Zonitis Fabricius 1775
Creators: name: Bologna, Marco A.
name: Amore, Valentina
name: Pitzalis, Monica
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Meloidae
Zonitis

description: Genus Zonitis Fabricius, 1775
As evidenced by Bologna & Pinto (2001) and Bologna et al. (2013), Zonitis, untill now considered cosmopolitan, is probably polyphyletic. Some eastern African species revised by Kaszab (1954a), and others still undescribed, belong to the genus Palaestra, an eastern Gondwanaland genus of the tribe Palaestrini (Bologna et al. 2013). Others species, including both these endemic to Namibia, as well as some from Madagascar, refer to possible new taxa (Bologna et al., unpublished). Waiting for the revision of the genus, we retain provisionally both Namibian species in Zonitis.
“ Zonitis ” maculicollis (Borchmann, 1942) (Fig. 6G)
Euzonitis maculicollis Borchmann, 1942 Zonitis maculicollis, Kaszab 1954a
Distribution. Namibia (endemic).
Material examined and literature records. [Oshikoto] Omuthiyagwiipundi: Namutoni, Etosha N.P., 18.8000°S 16.9333°E (SMWN). [Erongo] Omaruru: Otjikoko-Sud 61, 21.2833°S 16.3667°E (HNHM); Swakopmund: Swakopmund, 22.6833°S 14.5333°E (Borchmann 1942; Kaszab 1954a; HNHM). [Otjozondjupa] Okahandja: Ovita, 21.5800°S 16.5900°E (SMWN). [Khomas] Windhoek East: Windhoek, 22.5700°S 17.0836°E (Borchmann 1942, type locality; Kaszab 1954a); Regenstein, 15 miles SSW Windhoek, 22.7266°S 17.0342°E (CB).
Other records: Namibia (Bologna 2000a).
Remarks. We did not examined the holotype of this species, probably lost, but we studied topotypic specimens (HNHM).
This species was assigned by Borchmann (1942) to the Palaearctic genus Euzonitis Escherich, 1897, which is strictly related to Zonitis (Di Giulio & Bologna 2007), and differs because of the external metatibial spur widened and longer than the inner one. Actually, the structure of this spur in maculicollis differs from that of Palaearctic Euzonitis and, according to Kaszab (1954a), we preserve maculicollis in Zonitis.
“ Zonitis ” notaticollis (Kaszab, 1952) (Fig. 6H)
Zonitomorpha notaticollis Kaszab, 1952
Zonitis notaticollis, Bologna 2000; Bologna & Pinto 2002
Distribution. Namibia (endemic).
Material examined and literature records. [Kunene] Opuwo: C 35, 110 km NW Kamanjab, 18.9167°S 14.3833°E (CB). Outjo: Abachaus, 19.7167°S 16.5800°E (Kaszab, 1952 type locality). [Hardap] Mariental Urban: C19, 11 km W Mariental, 24.6167°S 17.85°E (CB).
Other records: Namibia (Bologna, 2000a).
Remarks. The holotype of this species was examined at NHP.
The comparative examination with Afrotropical and Oriental Zonitomorpha species supports the exclusion of notaticollis from this genus, in which was included by Kaszab (1952), because of the pronotum shape, less campaniform and longer, and because of antennae, less flabellate. We insert provisionaly notaticollis in Zonitis (see above), waiting for a new study of Afrotropical nemognathine taxa.
description: Published as part of Bologna, Marco A., Amore, Valentina & Pitzalis, Monica, 2018, Meloidae of Namibia (Coleoptera): taxonomy and faunistics with biogeographic and ecological notes, pp. 1-141 in Zootaxa 4373 (1) on page 99, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4373.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/1151722