Bolbaoeer splendidus, (Petrovitz)

Gussmann, S. M. V. & Scholtz, C. H., 2001, Systematic revision of the Afrotropical genus BolbaOEer Vulcano, Martinez and Pereira (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea: Bolboceratidae: Bolboceratinae), with descriptions of eight new species, Journal of Natural History 35 (7), pp. 1013-1084 : 1041-1043

BolbaOEer splendidus (Petrovitz)

(®gures 1b, c, 3d±f, 7a, b, f±h, 8d±g, i, j, 11)

Bolboceras splendidum Petrovitz, 1969: 315 , ®gures 3, 7.

BolbaOEer splendidum (Petrovitz) : Nikolajev, 1982: 39, ®gures 4, 13, 14; Krikken, 1984: 39.

Description male

Body length 19.8±24.4 mm (20 specimens). Colour light brown to dark brown. Outer margin of mandible very feebly sinuate. Clypeus with bituberculate, feebly arcuate transverse posterior carina; tubercles in line with antennal insertions; posterior carina as long as but mostly longer than anterior carina. Frons feebly depressed posterior to posterior clypeal carina. Antennal club with glabrous area of basal segment more than one-third but less than one-half of exposed surface. Pronotum with anterior margin medially feebly raised, in dorsal view arcuate and not projecting over head; with one inner pair of inward inclined horns near posterior margin (®gure 3d, e); disc with ®ne, well-spaced punctures, these increasingly interspersed by some medium-sized but mostly large punctures, often conūent towards sides and sometimes along anterior margin of pronotum. Scutellum with surface moderately punctate. Elytron with strial punctures separated by three and a half to four and a half puncture diameters; intervals with approximately four to ®ve punctures between two striae. Protibia ®ve-dentate. Protibial spur slightly longer than ®fth tarsomere, apex shaped as in ®gure 7a. Metatrochanter of unmodi®ed shape; entire surface with moderately long and fairly dense setation. Metafemur in ventral view in posterior third with line of densely spaced moderately long and long setae; with fairly dense, long setation in anterior third; with very dense, moderately long setation in basal area and along posterior margin; remaining areas asetose. Metatibia in lateral view with subapical carina bilobed; with outer spur hooked (®gure 7b). Underside with posterior margin of sternite 4 medially produced, apex of process truncate (®gure 7g); sternite 5 medially almost completely hidden by medially produced sternite 4 (®gure 7g); sternite 6 postero-medially deeply divided, with broad, inward inclined, apically rounded process on each side of division (®gure 7g, h); apex of pygidium with semi-circular emargination (®gure 7f). Genitalia with aedeagus as in ®gure 8d±g; genital capsule apically with very long setation.

Description female

Body length 19.2±25.0 mm (19 specimens). Colour as in male. Outer margin of mandible rounded. Frons with strongly raised bituberculate, transverse carina between eye-canthi; carina straight and shorter than anterior clypeal carina. Antennal club as in male. Pronotum with anterior margin as in male; with transverse, feebly carinate swelling at median portion of disc; carina very feebly bisinuate in frontal view (®gure 3f); swelling with ®ne, well-spaced punctures, towards anterior margin interspersed with some large punctures; with large, mostly conūent punctures lateral and posterior to carinate swelling. Scutellum and elytron as in male. Protibia as in male. Protibial spur longer than ®fth tarsomere, acuminate. Metatrochanter of unmodi®ed shape; surface in basal third and along posterior margin with moderately long and fairly dense setation, remaining surface asetose. Metafemur in ventral view in posterior third with line of densely spaced long setae; with fairly dense, long setation in anterior third, in basal area and along posterior margin; remaining areas asetose. Metatibia as in male but outer spur unmodi®ed. Underside with sternite 3 and 4 medially with a small, densely setose lump (arrows in ®gure 8i, j); sternite 5 unmodi®ed; sternite 6 hidden by sternite 5, unmodi®ed; apex of pygidium feebly arcuately emarginate [not illustrated].

Distribution (®gure 11). Similar to B. bremeri , from Senegal eastwards to Sudan.

