A study of the genus Timarcha Samouelle, 1819: the species from the South of the Iberian Peninsula (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae)
Authors: Vela José-Miguel , Daccordi Mauro 
Published: December 2024

The species of Timarcha Samouelle, 1819 living in the South of the Iberian Peninsula are reviewed basing on the available types. We have recognized twelve species-group taxa: Timarcha apricaria ssp. apricaria Waltl, 1835, T. apricaria ssp. heydeni Weise, 1882, T. apricaria ssp. parvicollis Rosenhauer, 1856, T. granadensis Bechynĕ, 1948, T. insparsa Rosenhauer, 1856, T. intermedia ssp. intermedia Herrich-Schäffer, 1838, T. intermedia ssp. lugens Rosenhauer, 1856, T. kiesenwetteri ssp. kiesenwetteri Kraatz, 1879, T. kiesenwetteri ssp. sagrensis Kuntzen, 1911, T. marginicollis Rosenhauer, 1856, T. scutellaris Waltl, 1835 and T. strophium ssp. carmelenae Petitpierre, 2013. Other two taxa studied here, Timarcha apricaria ssp. melitensis Weise, 1882 and T. strophium ssp. strophium Weise, 1888, are spread all around North Morocco (Rif ) and Central-Eastern Spain (Cuenca and Teruel) respectively. The identity of the long-time unknown T. apricaria and T. scutellaris has been re-established. Timarcha heydeni, T. parvicollis and T. melitensis have been downgraded to a subspecific rank of T. apricaria, and T. carmelenae has been downgraded to a subspecific rank of T. strophium. Timarcha lugens is confirmed as a subspecies of T. intermedia, and T. kiesenwetteri ssp. sagrensis is tentatively maintained as a subspecies until more specimens will be available. The following new synonyms are proposed: Timarcha apricaria ssp. apricaria = T. coarcticollis Fairmaire & Allard, 1873, nov. syn. = T. paulinoi Kraatz, 1879, nov. syn. = T. parvicollis ssp. nitentula Bechynĕ, 1953, nov. syn. Timarcha apricaria ssp. parvicollis = T. seidlitzi Kraatz, 1879, nov. syn. = T. parvicollis ssp. elocata Bechynĕ, 1953, nov. syn. Timarcha apricaria ssp. melitensis = T. riffensis Fairmaire, 1888, nov. syn. Timarcha intermedia ssp. lugens = T. parnassia Weise, 1882 nov. syn. = T. nevadensis Fairmaire, 1884, nov. syn. Timarcha scutellaris = T. hispanica Herrich-Schäffer, 1838, nov. syn. = T. rugipennis Perez Arcas, 1865, nov. syn. = T. erosa Fairmaire & Allard, 1873, nov. syn. = T. vermiculata Fairmaire, 1880, nov. syn. = T. laevisterna Fairmaire, 1880, nov. syn. = T. transversicollis Fairmaire 1884, nov. syn. Timarcha strophium ssp. strophium = T. fossulata Bechynĕ, 1944, nov. syn. Timarcha splendida Pérez-Arcas, 1872 and T. sericea var. escalerae Kuntzen, 1911, are confirmed as synonyms of T. marginicollis Rosenhauer, 1856. Timarcha strophium Weise, 1888 has been redescribed basing on the types. The type series of Timarcha granadensis ssp. dislocata Bechynĕ, 1948 is made up by two species: one of them is T. granadensis; the other is a species from Central-Eastern Spain close to T. sobrina Fairmaire, 1884. Neotypes have been designated for Timarcha hispanica, T. intermedia and T. scutellaris. Lectotypes have been designated for Timarcha apricaria, T. erosa, T. granadensis, T. heydeni, T. insparsa, T. kiesenwetteri, T. laevisterna, T. lugens, T. melitensis, T. nevadensis, T. parnassia, T. parvicollis ssp. elocata, T. parvicollis ssp. nitentula, T. paulinoi, T. riffensis, T. rugipennis, T. seidlitzi, T. sericea, T. splendida, T. strophium and T. vermiculata. Timarcha apricaria Gistel, 1832 and T. angulicollis Motschulsky, 1849 are considered nomina dubia, and two species described as native of Andalusia, T. gravis Rosenhauer, 1856 and T. rugosula Rosenhauer, 1856, are alien to the Iberian fauna.