Taxonomic status of Euzonitis haroldi (Heyden, 1870) (Coleoptera: Meloidae) inferred from morphological and molecular data

Abstract

The species Euzonitis haroldi (Heyden 1870) (Coleoptera: Meloidae; Nemognathinae) is an almost unknown taxon, sometimes treated as a variety of E. quadrimaculata (Pallas, 1773), originally described from Central Spain and only known from a few localities in Spain and Morocco. We found specimens of E. haroldi and E. quadrimaculata feeding together on flowers of Apiaceae in Central Spain. These specimens provided an excellent opportunity to properly assess the status of E. haroldi by analyzing and comparing morphological and molecular data of the two taxa. For the morphological study we reviewed a total of 227 specimens. We concluded that E. haroldi is genetically and morphologically identical, except for coloration, to E. quadrimaculata, and therefore E. haroldi should be treated as a junior synonym of E. quadrimaculata (syn. nov.)