Conicobruchus rubricollis Pic 1903
Creators: name: Le Ru, Bruno P.
name: Delobel, Alex
name: György, Zoltán
name: Genson, Gwenaëlle
name: Kergoat, Gael J.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2014
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Chrysomelidae
Conicobruchus
Conicobruchus rubricollis

description: Conicobruchus rubricollis (Pic, 1903)
Bruchus rubrithorax Pic, 1903:169
Bruchus rubricollis Pic, 1913:45 (name preoccupied) Conicobruchus rubricollis: Kergoat et al., 2011:756
Material examined. Male paratype, Zimbabwe: Harare (with label “ Bruchidius rubrithorax Pic ” handwritten by J. Decelle) [MNHN].
Other material: Kenya: 2♂, Thange Town, 02°34.738’N 37°57.129’E, 904m, 24.iv.2011, ex Crotalaria cf. polysperma [1♂ 0 3211, specimens GK406 and GK440 used for DNA extraction] (B. Le Ru) [MNHN]; 1♂, SE Kenya, Voi (Tsavo), 23.3.- 4.4.1997; 2♂, Kenya mer., Tsavo East, Buchuma env., 28.xi.1997 [specimen GK196 used for DNA extraction] (M. Snizek) [OÖLM]; 1♀, Kenya, S. Taita, Mwatate, 30.xi.1997 (M. Snizek) [OÖLM]. Zimbabwe: 1♂, Masvingo, 22.i.1998 [1♂ 18907] (M. Halada) [OÖLM].
Large species well defined by its mainly red colour, with major part of antennae, elytra, and often disc of mesothoracic sternite, black (Fig. 1); pubescence white, denser on median longitudinal line of pronotum, scutellum, base of elytral suture; pygidium with two lateral spots near base and a longitudinal line.
Other major morphological traits are as follows: pronotum 1.5 times wider at base than long, without oblique lateral impression, its sides concave, produced anteriorly into a neck; elytral striae narrow and deep, with small punctures, interstriae wide and flat, with small punctures on shagreened background; antennae serrate.
Male genitalia. Median lobe (Fig. 8) of moderate length (maximum width excluding basal hood / total length = 0.23), strongly widened and sclerotized apically; basal hood oval, apically indented; ventral valve large, subtriangular, with apex acute, with numerous sensillae, bearing two lateral groups of 10–12 setae; dorsal valve unsclerotized; no hinge sclerites; anterior part of the internal sac lined with hyaline spinules becoming denser and larger distally, then large ctenoid scales, posterior saccus with numerous sclerotized teeth; apical ampoule unarmed. Tegminal strut (Fig. 9) without keel, triangularly pointed apically, lateral lobes cleft to base; apex of parameres with numerous setae, slightly modified, with dorsal velum.
Biology. Specimens from Thange were reared from a sample of Crotalaria sp. near polysperma pods. This constitutes the first report on its biology.
Distribution. Kenya and Zimbabwe.
Discussion. The red color of the last visible tergite distinguishes Conicobruchus rubricollis from C. cicatricosus, C. flabellicornis and C. strangulatus (Fig. 1). It cannot be confounded with C. decoratus based on differences on the shape of the pronotum. Finally the presence of a longitudinal line of whitish setae on the pronotum separates C. rubricollis from dark specimens of C. atrosuturalis. Male genitalia (Fig. 8) are similar in shape with other members of the group (except C. decoratus) but completely lack large sclerites.
description: Published as part of Le Ru, Bruno P., Delobel, Alex, György, Zoltán, Genson, Gwenaëlle & Kergoat, Gael J., 2014, Taxonomy, host-plant associations and phylogeny of African Crotalaria - feeding seed beetles (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Bruchinae): the Conicobruchus strangulatus (Fåhraeus) species group, pp. 238-256 in Zootaxa 3895 (2) on page 249, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3895.2.6, http://zenodo.org/record/226173