Type material examined. HOLOTYPE l[diss.]:`Holotypus’ [printed on pink label] /`Coll. Mus. Tervuren, Haute Volta: Bobo-Dioulasso [11.12N 04.18W], viii.1964, R.SiOEointe’ /`Holotypus’ [printed on red label] /`Bolbocera s splendidum n.sp. Petrovitz’ [printed on red label] ( MRAC); 4 PARATYPES: 1m, same data as holotype except for`...vii. / viii.1964 ...’ ( MRAC) ; 1 l[diss.], same data except for`... 17.x.1963 ...’ /`coll. Petrovitz’ [printed on white label] ( NHMG) ; 1m, same data except for`vii. / viii.1964 ’ ( NHMG) ; 1m,`Coll. Mus. Tervuren, CoÃte d’ Ivoire: DeÂp. du Nord, Korogho [09.35N 05.55W] aÁ Boundiali [09.23N 06.32W], viii. / ix.1962, G.Schmitz’ ( MRAC) .

Additional material examined (34 specimens). Benin: 1, Haut Dahomey [Benin], Kandy [Kandi, 11.05N 02.59E], 1903, Captaine L.Chevalier ( MNHN) ; 1, Djougou-Kouande [ Djougou [bigger locality] at 09.40N 01.47E and Kouande at 10.15N 01.35E], 1903. Lt. Brot ( TMSA) ; 2 ll, 1, circle de Djougou-KouandeÂ, 1908, Lt. Brot ( MNHN) . Burkina Faso: 2 ll, 5mm ( MRAC) , 1,1m (TMSA), Ougadougo u [12.22N 01.31W], October 1970, leg. P.C. Fernandez; 1 l( MRAC) , 1, 1m (NHMG), 1m ( RMCI) from same locality` Ougadougou’; 1, 2mm, Pabre [PabreÂ, 12.13N 00.22W or 12.30N 01.35W], September 1970, P.C. Fernandez ( MRAC) ; 1, 1m, Gourma , 25 km SE Pama [ca 11.15N 00.42E], 3± 24 September 1988, Sanborne, GeÂnier and Tou, savane, pieÁge lumineux ( FGIC) ; 1, Nanoro [12.41N 02.12W] (BoulkiemdeÂ), 310 m, July 1996, D. Gianasso ( CCIT) ; 1m, same data but`... viii.1996, E. Castaldo’ ( CCIT) . Ghana: 1m, Salaga [08.33N 00.31W], 17 July 1969, S. Sowah, ground ( HNHM) . Guinea: 1 l[diss.], GuineÂe francËaise, Ditinn [10.53N 12.11W], 27 August 1945, P. Clement ( HNHM) ; 1 l[diss.], Forecariah [ForeÂcariah, 09.26N 13.06W], 1914 ( ISNB) . Ivory Coast: 1m, Lamto [not traced], March 1966, Cillon, Collection ORSTOM Entomologie agricole ( MNHN) ; Mali: 1, 1m, Bassin du Haut-Niger [Mali], M’ Pesoba Minianka , cercle de Koutiala [12.20N 05.23 W], 1912, H. Bouvard ( MNHN) . Nigeria: 1, N. Nigeria, Zungeru [09.48N 06.03E], 1907 ( BMNH) . Senegal: 1, Senegal , Tambacounda [13.47N 13.40W], 18 July 1971, D. Seiler ( MRAC) . Untraced : 1m, W.E.S. Merrett, BM. 1962±270. ( BMNH) ; 1 l[diss.], Sudan , Coll. Gillet ( ISNB) .

Comments. The allotype of B. splendidus undoubtedly represents a B. bremeri female and is listed under the latter. The posterior part of the abdomen, consisting of several tergites, sternites and the pygidium, clearly has been detached, removed and later accidentally positioned back upside down under the elytra, i.e. the tergites instead of the sternites are exposed in ventral view of the specimen. It is, however, possible to detect the sclerotized process on sternite 4, characteristic for B. bremeri females, by looking into the gap between the pygidium and elytra.

Females of B. splendidus are easily identi®ed by the densely setose lumps on sternites 3 and 4. Apart from these unique sternal modi®cations, females of B. splendidus and B. bremeri are virtually identical. A number of male and female specimens that were collected together (see under`Additional material’), substantiat e the correct male / female association.

The female paratype in NHMG and one female paratype in MRAC (collected at`Korogho’) also had the posterior part of the abdomen removed and placed back upside down. The sternal character states were examined after relaxation of the specimens, and the abdominal parts were subsequently glued on to pieces of cardboard which we attached to the specimens.

DiOEerences between male B. splendidus and other male BolbaOEer species are already explained above, under B. bremeri .