Monolepta postrema Chapuis, 1879

Wagner, Thomas, 2020, Revision of Monolepta Chevrolat, 1836 species from North-East Africa (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae), Bonn zoological Bulletin 69 (2), pp. 225-247 : 227-229

Monolepta postrema Chapuis, 1879

( Figs 3–4 )

Monolepta postrema Chapuis, 1879: 22 .

Type material. Lectotype. Male, “Abyss. Raffray / Monolepta postrema Chap. / additional label (added later): Regione boschiva da Goundet ad Adoua, 1000– 2000 m, 1893 / Museo Civico di Genova / Lectotypus Monolepta postrema Chapuis, 1879 ” ( MCGD). This designation. Chapuis mentioned several specimens in his original publication without designation of a holotype: “De Scio; récolée par M. Antinori à Lit Marefia, en Mai, et à Mahal Uonu en Septembre. Trouvée aussi par M. Raffray entre Goundet et Adoua”.

Paralectotypes. 1 female, same data as lectotype ( MCGD) ; 2 females, Scioa, Lit-Marefia, V.1877, Antino- ri ( MCGD).

Further material examined. 260 specimens, 54 find- ings. Eritrea . 1 ex., Erythree ( ZMUH) ; 1 ex., Asmara , 15.00N / 38.56E ( MNHN) ; 1 ex., dto. ( HNHM) ; 2 ex., dto. ( NHMW) ; 4 ex., dto., Chéren , coll. Clavareau ( MRAC) ; 2 ex., dto., Staudinger , ex coll. J. Weise ( MNHB) ; 1 ex., IX.1905, N. Baccari ( MCGD) ; 4 ex., Umg. Asmara , VII.2001, L. & M. Stalmans ( IRSN) ; 5 ex., Ghinda , 15.20N / 38.56E (2 ex. MNHB, 1 ex. NMNH, 2 ex. NHRS) ; 2 ex., Adi-Ugri , 14.53N / 38.49E, VIII.1901, IX.1902, A. Andreini (MZUF) . – Ethiopia . 5 ex., Raffray ( MNHN) ; 2 ex., coll. Chapuis ( IRSN) ; 3 ex., Bogos, coll. Duvivier / Kraatz (2 ex. IRSN, 1 ex. SDEI) ; 7 ex., Abyssinie , 1881, Raffray ( MNHN) ; 2 ex., Abyssinia , 1928, Mrs. G. McCreag ( USNM) ; 2 ex., Alitiéne , coll. Kraatz ( SDEI) ; 6 ex., Tigre, 1850, Schimper ( MNHN) ; 2 ex., Abyssinia, Tschtscher , VI.1911, Kovács ( HNHM) ; 1 ex., Das , X.1911, R. J. Storley ( BMNH) ; 2 ex., Scioa, Let. Marefia , 6.50N / 35.56E,1881 / VII.1897, Antinori / Raga- zzi ( MCGD) ; 3 ex., Addis Abeba, 9.02N / 38.42E ( ZISP) ; 6 ex. coll. Le Moult ( ZMUH) ; 33 ex., Dr. Schürhof ( MNHB) ; 1 ex., 1899, Sason ( ZISP) ; 1 ex., VI.1905, M. de Rothschild ( MNHN) ; 1 ex., IX.1926, J. Omer-Cooper ( BMNH) ; 32 ex., 1928, Schürhoff ( MNHB) ; 65 ex., 1930, Schürhoff ( MNHB) ; 5 ex., VII.–IX.1933, L. Sáska ( NHRS) ; 4 ex., X.1948, II.1949, “in flowers of garden roses”, H. Scott ( BMNH) ; 1 ex., Taddese Bogale , V.1956 ( USNM) ; 12 ex., VIII.1963, P. M. Schroeder ( NMNH) ; 4 ex., 2400 m, II.1967, G. M. Shitaye ( BMNH) ; 5 ex., II.1972, H. Silfverberg ( MZHF) ; 1 ex., VIII.1988, L. Medvedev (CMe); 1 ex., 2500 m, X.1990, L. N. Medvedev & E. Samoderzhenkov (CMe); 1 ex., II.1995, Bastianini ( MIZT) ; 2 ex., near Adis Allem , 9.01N / 38.24E, 2600 m, IX.1926, H. Scott, “cultivated country” ( BMNH) ; 1 ex., Djem-Djem Forest , 2800 m, IX.1926, H. Scott “from grassy open space” ( BMNH) ; 4 ex., Shoa, Wachacha Ravine near Addis Abeba, 2700 m, IX.1926, H. Scott, “from native shrub” ( BMNH) ; 2 ex., between Djem-Djem and Wouramboulchi , 3000 m, X.1926, J. O. Cooper ( BMNH) ; 2 ex., Simien, Derasghie , 3200 m, XII.1952, H. Scott, “from flowering trees & busches” ( BMNH) ; 1 ex., Belle- ta Forest , 7.32N / 36.31E, VI.1963, Linnavuori ( MZHF) ; 1 ex., Agheresalam , 6.29N / 38.21E, VI.1963, Linnavuori ( MZHF) ; 2 ex., Ambo , 7.32N / 36.31E, VI.1977, L. Medvedev (CMe) ; 1 ex., Akaki River , 8.50N / 38.43E, XI.1980, sweep-netting, A. Demeter ( HNHM) ; 1 ex., Mt. Menagesha , 8.55N / 38.35E, X.1980, sweep-netting, A. Demeter ( HNHM) ; 2 ex., Shewa , 6.58N / 35.46E, 1986–1990, Ing. Dedoch (CBz) ; 1 ex., Debre Zeyt , 10.35N / 35.48E, V.1989, K. Werner ( MZUF) ; 1 ex., Ambo / Guder , 2400 m, VII.1990, K. Werner ( MZUF) ; 2 ex., Arsi, Wondo Gen- et, 7.30N / 39.30E, 1850 m, VI.1990, K. Werner ( MZUF) ; 5 ex., Ambo , 650 m, XI.– X.1990, L. Medvedev (CMe) ; 3 ex., Kaffa Pr. , 1850 m, 40 km W Bonga, IV.2007, J. Ha- lada ( NME) ; 1 ex., Amhara Region, Debre Tabor, Debresena , 11.51N / 37.59E ( BYUC) ; 2 ex., Oromia reg., Hirna , 9.15N / 41.08E, 2315 m, V.2011, V. Hula & Niedobova (CBz) .

