Ammoecius incultus ( PETROVITZ, 1961 ) DellacaSa & DellacaSa, 2002

DellacaSa, M. & DellacaSa, G., 2002, Systematic Redefinition Of Taxa Belonging To The Genera Ahermodontus Báguena, 1930 And Ammoecius Mulsant, 1842, With Description Of The New Genus Vladimirellus (Coleoptera: Aphodiidae), Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 48 (4), pp. 269-316 : 300-302

Ammoecius incultus ( PETROVITZ, 1961) , comb. n.

( Figs 93–96 )

Aphodius (Ammoecius) incultus PETROVITZ, 1961: 349 ; PETROVITZ 1964: 188; ENDRŐDI 1978: 180 (as synonym of lugubris ); ENDRŐDI & RAKOVIČ 1981: 42 (as synonym of lugubris ); DELLACASA M. 1988: 143.

Type locality: “Südafrika: zwischen Middleburg and Cradock”. [ South Africa.]

Type depository: Naturhistorisches Museum, Basel.

Description – Length 3.0– 3.5 mm. Oblong-oval, convex, shiny, glabrous ( Fig. 96 ). Piceousblackish, clypeal margin and sometimes anterior margin of pronotum and elytra brown-reddish; legs brown-reddish; antennal club dark testaceous. Head with cupuliform epistoma simply, finely and sparselypuncturedtothestrong,sharplyraisedandlaterallywidenedanteriorcarinainfrontofwhich the punctation is finely and sparsely granulo-rugose; epistomal disc relatively more sparsely punctured; clypeus deeply triangularly sinuate at middle, subdenticulate at sides, latter finely bordered and broadly rounded; genae obtusely rounded, elongately ciliate, feebly protruding more than eyes; frontal suture distinctly impressed; frons finely and very sparsely punctured; epipharynx: Fig. 93 . Pronotum transverse, strongly convex, simply, sparsely and suregularly punctured, punctation on disc somewhat coarser than that on head, faintly denser on sides; latter feebly curved, rather thinly bordered, with maximum width after half; hind angles rounded; base slightly bisinuate, distinctly bordered. Scutellum almost regularly triangular, at base as wide as two first elytral interstices, smooth. Elytra regularly oval, strongly convex, faintly denticulate at shoulder; striae fine and feebly crenulate on disc, widened and superficially punctured preapically; interstices flat, finely and sparsely punctured on disc, feebly convex and almost imperceptibly punctured on preapical declivity. Middle tibiae with inferior apical spur elongate and regularly acuminate toward apex in both sexes. Hind tibiae with superior apical spur nearly as long as first tarsal segment; latter as long as following three combined. Male: metasternal plate relatively more distinctly excavate; aedeagus: Figs 94–95 . Female: metasternal plate nearly flat.

Distribution: South Africa (Western Cape Province)

4.0 mm, South Africa: Cap of Good Hope)

Remarks – This species was keyed by PETROVITZ (1964: 188) in the couplet including Ammoecius lugubris . ENDRŐDI (1978:180) establishedthesynonymyof A. incultus under A. lugubris without giving any justification for the nomenclatorial act. ENDRŐDI & RAKOVIČ (1981: 42) followed this interpretation. All of this seems to be the consequence of HAROLD’ s misinterpretation of the taxa. Based on the study of a paratype of A. incultus preserved in the Geneva Museum by P. BORDAT, we are able to restore it as bona species.

Figures

Figs 85–95. Epipharynx (85, 89, 93), apex of corypha (lateral view) (86, 90) and aedeagus (dorsal and lateral view) (87–88, 91–92, 94–95) of: 85–88 = Ammoecius franzi (PETROVITZ, 1964), 89–92 = A. numidicus MULSANT, 1851, 93–95 = A. incultus (PETROVITZ, 1961)

Figs 96–99. Habitus of: 96 = Ammoecius incultus (PETROVITZ, 1961) (male, length 3.0 mm, South Africa: S. W. Cape, Gansbaa 10 km NE), 97 = A. terminatus HAROLD, 1869 (male, length 3.5 mm, South Africa: S. W. Cape, Brackfontein farm), 98 = A. mimus (PÉRINGUEY, 1901) (male, length 4.5 mm, South Africa: Cape, Karroo, Olifantsulei farm), 99 = A. lugubris BOHEMAN, 1857 (male, length