Diaclina gracilis (Fåhraeus, 1870)

Schawaller, Wolfgang, 2019, The species of the genus Diaclina Jacquelin du Val (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae: Alphitobiini) from Sub-Saharan Africa, Zootaxa 4609 (3), pp. 499-508 : 501-502

Diaclina gracilis (Fåhraeus, 1870)

( Figs. 3 , 11)

Stomylus gracilis Fåhraeus, 1870

Diaclina depressa Ardoin, 1963 syn. nov.

Diaclina elliptica Ardoin, 1969 syn. nov.

Examined type specimens: Ivory Coast, Bingerville , 1.–12.III.1962, leg. J. Decelle, holotype of elliptica MRAC .— Same locality, 1962–1963, leg. J. Decelle, 7 paratypes of elliptica MRAC , 1 paratype HNHM .

Additional specimens: South Africa, KwaZulu Natal, Badplaas , 1000 m, 1. XII .2000, leg. P. Schüle, 2 ex. SMNS.— South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal, High Over, Umkamas river , 26.I.2018, leg. R. Müller, 1 ex. TMSA .— South Africa, Eastern Cape, Mbotyi Forest , 29.XI.–3. XII .2003, leg. W. Schawaller, 3 ex. SMNS.— South Africa, Eastern Cape (Transkei), Port St. Jones , Silaka, 2. XII .1987, leg. S. Endrödy-Younga, 13 ex. TMSA, 2 ex. SMNS.— South Africa, Eastern Cape, Port St. Jones, Silaka NR, 7.–8.I.2009, leg. P. Schüle, 5 ex. SMNS .— South Africa, Orange Free State, Bothaville , 15.II,1898, leg. H. Brauns, 1 ex. TMSA .— South Africa, Gauteng, Cullinan Mine Reserve , 22.XI.2001, leg. TMSA staff, 1 ex. TMSA.— Botswana, Patamatenga , 31.X.2002, leg. F. Wachtel, 1 ex. CRG .— Ivory Coast, Bingerville , 1961–1962, leg. J. Decelle, 5 ex. MRAC (det. Ardoin as depressa ) .— Ghana, Ashanti Region, Bobiri Forest , 250 m, 24.–25. III .2009, leg. E. Kondorosy, 1 ex. HNHM.— Cameroon, N‘Kongsamba , V. –VII.1957, leg. J. Cantaloube, 5 ex. TMSA .— Cameroon (labelled as Kamerun), Joko, without further data, 4 ex. HNHM .— Uganda, Bwamba Forest , 2500 ft. (= 760 m), III.1948, leg. J. G. Williams, 1 ex. TMSA .— Uganda, Kabarole, Kibale Forest NR, Kanyawara , 1200–1400 m, VIII.1997, leg. C. Häuser, 1 ex. SMNS .— Congo, Eala , VII.1936, leg. J. Ghesquière, 6 ex. MRAC , 3 ex. TMSA.— Congo, Faradje , 6.IV.1930, leg. A. Collart, 1 ex. HNHM .— Congo, Brazzaville, Kindamba, Méya , Louolo River , 12.XI.1963, leg. S. Endrödy-Younga, 1 ex. HNHM .— Kenya, Kagamega Forest, Buyango , 1600–1700 m, 25.–27.XI.2002, leg. C. Häuser & D. Bartsch, 1 ex. SMNS .— Kenya, Kagamega Forest , 1600 m, 21.IX.–10.X.2005, leg. J. Holstein & D. Bartsch, 3 ex. SMNS .— Tanzania, New Moschi , without further data, 2 ex. HNHM .— Tanzania (labelled as Tanganyika), Usa River , 3900 ft. (= 1200 m), 15.XI.–31. XII .1965, leg. J. Szunyoghy, 4 ex. HNHM (det. Kaszab as depressa ).— Tanzania, Mts. Uluguru, Kimboza , V.–VIII.1971, leg. L. Berger, N. Leleup, J. Debecker, 1 ex. MRAC (det. Ardoin as depressa ) .— Tanzania, Serengeti Prov. , 100 km NNE Singida, 1650 m, 20. XII .2006, leg. F. Kantner, 3 ex. SMNS.— Tanzania, Kidoma Prov. , 45 km N Uvinza, 1150 m, 28. XII .2006, leg. F. Kantner, 1 ex. SMNS.

Synonymy: Obviously, Ardoin did not know D. gracilis from South Africa, and he identified identical specimens from Bingerville, Ivory Coast, partly as depressa , partly as elliptica . Non-type specimens of D. depressa from the Ivory Coast and Tanzania, identified by Ardoin, fully coincide with specimens of D. gracilis from South Africa, therefore D. depressa Ardoin, 1963 is considered as junior synonym of D. gracilis (Fåhraeus, 1870) . The type series of D. elliptica from the Ivory Coast also shows no differences to specimens of D. gracilis from South Africa, thus D. elliptica Ardoin, 1969 is considered as junior synonym of D. gracilis (Fåhraeus, 1870) too.

Distribution: South Africa (type locality of gracilis ); Guinea (type locality of depressa ); Congo ( Ardoin 1965); Ivory Coast ( Ardoin 1969); Cameroon ( Ardoin 1963); Tanzania ( Ardoin 1976); Ghana, Uganda, Kenya, Botwana.

Figures

FIGURES 1–6. Dorsal view of African species of Diaclina. 1 D. ashantica sp. nov., holotype HNHM. 2 D. brevicollis, lectotype NHMB. 3 D. gracilis, non-type South Africa SMNS. 4 D. minuta, lectotype NHMB. 5 D. muehlei sp. nov., holotype HNHM. 6 D. ovalis (holotype decellei syn. nov.) MRAC. Scale: 1 mm.