Redescription. Total length. 4.80–5.60 mm (mean: 5.20 mm; n = 16).

Head. Labrum and frons yellowish, frons sometimes brownish, vertex always black ( Fig. 3A ), labial and max- illary palpi yellow, terminal palpomeres often brownish. Antennae yellow, usually only last antennomere with brownish to black tip ( Fig. 3A ). Antennomeres slender, second and third in males significantly broader ( Fig. 3B ), second and third antennomeres usually of same length, length of antennomeres two to three 0.94–1.15 (mean: 1.02), fourth antommomere usally three times onger than third, length of antennomeres three to four 0.33–0.42 (mean: 0.37).

Thorax. Prothorax entirely yellow, pronotum pale yellow, broad, pronotal width 1.40–1.55 mm (mean: 1.48 mm), pronotal length to width 0.58–0.62 (mean: 0.60), very finely punctured, shining. Elytral coloration characterictic and of constant type, predominantly yellow, black at base, black colour elongated about the first third of the elytra laterally including epipleura and triangle-like along the suture, apical part black ( Fig. 3A ). Ely- tral length 3.80–4.40 mm (mean: 4.11 mm), width of both elytra 2.40–2.80 mm (mean: 2.58 mm), slender, width of both elytra to length of elytron 0.59–0.67 (mean: 0.63). Scutellum brownish-red to black. Meso- and metathorax yellow, as legs.

Abdomen. Entirely yellow in about one third of material examined, but mostly yellow with contrasting black anal-sternite and pygidium, rarely also other abdominal segments with darker outer margin.

Male genitalia. Median lobe broad, homogenously conical ( Fig. 3 Db, Dc), apex slightly bent dorsally ( Fig. 3 Da). Tectum small, conical ( Fig. 3 Db), ventral groove very broad ( Fig. 3 Dc). Lateral endophallic spiculae short, broad, claw-like, median spiculae and slender, ventral spiculae large, comb-like ( Fig. 3 Db).

Female genitalia. Spermatheca with small spherical nodulus, broader and long middle part and long cornu (Fig. E). Dorsal part of bursa sclerites slender, sub-triangular (Fig. F), ventral part triangular, outer margin finely undulate (Fig. G).

Diagnosis. Very characteristic by the black basal elyral coloration that is elongated trianguarly along the suture. This species shows very low variation in color pattern and can be only dismissed in this respect with Bicolorizea cavidorsis (Fairmaire, 1893), that occur sympatrically and is widely distributed in Ethiopia ( Heunemann et al. 2015). Also the broad conical aedeagus is a rare pattern in African Monolepta species.

Distribution and ecology. Widely distributed and abundant in Ethiopia and Eritrea, particularly in montane regions, recorded up to 3200 m ( Fig. 4 ).

Figures

Fig. 3. Monolepta postrema Chapuis, 1879. A. Colour pattern, B. Basal antennomeres, males. C. Dto., females. D. Median lobe, a. lateral, b. dorsal, c. ventral, without endophallic structures. E. Two different spermathecae. F. Bursa-sclerite, dorsal. G. Dto., ventral.

Fig. 4. Distribution of M. postrema, M. leuce.