The blister beetles fauna from Niger is studied and 22 species are recorded in this paper, 13 for the first time, for a total of 31 species recorded from this country. One species, Hycleus adrarensis (Pic, 1942), is resurrected from its synonymy, and Hycleus kaszabi (Pardo Alcaide, 1968) is regarded as conspecific with Hycleus adrarensis.
INTRODUCTION
The blister beetles of Niger were so far not well known and the present report provides new occurrence data on these animals based on specimens in museum collections and also the private collection of the author.
During a visit to the Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle de Genève, twelve different species of Meloidae originating from Niger were identified. Formerly the blister beetle fauna of this country was very poorly known. These specimens were mostly obtained by two collectors H. Guèvremont and H.E. Martin in the early 1980s. Hélène Guèvremont is a canadian entomologist who worked numerous years in Niger at the Centre National de Recherches Agronomiques de Tama (CNRAT) at Maradi, where she principally studied the insect pests of the millet, so we can suppose that she mainly collected the specimens on this cultivated plant.
Additionnally Pierre Juhel, a French specialist of the African Callichromatini (Cerambycidae) sent to me his samples from Niger for study.
Material from the “Mission Tilho” was also examined for this study. It was a geographic expedition led by army captain J. Tilho to demarcate the border between the French and English colonies in the region of Niger River and Lake Chad (Zimmermann, 1909). The physician of the expedition, Dr R. Gaillard, was in charge of collecting specimens for scientific study and all these specimens are now stored in the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle of Paris.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
Gazetteer: The map in Figure 1 shows: (a) the different localities where the collectors from MHNG and MNHN sampled the specimens; (b) those where Pierre Juhel got his specimens (only Kouré); (c) and the Aïr Mountains, the only previously well-studied area in Niger. The white area in the middle represents the Sahelian Acacia Savanna; the southern ecozone represents the West Sudanian Savanna; the further Northern ecozone is the Sahara, which has scarcely been sampled. There is an additional ecozone in the south-east of Niger, represented by the Lake Chad flooded savanna.
Abbreviations: The acronyms used in the texts are the followings:
RESULTS
Lydomorphus (L.) angusticollis angusticollis
(Haag-Rutenberg, 1880)
Specimens studied: MNHN; 9 specimens; Agadez Region, Aïr Mountains, 20 km E of Agadez; collected 1908; les Posth. – MFC; 5 specimens; Tillaberi Region, Kouré; collected Sept. 2002; leg P. Juhel.
Bibliographic data for Niger: Agadez, Kori Atkakit (Pic, 1950).
Geographic distribution: Chad, Eritrea, Ethiopia, W India, S Iran, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen (Bologna, 1990).
Remark: This species has a wide and characteristic distribution, since it occupies three biogeographic regions Afrotropical, Palaearctic and Oriental, making this species of Meloidae unique in term of distribution.
Lydomorphus (L.) pilitarsis (Kaszab, 1955)
Specimens studied: MNHN; 17 specimens; Zinder Region, Dungass; collected Sept.-Oct. 2010; leg R. Gaillard, Mission Tilho.
Geographic distribution: Benin, Gambia, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal (Selander, 1988a).
Remark: This species was described by Kaszab (1955) in his revision of the genus and the specimens in the collection are often misidentified with L. melanocephalus (Fabricius, 1801). It seems to be restricted to the western part of the Sahelian area.
Lydomorphus (Pardolydus) dusaulti (Dufour, 1821)
Specimens studied: MFC; 8 specimens; Tillaberi Region, Kouré; collected Sept. 2002; leg P. Juhel.
Geographic distribution: Burkina Faso, Chad, D.R. Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan (Bologna, 1990).
Remark: A very common species, but unexpectedly, it is the first citation for Niger.
Cyaneolytta maculifrons (Mäklin, 1875)
Specimens studied: MNHN; 1 specimen; Zinder Region, Zinder; collected 21.07.1947; leg L. Chopard & A. Villiers.
