Morphology, biology and phylogeny of African seed beetles belonging to the Bruchidius ituriensis species group (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae)

A small group of East African morphologically similar species is reviewed, four of which are assigned to a new species group. Three species are described as new: Bruchidius arcuatus, B. pardellus, and B. snizeki . The leguminous host plants of three species are identified: the larva of Bruchidius ituriensis develops in the seeds of Indigofera tinctoria L., Ind. swaziensis bolus (tribe Indigofereae) and in an unidentified species of Teramnus (tribe Phaseoleae), while B. pardellus and B. mulunguensis were reared from Neonotonia wightii (WiGht & Arn.) seeds (tribe Phaseoleae). The biology of other species remains unknown. Based on a comprehensive sample of 26 seed beetle species, the phylogenetic relationships of three of these species are investigated using molecular phylogenetics. The resulting phylogeny allows us to identify their likely sister-groups and to assess the usefulness of several taxonomically significant morphological characters in a phylogenetic context.