Athyreus rhodesianus Peringuey (1908:635)

Carpaneto, Giuseppe M., Mignani, Roberto & Piattella, Emanuele, 2000, A Taxonomic Overview Of The Genus Pseudoathyreus Howden And Martinez, And Redescription Of Two Related Species From Southern Africa (Coleoptera: Geotrupidae: Bolboceratinae), The Coleopterists Bulletin 54 (2), pp. 239-247 : 240-241

Athyreus rhodesianus Peringuey (1908:635)

Material Examined. Holotype, male: Zimbabwe (‘‘ Southern Rhodesia’ ’), Harare (‘‘ Salisbury’ ’) ( SAM). 1 /: Zaire, Western Kasai, Kananga (‘‘ Luluaburg’ ’), 1926 ( MRAC). 1 /: Zaire, Western Kasai, Luebo , December 1958, F. François leg. ( MRAC).

Redescription. Size small (approximate maximum length: 11 mm; approximate maximum width: 6 mm). Upper surface of body shining, with sparse and short whitish setae. Colour dorsally and ventrally black. Antennae yellowish brown. Labrum dorsally concave, anteriorly rounded, with a roughly sketched and broken carina. Mandibles asymmetric with two angulate lateral laminate processes on external sides. Right mandible with deep indentation before apex; left one distinctly sinuate before apex. Clypeus ( Fig. 3 ) with anterior carina regularly rising from sides to high pyramidal tooth in middle, with anterior face nearly vertical. Clypeo­frontal carina elevated, almost straight, with two lateral teeth almost as high as anterior one, and connected to anterior clypeal carina by longitudinal ridge. Frontovertex slightly concave, almost flat, rising upwards to clypeo­frontal carina, its surface with distinct and well­spaced punctures, almost absent on small discal (roughly V­shaped) area. Genae concave, almost impunctate, sharply angulate, with anterior margin almost straight. Clypeo­genal angles with slight cariniform tubercle. Upper surface of eye extremely reduced, sunken below genal surface. Pronotum ( Fig. 3 ) entirely margined, with small superficial fossa (fovea) on each side, contiguous with anterior marginal bead behind eye. Margin between fossae gradually elevated to large, erect, pointed tubercle on midline, posterior to and contiguous with marginal bead. Anterior half of pronotum with wide concavity sloping anteriorly and edged on each side by inner carina with median longitudinal groove from base of anterior tubercle to posterior pronotal margin. Inner carina formed by single ridge interrupted in middle, rising to sharp, elevated angle in the anterior part, lower and enlarged (drop­like shaped) posteriorly. Outer carina formed by two separated, aligned fragments: anterior one well marked, sinuate above lateral fovea and reaching antero­lateral margin of pronotum; posterior one almost obsolete, flat and wider. Posterior part of pronotum, in middle, with two elongate, flat elevations aligned with posterior fragments of outer carinae. Surface of all carinae smooth, surface of pronotum with dense and granulate punctures, each with fine seta, punctures less granulate in excavation. Posterior pronotal margin with two multiserial rows of setae on each side of midline. Lateral pronotal margin below fovea with sharp indentation where margin itself is interrupted. Scutellum sunken, very elongate, almost twice as long as wide, feebly punctate. Elytral base marginate. Bead of humeral angle with small tooth. Suture strongly carinate and enlarged. Eight striae between suture and humeral umbone: all striae consisting of irregular rows of punctures (especially the eighth), not reaching the apex of the elytra. Each puncture bearing long, whitish seta. Intervals irregularly convex. Metasternum largely pyriform with narrow groove on midline, deeper in anterior part, finer posteriorly, with long hair sparser in basal part. Sternites and femora covered by dense, long, white hair, visible from above. Fore tibia with four external teeth, size decreasing towards base; tibial spur slightly arcuate, extending approximately to end of first tarsal segment. Superior spur of hind tibia as long as first two tarsal segments. Parameres in figures 5 and 7, genital capsule in figure 9.

Variation. Owing to the few specimens examined, the intraspecific variation cannot be assessed. However we did not find substantial differences in morphology among them. The only appreciable difference is in colour which is entirely chestnut brown in the female from Luebo.

Remarks. This species differs from P. freyi by the following characters: (1) colour entirely black or sometimes chestnut; (2) clypeo­frontal carina straight ( Fig. 3 ); (3) posterior part of pronotal inner carina slightly separated from the anterior one (appearing as an extension of it), shortened and reduced to a small drop­like elevation ( Fig. 3 ); (4) humerus with a small but distinct tooth; (5) parameres ( Figs. 5, 7 ); (6) genital capsule ( Fig. 9 ).

Figures

Figs. 2–3. Head and pronotum of: 2) P.freyi Gomes Alves; 3) P.rhodesianus Peringuey, type.

Figs. 4–9. Pseudoathyreus freyi Gomes Alves: 4) aedeagus, antero­dorsal view; 6) aedeagus, lateral view; 8) genital capsule. P. rhodesianus Peringuey, type: 5) aedeagus, antero­dorsal view; 7) aedeagus, lateral view; 9) genital capsule.