Poecilomorpha passerinii Hope, 1841

Rodríguez-Mirón, Geovanni M., 2025, Redescription of the African genus Poecilomorpha Hope, 1814 (Megalopodidae: Megalopodinae) and description of a new species, European Journal of Taxonomy 987, pp. 264-280 : 270-272

Poecilomorpha passerinii Hope, 1841

Figs 1I – 2

Poecilomorpha passerinii Hope, 1841: 179 , pl. ii, fig. 4 (original description).

Poecilomorpha innotata Pic, 1911: 213 (original description), syn. nov.

Poecilomorpha innotata Pic, 1946: 152 (original description, objective junior homonym), syn. nov.

Poecilomorpha passerinii – Lacordaire 1845: 728 (misidentification according to Weise 1902). — Weise 1902: 119 (distribution, note). — Staines 2002: 17 (type material). — Rodríguez-Mirón 2018: 285: fig. 1l (checklist). — Rodríguez-Mirón et al. 2021 (phylogenetic treatment). –– Jacoby & Clavareau 1905: 11 (catalogue). –– Clavareau 1913: 17 (catalog). — Erber & Medvedev 2002: 100 (key to genera). — Yu & Liang 2012: 119. — Chujo 1951: 60 (mention as type species of the genus). — An 2015: 315 (mention as type species of the genus).

Type material

Syntype Poecilomorpha passerinii Hope, 1841 (only photographs studied)

SIERRA LEONE • ♀; “W.A. / passerinii Hope , type / Type (green label) / TYPE Hope Col. Man. III, p. 179, T.2, f.4, Coll. Hope Oxon. (white label with red border) / 68 / TYPE COL: 1992, Poecilomorpha passerinii Hope, HOPE DEPT (white label with black border)/ dissected mouthparts stuck to a card”; OUMNH.

Syntype Poecilomorpha innotata Pic, 1911

REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO • 1 spec.; “ BENITO , Congo Franc . (green label) / Poecilomorpha n. sp. pres passerinii / typus chez Donckier / Type / Poecilomorpha innotata Pic / TYPE. (red label)”; MNHN.

Other material examined

NIGERIA • 2 ♀♀; “ Lagos Dist. ”; Jul. 1944; W.E.S. Merrett leg; NHMUK . • 1 ♂; Baly Coll.; NHMUK

SIERRA LEONE • 1 ♀; “ Rhobomp ”; MNHN . BENIN • 1 ♀; Kétou ; 1900; R.P Paichoux leg; MNHN .

Differential diagnosis

Poecilomorpha passerinii differs from P. minuta , P. cribricollis and P. pseudocribricollis sp. nov. by the following combination of characters: surface of the ocular canthus concave; margin of the antennal awning not extended onto eye canthi ( Fig. 2G ); frontoclypeal groove arcuate ( Fig. 2F ); and elytral suture carinate on apical third length. In P. minuta , P. cribricollis and P. pseudocribricollis , the surface of the ocular canthi is convex; margin of the antennal awning prolonged onto eye canthi; frontoclypeal groove is straight; and elytra lacking a carina along suture.

Redescription

Male

MEASUREMENTS AND COLORATION. Length 6.4–7.1 mm, width 2.5–2.6 mm. Head and antennae black; mandibles, labium, maxilla, thorax and abdomen orange; pronotal disc, coxae, base of femora, tibiae and tarsi brown; elytra iridescent, varying from blue to green.

HEAD. Occiput coarsely and sparsely punctate; interocular region coarsely and densely punctate, with long brown pubescence, interspaces smooth, 0.6–1× as wide as puncture diameter ( Fig. 2F ); surface of ocular canthus concave; margin of the antennal awning not extended onto canthi ( Fig. 2G ); antennae reaching posterior edge of pronotum; scape twice as long as antennomere III, III as long as VI, V longer than wide, VI–X wider than long; frontoclypeal groove arcuate ( Fig. 2F ); last labial palpomere bullet-shaped, apex horizontally truncate; last maxillary palpomere subconical, apex truncate.

THORAX. Pronotum ( Fig. 1I ) with disc coarsely and sparsely punctate, interspaces smooth, 2–3 × wider than puncture diameter; surface with black pubescence; base 1.3× wider than anterior margin; posterior angles rounded. Scutellum ( Fig. 1J ) subtriangular, rounded at apex, deep punctate, with procumbent pubescence. Elytral ( Fig. 2D–E ) humeri rounded; pubescence brown and white randomized near the elytral suture; surface with carina along apical third of suture. Metaventral process with small notch projecting between mesocoxae ( Fig. 2K ). Metepisternum ( Fig. 2K ) finely punctate and pubescent, disc impunctate and glabrous; metaventrite convex, sparsely punctate and pubescent. Tibiae swollen near apex, with decumbent pubescence; hind tibiae also curved

ABDOMEN. Compact; pygidium declivous, triangular with the base longer than the lateral margins, sparsely punctate, pubescent; apex of last ventrite emarginate. Aedeagus ( Fig. 2P–Q ), median lobe with apex rounded; struts 1.5× as long as median lobe. Tegmen ( Fig. 2O ) slightly sclerotized. Parameres ( Fig. 2O ) obtuse at apex, tegmen ring ‘card spade-shaped’, roof 1.5 × as long as parameres.

Female

Ventrite V with projection into abdominal cavity; projection triangular with rounded apex. Sternite VIII trident-shaped ( Fig. 2L ). Spermatheca complex ( Fig. 2M ); proximal part of spermathecal capsule with velum rounded; common duct globose; stem and terminal portions of capsule joined, terminal portion S-shaped, more robust than stem; spiculum gastrale asymmetrically forked ( Fig. 2N ).

Distribution

Benin (new record), Ghana ( Weise, 1902), Nigeria (new record), Republic of the Congo ( Pic 1911), Sierra Leone ( Hope 1841).

Remark

Maurice Pic proposed P. innotata based on the absence of a black spot on the pronotum. Additionally, he described P. innotata twice based on the same specimen, in 1911: 213 and 1946: 152.

Figures

Fig. 1. A. Pronotum of Monrosolopha tarsata (Bryant, 1941). B. Pronotum of Bryantonaria crampeli (Pic,1913), syntype, ♂ (MNHN). C. Mesoventrite pit of B. crampeli, ♂ (MNHN). D. Crenate elytral edge of Antonaria sp. E. Pronotum of Antonaria sp. F. Pronotum lateral view of Falsocolobaspis elongatus Pic, 1951, ♂ (RMCA). G. Pronotum of Piomelopus flabellicornis (Jacoby, 1895), ♂ (MNHN). H. Pronotum of Sphondylia sp. I. Pronotum of Poecilomorpha passerinii Hope, 1841, ♂ (MNHN).

Fig. 2. A–B, R. Poecilomorpha passerinii Hope, 1841, syntype, ♂ (OUMNH). A. Dorsal view.B. Ventral view. C. Poecilomorpha innotata Pic, 1946, syntype, sex? (MNHN), dorsal view. D–Q. Poecilomorpha passerinii Hope, 1841. D–K, N–Q. ♂ (MNHN). L–M. ♀ (MNHN). D. Dorsal view. E. Lateral view. F. Frontal view.G. Margin of the antennal awning.H. Antenna.I. Dorsal abdomen view.J. Mesoscutum. K. Metaepisternum. L. Sternite VIII female. M. Spermatheca. N. Spiculum gastrale. O. Tegmen. P. Middle lobe. Q. Middle lobe apex. R–S. Type labels.