Cypholoba alveolata ( Breme , 1844)

Mawdsley, Jonathan R., Erwin, Terry L., Sithole, Hendrik & Mawdsley, Alice S., 2012, A synopsis of the genus Cypholoba Chaudoir (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Anthiini) known to occur in the Republic of South Africa, ZooKeys 181, pp. 23-43 : 27-28

Cypholoba alveolata ( Breme, 1844) Figs 3252934

Anthia alveolata Brême (1844:293, pl. 7 f. 5, type locality “Port-Natal,” holotype in Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris)

Polyhirma alveolata ( Brême) Péringuey (1896:351)

Cypholoba caillaudi alveolata ( Brême) Strohmeyer (1928:322)

Cypholoba alveolata ( Brême) Strohmeyer (1928:448)

Diagnosis.

Apparent body length (ABL) 31-33 mm; one of the largest species of Cypholoba in RSA and the largest species that has the distinctive alveolate elytral punctures with reddish-orange pubescence at the bottom of the punctures (see Fig. 3). It can be separated from Cypholoba macilenta , Cypholoba notata , and Cypholoba oberthueri seruana by the lack of a white patch of setae across both elytral apices and from Cypholoba amatonga by its larger ABL (24-28 mm length in Cypholoba amatonga ) and the differences in elytral surface sculpture mentioned in the key above. Some specimens have a patch of white setae on each elytron immediately adjacent to the scutellum, while others also have a patch of white setae on the scutellum and/or a line of white setae along the midline of the pronotum.

Materials examined.

159 specimens from the following localities: RSA: Gauteng Province: Johannesburg, Moloto, Pienaars River Dam, Pretoria, Rosslyn, Zoutpan. KwaZulu/Natal Province: Duku duku, Durban, Ndumu, Pongola River, St. Lucia Bay, Umfolozi, Waterval, "E Zululand." Limpopo Province: Bandelierkop, 25 km NE Ellisras, Farm Scrutton, Haenertsburg, Klein Letaba, 18 miles W Letaba Rest Camp, Letaba Rest Camp in Kruger National Park, Marblehall, Messina, Mokeetse, Pietersburg, 22 miles E Pietersburg, 20-26 km N Pietersburg, Potgietersrus, Sedula near Leydsdorp, Shilouvane, Warmbath, Woodbush. Mpumalanga Province: Barberton, 3 km NW Barberton, Grootdraai, Lydenburg, Nelspruit, Nkuhlu Plots in Kruger National Park, Sabie River road west of Paul Kruger Gate, Skukuza. North West Province: Marico River, Rustenburg, Vryberg. Province not specified: “Transvaal.”

Notes on biology.

During our surveys (see Materials and Methods above), adults of this species were found in riverine and upland areas of the Kruger National Park. Specific vegetation communities ( Gertenbach 1983) where adults were collected included riverine gallery forest and upland Acacia nigrescens Olivier - Combretum apiculatum Sonder savanna. Adults were collected diurnally, in pitfall traps, and with headlamps at night.