Bibliographic data for Niger: South of Aïr Mountains, 525 m, Sept. 1947, Chopard L. & Villiers A. leg (Kaszab, 1953).
Geographic distribution: Angola, D.R. Congo, Ethiopia, Kenia, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Yemen, Zimbabwe (Garcia-Rollan, 2012).
Remark: A very widespread species in Africa, maybe the most widely distributed species of the genus in Africa. The citation by Kaszab (1953) from Niger concerns the description of the subspecies planicollis based on a single female. The specimen I have studied was collected in a nearby locality by the same collectors, but this specimen corresponds to a typical maculifrons. Therefore I suspect that subspecies planicollis represents only an individual variation.
Cyaneolytta resplendens (Laporte de Castelnau, 1840)
Specimens studied: MHNG; 1 specimen; Niamey region, Niamey; collected Jul. 1956; leg Loups; det Z. Kaszab; – MNHN; 1 specimen; Zinder Region, Dungass; collected Sept.-Oct. 2010; leg R. Gaillard, Mission Tilho; det L. Casset.
Bibliographic data for Niger: Niamey (Pic, 1950).
Geographic distribution: Angola, Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe (Garcia-Rollan, 2012).
Remark: A very widespread species in Africa, less common in western Africa than in the Eastern part.
Epicauta grandiceps (Haag-Rutenberg, 1880)
Specimens studied: MHNG; 4 specimens; Maradi Region, Maradi; 01.04.1980; leg H.E. Martin. – MHNG; 1 specimen; Tahoua Region, Tahoua; 29.08.1980; leg H. Guèvremont.
Geographic distribution: Chad, D.R. Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Niger, Somalia, Sudan (Bologna, 1990).
Remark: The new data make Niger the westernmost area of the distribution of Epicauta grandiceps.
Psalydolytta jaloffa (Laporte de Castelnau, 1840)
Specimens studied: MHNG; 1 specimen; Tahoua Region, Tahoua; 29.08.1980; leg H. Guèvremont. – MHNG; 1 specimen; Zinder Region, Zinder; collected Aug. 1981; leg H.E. Martin. – MNHN; 1 specimen; Maradi Region, Tibiri; collected Jul. 1910; leg R. Gaillard, Mission Tilho.
Geographic distribution: D.R. Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Niger, Senegal, Sudan, Uganda (Selander, 1988b).
Remark: The new data confirm the presence of Psalydolytta jaloffa in the Sahel zone.
Psalydolytta leucophaea (Mäklin, 1875)
Specimens studied: MHNG; 1 specimen; Tahoua Region, Tahoua; 18.08.1980; leg H. Guèvremont.
Geographic distribution: Cameroon, Ghana, Niger, Senegal, Sudan (Selander, 1988b).
Remark: New country data for this species, the range of which seems discontinuous.
Psalydolytta vestita (Dufour, 1821)
Specimens studied: MHNG; 1 specimen; Tahoua Region, Tahoua; 30.08.1980; leg H. Guèvremont. – MHNG; 1 specimen; Zinder Region, Gomba; 29.08.1981; leg H.E. Martin.
Geographic distribution: Gambia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal (Selander, 1988b).
Remark: New country data for this species, Niger becoming the easternmost location.
Croscherichia fulgurita (Reiche, 1865)
Specimens studied: MNHN; 1 specimen; Diffa Region, entre Komadougou et Manga; collected 1910; leg D. Noël; det M. Bologna.
Geographic distribution: Algeria, Egypt, Lybia, Mali, Marocco, Mauritania, Niger, Western Sahara (Bologna, 1990).
Remark: This species is adapted to desert ecosystems and is distributed throughout the Sahara Desert. On the label of the studied specimen is written Chad, but the locality is now in Niger. Bologna & Coco (1991) in their revision of the genus used this specimen to document the presence in Chad. Chad was therefore removed from the distribution list and replaced by Niger.
