Strotocera roberti Gerstmeier & Weiss

Gerstmeier, Roland & Weiss, Ingmar, 2009, Revision of the Genera Diplocladus Fairmaire and Strotocera Schenkling (Coleoptera: Cleridae, Tillinae), Zootaxa 2242, pp. 1-54 : 44-45

Strotocera roberti Gerstmeier & Weiss , n. sp.

(Figs. 30, 84–85)

Specimens examined:

Holotype: 3. S-Ethiopia, Gamo Gofa X.07, ArbaMinch 1300m, R. Beck, G. Riedel (CRG).

Paratypes: Coll. Mus. Tervuren, Côte d’ivoire: Bingerville, X.1962, J. Decelle (1 ex., MRAC); Coll. Mus. Tervuren, Côte d’ivoire: Bingerville, VI.1962, J. Decelle, Strotocera, Ginter Ekis det. (1 ex., MRAC); Zimbabwe 2.xii.1993, 20°13’S / 31°00’E, Kyle, Recr. Park at Lake Mutirikwi, leg. F. Koch (1 ex., ZMB); UNREADBLE, 24.11-26, UNREADABLE (1 ex., TMSA); South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal, Ndumu, 26.55S- 32.18E, 20.11.2002; E-Y:3550, light trap, leg. J. Harrison, R. Müller (1 ex., TMSA); South Africa, Transvaal, Soutpansberg, Ingwe Motel 22.58S 29.57E, 1200m, 23,24. xi.1992, H. Hölzel, P. Ohm, M.W. Mansell, Collected at light (1 ex., CRG); South Africa MPU, Kampersrus, near Hoedspruit. 24°30’S 30°53’E, 10.xi.2005 547m, W. Breytenbach, Collected using a light trap (1 ex., SANC); South Africa Kwa Zulu, Mseleni, Miss. 27.23S 32.32E, XI.1982 P. Reavell (1 ex., SANC); Helio, 19°03’S., 16°29’E., Etosha Nat. Park, 14 Feb.–23 Mar. 1987, Pres. pitfall traps, E. Griffin, Gyponix sp., det., R. Oberprieler 198 (1 ex., SANC); Tang. Terr., Ukerewe I., Father Conrad (1 ex., BMNH); 4.XI. UNREADABLE, 1585, Tanganyka (Conrads), infranigra n sp, (1 ex., MNHN).

Length: 8.6mm – 13.5mm (12 specimens).

Head: Black-brown to black; diffusely and densely punctate.

Antennae: Reddish brown to black; not reaching base of pronotum when laid alongside; A4–A10 serrate. Pronotum: Dark reddish brown; dilated anteriorly, constricted towards base, with more or less six conspicuously elevations on disc and two elevations at base (in middle), finely and diffusely punctate; length:width ratio 1.59:1.

Scutellum: Red-brown to brown.

Elytra: Basal third to half reddish brown, each elytron with a whitish lateral spot in the basal third, remainder black with white transverse fasciae beyond middle spanning from lateral margins towards suture (but not reaching suture); diameter of punctures within basal half larger than interstices, punctures within fasciae small and sparsely distributed, punctures elongate behind fasciae; length:width ratio 2.23:1. Legs: Brown to black.

Lower surface: Head and prothorax dark brown, meso- and metathorax brown, abdomen dark brown to black.

Vestiture: With white to yellowish hairs.

Distribution: Ethiopia, Ivory Coast, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zimbabwe. Etymology: Named after Robert Beck (Munich); co-collector of the holotype and friend of the senior author. One paratype bares a hand-written label by Pic “infranigra n. sp.”, but was never made available through publication.