Africa: NW Province
Afrogethes bocaki ( Audisio, Jelínek & Cooter, 2005) S China comb. nov.
Afrogethes breitenbachae (Audisio, 1997) comb. nov. South Africa: W Cape
Afrogethes breviusculus ( Kraatz, 1895) comb. nov. Tropical Africa
Afrogethes brittoni (Easton, 1954) comb. nov. S Arabian Peninsula
Afrogethes buduensis (Ganglbauer, 1899) comb. nov. E Mediterranean areas, SE Europe, Middle East, W Middle Asia
Afrogethes canadensis (Easton, 1955) comb. nov. W North America
Afrogethes canariensis (Kirejtshuk, 1997) comb. nov. Canary Islands
Afrogethes capensis (Reitter, 1872) comb. nov. South Africa: E Cape, KwaZulu-Natal
Afrogethes chevrolati (Reitter, 1872) comb. nov. South Africa: W Cape
Afrogethes clavatus (Reitter, 1872) comb. nov. South Africa: W Cape
Afrogethes clypeonitens ( Easton, 1960) comb. nov. Kenya
Afrogethes colophonoides (Audisio, 1997) comb. nov. South Africa: W Cape
Afrogethes conformis ( Spornraft & Kirejtshuk, 1993) South Africa: E Cape comb. nov.
Afrogethes cornutus ( Easton, 1960) comb. nov. Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda
Afrogethes coronatus (Easton, 1959) comb. nov. Ethiopia
Afrogethes curtulus ( Grouvelle, 1916) comb. nov. Southern Central Africa
(= Meligethes tutimanus Easton, 1964 )
Afrogethes dahlgreni (Audisio, 1997) comb. nov. South Africa: W Cape
Afrogethes debiasei (Audisio, 1997) comb. nov. South Africa: E Cape, KwaZulu-Natal
Afrogethes dentellus ( Spornraft & Kirejtshuk, 1993) Swaziland comb. nov.
Afrogethes desperatoides ( Audisio, 1994) comb. nov. Sierra Leone
Afrogethes desperatus (Easton, 1964) comb. nov. Congo
Afrogethes edwardsi ( Easton, 1960) comb. nov. Kenya, Uganda
Afrogethes elgonensis ( Easton, 1960) comb. nov. Uganda
Afrogethes exiguus ( Kirejtshuk, 1990) comb. nov. Ethiopia
Afrogethes fistuca ( Kirejtshuk & Viklund, 2002) comb. nov. Kenya
Afrogethes floralimimus (Audisio, 1997) comb. nov. South Africa: E Cape, KwaZulu-Natal
Afrogethes floralis (Reitter, 1872) comb. nov. South Africa: E Cape, KwaZulu-Natal
Afrogethes forcipatus ( Kirejtshuk & Easton, 1988) South Africa: KwaZulu-Natal, Free State comb. nov.
Afrogethes fossilis (Easton, 1959) comb. nov. Ethiopia
Afrogethes fritschii (Reitter, 1872) comb. nov. South Africa: W Cape
Afrogethes fruticola ( Spornraft & Kirejtshuk, 1993) South Africa: W Cape comb. nov.
Afrogethes grandicollis (Reitter, 1872) comb. nov. South Africa: E Cape?
Afrogethes gurjevae ( Kirejtshuk, 1984) comb. nov. Mongolia, E Siberia: Yakutia
Afrogethes howdeni ( Kirejtshuk, 1990) comb. nov. South Africa: KwaZulu-Natal
Afrogethes imperator (Easton, 1959) comb. nov. Ethiopia
Afrogethes inconspicuus ( Spornraft & Kirejtshuk, 1993) South Africa: Free State; Swaziland comb. nov.
Afrogethes isoplexidis ( Wollaston, 1854) comb. nov. Madeira
Afrogethes janczyki (Kirejtshuk, 1988) comb. nov. Madagascar
Afrogethes johnstoni ( Easton, 1960) comb. nov. Uganda
Afrogethes kirkspriggsi ( Audisio, 1994) comb. nov. Sierra Leone
Afrogethes largus ( Spornraft & Kirejtshuk, 1993) comb. nov. South Africa: KwaZulu-Natal
Afrogethes latimanus (Easton, 1959) comb. nov. Ethiopia
Afrogethes latissimus (Reitter, 1872) comb. nov. S Africa: W and E Cape
Afrogethes lepelleyi ( Easton, 1960) comb. nov. Kenya
Afrogethes limifer (Easton, 1959) comb. nov. Ethiopia
Afrogethes livens (Grouvelle, 1908) comb. nov. Ethiopia
Afrogethes lividus (Easton, 1959) comb. nov. Ethiopia, Kenya, Congo
Afrogethes lomaensis ( Audisio, 1994) comb. nov. Sierra Leone
Afrogethes maureenae (Easton, 1959) comb. nov. Eritrea
Afrogethes mauritii (Grouvelle, 1908) comb. nov. East Africa, Ethiopia
Afrogethes maynei ( Kirejtshuk, 1990) comb. nov. Congo, Sierra Leone
Afrogethes microclavatus (Easton, 1964) comb. nov. Congo
Afrogethes micropunctatus (Easton, 1959) comb. nov. Ethiopia
Afrogethes mimetes ( Grouvelle, 1910) comb. nov. Tanzania, Congo
Afrogethes mimoides ( Audisio, 1994) comb. nov. Sierra Leone
Afrogethes mimus (Easton, 1964) comb. nov. Congo
Afrogethes montisatris (Audisio, 1997) comb. nov. South Africa: W Cape
Afrogethes natalensis ( Spornraft & Kirejtshuk, 1993) South Africa: KwaZulu-Natal comb. nov.
