Melitonoma vinculata Weise, 1910

Melitonoma vinculata Weise, 1910

( Figs 7–8 View Fig View Fig )

Melitonoma vinculata Weise, 1910: 25 . Type locality: “Dahome” [= todayʼs Benin].

Melitonoma vinculata – Jolivet 1951: 36 (faunistics). — Pic 1952: 502 (faunistics). — Medvedev & Beenen 2005: 363 (faunistics).

Differential diagnosis

Melitonoma vinculata can be distinguished from other species by the short protarsomere I of males, 1.10 times as long as wide, while at least 1.75 times as long as wide in M. juvenca , M. simoni and M. dalaba sp. nov. The pronotum of M. vinculata is covered with very fine punctures, visible under higher magnification, while the pronotum of M. juvenca and M. dalaba sp. nov. are covered with distinct and well-visible punctation. The pronotum of M. simoni is almost impunctate. The penis of M. vinculata is similar to that of M. juvenca , but it has rounded lateral sides and an apex widely triangular, with the tip slightly pointed in M. vinculata ( Fig. 8A, D View Fig ), while it is subhexagonal in M. juvenca ( Fig. 3A, D View Fig ).

Melitonoma vinculata is also very similar to the darkest aberrations of M. duodecimpunctata Jacoby, 1898 , from Zimbabwe, Republic of South Africa and Malawi. Almost all specimens of M. vinculata can be distinguished by the completely black legs, but very rare aberrations with pale tibiae and tarsi are problematic. Such specimens can be distinguished from the darkest aberrations of M. duodecimpunctata only by the structures of male and female genitalia.

Type material

Lectotype (here designated)

BENIN • ♂ ( Fig. 7A–B View Fig ); “♂ [w, h] // Dahomey / Dr. Schultz [b, h] // Meliton. / vinculata / m [w, h] // Cotypus [r, p] // SYNTYPE / Melitonoma / vinculata / Weise, 1910 / labelled by MFNB 2023 [r, p] // LECTOTYPE / Melitonoma vinculata / Weise, 1910 / J. Bezděk des. 2024 [r, p]”; MFNB.

Other material examined

KENYA • 1 ♀; E shore of Victoria Nyanza near Karungu ; 28–29 Apr. 1911; S.A. Neave leg.; NHMUK • 1 ♀; Kisumu; 22–24 Apr. 1911; S.A. Neave leg.; NHMUK .

UGANDA • 1 ♀; Bussu-Busoga ; 1909; E. Bayon leg.; NHMUK • 1 ♂; Mawokota ; 20 Apr. 1913; C.C. Gowdey leg.; NHMUK • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Kampala; 3–20 Apr. 1918; C.C. Gowdey leg.; NHMUK • 8 ♂♂, 9 ♀♀; Entebbe ; 5–11 Jul. 1911; S.A. Neave leg.; NHMUK • 2 ♂♂; Entebbe ; 30 May 1913; C.C. Gowdey leg.; NHMUK • 1 ♀; Entebbe ; 17 Jun. 1913; C.C. Gowdey leg.; NHMUK • 1 ♂; Entebbe ; 5–9 Apr. 1914; C.C. Gowdey leg.; NHMUK • 3 ♂♂, 6 ♀♀; Entebbe ; 20–25 Apr. 1914; C.C. Gowdey leg.; NHMUK • 4 ♂♂, 8 ♀♀; Entebbe ; 20–28 May 1914; C.C. Gowdey leg.; NHMUK • 6 ♂♂, 6 ♀♀; Entebbe ; 10–13 Jul. 1914; C.C. Gowdey leg.; NHMUK • 1 ♂; Semliki Plains ; 8–9 Nov. 1911; S.A. Neave leg.; NHMUK • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Semliki Plains near S shore of Lake Albert ; 25–27 Nov. 1911; S.A. Neave leg.; NHMUK .

Description

Male ( Fig. 7C View Fig )

APPEARANCE AND COLORATION. Body length: 6.2–6.9 mm. Body elongate, subparallel, convex. Head black. Pronotum yellowish brown with large black spot covering basal half of pronotum except margins, anteriorly spot produced to two branches not touching anterior pronotal margin. Very rarely branches shortened or touching anterior pronotal margin ( Fig. 7G–I View Fig ). Scutellum black. Elytra yellowish brown with large humeral spot, two transverse bands and apex of elytra black; humeral spot usually connected with anterior transverse band, anterior transverse band not touching lateral and sutural elytral margins, posterior transverse band touching lateral and sutural elytral margins, often connected also with apical black spot by narrowly black lateral margin, rarely also both transverse bands connected ( Fig. 7J–M View Fig ). Ventral side of body black, pronotal hypomeron yellowish brown, often with darkened or black interior part, abdominal ventrite I sometimes with yellow basal margin. Antennomeres I–IV orange (often with darkened dorsal side), V black with orange base, VI–XI black. Legs black, very rarely tibiae and tarsi pale.

