Hycleus bifasciatus (De Geer, 1778)

  Information: Hycleus bifasciatus, is a widespread species in southern and eastern Africa, abundant in savannah on Acacia sp. trees. It is among the largest (~42mm) blister beetles, but the taxonomy of this southern and eastern African species is still greatly confused (see above) and it probably represents a complex of species and subspecies. 

Bologna  2018 : In the literature it was usually cited as Mylabris oculata Thunberg, 1791, but, according to Pardo Alcaide (1958a note 21) the type of Mylabris oculata refers to Meloe bifasciatus De Geer, 1778, an unavailable name, substituted by Zonabris senegalensis Voigts, 1902, which is a distinct Western African species of Hycleus. Consequently, the valid name available for this species, well characterized by the shape of male stypes, remains tricolor Gerstäcker, 1854. Waiting for the revision of this complex based on types, we did not consider its infraspecific taxonomy.

Pardo 1958 : Le type du « Meloê » oculsta THUNBERG n'est qu'un mâle du « Cantharis » bifasciata DE GEER (Mylabris bifasciata (DE GEER); d'où l"oculata des auteurs nec THUNBERG , formè bien commune dans l'Afrique australe, devra être désignée dorénavant par la dénomination plus ancienne, (dans ce cas le tricolor GERSTAECKER) si réellement elle se rapporte à la même espèce.

Body length: 27 - 42 mm
Peak activity: January - December (depends on region)

  Remarks: Local folk name: CMR Blister Beetle - The “CMR” acronym in this blister beetle’s name comes from the Cape Mounted Rifles, a military unit from South Africa’s colonial past whose colours resembled this beetle’s. In turn, the CMR Blister Beetle then became part of the Cape Mounted Rifles’ insignia.

  Distribution: Angola, Botswana, RD Congo, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe. 
Zoogeographic region: Afrotropical

  Taxonomic classification:

  Material examined (& observation):