Melitonoma simoni Weise 1881
Creators: name: Bezděk, Jan
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Chrysomelidae
Melitonoma
Melitonoma simoni

description: Melitonoma simoni Weise, 1881
Figs 4–6
Melitonoma simoni Weise, 1881: 112. Type locality: “Ashante-Lande” [Ashanti Empire in todays Ghana].
Clytra ivoirensis Pic, 1933: 4, syn. nov. Type locality: “ Côte d’Ivoire ”.
Clytra ivoirensis – Pic, 1938: 4 (duplicate description).
Melitonoma simoni – Medvedev 1978: 58 (faunistics).
Melitonoma decempunctata ssp. simoni – Medvedev 2000: 348 (comments, key); 2008a: 149 (key).
Melitonoma decempunctata – Medvedev & Beenen 2005: 361 (faunistics).
Differential diagnosis
The pronotum of Melitonoma simoni is completely or almost completely impunctate, while it is covered with distinct and well-visible punctation in M. juvenca and M. dalaba sp. nov., or it is covered with very fine punctation, visible under higher magnification in M. vinculata. Male protarsomeres I of M. simoni, M. juvenca and M. dalaba sp. nov. are elongate. In males of M. simoni, protarsomere I is 2.20 times as long as wide, while in M.juvenca it is shorter, 1.75 times as long as wide. In M. dalaba sp. nov., it is longer, 2.45 as long as wide (Figs 2N, 5E, 9O). The penis of M. simoni is elongate and narrow with an apical third triangular (Fig. 6A–F), while it has a distinct triangular apical process in M. dalaba sp. nov. (Fig. 9F–K). Most specimens of M. simoni have a yellow or yellowish-brown base colour, while the specimens of M. juvenca and M. dalaba sp. nov. have an orange base colour.
In addition to the punctation of the pronotum, females of M. simoni, M. juvenca and M. vinculata differ by the shapes of the spermatheca and spermathecal duct. In M. simoni and M. juvenca, the spermatheca is question mark-shaped. The spermathecal duct forms many small coils in M. simoni, while it is without any coils in M. juvenca. In M. vinculata, the spermatheca is C-shaped and spermathecal duct forms a large, tangled-up ball (Figs 3I, 6I, 8I).
Type material
Lectotype of Melitonoma simoni (here designated)
GHANA • ♂ (Fig. 4A–B); “ Ashante / Simon [b, h] // ♂ [w, h] // Melitonoma / Simoni * [w, h] // Cotypus [r, p] // SYNTYPE / Melitonoma / simoni / Weise, 1881 / labelled by MFNB 2023 [r, p] // LECTOTYPE / Melitonoma simoni / Weise, 1881 / J. Bezděk des. 2024 [r, p]”; MFNB.
Paralectotypes of Melitonoma simoni
GHANA • 1 ♀; “Ashante / Simon [b, h] // ♀ [w, h] // Cotypus [r, p] // SYNTYPE / Melitonoma / simoni / Weise, 1881 / labelled by MFNB 2023 [r, p] // PARALECTOTYPE / Melitonoma simoni / Weise, 1881 / J. Bezděk des. 2024 [r, p]”; MFNB • 1 ♀ (Fig. 4C–D); “ Ashante / Simon [b, h] // Ashante [w, h] // ♀ [w, h] // Cotypus [r, p] // SYNTYPE / Melitonoma / simoni / Weise, 1881 / labelled by MFNB 2023 [r, p] // PARALECTOTYPE / Melitonoma simoni / Weise, 1881 / J. Bezděk des. 2024 [r, p]”; MFNB.
Other material examined
CAMEROON • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; “ Jaunde-Stat ” [Yaoundé City]; 800 m a.s.l.; Zenker leg.; MFNB • 1 ♀; Joko; MFNB.
COTE D’IVOIRE • 1 ♀; Man; Oct. 1970; J. Roggeman leg.; RBCN • 2 ♀♀; Tonkoui Mt; 07°26′42″ N, 07°38′41″ W; 1135 m a.s.l.; 1–8 Nov. 2015; M. Aristophanous, P. Moretto and E. Ruzzier leg.; NHMUK.
LIBERIA • 2 ♀♀; Nimba Mts Camp; 07°31′45″ N, 08°31′37″ W; 1165 m a.s.l.; 3–13 Dec. 2017; M. Aristophanous, S. Sáfián, G. Simonics and L. Smith leg.; JBCB.
NIGERIA • 1 ♂; Lagos; 10 Oct. 1946; W.E.S. Merret leg.; NHMUK • 1 ♀; Lagos; 28 Sep. 1948; W.E.S. Merret leg.; NHMUK • 1 ♀; Ibadan; F.D. Golding leg.; NHMUK.