Hycleus abiadensis (Marseul, 1870)
Specimens studied: MNHN; 1 specimen; Dosso Region, de Gaya à Say, river bank Niger; collected Febr. 1910; leg R. Gaillard, Mission Tilho. – MNHN; 2 specimens; Maradi Region, Tibiri; collected Jul. 1910; leg R. Gaillard, Mission Tilho.
Bibliographic data for Niger: Tanout (Pardo Alcaide, 1963a).
Geographic distribution: Chad, Niger, Sudan (Pardo Alcaide, 1963a).
Remark: The known distribution of this big and attractive species was quite limited, but the two new localities are very close to Benin (Gaya à Say) and Nigeria (Tibiri) and the species will likely also be found in these two countries in the future.
Hycleus adrarensis (Pic, 1942) bona species comb. nov. Fig. 2
Zonabris adrarensis Pic, 1942: 78.
Zonabris adrarensis. – Pardo Alcaide, 1962: 218, synonym of Mylabris brunnipes (Klug, 1845).
Gorrizia kaszabi Pardo Alcaide, 1968: 624, figs 1-5 syn. nov.
Specimens studied: MNHN; 2 specimens; Agadez Region, Arlit, Aïr Mountains; collected Sept. 1968; leg R. Villemain. – MNHN; 11 specimens; Diffa Region, N'Guigmi; collected Jul.-Aug. 1919; leg D. Noël.
Specimens studied for Mali: MNHN; 2 specimens; Gao Region, Bamba; collected Jul. 1909; Leg R. Chudeau. – MNHN; 3 specimens; Tombouctou Region, Azawad, Amaiort; collected Aug. 1909; leg R. Chudeau. – MNHN; 1 specimen; Tombouctou Region, Goundam; collected Sept. 1909; leg R. Chudeau.
Specimens studied for Chad: MNHN; 1 specimen; Borkou Region, Faya, Elléla; 19.08.1935; Mission d'étude de la biologie des Acridiens. – MNHN; 3 specimens; Ennedi Region, Fada, Archei; 07.09.1935; Mission d'étude de la biologie des Acridiens. – MNHN; 1 specimen; Ennedi Region, Mortcha, Ouadi Souala, 12/13.09.1935, Mission d'étude de la biologie des Acridiens. – MNHN; 1 specimen; Kanem Region, Mao à N'Guigmi: collected Sept. 1910; leg R. Gaillard, Mission Tilho.
Bibliographic data for Niger: Agadez, Aïr Sud, 525 m, 25/28-VIII-1947 (Pic, 1950); Air, between Talak and Iferovane (Bologna & Turco, 2007 as Hycleus kaszabi).
Geographic distribution: Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Sudan (Bologna & Turco, 2007).
Remark: Maurice Pic (1942) described this species from Adrar des Iforas (South-Eastern Mauritania), and noticed its close relationships with H. brunnipes (Klug, 1845). Twenty years later, Anselmo Pardo-Alcaide (1962) synonymized H. adrarensis with H. brunnipes, based on the study of a specimen identified by Pic from Agadez (IFAN collection). Only six years later, he described a new species belonging to the brunnipesgroup from Sudan and Mauritania, H. kaszabi (Pardo Alcaide, 1968). All the studied specimens fit perfectly with the complete description by Pardo-Alcaide, including the single specimen identified by Pic as H. adrarensis (Agadez, MNHN).
This species was so far only known from a few localities in different countries. In the MNHN's collection, I identified other specimens from 7 additional localities and two new countries. Based on this material, H. adrarensis is also present in Mali and Chad and its Sahelian distribution appears wider than previously known. A map with all known localities is presented in Figure 3.
Fig. 2.
