Atrichelaphinis (Atrichelaphinis) nigropunctulata ( Peringuey , 1896)

Rojkoff, Sebastien & Perissinotto, Renzo, 2015, Review of the genera Anelaphinis Kolbe, 1892 and Atrichelaphinis Kraatz, 1898 (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Cetoniinae), ZooKeys 482, pp. 91-142 : 99-101

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Scarabaeidae

Atrichelaphinis (Atrichelaphinis) nigropunctulata ( Peringuey, 1896) Figure 4

Cetonia nigropunctulata Peringuey, 1896: 163 ; Schenkling 1921: 304; Antoine 1991: 2; Marais and Holm 1992: 11; Holm and Marais 1992: 196; Antoine 2002: 185.

Elaphinis nigropunctulata ( Peringuey) Peringuey, 1907: 448 ; Antoine 2002: 185.

Elaphinis nigropunctata ( Peringuey) Distant, 1897 : 576; Schenkling 1921: 304.

Atrichelaphinis nigropunctulata ( Peringuey) Moser, 1907: 321 ; Distant 1911: 266; Schenkling 1921: 304; Schein 1960: 98; Marais and Holm 1992: 11; Holm and Marais 1992: 196; Krajcik 1998: 50; Antoine 2002: 185.

Type specimen.

Holotype in ISAM.

Redescription

(n> 30). Size: length ♂, 12.8-15.2 mm; ♀, 13.1-14.8 mm; width ♂, 7.7-8.8 mm; ♀, 7.7-8.8 mm.

Body. Orange with black markings on pronotum, scutellum and elytra, sometimes very reduced; occasionally showing some isolated small spots of white tomentum on pronotum, pygidium and venter; pilosity occasional and restricted to head.

Head. With vertex and lateral part of the frons black, clypeus slightly transverse, bilobed at apex, with anterior margin reborded and lobes slightly upturned. Sculpture deep, simple, becoming confluent in front, laterally and on frons; antennae darker.

Pronotum. With angles rounded, lateral margins almost entirely reborded except near posterior angles, lateral angles always marked, posterior part of lateral margin concave; posterior margin concave in front of scutellum, then laterally very convex; sculpture usually weak on disc, generally denser and deeper laterally.

Scutellum. Acute, grooved laterally; punctuation limited to anterior angles.

Elytra. Sculpture very scattered, disc with two pairs of geminate striae, usually consisting of virtually complete single lines, sometimes merged with horseshoe sculpture, lateral sculpture present or not, series of deep and large points along lateral margin always present; sutural apex from blunt to slightly protruding.

Pygidium. Sculpture usually of small points or lines, sometimes of wrinkles and/or horseshoe setigerous punctures; posterior margin slightly reborded; occasionally covered with short setae, particularly around margins.

Underside. Black except metepisternum, lateral parts of metacoxae, metasternum and sternites; mesepimeron black or orange; mesosternal apophysis orange with black sides, transverse, compressed between mesocoxae and not protruding; moderately covered with setae, except on abdominal sternites; metasternum with wrinkles and long pilosity laterally, grooved in the middle and poorly sculpted to smooth; abdomen poorly sculpted with setigerous horseshoe punctures, setae short; concave to grooved in males, convex in female.

Legs. Metafemora and metatibia enlarged apically, spurs not dilated in either sex; moderately covered with setae, particularly around base; metatibial spur thin and pointed in male, thin and less acute to sligthly blunt in female.

Aedeagus. Parameres almost twice as long as wide; basal half converging in front, apical divergent; lateral apical angles showing fairly developed hook.

Remarks.

The distribution of this species is restricted to the mountainous northeast part of South Africa. Some specimens could be confused superficially with some forms of Atrichelaphinis tigrina , however they can be separated through analysis of the dorsal sculpture, shape of the pygidium and aedeagus. The species is most frequently found feeding on Protea spp. flowers.