An update to the taxonomy of the genus Macroderes Westwood 1842 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) with descriptions of new species from South Africa
Author
Abdalla, Ishtiag H.
Author
Deschodt, Christian M.
Author
Scholtz, Clarke H.
Author
Sole, Catherine L.
text
Zootaxa
2018
2018-10-23
4504
1
41
75
journal article
28091
10.11646/zootaxa.4504.1.3
0b803003-244e-4511-aaf4-5e9c3f863861
1175-5326
2606164
52BA28B6-4280-4BD0-8B38-C794F04E4A66
Macroderes arrowi
Janssens, 1939
(
Figs. 4
,
59
,
70
)
Macroderes arrowi
Janssens, 1939
: 26
;
Ferreira 1969
: 320
;
Frolov & Scholtz 2005
: 389
.
Type
locality.
South Africa
,
Cape
Prov, 11
Km N
v Rhynsdorp [Vanrhynsdorp:
31°37'S
18°44'E
]
.
Type
material examined.
None.
Type
series is deposited in IRSNB (
Frolov & Scholtz 2005
).
Additional material examined.
2 ♂♂
and
2 ♀♀
(
UPSA
): “
RSA
/
Western Cape
Prov
/ 11
Km
/
N of Vanthynsdorp
/
A. Frolov
&
C. Deschodt
leg // AF-00 45 (25) /
5–11. IX. 2003
/ S 31. 3028.28° E 018.4302.56°”
;
2 ♀♀
(
UPSA
): “
South Africa
/
Western Cape
Prov
/
124 km
N of /
Sandveld
/
S31.49859°
E018.71642°
/
15. 8. 2015
/
C. Deschodt
&
W. P. Strümpher
leg”
.
Size range.
Males length:
9.9–11.7 mm
, width:
6.3–8.3 mm
; females length:
9.7–10.5 mm
, width:
6.5–7.7 mm
.
Differential diagnosis.
Due to it is carinate margins of elytra (
Fig. 70
)
M. arrowi
resembles
M. foveatus
,
M. cornutus
and
M. greeni
, however, it can be easily distinguished from the two former species as it lacks the deep triangular concavity at the base of the pronotum (
Fig. 4
) and from all others by having a granular pronotum (
Fig. 59
) instead of rounded punctures found in
M. greeni
and longitudinal punctures in
M. cornutus
and
M. foveatus
.
Habitat and distribution.
So far this species is only known from Vanrhynsdorp and Sandveld areas (
Fig. 2
). The two localities are situated in the
Western Cape Province
. Vanrhynsdorp is an arid area close to Namaqualand’s coast. The area is covered by succulent vegetation and characterised by rather humid climate and low annual rainfall. Sandveld situated to the west of the Cedarberg Mountains and is characterised by a rich biodiversity of animals and plants.