Dorsal view of the habitus of Hycleus adrarensis (Pic, 1942). Specimen MNHN, Agadez Region, Arlit, Aïr Mountains, collected Sept. 1968. (photo A. Mantilleri)
Hycleus affinis (Olivier, 1811)
Specimens studied: MHNG; 2 specimens; Maradi Region, Maradi; collected Aug. 1981; leg H.E. Martin. – MHNG; 1 specimen; Niamey region, Niamey; collected Jul. 1956; leg Loups; det Z. Kaszab. – MHNG; 2 specimens; Tahoua Region, Tahoua; collected Febr. 1981; leg H.E. Martin. – MHNG; 8 specimens; Zinder Region, Gomba; 29.08.1981; leg H.E. Martin. – MHNG; 1 specimen; Zinder Region, Kagwa; 30.09.1980; leg H.E. Martin. – MHNG; 1 specimen; Zinder Region, Mirya; 20.09.1980; leg H.E. Martin. – MHNG; 33 specimens; Zinder Region, Zinder; collected Aug. 1981; leg H.E. Martin. – MNHN; 18 specimens; Zinder Region, Dungass; collected Sept.-Oct. 2010; leg R. Gaillard, Mission Tilho. – MFC; 8 specimens; Tillaberi Region, Kouré; collected Sept. 2002; leg P. Juhel.
Geographic distribution: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, D.R. Congo, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo (Bologna, 1994).
Remark: This is the first record of this species for Niger, although it seems to be the most common species of Meloidae of this country.
Hycleus argentatus (Fabricius, 1792)
Specimens studied: MHNG; 4 specimens; Zinder Region, Gomba; 29.08.1981; leg H.E. Martin. – MHNG; 1 specimen; Zinder Region, Mirya; 29.09.1980; leg H.E. Martin. – MHNG; 2 specimens; Zinder Region, Zinder; collected Aug. 1981; leg H.E. Martin. – MNHN; 6 specimens; Diffa Region, N'Guigmi; collected Jul.-Aug. 1919; leg D. Noël. – MNHN; 1 specimen; Maradi Region, Tibiri; collected Jul. 1910; leg R. Gaillard, Mission Tilho. – MFC; 1 specimen; Tillaberi Region, Kouré; collected Sept. 2002; leg P. Juhel.
Bibliographic data for Niger: Agadez, Monts Tarraouaji (Pic, 1950).
Geographic distribution: Burkina Faso, Chad, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan (Bologna, 1990).
Remark: Egypt is excluded from the distribution of this species, since all examined specimens seen from this country belong to Hycleus ocellatus (Olivier, 1790), like a specimen from Cairo in the MHNG identified as H. argentatus by M. Magistretti.
Hycleus chevrolati (Beauregard, 1889)
Specimens studied: MHNG; 3 specimens; Dosso Region, Gaya; 02/09.09.1980; leg H.E. Martin.
Geographic distribution: Gambia, Ghana, Niger, Senegal (Kaszab, 1981b).
Remark: First citation for Niger. All records from eastern Africa actually belong to the closely similar species Hycleus zavattarii (Gridelli, 1939).
Hycleus dubiosus (Marseul, 1870)
Specimens studied: MHNG; 1 specimen; Zinder Region, Zinder; collected Aug. 1981; leg H.E. Martin.
Geographic distribution: D.R. Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenia, Mozambique, Niger, Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda (Bologna, 1990).
Remark: This first record for Niger is unexpected for this species from East Africa.
Hycleus fimbriatus (Marseul, 1872)
Specimens studied: MHNG; 1 specimen; Tillabéri Region, Tillabéri; 25.09.1980; leg H.E. Martin. – MHNG; 5 specimens; Zinder Region, Zinder; collected Aug. 1981; leg H.E. Martin. – MNHN; 31 specimens; Diffa Region, N'Guigmi; collected Jul.-Aug. 1919; leg D. Noël. – MNHN; 13 specimens; Zinder Region, Dungass; collected Sept.-Oct. 2010; leg R. Gaillard, Mission Tilho.
