Craspedophorus leprieuri

Häckel, Martin, 2017, A contribution to the knowledge of the subfamily Panagaeinae Hope, 1838 from Africa. Part 2. Revision of the Craspedophorus leprieuri and C. regalis groups (Coleoptera: Carabidae), Zootaxa 4236 (2), pp. 201-243 : 203

Craspedophorus leprieuri species group (nov.)

(= see Chaudoir 1879: 97; Basilewsky 1987: 188)

Sensu Chaudoir (1879: 97), this group contains only one species, C. leprieuri (Laporte de Castelnau, 1835) . I accepted Bates', Burgeon's and Basilewsky's conclusions and enlarged this group according to Chaudoir's criteria to include the following species: C. cameronus Bates, 1886 , C. clasispilus ( Alluaud 1915) , C. guineensis Basilewsky, 1987 , C. merus Péringuey, 1904 and C. pseudofestivus Burgeon, 1930 . C. clasispilus and C. guineensis are demoted to subspecies of C. leprieuri , and it is described C. leprieuri zambianus . C. pseudofestivus is demoted to subspecies of C. merus , and it is described C. merus lundanus . Basilewsky’s synonymization of C. peringueyi Csiki, 1919 (nom. nov. for C. laticollis Péringuey, 1904 ) is not thought to be correct and it is here proposed C. leprieuri peringueyi as valid subspecies. The group is here broadened of C. pretiosus Chaudoir, 1837 , in agreement with the original Chaudoir‘s system of species groups with the genus Epicosmus Chaudoir, 1846 . Presently the group contains four species, two of them monotypical, one with five subspecies, and one with three subspecies.

Characters. Smaller and medium-sized species (13–18 mm). Head short, not or indistinctly constricted behind eyes. Antennae slender. Labial palps with terminal article very dilated, kidney-shaped. Metepisterna longer than wide ( Fig. 23 d, e), trapeziform, but somewhat shorter than in C. reflexus group (Häckel 2016). Ventrites anteriorly not crenulated ( Fig. 23c ). Elytral colouration with at least one but most commonly two isolated maculae on each elytron, one in basal half and second in apical half of elytral midlength.

Distribution remarks. The species of this group inhabit virtually the same region as those of the C. reflexus group, i.e., tropical west Africa from Senegal through high savannas of the Gulf of Guinea to the forests of central Africa, and southwards into South Africa. Some of them reach the east side of the Rift, e.g., Tanzania and Zimbabwe (see maps of Figs. 78 , 79 ).

Figures

FIGURE 23. C. leprieuri clasispilus (Alluaud, 1915) a. HT (female), dorsal habitus; b. microsculpture of elytral humerus, dorsal view; c. ventrites, ventral view; d. left metepisternum, oblique ventral view; e. left metepisternum outlined in yellow and labels.

