Tituboea tredecimpunctata

Tituboea tredecimpunctata (Desbrochers des Loges, 1870)

(Figs 66–67, 229–235)

Clythra (Tituboea) tredecimpunctata Desbrochers des Loges, 1870b: 128 (original description).

Titubaea peyerimhofþ Pic, 1902: 48 (original description), syn. nov.

Type localities. Clythra tredecimpunctata: ‘Algérie’. Tituboea peyerimhofþ: ‘Arabie: Mâ ̓ an’ [= Jordan, Ma ̓ an].

Type material examined. Clythra tredecimpunctata: not examined. Not found in MNHN.

Tituboea peyerimhofþ: SYNTYPE: 1♀, ‘ Tituboea / Peyerimhofħ Pic [black letters] / Mâ ̓ an / II.3.1902 [red letters, w, h] // Peyerimhofħ / Pic [w, h] // var. de Titubaea / 13 punctata Dsbr [w, h] // TYPE [r, p]’ (MNHN – coll. Peyerimhoff).

Additional material examined. ALGERIA: ‘ Algeria’, without additional data, 1 ♂ (MNHN – coll. Demaison); Biskra env., without date of collecting, 2♀♀, De Vauloger leg. (MNHN – coll. Demaison, MNHN – coll. Pic); Mehalis, v. 1896, 1♂ (MNHN – coll. Pic); M ̓ raier [= El Meghaier], 21.iv.1893, 1♀ (MNHN – coll. Pic). ISRAEL: Dead Sea, Ein Bokek, 26.iii.1997, 1 ♀, H. Sparmberg leg. (FFCJ); Hazeva, 23.iii.1997, 1 ♂, R. Hoffman leg. (TAU); Negev, Tal S of Sede Boger, 300 m, 13.ii.1987, 1 ♂, Schawaller & Schmalfuss leg. (SMNS); Negev, Nahal Zin, Akrabim, 28.iii.1997, 1 ♀, H. Sparmberg leg. (FFCJ); Palestina, Jericho, 22.iii.1936, 1 ♂, G. Frey leg. (RRCM). JORDAN: Wadi Mujib, 2.–10.iv. 1989, 1 ♂, C. Bayer leg. (HKCH); Jarmuk river, near Umm Qays, 14.iv.2000, 1 ♂, G. Zappi leg. (RRCM); Wadi el Hasa, 29.iii.2005, 1 ♀ (RRCM). EGYPT: Wadi Abu Gufan, 25.iii.1918, 1 ♂, A. Alħeri leg. (MNHN – coll. Pic). MOROCCO: ‘ Maroc’, without additional data, 1 ♂ (MNHN – coll. Demaison). TUNISIA: S of Kebili, Blidette vill., 33°35 ' N 08°50 ' E, 25.-27.iii.2006, 4 ♂♂5♀♀, J. Batelka & J. Straka leg. (NMPC); Ksar Ghilane, Douz, 14.iii.1997, 1 ♂, J. Schmidl leg. (HKCH); S of Kebili, Blidette vill., 25.iii.2006, 1 ♂, J. Batelka leg. (FKCC); Douz, 16.–17.iv. 1996, 1 ♂ 1 ♀, J. Batelka & H. Podrouzková leg. (FKCC); 15 km N of Kebili, 17.iii.1986, 2 ♂♂, Zool. Mus. Copenhagen Exp. (RRCM); 10 km N of Kasserine, Oued el Hatab, 19.iv.1993, 1 ♂, R. Regalin leg. (RRCM); Sousse, near Hergla, 1.v.1993, 1 ♀, R. Regalin leg. (RRCM); Hadej, 43 km S of Gabes, 15.iv.1996, 1 ♀, J. Batelka & H. Podrouzková leg. (RRCM); Fernana dint., 450 m, 20.v.2009, R. Regalin leg. (RRCM).

Distribution. Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Morocco, Sinai, Tunisia (REGALIN & MEDVEDEV 2010b).

Comments. The type material of T. tredecimpunctata was not located in MNHN. Therefore, we follow the identiħcation according to the specimens in the collections of Desbrocher ̓ s contemporaries, e.g. Lefèvre, Pic, and Demaison, which exactly ħt the original description. The female syntype of T.peyerimhofþ does not differ from the specimens of T. tredecimpunctata, thus we synonymize it here with the latter.

Tituboea tredecimpunctata is very similar to T. biguttata. While the colouration of T. biguttata is extremely variable (e.g. CODINA PADILLA 1960), all identiħed specimens of T. tredecimpunctata are almost constant in colour (Figs 229, 231, 233) but they can be confused with some aberrations of T. biguttata. Both species can be separated by the structure of the aedeagus which is distinctly angulated in lateral view in T. tredecimpunctata while in T. biguttata the ventral margin is almost straight. Because the spermatheca of T. biguttata seems to be very variable among populations, it has only a limited application (cf. Figs 66, 68). Auxiliary character can be also the shape of antennomere IV; its triangular process is usually longer in T. tredecimpunctata and less developed in T. biguttata, however, some males of T. biguttata cannot be distinguished based on this character.