Bibliographic data for Niger: Agadez, Dabaga (Pic, 1950).
Geographic distribution: Chad, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Sudan (Bologna, 1985).
Remark: A typical species from the Sahel region.
Hycleus nigriplantis (Klug, 1845)
Specimens studied: MHNG; 2 specimens; Zinder Region, Zinder; collected Aug. 1981; leg H.E. Martin. – MNHN; 2 specimens; Agadez Region, Arlit, Aïr Mountains; collected Sept. 1968; leg R. Villemain.
Bibliographic data for Niger: Agadez, Monts Tarraouaji (Pic, 1950).
Geographic distribution: Chad, Ethiopia, Israel, Mauritania, Niger, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen (Bologna & Turco, 2007).
Remark: Another species confined to the Sahelian ecoregion.
Hycleus nubicus (Marseul, 1872) comb. nov.
Specimens studied: MNHN; 1 specimen; Maradi Region, Tibiri; collected Jul. 1910; leg R. Gaillard, Mission Tilho.
Bibliographic data for Niger: Agadez, Dabaga, Tanout (Pardo Alcaide, 1963b).
Geographic distribution: Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Sudan (Bologna, 1985).
Remark: Another typical Sahelian species of this beetle family.
Hycleus pallipes (Olivier, 1811) comb. nov.
Specimens studied: MNHN; 17 specimens; Zinder Region, Dungass; collected Sept.-Oct. 2010; leg R. Gaillard, Mission Tilho.
Geographic distribution: Cameroon, Gambia, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal (Bologna, 1985).
Remark: This common Western African species was never recorded before from Niger.
Hycleus senegalensis (Voigts, 1902)
Specimens studied: MHNG; 1 specimen; Niamey Region, Niamey; collected Nov. 1956; leg Loups; det Z. Kaszab. – MHNG; 3 specimens; Niamey Region, Niamey; leg H.E. Martin. – MHNG; 1 specimen; Tillabéri Region, Tillabéri; 05.09.1980; leg P. Bouchard. MFC; – 2 specimens; Tillabéri Region, Kouré; collected Sept. 2002; leg P. Juhel.
Specimens studied from Nigeria: MHNG; 1 specimen; Yobe Region, Nguru; collected Nov. 1951, det Z. Kaszab.
Bibliographic data for Niger: Ile Boubou (Bologna, 1994).
Geographic distribution: Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, D.R. Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, P.R. Congo, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Togo (Bologna, 1994).
Remark: The data from Eastern Africa need to be confirmed for this very common West-African species. Niger is here added to the distribution based on a specimen from the Yobe Region.
Hycleus vicinalis (Marseul, 1872) comb. nov.
Specimens studied: MNHN; 17 specimens; Zinder Region, Dungass; collected Sept.-Oct. 2010; leg R. Gaillard, Mission Tilho.
Geographic distribution: Chad, Niger, Sudan (Pardo-Alcaide, 1963a).
Remark: A little known species, probably often confused in collection with H. affinis. This new country record is the westernmost for the species.
Nemognatha risbeci Pic, 1951
Specimens studied: MNHN; 1 specimen; Zinder Region, Zinder; collected Jan. 1906; leg R. Chudeau.
Specimens studied from Mali: MNHN; 1 specimen; Kayes Region, Kayes; collected 1899; leg G. Massiou.
Geographic distribution: Gambia, Mali, Niger, Senegal (Kaszab, 1981a).
Remark: An uncommon species, new for both Niger and for Mali. This species seems to be restricted to the western part of the Sahelian ecoregion.