FIGURE 78. Distribution of the Craspedophorus leprieuri group (I) in the Afrotropical Region. A) 1 – 2 C. leprieuri guineensis Basilewsky, 1987: 1) Senegal: Basse-Casamance, Tabi; 2) Guinea-Bissau: Bubaque (holotype). A / B) 3 C. l. leprieuri trans ad C. l. guineensis: Guinea-Bissau: Chime, Rio Geba. B) 4 – 10 C. leprieuri leprieuri (Laporte de Castelnau, 1835): 4) Sénégal: (“ Sénégal ” lectotype); 5) Guinea, Kindia; 6) Mt. Nimba NP; 7) Ivory Coast: Haut-Sassandra; 8) Yamassoukro; 9) Bouaké; 10) Togo: Womé. B / C) 11 – 12 C. l. leprieuri trans ad C. l. clasispilus: 11) Cameroon, Centre: Yoko; 12) western Congo: Odzala. C) 13 – 20 C. leprieuri clasispilus (Alluaud, 1915): 13) northern Congo: “ Dar Banda ”; 14) Central Africa, Nana-Mambéré: Bouar; l 5) Ombella M'Poko: Bangui; 16) Nana Grébizi: Kaga Bandoro (holotype); 17) DR Congo, northern Orientale: Bambesa; 18) Dungu-Niangara-Doruma; 19) PN Garamba; 20) Bunia. C / D) 21 – 40 C. l. clasispilus trans ad C. l. zambianus: 21) DR Congo, southern Orientale: Barumbu; 22) Yangambi; 23) Kisangani (Stanleyville); 24) Bas-Congo: Mayidi; 25) Bandundu (Kwango): Kianza; 26) Kasaï-Occidental: Brabanta; 27) Dekese; 28) Lula; 29) Kananga (Luluabourg); 30) Sud-Kivu: Kitembo; 31) Kadjudju; 32) Uvira; 33) Rwanda: Dendezi; 34) Burundi: Bujumbura (Usumbara); 35) Rumonge; 36) Angola, Lunda Norte: Dundo; 37) DR Congo, Katanga: Kaniama; 38) Kapanga; 39) Sandoa; 40) Kafakumba. D) 41 – 48 C. leprieuri zambianus ssp. n.: 41) DR Congo: Katanga: Upemba NP; 42) Kinda; 43) Kundelungu; 44) Kasempi; 45) Mura; 46) Lubumbashi (Elisabethville); 47) Zambia, Northern Province: Kasama; 48) Central Province: Serenje (holotype). E) 49 – 55 C. leprieuri peringueyi Csiki, 1929: 49) Zambia, Northern: 60 km E Isoka; 50) Eastern: near Katete; 51) Tanzania, Ruvuma: Nyamtumbo; 52) Morogoro: Mikumi; 53) Uluguru Mts.; 54) Mozambique, Niassa: Mapalilo; 55) Zimbabwe, Manicaland: Mutare (holotype).

FIGURE 79. Distribution of the Craspedophorus leprieuri group (II) in the Afrotropical Region. A) 1 – 6 C. cameronus Bates, 1886: 1) Guinea: Kéoulenta; 2) Cameroon, Southwest: “ Cameroons ” (holotype); 3) Guinea Equatorial: Mongo; 4) Gabon: Ogoué-Ivindo; 5) DR Congo, Orientale, Aruwimi: Barumbu; 6) Sud-Kivu: Kitutu. B) 7 – 15 C. merus pseudofestivus Burgeon, 1930: 7) DR Congo, Orientale: Garamba NP; 8) Sud-Kivu: Uvira; 9) southern Uganda, Kalangala: Sesse Islands; 10) eastern Uganda: Bukedi (holotype); 11) northwestern Rwanda: Ruhengeri; 12) eastern Rwanda: Kibungu; 13) western Burundi: Bujumbura; 14) southern Burundi: Bururi; 15) northwestern Tanzania, Kagera: Bukoba (paratype); B / C) 16 – 19 C. m. pseudofestivus trans ad C. m. merus: 16) Burundi: Nyanza, River Kidane; 17) DR Congo, Orientale: Uele, Abok; 18) Sud-Kivu: Région des lacs; 19) Katanga: Albertville (Kalemie), Moyenne Kimbi. C) 20 – 30 C. m. merus Péringuey, 1904: 20) DR Congo: Sud-Kivu: Rivieres de la Kitombwe; 21) Maniema: Kasongo; 22) Kasaï-Oriental: Sankuru, Tshumbe; 23) Katanga: Kapanga; 24) Kafakumba; 25) Upemba NP; 26) Tanzania, Ruvuma: Ugano; 27) Iringa: “ Manow ” (Uhehe); 28) Zimbabwe, Mashonaland East: Marondera; 29) Manicaland: Mutare (Umtali, holotype); 30) Chirinda. D) 31 – 32 C. m. lundanus ssp. nov.: 31) Angola, Lunda Norte: Dundo; 32) DR Congo: Kasaï-Oriental: Lusambo. C / D) C. m. merus trans ad C. m. lundanus: 33) DR Congo, Katanga: Sandoa. E) 34 C. pretiosus (Chaudoir, 1837): South Africa: Cape Province (holotype).