HEAD ( Fig. 7E View Fig ). Mandibles very slightly enlarged, dorsal sides flat, glabrous, lateral margins rounded, apices hook-like, lateral sides of mandibles covered with pale setae. Labrum transverse with rounded anterior angles and shallowly emarginated anterior margin, surface covered with small punctures bearing pale setae. Anterior margin of clypeus with wide shallow triangular emargination. Anterior part of head lustrous, very slightly convex, covered with small punctures and along anterolateral margins of clypeus also with short setae. Eyes moderately large. Frons wide, 1.80–1.85 times as wide as diameter of eye, surface uneven, almost glabrous, except setae cumulated along internal margins of eyes. Frons separated from vertex by shallowly impressed rounded line. Vertex convex, glabrous, lustrous. Antennae short, 0.20 times as long as body, antennomere I club-shaped, I and II dorsally covered with long setae, III very small, antennae shortly serrated from antennomere IV.

PRONOTUM. Convex, transverse, 1.50–1.55 times as wide as long, widest before base. Surface lustrous ( Fig. 7F View Fig ), sparsely covered with very fine punctures visible only in high magnification. Anterior margin straight, lateral margins slightly rounded, posterior margin widely rounded and moderately expanded in scutellar area. Anterior margin thinly bordered only in lateral parts, middle part unbordered, lateral margins widely bordered and posterior margin thinly bordered. Anterior and posterior angles rounded, with setigerous pore bearing long seta. Posterior angles not elevated above elytral base. Scutellum subtriangular, with rounded tip, glabrous, impunctate, along basal margin impressed.

ELYTRA. Subparallel, 1.35–1.40 times as long as wide (measured in middle) and 0.70 times as long as body. Surface glabrous, subopaque to lustrous, densely covered with very fine, confused punctures and fine microsculpture. Humeral calli developed. Basal margin forming sharp keel. In lateral view, lateral margin of each elytron sinuate. Epipleura lustrous, glabrous, slightly concave, wide at base, narrowed in middle part, disappearing in ⅔ of elytral length. Macropterous.

VENTRAL SIDE OF BODY. Densely covered with short setae. Abdomen more or less concave in lateral view. Pygidium moderately convex.

LEGS. Protibiae and protarsi not enlarged. Protarsomere I ( Fig. 7N View Fig ) short, 1.20 times as long as wide, as wide as II, lateral sides slightly convergent basally, protarsomere II as long as wide, triangular, length ratio of protarsomeres I–III and V equals 100-71-71-114 (100 = 0.40 mm). Mesotarsomere I subtriangular, as wide as II, length ratio of mesotarsomeres I–III and V equals 100-71-71-114 (100 = 0.40 mm). Metatarsomere I subtriangular, as wide as II, length ratio of metatarsomeres I–III and V equals 100-71-71-128 (100 = 0.4 mm). Claws simple.

PENIS ( Fig. 8A–F View Fig ). Widest in apical fifth, apical part widely triangular with rounded lateral sides, tip slightly pointed and rounded. In lateral view, apex sharp, dorsal margin slightly bulged at anterior third. In ventral view, penis regularly convex, without keel or impressions. Internal sac ( Fig. 8G–H View Fig ) with three pairs of hook-like sclerites and one long needle-like sclerite, 0.85 times as long as width of penis in widest place.

Female ( Fig. 7D View Fig )

Body length: 6.8–7.8 mm. Head, mandibles, tarsi and protibiae not enlarged. Abdomen convex in lateral view, last abdominal ventrite with medial hollow. Apex of pygidium slightly emarginated. Spermatheca ( Fig. 8I View Fig ) C-shaped, with gradually narrowing apical part and wider basal part, spermathecal duct forming large tangled-up ball in middle part. Tergite VIII and ovipositor as in Fig. 8J View Fig . Dorsal rectal sclerites: two oblique, suboval, posteriorly pointed lateral sclerites and one large, median, longitudinally suboval sclerite ( Fig. 8K View Fig ). Ventral rectal sclerites relatively wide, slightly oblique, basal part significantly extended and posteriorly pointed, middle part slightly converging distally, distal part fan-shaped, wider than middle part but narrower than basal part ( Fig. 8L View Fig ).

Distribution

Benin ( Weise 1910; Pic 1952), Congo ( Jolivet 1951), Kenya (present paper) and Uganda ( Medvedev & Beenen 2005; present paper). Voucher specimens from Congo were not examined; therefore, the occurrence in Congo requires verification.

Remarks

The number of type specimens was not specified in the original description ( Weise 1910), but since a body length range was given, Weise had at least two specimens available. Only one syntype (designated here as a lectotype) is deposited in the Weise collection in MFNB. The deposition of other type specimens is unknown to me.