Mesoceration splendorum Perkins & Balfour-Browne, 1994

Bilton, David T., 2015, New species and new records of Mesoceration Janssens, 1967 from South Africa (Coleoptera, Hydraenidae), Zootaxa 3972 (4), pp. 495-520 : 515

Mesoceration splendorum Perkins & Balfour-Browne, 1994

A relatively widespread species known from Mpumalanga Province in northeastern South Africa, around the edge of the Great Escarpment and Cape Fold mountains, to the Cederberg in the Western Cape ( Perkins 2008; Bilton 2014a). I can add the following records: 20/ix/2009 Western Cape, Dieprivier on R339 S of Smaldeel, ca. 10 km S of Prince Alfred’s Pass— 1 ♂; 20/ix/2009 Western Cape, stream beside R 339 in Prince Alfred’s Pass ca. 10 km S of Avontuur—abundant; 24/ix/2009 Western Cape, Groote Swartberg, stream on R328 2 km N of De Top, on N side of pass, 1,700m— 1 ♂; 24/ix/2009 Western Cape, Groote Swartberg, Dorpsrivier ca. 12 km S of Prince Albertabundant; 23/ix/2011 Western Cape, Cederberg, seepages over exposed rock, 1,200 m, below Wolfberg Arch, beside Matjiesrivier-Wupperthal road— 1 ♂, 1 ♀; 1/x/2013 Western Cape, Cederberg, pools in temporary stream behind Cederberg Oasis—abundant; 1/i/2014 Western Cape, Groote Swartberg, river at Gamkaskloof—abundant; 1/i/2014 Western Cape, Groote Swartberg, permanent stream below Kangoberg on Gamkaskloof road ( Fig. 6 C)— abundant; 2/i/2014 Western Cape, Groote Swartberg, first stream on N side of Swartberg Pass—abundant; 4/i/2014 Western Cape, Langeberg, Marloth Reserve, Duiwels Bos, stream in Afrotemperate forest—abundant.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Habitats of Mesoceration species in South Africa. A) Western Cape, Matsikammaberg, permanent stream 1 km SE of Sewefontein farm— M. foggoi sp. nov., M. sewefonteinense sp. nov., M. umbrosum; B) Western Cape, False Bay, small stream on R 44 road below Boskloof Peak— M. sinclairi sp. nov., M. brevigranum; C) Western Cape, Groote Swartberg, permanent stream below Kangoberg on Gamkaskloof road— M. barriotum, M. littlekarroo, M. reticulatum, M. splendorum; D) Western Cape, Table Mountain National Park, Table Mountain, stream in Echo Valley— M. abstrictum, M. tabulare. Photos D. T. Bilton.