Conicobruchus atrosuturalis ( Pic, 1939 )

Le Ru, Bruno P., Delobel, Alex, György, Zoltán, Genson, Gwenaëlle & Kergoat, Gael J., 2014, Taxonomy, host-plant associations and phylogeny of African Crotalaria - feeding seed beetles (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Bruchinae): the Conicobruchus strangulatus (Fåhraeus) species group, Zootaxa 3895 (2), pp. 238-256 : 242-244

Conicobruchus atrosuturalis ( Pic, 1939)

Bruchus atrosuturalis Pic, 1939:31 .

Conicobruchus atrosuturalis: Decelle 1951:181 .

Material examined. Paratype (male) of Bruchus atrosuturalis var. Pic: Ethiopia: ix.1936 (genitalia on card in drop of DMHF) [ MNHN]

Other material: Kenya: 1♂, Chyulu Hills, vii.1938 [1♂ 00514] Coryndon Museum /Expdt Chyulu Hills / July 38 alt. 5600, Imp. Inst./Entom [ MNHN]; 1♂, Kakamega, 00° 10.930N 34° 56.137E, 1693m, ex Crotalaria incana purpurescens , 0011. xi.2008 [1♂ 01109] (B. Le Ru) [ MNHN]; 1♂, 2♀, Magadi, 01° 46.142S 36° 20.657E, 856m, i.2007, ex Crotalaria uguenensis [1♂ 0 2307, specimen GK35 used for DNA extraction] (B. Le Ru) [ CBGP].

Body black, except elytra bright yellowish-red with black markings along suture ( Fig. 1 ), also along apex of elytra in some specimens; ventrites dark reddish brown to black in typical form, red in paratype and Kenyan specimens reared from Crotalaria uguenensis seeds; last visible tergite red or black.

Major morphological traits are as follows: pronotum 1.3 times wider at base than long, its sides straight basally, strongly convergent anteriorly, with a distinct neck; lack of white hair spots on pronotum (setation uniformly pale greyish or yellowish); elytral striae with small, closely spaced punctuation, interstriae with punctures varying from strong to shallow.

Male genitalia. Median lobe ( Fig. 2 ) similar with that of Conicobruchus strangulatus ( Fig. 10 ), stout (maximum width excluding basal hood / total length = 0.19), slightly widened apically, basal hood moderately widened, concave posteriorly; ventral valve large, subtriangular, with apex acute, bearing numerous sensillae and two lateral groups of 5 to 8 setae; no hinge sclerite. Internal sac densely lined anteriorly with minute spinules ( Fig. 2 A) and ctenoid scales ( Fig. 2 B), followed by an area almost devoid of ornamentation, then dense scales and spines blending dorsally into a short series of well sclerotized small teeth ( Fig. 2 C); a pair of strong ventro-lateral dented rods ( Fig. 2 D) similar to those observed in Conicobruchus nodieri and C. astragalinae , and between them zero to three isolated teeth ( Fig. 2 E); posteriorly a zone with a few strong, isolated teeth ( Fig. 2 E) and a number of setae; then again two or more groups of dented sticks or masses ( Fig. 2 F); apical ampoule ( Fig. 2 G) devoid of any ornamentation, gonopore not sclerotized; basal strut narrow, without keel. Lateral lobes cleft to nearly 90% of their length; apex modified, with two lips, the dorsal one bearing about 12-15 long setae, the ventral one with a dense group of short sensillae.

Biology. Examined material was reared from pods of Crotalaria uguenensis and C. incana subsp. purpurescens in Kenya.

Distribution. Ethiopia and Kenya.

Discussion. Conicobruchus atrosuturalis has a very specific color pattern with a black body and bright orange elytra ( Fig. 1 ). This pattern can only be found in red specimens of C. flabellicornis ; the two species can be easily distinguished based on the presence of brushes and spots of dense white setae on the pronotum (absent in C. atrosuturalis , present in C. flabellicornis ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Dorsal view of specimens belonging the to six species of the Conicobruchus strangulatus species group.

FIGURE 2. Conicobruchus atrosuturalis: 2 — median lobe (Paratype, Ethiopia); arrows were used to show the following structures: 2 A—minute spinules; 2 B—ctenoid scales; 2 C—small sclerotized teethes; 2 D—strong ventro-lateral dented rods; 2 E—teethes; 2 F—dented sticks or masses; 2 G—apical ampoule.

FIGURES 10 – 11. Conicobruchus strangulatus: 10 — median lobe; 11 — basal strut and lateral lobes (specimen 14495, Senegal).