Hycleus africanus (Olivier, 1811)

Bologna, Marco A., Amore, Valentina & Pitzalis, Monica, 2018, Meloidae of Namibia (Coleoptera): taxonomy and faunistics with biogeographic and ecological notes, Zootaxa 4373 (1), pp. 1-141 : 82-84

Ci) Hycleus africanus species group

We group tentatively in this assemblage some southern African species of the Mesocutatus lineage with ten antennomeres as H. africanus (Olivier, 1811) , H. namaquus ( Péringuey, 1909) and H. quadriguttatus (Wulfen, 1786) . The taxonomy of this group needs a deep revision.

Hycleus cfr. africanus (Olivier, 1795) [? = Hycleus insolitus ( Péringuey, 1909) ] ( Fig. 5E )

Mylabris africana Olivier, 1795

Decatoma africana, Péringuey 1909

? Decatoma africana var. insolita Péringuey, 1909 Distribution. Namibia (new species record for this country) and South Africa.

Material examined. [Khomas] Windhoek Rural: Excelsior 286, 22.4500°S 17.6000°E ( SMWN).

Remarks. The single specimen we examined is similar to H. africanus from Western and Northern Cape but the pronotum is more depressed anteriorly, the head and pronotum punctures are more subrugose and confluent, the head, pronotum and ventral setae are longer and distinctly golden. The mesosternum is illustrated in Fig. 16E . The elytral pattern and setation correspond to that of the var. insolita Péringuey, 1909 , which was considered as a possible distinct species by the South African entomologist. The deeply examination of types of both africanus and var. insolita is basic to the resolution of this taxonomic problem.

Hycleus namaquus ( Péringuey, 1909) comb. n. ( Fig. 5F )

Decatoma namaqua Péringuey, 1909

Types. Types of this species were examined at SAMC.

Distribution. Southwestern Namibia (new species record for this country) and northwestern South Africa.

Material examined. [Karas] Lüderitz: Aus , 26.6667°S 16.2667°E (CP).

Remarks. Péringuey (1909) used in its monograph of southern African Meloidae the same name namaqua for two distinct blister beetles. The first name corresponds to a chromatic variation of H. haemactus (see above) and consequentlythe, representing only an intraspecific phenetic variation, is taxonomically unvalid. Therefore, the name namaquus is useful for the second taxon, which was described as distinct species in the genus Decatoma (a synonym of Hycleus ) and which is referred to Hycleus for the first time in the present paper (comb. n.).

The mesosternal “scutum” is very narrow, intermediate between the Mesoscutatus and Mesotaeniatus - type lineages. Antennae have ten black antennomeres, but IV–VI reddish.

Figures

FIGURE 5. A. Hycleus herero; B. Hycleus hybridus; C. Hycleus matabele; D. Hycleus tinctus; E. Hycleus cfr. africanus; F. Hycleus namaquus; G. Hycleus svakopensis; H. Hycleus dvoraki: I. Hycleus aridus; J. Hycleus benguellanus; K. Hycleus bissexguttatus; L.Hycleus decemguttatus; M. Hycleus decoratus; N.Hycleus cfr. overlaeti; O. Hycleus pilosus; P.Hycleus san; Q. Hycleus windhoekanus; R. Hycleus zigzagus; S. Paractenodia damarensis; T. Paractenodia freyi; U. Paractenodia glabra; V.Paractenodia namaquensis; W.Paractenodia parva; X. Meloe meridianus; Y.Meloe sp. aff.hottentotus.

FIGURE 16. Hycleus aridus: tegmenin ventral view (A); tegmen and aedeagus in lateral view (B); antenna (C); mesosternum (D).Hycleus cfr. africanus: mesosternum (E). Bar = 1 mm.