CONCLUSION
Until now only 19 species of Meloidae were known from Niger (see citations in species treatments above). Hycleus brunnipes must be withdrawn from Niger and Mauritania (Pardo-Alcaide, 1962) as its distribution is strictly Palearctic. Thirteen species are here added to this list, resulting in 31 species known to occur in Niger:
Lydomorphus (L.) angusticollis (Haag-Rutenberg, 1880)
Lydomorphus (L.) melanocephalus (Fabricius, 1801)
Lydomorphus (L.) pilitarsis (Kaszab, 1955)
Lydomorphus (Pardolydus) dusaulti (Dufour, 1821)
Cyaneolytta airensis Pic, 1950
Cyaneolytta chopardi Pic, 1950
Cyaneolytta maculifrons (Mäklin, 1875)
Cyaneolytta resplendens (Laporte de Castelnau, 1840)
Epicauta fasciceps (Walker, 1871)
Epicauta grandiceps (Haag-Rutenberg, 1880)
Epicauta oculata (Fabricius, 1792)
Psalydolytta jaloffa (Laporte de Castelnau, 1840)
Psalydolytta leucophaea (Mäklin, 1875)
Psalydolytta vestita (Dufour, 1821)
Croscherichia fulgurita (Reiche, 1865)
Hycleus abiadensis (Marseul, 1870)
Hycleus adrarensis (Pic, 1942)
Hycleus affinis (Olivier, 1811)
Hycleus argentatus (Fabricius, 1792)
Hycleus chevrolati (Beauregard, 1889)
Hycleus dubiosus (Marseul, 1870)
Hycleus fimbriatus (Marseul, 1872)
Hycleus nigriplantis (Klug, 1845)
Hycleus nubicus (Marseul, 1872)
Hycleus pallipes (Olivier, 1811)
Hycleus senegalensis (Voigts, 1902)
Hycleus terminatus (Illiger, 1800)
Hycleus vicinalis (Marseul, 1872)
Horia fabriciana Betrem, 1929
Synhoria nitida Gahan, 1909
Nemognatha risbeci Pic, 1951
This list is not definitive and some common species of the Sahelo-Sudanian zone have still not been collected in Niger: Epicauta villosa, Lydomorphus (L.) kulzeri, Cyaneolytta deyrollei or C. fryi. Two new species were also added for Mali (Hycleus adrarensis and Nemognatha risbeci), one for Chad (Hycleus adrarensis) and one for Nigeria (Hycleus senegalensis)
Most of the species have a Sahelo-Sudanian distribution, some from the West coast to the East coast of Africa [Lydomorphus(Pardolydus)dusaulti,Epicautafasciceps, Psalydolytta jaloffa]; some are known from Western Africa only [Lydomorphus (L.) melanocephalus, L. (L.) pilitarsis, Epicauta oculata, Psalydolytta leucophaea, P. vestita, Hycleus affinis, H. argentatus, H. chevrolati, H. pallipes, H. senegalensis, H. terminatus, Nemognatha risbeci]. Another numerous group is that of species restricted to the Sahelian region (Hycleus adrarensis, H. fimbriatus, H. nubicus); some of which occur in the central Sahel zone only (Cyaneolytta airensis, C. chopardi) and some in the eastern Sahelian zone (Epicauta grandiceps, Hycleus abiadensis, H. vicinalis). At last one is a Saharan species (Croscherichia fulgurita). Few species have a widespread distribution in most of Africa (Cyaneolytta maculifrons, C. resplendens, Horia fabriciana) or just in Eastern Africa (Hycleus dubiosus) or central Africa (Synhoria nitida), one species is a Sahelian species with an extension into the Arabian Peninsula (H. nigriplantis); one species has a peculiar distribution towards western India [Lydomorphus (L.) angusticollis]. Only one of these species is endemic, Cyaneolytta chopardi which is known only from the Aïr mountains, but the status of this species is doubtful.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I cordially thank Dr Giulio Cuccodoro who welcomed me to the Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle de Genève and granted me the access to the collections, Antoine Mantilleri and Olivier Montreuil (MNHN, France), Pierre Juhel (Saint-Malo, France). I thank too Philippe Garnier (Dijon, France) and Peter Schuchert (Genève, Switzerland) for the English revision.
