Eriopeltastes (Eriopeltastes) ornatus Ricchiardi

Ricchiardi, Enrico & Perissinotto, Renzo, 2014, New species of Eriopeltastes Burmeister & Schaum, 1840 (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Cetoniinae, Trichiini) from South Africa, ZooKeys 422, pp. 103-113 : 105-106

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Scarabaeidae

Eriopeltastes (Eriopeltastes) ornatus Ricchiardi sp. n. Figures 1-3

Type series.

Holotype (HT) ♂: South Africa, KZN, Karkloof Nature Reserve, 6.II.2000, R Perissinotto & L Clennell legit (ISAM). Paratypes: 6 ♀ same data as HT, but 22-23.I.2000 (ISAM, PCRP); 6 ♂ 2 ♀: same data as HT (TMSA, PCER, PCRP); 16 ♂ 1 ♀, same data as HT but 26-27.II.2000 (DMSA, PCER, PCRP); 1 ♂, same data as HT but 28.I.2001 (PCRP); 1 ♂, Karkloof NR Melmoth Section, 5.XI.2012, A Armstrong legit (SANC); 3 ♂, Blinkwater Ridge, 30.I.2012, A Armstrong legit (DMSA, PCRP, PCER).

Diagnosis.

Eriopeltastes (Eriopeltastes) ornatus Ricchiardi, sp. n. is closest to Eriopeltastes (Eriopeltastes) lineatus Ricchiardi 1997. Both species have in common long and strongly curved (c-shaped) antennal clubs. They can, however, be easily separated as Eriopeltastes (Eriopeltastes) ornatus not only is much smaller in size than Eriopeltastes (Eriopeltastes) lineatus , but also exhibits the discal-lateral costa raised in the posterior half only. In Eriopeltastes (Eriopeltastes) lineatus , on the other hand, this costa is visibly raised throughout its length. The raised part of the discal-lateral costa is black in both species. The parameres are very similar in the two species, but differ significantly at the apex, which is slightly more expanded and curved downwards in Eriopeltastes (Eriopeltastes) ornatus Ricchiardi, sp. n. (Figure 1c; Ricchiardi 1997, Figures 3d & 3e).

Etymology.

The species is named after the prominent J-shaped black band it exhibits on the sutural margin and on the apical raised part of the costal disc of each elytron.

Description

HT ♂. Length 9.6 mm; width 4.6 mm. Body black; elytra light brown, with sutural margins black, black band continuing around posterior margin of elytral disk crossing apical umbone and extending anteriorly about ½ length of elytra (Figure 1a).

Head. Black, slightly shiny; wider than long; with dense punctuation on frons and vertex but poorly developed on clypeus; with scattered, testaceous, erected setae; eye canthus with long, scattered, testaceous setae; clypeus deeply concave, transverse, with front and side margins sharply raised, anterior margin rounded; antennae testaceous; club strongly C-shaped, more than twice as long as clypeus.

Pronotum. Black, shiny, glabrous; shape trapezoidal, with sides ridged but not crenulated; basal corners rounded, basal margin laterally sinuate, ridged basolaterally only; sides with white tomentum band approximating basal corner; midline grooved and covered internally with white tomentum, particularly at base; additional small tomentose area present on each side of disc; surface entirely covered with dense, long, testaceous, erect setae.

Scutellum. Black, glabrous, semicircular, enlarged; shiny, with scattered, round punctures.

Elytra. Testaceous, glabrous, shiny, with a round opaque area on the posterior margin of disc; apex rounded; with juxtasutural area black and posterior half of disco-lateral costa raised and black; behind disc a C-shaped black band joins juxtasutural and disco-lateral costae; striae poorly indicated; interstrie with large but shallow and scattered round punctures.

Pygidium. Semicircular, much wider than long, slightly constricted at sides; black, with erect, scattered black setae on disc; white tomentum covering entire surface, except area from middle of disc to apex.

Ventral surface. Black, covered with very scattered, long, flattened testaceous setae; abdominal sternites covered in white tomentum, except anal; tergites covered with white tomentum except at posterior edge; mesosternal protrusion absent (Figure 1b).

Legs. Protibiae testaceous, mesotibiae and metatibiae dark brown; with scattered, locally denser, long, erect, testaceous setae; protibiae with two external denticles; first protarsomere longer than second.

Description

PT ♀. Length 10.1 mm; width 5.6 mm. Body black to dark brown, shiny, glabrous (Figure 2a).

Head. Black, poorly punctured, shiny, glabrous; clypeus concave, apex rounded, deflected and somewhat enlarged; antennae completely testaceous; club rounded, shorter than clypeal length.

Pronotum. Black, shiny, glabrous, trapezoidal, with sides parallel at centre and non-crenate; hind corners strongly rounded; hind margin centrally rounded, not ridged at middle and diverging smoothly towards lateral margins; with distinguishable rounded lateral impression at middle of lateral margins; covered with large but shallow, scattered punctures.

Scutellum. Black, glabrous, shiny, semicircular, wider than long, covered with deep, very scattered punctures.

Elytra. Apex rounded, dark brown, glabrous, shiny; striae marked with large, shallow, punctures; interstriae almost flat, with very scattered, small, shallow punctures.

Pygidium. Black, narrowing toward apex, laterally ridged, with large depression at middle of each side to apex; glabrous, shiny, black, with scattered shallow punctures.

Ventral surface. Black to dark brown; with very few, short and scattered testaceous setae; without any white tomentum (Figure 1b).

Legs. Generally as in male, with all tarsi slightly shorter; protibia broader than in male and exhibiting three denticles, with proximal smaller than other two.

Remarks.

The male paratypes are similar to the holotype in general appearance, but there is a range of variability in the extent of white tomentum markings on the pronotum and the width/length of the black band on the disco-lateral elytral costae. In extreme cases, the pronotum can be entirely black, without visible tomentose areas, while the elytra can appear completely pale testaceous, with black band virtually obsolete. All females are morphologically very similar, with ground colour from black to dark brown (Figure 2).