Afrogethes obtusidentatus ( Spornraft & Kirejtshuk, 1993) South Africa: W Cape comb. nov.
Afrogethes pamirensis (Kirejtshuk, 1979) comb. nov. Tajikstan, N Pakistan
Afrogethes paraproctatus ( Easton, 1960) comb. nov. Kenya
Afrogethes patiens ( Easton, 1960) comb. nov. Uganda, Kenya
Afrogethes pectinatus (Schilsky, 1894) comb. nov. Turkey, Caucasus
Afrogethes planiusculus ( Heer, 1841) comb. nov. W Palaearctic areas
Afrogethes primigenius (Audisio, 1997) comb. nov. South Africa: W Cape
Afrogethes profugus ( Easton, 1960) comb. nov. Tanzania: Zanzibar
Afrogethes pseudorimulosus (Audisio, 1997) comb. nov. South Africa: W Cape
Afrogethes pygmaeus (Reitter, 1872) comb. nov. South Africa: W Cape
Afrogethes regalis (Easton, 1964) comb. nov. Congo, Sierra Leone
Afrogethes reticulatus (Reitter, 1872) comb. nov. South Africa: W Cape
Afrogethes rimulosus (Reitter, 1872) comb. nov. South Africa: W and N Cape
Afrogethes robertsoni (Audisio, 1997) comb. nov. South Africa: W Cape
Afrogethes roeri (Kirejtshuk, 1998) comb. nov. N Namibia
Afrogethes rossii ( Audisio, 1994) comb. nov. Sierra Leone
Afrogethes rugifer ( Spornraft & Kirejtshuk, 1993) South Africa: KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga comb. nov.
Afrogethes rugipennis ( Spornraft & Kirejtshuk, 1993) South Africa: W and E Cape, KwaZulu-Natal comb. nov.
Afrogethes rugipusillus (Audisio, 1997) comb. nov. South Africa: W Cape
Afrogethes saevus (J. LeConte, 1859) comb. nov. N America
Afrogethes schilskyi (Reitter, 1896) comb. nov. Middle Asia, N Africa?
Afrogethes schoutedeni ( Kirejtshuk, 1990) comb. nov. Congo
Afrogethes scotti (Easton, 1954) comb. nov. S Arabian Peninsula, E Africa
Afrogethes serrator (Reitter, 1872) comb. nov. subtropical Southern Africa, Central Africa
(= Meligethes cinctus Easton, 1964 )
Afrogethes sokolovi ( Kirejtshuk, 1990) comb. nov. Kenya
Afrogethes strigulosus (Reitter, 1872) comb. nov. South Africa: W Cape
Afrogethes subcaerulescens (Grouvelle, 1908) comb. nov. E Africa
Afrogethes subexilis (Grouvelle, 1908) comb. nov. Ethiopia
Afrogethes subfloralis (Kirejtshuk, 1988) comb. nov. South Africa: W Cape
Afrogethes subtristis (Easton, 1957) comb. nov. Middle Asia
Afrogethes tatjanae (Kirejtshuk, 1982) comb. nov. Uzbekistan
Afrogethes tenuirugatus ( Spornraft & Kirejtshuk, 1993) South Africa: W and E Cape, KwaZulu-Natal comb. nov.
Afrogethes testudo (Audisio, 1997) comb. nov. South Africa: Mpumalanga
Afrogethes trapezicollis ( Kirejtshuk, 1990) comb. nov. Congo
Afrogethes tristis ( Sturm, 1845) comb. nov. Europe, N Caucasus
Afrogethes univestis ( Spornraft & Kirejtshuk, 1993) South Africa: E Cape comb. nov.
Afrogethes upembanus (Easton, 1964) comb. nov. Congo
Afrogethes vacca ( Easton, 1960) comb. nov. Uganda
Afrogethes voeltzkowi (Grouvelle, 1913) comb. nov. Tropical E Africa, NE South Africa
Afrogethes yemenensis (Easton, 1954) comb. nov. NE Africa, Arabian Peninsula, Jordan
Species ‘ incertae sedis ’. The placement of the following African and Indian species within Afrogethes gen. nov. or their assignment to separated genera remains uncertain, and requires further analyses. Members of the ‘ Meligethes ’ perfectus group ( EASTON 1960, 1961) are likely not too distantly related from Aristogethes gen. nov. ‘ Meligethes ’ rileyi Easton, 1960 from E Africa, is the only known representative of Meligethinae known to be probably associated with Proteaceae ( EASTON 1960) . The isolated ‘ Meligethes ’ heteropus Gerstaecker, 1871 from Tropical Africa, is the only known ‘ Meligethes s. l. ’ associated with Poaceae (KIRK- SPRIGGS 1985).
‘ Meligethes ’ braeti Grouvelle, 1894 N India
‘ Meligethes ’ heteropus Gerstaecker, 1871 Tropical Africa
‘ Meligethes ’ imperfectus Easton, 1960 Tanzania
‘ Meligethes ’ perfectus Easton, 1960 Tanzania
‘ Meligethes ’ rileyi Easton, 1960 Kenya, Tanzania
‘ Meligethes ’ suppar Easton, 1961 Tanzania
‘ Meligethes ’ waterhousei Grouvelle, 1908 N India
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