REPUBLIC OF GUINEA • 1 ♂; Tabuna valley; 14 Sep.–21 Nov. 1982; S.V. Murzin leg.; MFNB • 1 ♂; Guinea; ex mus. Murray, Fry coll.; NHMUK • 15 ♂♂, 15 ♀♀; Dalaba, Forêt de Tinka; 10°43′14″ N, 12°15′22″ W; 1289 m a.s.l.; 25–28 Sep. 2019; M. Geiser, M. Leno, S. Koivagui, W. Miles, L. Mulvaney and Sz. Safian leg.; degraded upland forest; NHMUK • 15 ♂♂, 13 ♀♀; Dalaba, Forêt de Goubel; 10°39′27″ N, 12°15′44″ W; 1413 m a.s.l.; 10–18 Sep. 2019; M. Geiser, M. Leno, S. Koivagui, W. Miles, L. Mulvaney and Sz. Safian leg.; upland forest and savannah; NHMUK • 2 ♂♂; Dalaba, Forêt de Tangama; 10°40′41″ N, 12°15′58″ W; 1243 m a.s.l.; 9 Sep. 2019; M. Geiser, M. Leno, S. Koivagui, W. Miles, L. Mulvaney and Sz. Safian leg.; upland forest; NHMUK • 2 ♂♂, 8 ♀♀; Ditinn, Chute de Ditinn; 10°49′08″ N, 12°11′30″ W; 771 m a.s.l.; 18–25 Sep. 2019; M. Geiser, M. Leno, S. Koivagui, W. Miles, L. Mulvaney and Sz. Safian leg.; Guinea savannah and gallery forest; NHMUK.
SIERRA LEONE • 1 ♂; “S. Leone”; NHMUK.
TOGO • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; “ Togo Hinterland ”; Kling leg.; MFNB • 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀; Bismarckburg; 20 Sep.–15 Oct. 1890; R. Büttner leg.; MFNB • 1 ♀; Bismarckburg; L. Conradt leg.; MFNB • 1 ♂; Bismarckburg; 12 Oct. 1892; L. Conradt leg.; MFNB • 1 ♀; Kloto; Nov. 1998; G. Goergen leg.; forest area; JBCB.
Description
Male (Fig. 5A)
APPEARANCE AND COLORATION. Body length: 6.0– 7.8 mm. Body elongate, subparallel, convex. Head black. Pronotum usually with large black spot touching posterior margin, spot deeply incised in middle of anterior margin, lateral and anterior pronotal margins yellow to yellowish brown; rarely black spot not incised in middle, or black pattern reduced to three spots (two larger irregular spots laterally and one small elongate spot in middle) (Fig. 5F–H). Elytra yellow to yellowish brown with variable black pattern (basic pattern with five black spots (1, 2, 2) and black apex of elytra): palest specimens with 0–5 isolated spots and black apex of elytra; or pairs of spots connected forming two transverse bands; or posterior band connected with black apex by black stripe on lateral margin of elytron (Fig. 5I–O); very rarely black color on elytral apex reduced and not quite clearly distinct (Fig. 5K). Scutellum black. Antennae black with antennomeres I–IV yellow, I and III–IV often more or less darkened, V black sometimes with brownish base. Legs black, in very old specimens can be dark reddish brown. Ventral side of body black, except pronotal hypomeron yellow to yellowish brown.
HEAD (Fig. 5C). Mandibles slightly enlarged, dorsal side flat and glabrous, basal parts not swollen, lateral sides covered with long pale setae; left mandible somewhat larger, apex hook-like. Labrum transverse with rounded anterior angles and shallowly emarginated anterior margin, surface subopaque, covered very fine microsculpture, glabrous, except small punctures along margins bearing pale setae. Clypeus slightly impressed along widely shallowly emarginated anterior margin. Anterior part of head slightly convex, uneven, covered with small punctures with tendency to form longitudinal wrinkles and anterolaterally also with short setae. Eyes moderately large. Frons wide, 1.75–1.90 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, 0.22 times as long as body, antennomere I club-shaped, III very small, antennae shortly serrated from antennomere IV.
PRONOTUM. Convex, transverse, 1.70–1.80 times as wide as long, widest before base. Surface lustrous (Fig. 5D), almost impunctate, usually with some punctures along middle part of posterior margin, in some specimens fine punctures visible also on pronotal disc. Disc often with indistinct traces of one or two transverse impressions in posterior half of pronotum. Anterior margin straight, lateral margins moderately rounded, posterior margin nearly straight 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 angles narrowly rounded, posterior angles widely rounded, all angles with setigerous pore bearing long seta. Posterior angles slightly elevated above elytral base. Scutellum subtriangular with rounded apex, impunctate, and glabrous, sometimes with indistinct median keel.
