Chikatunolepta millingeni ( Pic, 1915 ), 2020

Bezděk, Jan, 2020, Chikatunolepta n. gen. - a new genus of Saharo-Arabian Monoleptites (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae), Israel Journal of Entomology (Oxford, England) 50 (2), pp. 11-29 : 20-23

Chikatunolepta millingeni ( Pic, 1915) n. comb.

( Figs 5, 6, 11, 12, 37–48, 52, 57–64)

Luperus (Calomicrus) millingeni Pic, 1915: 18 . (Type locality: Arabie, El Hajaz).

Calomicrus millingeni (Pic) : Wilcox 1973: 518; Medvedev 1997: 322.

Calomicrus (Nymphius) millingeni (Pic) : Medvedev 1996: 250.

Nymphius millingeni (Pic) : Beenen 2010: 485; Bezděk 2012 a: 426.

Lyperodes [sic!] artificiosus Peyerimhoff, 1931: 111 . (Type locality: Tassili occidental, Tin-Tahart). n. syn.

Luperodes artificiosus Peyerimhoff : Wilcox 1973: 525; Beenen 2010: 479.

Nymphius artificiosus (Peyerimhoff) : Bezděk 2012 b: 396.

Calomicrus (Nymphius) friedmani Lopatin, 2002: 379 . (Type locality: Israel, Bor Hemet ). n. syn.

Calomicrus friedmani Lopatin : Chikatunov et al. 2006: 309.

Nymphius friedmani (Lopatin) : Beenen 2010: 485.

Main diagnostic characters: Male ( Fig. 5). Abdomen modified as follows: ventrite I moderately elevated, II with long pyramidal process directed obliquely anteriorly, III with long narrow subparallel process with sharp bent apex, IV with raised posterior margin; middle parts of ventrites I, II and IV covered with long pale setae ( Figs 37–39). Protarsomere I subpentagonal. Mesotibiae widely rounded in apical half, without subapical lamela, mesotarsomere I enlarged ( Figs 44, 45).

Female ( Fig. 6). Spermatheca with apical part of cornu as long as basal part, appendix longer than apical part of cornu ( Fig. 41).

Syntype of Luperus millingeni (examined, Figs 57–59): ♂ Saudi Arabia: El Hajaz [= Saudi Arabia, Hejaz region ], Millingen ( MNHN) .

Holotype of Calomicrus friedmani (examined, Figs 60–64): ♂ Israel: Bor Hemet , 19.iv.2001, L. Friedman ( TAUI).

Other material examined: Yemen: 2♂, Lawdar , NE of Adan, 1145 m, 22.x.2005, P. Kabátek ( JBCB) . Oman: 2♂, Taqah env., 270–350 m, 18–21.ix.2003, R . Červenka ( JBCB) ; 1♂ 6♀, Darbaat , 18–21. ix.2003, R . Červenka ( JBCB) ; 1♂, Dhofar, Jabal Samhán , 15 km W of Jufa, 27.ix.2011, J. Voříšek ( JBCB) .

Distribution: Algeria ( Peyerimhoff 1931), Israel ( Lopatin 2002; Chikatunov et al. 2006), Oman ( Medvedev 1996, 1997; present study), Saudi Arabia ( Medvedev 1996, 1997), Yemen (Bezděk 2012; present study).

Comparison: Chikatunolepta millingeni is very similar to Ch. emir . The males of both species can be distinguished by the structure of abdominal appendages (see Comparison under Ch. emir ). The females are indistinguishable in habitus.

Comments: The primary type specimens of Calomicrus friedmani and Luperus millingeni were examined and compared. The holotype of Luperodes artificiosus was not studied but the description is provided with the drawing of a very characteristic structure of the abdomen ( Fig. 52). In sum, I consider all three taxa conspecific and I synonymize Calomicrus friedmani and Lyperodes artificiosus with Chikatunolepta millingeni .

Lopatin (2002), when describing Calomicrus friedmani , apparently did not examine type specimens of C. millingeni and C. buettikeri , and used only the description and drawings from Medvedev (1996) where the abdomina drawings are interchanged. Lopatin (2002) compared Calomicrus friedmani with the correct mid tibia of C. buettikeri , but the drawing of the abdomen pertains in fact to C. millingeni . Due to this confusion Lopatin (2002) was unable to compare his specimen correctly with related species and described it as new species, although it was conspecific with C. millingeni . The same mistake renders the identification key in Lopatin (2006) unusable.