Morettius pallens, (D' ORBIGNY, 1908: 172)

MORETTIUS PALLENS (D’ ORBIGNY, 1908: 172) View in CoL

( FIGS 2, 7, 8, 11)

Type material: Lectotype here designated: (male) CHAD: Kiao-Kata, Moyen-Chari, south to Chad lake [=moyen Chari rives, Kiao-Kata] [ MNHN] . Paralectotype: (female) same locality [ MNHN]. For the morphological account, please refer to the original description .

Geographical distribution ( Fig. 14): The species was reported from Cameroon, Chad, Nigeria (southern border), Republic of Congo and Sudan (collection localities are listed in Appendix 3, Supporting Information).

covering more than half the pronotal length and prolonged narrowly on the sides to reach the anterior angles. Pronotal pubescence black and very short, only evident on the lateral edges. Pronotum unarmed, very weakly transverse (length/width ratio: 0.55). Base evenly curved, markedly bordered. Posterior angles not sinuate. Anterior angles strongly sinuate, sharply projected outwards. Surface reticulate. Area surrounding the callus not granulate; remaining pronotal surface entirely covered by small granules.

Elytra yellow with black symmetrical spots, one basal on the fifth interstriae, one on the first third of the sixth and seventh interstriae, another four connected on the middle of the second to fifth interstriae forming a zig-zig pattern. Juxtasutural interstriae yellow – orange, darkened anteriorly. Basal carina of interstriae bronze. Pubescence yellow, very short and scattered, only evident posteriorly. Elytral ground reticulate. Interstriae bearing small yellow granules, arranged on the juxtasutural interstriae in a regular row. Interstriae weakly convex, basally carinate. Striae narrow, well marked, yellow. Punctures of striae never wider than the striae. The seventh stria sinuate basally.

Pygidium yellow almost smooth, finely microreticulate, with small, rare, hardly perceptible punctures. Base carinate.

Epipleura yellow. Sternal thoracic surface bronze, except for the base of propleurae bronze. Abdominal sternites yellow. Metasternal pubescence scattered, short and yellow.

Coxae yellow. Trochanters bronze. Femura yellow, apically bronze. Tibiae bronze, meso- and metatibiae apically yellowish. Tarsomeres weakly bronze. Pubescence yellow. Fore tibiae three-toothed. Tibial spur elongate, bent inward, apically rounded. Tarsi normally shaped.

Individual variation: Paratype: the wide posterior spot of the right elytra is extended on the sixth interstria. Spot of the scond interstria obviously longer than in the hotolypus. Seventh elytral stria only weakly sinuate.

Epipharynx ( Fig. 2): See the above generic diagnosis.