ELYTRA. Subparallel, 1.45–1.57 times as long as wide (measured in middle) and 0.65–0.75 times as long as body. Surface glabrous, subopaque, 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, very wide at base, gradually narrowed posteriorly, disappearing in ⅔ of elytral length. Macropterous.
VENTRAL SIDE OF BODY. Densely covered with setae. Abdomen more or less concave in lateral view. Pygidium moderately convex.
LEGS. Protibiae and protarsi moderately enlarged. Protarsomere I (Fig. 5E) elongate, 2.20 times as long as wide, lateral sides slightly rounded, as wide as II, protarsomere II 1.14 times as long as wide, parallel in apical half, convergent in basal half, length ratio of protarsomeres I–III and V equals 100-66-66-83 (100 = 0.60 mm). Mesotarsomere I elongate, subtriangular, as wide as II, length ratio of mesotarsomeres I–III and V equals 100-60-60-80 (100 = 0.50 mm). Metatarsomere I elongate, subparallel, with narrowed base, as wide as II, length ratio of metatarsomeres I–III and V equals 100-75-75-100 (100 = 0.4 mm). Claws simple.
PENIS (Fig. 6A–F). Elongate, relatively narrow, 4.10 times as long as wide, widest at anterior third, apical third triangular, tip rounded, middle third slightly convergent basally, basal third subparallel. In lateral view, penis widely bent, apical part slightly sinuate. Ventral side slightly convex, without any ridges or impressions. Internal sac (Fig. 6G–H) with three pairs of small hook-like sclerites and one very long and thin internal sclerite, 0.34 times as long as penis.
Female (Fig. 5B)
Body length: 6.2–9.1 mm. Head, mandibles, tarsi and protibiae not enlarged. Abdomen convex in lateral view, last abdominal ventrite with medial hollow. Apex of pygidium shallowly emarginated. Spermatheca (Fig. 6I) question mark-like, with gradually narrowing apical part and wider basal part, spermathecal duct ca 2.5 times as long as spermatheca, forming many small coils. Tergite VIII and ovipositor as in Fig. 6L. Dorsal rectal sclerites: two narrow, slightly bent and oblique lateral sclerites and one median longitudinally narrowly elongate sclerite (Fig. 6J). Ventral rectal sclerites relatively wide, slightly oblique, basal part moderately extended, middle part parallel, distal part fan-shaped and wider than middle part (Fig. 6K).
Distribution
Cameroon (Medvedev 1978, present paper), Côte d’Ivoire (Pic 1933, 1938; Medvedev & Beenen 2005; present paper), Ghana (Weise 1881; Medvedev 1978), Liberia (present paper), Nigeria (present paper), Republic of Guinea (present paper), Sierra Leone (present paper) and Togo (present paper). Based on the study of relevant material, the record of Melitonoma decempunctata from Côte d’Ivoire by Medvedev & Beenen (2005) refers to M. simoni.
Remarks
The number of type specimens was not specified in the original description, but a body length span is given (Weise 1881). Three syntypes (one designated here as a lectotype) are deposited in the Weise collection in MFNB. One additional syntype is deposited in the collection of Lev N. Medvedev deposited now in ZIN (Moseyko 2023 pers. com.).
Coptocephala (Anisognatha) berlandi was explicitly described based on one specimen from “ Guinée Française: Kouroussa”, deposited in the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris (Pic 1939c). The holotype was considered lost and it was replaced in the collection by a picture of the elytral pattern and another piece of paper with a description of the beetle (Medvedev 1992). In the same paper, Medvedev (1992) synonymised C. berlandi with Melitonoma simoni. The original description (Pic 1939c) of C. berlandi agrees very well with species of the M. juvenca species group. Moreover, Pic (1939c) explicitly mentioned the fine and sparse punctation of the pronotum what would indicate that it refers to M. juvenca rather than M. simoni. However, without examination of the holotype, it is only speculation. Because the holotype was considered lost, I suggest treating Coptocephala (Anisognatha) berlandi as nomen dubium.
description: Published as part of Bezděk, Jan, 2025, Revision of the genus Melitonoma (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae). 1. History, type species and revision of the M. juvenca species group, pp. 208-237 in European Journal of Taxonomy 976 on pages 217-223, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2025.976.2791, http://zenodo.org/record/14901634