Schelodontes baviaanskloofensis, Kamiński, Marcin Jan, 2017

Kamiński, Marcin Jan, 2017, Three new species of trigonopoid Platynotina (Tenebrionidae: Pedinini) from the Baviaanskloof Nature Reserve, South Africa, Zootaxa 4236 (1), pp. 183-193 : 190-191

Schelodontes baviaanskloofensis sp. nov.

( Figs 1 , 2 , 3 D, 4G-K)

Type material. Holotype, pinned, male (Ditsong National Museum of Natural History in Pretoria): “ Republic of South Africa Baviaanskloof near Geelhoutbos // 12/11/2015 // -33.616, 24.253; under stone // Leg. Marcin Jan Kamiński” . Paratypes, preserved in 96% ethanol, male and female (Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences), male and female (Ditsong National Museum of Natural History in Pretoria): same data as holotype .

Diagnosis. This species resembles Schelodontes chevrolati (Mulsant and Rey, 1853) , S. oblitus Koch, 1956 and S. omeri Koch, 1956 in having the anterior pronotal angles rounded, pronotal disc with dense and clearly visible punctation (punctures separated by 2 diameters or less), scutellum situated below the level of elytral humeri (in longitudinal axis) and elytral humeri protruding laterally ( Fig. 3 D–G). Schelodontes baviaanskloofensis can be distinguished from S. oblitus ( Fig. 3 F) and S. omeri ( Fig. 3 G) by its shiny body. Moreover, it differs from S. oblitus based on the pronotum lacking a posterior border (fine, but visible in the middle in S. oblitus ). From S. chevrolati it can be distinguished by having prominent denticles on the inner side of metafemora ( Fig. 4 K).

Description. Measurements. Body—length ca. 8.0 mm; width ratio elytra / pronotum ca. 0.9; length ratio elytra / pronotum ca. 1.3. Clypeus—clypeal emargination width / depth ratio ca. 15.0. Antennae—length ratio antenna / pronotum ca. 0.8; ratio length of antenna / width of 3rd antennomere ca. 12.5; length ratio of antennomere 3rd / 2nd ca. 2.0; ratio length / width of 5th antennomere ca. 1.4. Maxillary palp—ratio width of maxillary palp / length of 3rd antennomere ca. 1.3. Pronotum—pronotum length / width ratio ca. 0.8; length ratio pronotum (measured in the middle) / side of pronotum (measured at the level of anterior angle) ca. 1.0. Elytra—elytra length / width ratio ca. 1.4. Scutellum—width ratio anterior margin of elytra / scutellum at base ca. 2.8. Metaventritelength ratio cavity of hind coxa / metaventrite between the insertions of mid and hind coxae ca. 3.1. Abdomenwidth ratio process of 1st abdominal ventrite / process of metaventrite ca. 1.6. Legs—protibia length / width ratio ca. 2.1; profemur length / width ratio ca. 2.7. Tarsi—length ratio metatarsomere 1st / 2nd ca. 1.6. Male genitalialength of parameres / basal part of aedeagus ca. 0.4; length of clavae / parameres ca. 0.6.

Body surface bare and shiny ( Fig. 3 D). Head with dense punctures, 2–3 diameters apart. Clypeus scarcely emarginated. Mentum widest at middle; narrowing towards apex. Submentum triangular. Prosternite medially glabrous. Hypomeron glabrous and impunctate. Pronotum covered with fine punctures, 3–4 diameters apart; anterior border complete; basal border absent; lateral border widened basally, relatively wide (width 3x greater than submarginal depression width); lateral margins actuate from anterior to posterior ends. Intercoxal process of prosternum angular in lateral view. Scutellum triangular, with fine punctures. Elytral striae punctate-sulcate; punctures fine, 4–5 diameters apart. Intervals shiny; with visible microsculpture (magnification 50x); punctures scarcely visible, 3–4 diameters apart. Elytral humeri protruding laterally. 5th abdominal ventrite with submarginal sulcus; with irregularly distributed punctures, 1–2 diameters apart. Pro- and mesotarsi in both sexes not widened. Female protibiae evenly widened towards apex. Male protibiae with preapical concavity on the inner side. Inner face of male metafemorae with longitudinal concavities ending with large denticles. Female metafemora simple. Other leg segments without modifications. Parameres evenly narrowing towards apex; not fused basally. Ovipositor with coxites subequal in length to paraproct. Valvifers short and wide, other lobes elongate. Gonostyli situated on dorsal part of apical lobe of coxities.

Etymology. The name refers to the type locality, Baviaanskloof Nature Reserve; Baviaanskloof —Dutch for “Valley of Baboons”).

Distribution. This species has been collected in the central part of the Baviaanskloof Nature Reserve, near the Geelhoutbos campsites (GPS coordinates: -33.616, 24.253) ( Figs 1 , 2 ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Distribution of the newly described species (Geelhoutbos— S. baviaanskloofensis; Doodsklip— A. smithi; Komdomo— A. kandai) and location of the Baviaanskloof Nature Reserve in relation to the surrounding towns in South Africa.

FIGURE 2. Habitat of Schelodontes baviaanskloofensis, surroundings of the Geelhoutbos campsite (A, B): habitat of Atrocrates smithi, surroundings of the Doodsklip campsite (C, D, E). Two specimens of A. smithi dwelling in the soil (D). Specimen of A. smithi (bottom, left) and Zadenos delalandei (Mulsant et Rey, 1854) (Tenebrionidae: Melambiina) (top, right) found under a dung patch (E).

FIGURE 3. Body structure of chosen representatives of Atrocrates (A – C) and Schelodontes (D – G). A. kandai, paratype (A); A. peringueyi (B); A. smithi, paratype (C); S. baviaanskloofensis, paratype (D); S. chevrolati (E); S. oblitus (F); S. omeri (G).

FIGURE 4. Morphology of the newly described species: Atrocrates smithi sp. nov., paratype (A – F) and Schelodontes baviaanskloofensis sp. nov., paratype (G – K). Head dorsal (A) and ventral (C) views, pronotum (B, G), elytra (D, F, H), intercoxal process of prosternum (I), 5 th abdominal ventrite, legs: dorsal (E 1) and ventral (E 2) views of male protibia, male metaleg (K), female protibia (paratype).