Larval descriptions of three Dromica species with some bionomical remarks (Coleoptera, Cicindelidae).

Peter Schüle,Tetiana Markina,Alexander Putchkov

doi:10.3897/zookeys.1044.61993

Peter Schüle, Tetiana Markina + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1044.61993

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Abstract

Larvae of all instars of Dromica (s. str.) kolbei (W. Horn, 1897), D. (s. str.) alboclavata Dokhtouroff, 1883 and instar I of D. (s. str.) helleri (W. Horn, 1897) are described and figured in detail. The larvae of these species have several unique morphological characters. The shape of the pronotum, appendages of abdominal segment V and the peculiarities of chaetotaxy are of taxonomic importance. The main diagnostic characters to separate these species from each other and from other known Dromica larvae are given and discussed. Some bionomical peculiarities of D. (s. str.) kolbei are presented.

Highlights

The genus Dromica was established as a monotypic genus for the species Dromica coarctata (Dejean, 1826) originally described as Cicindela coarctata Dejean in Latreille and Dejean, 1822
The morphological characters used by Cassola were ambiguous and Pseudodromica and Foveodromica are currently regarded as subgenera of the genus Dromica by some authors (e.g., Lorenz 2005; Anichtchenko 2014; Serrano et al 2017; Schüle and Monfort 2018; Putchkov et al 2018, Wiesner 2020)
All species of Dromica are African endemics, and most of them occur in southern Africa

Summary

Introduction

The genus Dromica was established as a monotypic genus for the species Dromica coarctata (Dejean, 1826) originally described as Cicindela coarctata Dejean in Latreille and Dejean, 1822. Garded as synonyms of the genus Dromica (Horn 1935, 1940; Wiesner 1992; Werner 1999; Cassola 2002; Lorenz 2005). Cassola (2002) separated two new genera Pseudodromica and Foveodromica from the genus Dromica by using morphological characters (body size, form of pronotum, narrow labial palpi, and the shape of aedeagus). The morphological characters used by Cassola were ambiguous and Pseudodromica and Foveodromica are currently regarded as subgenera of the genus Dromica by some authors (e.g., Lorenz 2005; Anichtchenko 2014; Serrano et al 2017; Schüle and Monfort 2018; Putchkov et al 2018, Wiesner 2020). Information about the larvae is very scarce and larval stages of only two species have been described until now (Arndt 1998; Putchkov et al 2018). The information gathered on the larval morphology of two species of the subgenus Pseudodromica was presented by Putchkov et al (2018).

Material and methods

Results

II III I II I II III I II III I