Coptorhina davidi Janssens, 1939

Frolov, Andrey V., Akhmetova, Lilia A. & Scholtz, Clarke H., 2008, Revision of the obligate mushroom-feeding African ‘‘ dung beetle’ ’ genus Coptorhina Hope (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae), Journal of Natural History 42 (21 - 24), pp. 1477-1508 : 1498-1500

Coptorhina davidi Janssens

( Figures 13G , 19 )

Coptorhina davidi Janssens, 1939:35 , 38; Ferreira, 1972:357.

Type material examined

Holotype with labels ‘‘Coll. R.I.Sc.N.B. Congo Belge Katanga Ankoro 7.I-1939 Dr David’’, ‘‘A Janssens det., 1939: Coptorhina Davidi nsp. Type’’, ‘‘Type’’ ( IRSNB). 11 paratypes: 1 spm. with labels ‘‘Paratypus’’, ‘‘ Paratype C. Davidi’’, ‘‘Musee du Congo belge Kundelungu 9-22. XII.1910 ’’, ‘‘R. DÉT. 432’’, ‘‘Paratype’’, ‘‘438’’, ‘‘ optata Pér. ’’, ‘‘A. Janssens det., 1939: Coptorhina Davidi n. sp. ’’, ‘‘R. DÉT. L 3943’’ ( MRAC). 1 spm. with labels ‘‘Paratypus’’, ‘‘ Paratype C. Davidi’’, ‘‘Musee du Congo Dr Sheffield Neave MADONA-BANG-WEOLO XII.07’’, ‘‘R. DÉT. 264’’, ‘‘Paratype’’, ‘‘A. Janssens det., 1939: Coptorhina Davidi n. sp. ’’, ‘‘R. DÉT. M 3943’’ ( MRAC). 5 spm. with labels ‘‘Coll. R.I.Sc.N.B. Zambia Dr Sheffield Neave MPIKA XII. 07’’, ‘‘A. Janssens det., 1939: Coptorhina Davidi n. sp. ’’, ‘‘Paratype’’ ( IRSNB); 3 of them with additional labels ‘‘R. DÉT. 264’’, ‘‘A. Janssens det., 1939: Coptorhina Davidi n. sp. ’’, ‘‘R. DÉT. M 3943’’; 1 spm. with additional label ‘‘ Coptorhina auspicata Per. Det. J.J.E. Gillet’’. 4 spm. with labels ‘‘Coll. R.I.Sc.N.B. Zambia Dr Sheffield Neave MPIKA I.08’’, ‘‘C. J. Arrow det. Coptorhina auspicata Pér. ’’, ‘‘A. Janssens det., 1939: Coptorhina Davidi n. sp. ’’, ‘‘Paratype’’ ( IRSNB); three of them with additional label ‘‘J.J. Gillet det., vend.: Coptorhina auspicata Pering R.M.H.N. Belg. 10.640’’.

Additional material examined

Tanzania: 1 spm. ( NMPC) . Democratic Republic of Congo: Katanga [09 ° 419 S 23 ° 449 E], November 1937, F.G. Overlaet leg. 1 spm. ( IRSNB) . Zambia: N’Changa [12 ° 319 S 27 ° 529 E], December 1930, C.T. Macnamara leg. 1 „ ( TMSA); Serenje District [13 ° 149 S 30 ° 149 E], 19–22 December 1907, 4500 ft, Neave leg. 1 „ ( BMNH) ; 23–26 December 1907, 4500 ft, 1 spm. ( BMNH) ; N of Broken Hill, Kashitu [14 ° 269 S 28 ° 279 E], December 1914, H.C. Dollman leg. 1 spm. ( SANC) , 1 spm. ( BMNH).

Diagnosis

This species is most similar to C. klugii and C. angolensis but differs from them in the sculpture of the pronotum: disc basad of transverse carina densely punctate, sometimes rugose, even in larger specimens; transverse carina with two distinct medial tubercles and two indistinct or absent lateral ones ( Figure 8 ). From other species it differs in having narrow lateral borders of the pronotum and evenly rounded lateral sides of the pronotum.

Description

Strongly convex, black to dark-brown, subopaque beetle. Body length 10.2– 17.0 mm, width 7.0–11.0 mm. Dorsal surface without visible setae.

Head. Clypeus with protruding anterior angles separated by deep sinuation ( Figure 8 ). Sinuation right-angled to broadly rounded. Protruding angles acute to narrowly rounded apically, with short longitudinal carinae on the upper side. Genae obtusely rounded. Genal sutures feebly distinct. Lateral margins of clypeus sinuate near genal sutures in some individuals. Frontal suture feebly visible, broadly interrupted in the middle. Head very densely and evenly punctuate, punctures sometimes adjacent and sculpture appears rugose. Antennal club dark-brown.

Pronotum. Trapezoidal, two times wider than long. Anterior margin and base not bordered. Sides more or less evenly rounded. Lateral border relatively narrow, evenly tapering basally and apically. Pronotum divided into larger anterior part and smaller posterior part by a transverse carina ( Figure 8 ). The carina is more developed in larger specimens where it has two distinct medial tubercles and two indistinct or absent lateral ones ( Figure 8 ). Anterior part of pronotum rugose to granulate, excavated laterally in larger specimens. Posterior part in specimens with well developed carina densely punctate to rugose.

Elytra. Striae fine but distinct, punctate (punctures separated by 3–4 puncture diameter). Intervals flat, very densely punctuate, punctures separated by about 1 puncture diameter, sometimes almost adjacent; their margins sometimes indistinct especially in apical part.

Underside. Pygidium with fine border, its disc densely punctate. Abdominal and thoracic sternites coarsely punctate except for disc of metasternum which is very sparsely to almost indistinctly punctuate.

Aedeagus. Parameres with widely rounded apices in lateral view.

Variability

Except for the body size variability the beetles differ in shape and sculpture of pronotum. Smaller specimens have less developed transverse pronotal carina and little excavated anterolateral sides of pronotum.

Distribution

The species is distributed west and north of Tanganyika Lake ( Figure 19 ). It is known from a few localities in Zambia and Democratic Republic of Congo and from an unknown locality in Tanzania.

Figures

Figure 19. Coptorhina spp., distribution map.

Figures 9–14. Coptorhina spp. 9, wing; 10–11, aedeagus in dorsal and lateral view; 12, internal sac of aedeagus; 13, internal sac sclerite arrowed in Figure 12; 14, abdomen in lateral view (14A, female, 14B, male). 9, 10, 12, 13C–E, 14, C. auspicata (13C, lectotype, Enkeldoorn, Zimbabwe, 13D, Cinergy Game farm, RSA, 13E, Shesheke, Zambia); 11, 13I–J, C. nitidipennis (13I, Cinergy Game farm, RSA, 13J, paratype, ‘‘Caffraria’’); 13A–B, C. excavata sp. n. (13A, holotype, 13B, paratype, Mamathes, Lesotho); 13F, C. klugii, Blouberg, RSA; 13G, C. davidi, paratype, Mpika, Congo; 13H, C. nitefacta, holotype, Bura, Kenya. 9, 13 and 14 are not to scale.

Figures 1–8. Coptorhina spp. 1, lateral view of body; 2–6, head and pronotum in dorsal view; 7–8, pronotum in dorsal view. 1–2, C. auspicata; 3, C. nitidipennis; 4, C. excavata sp. n; 5, C. nitefacta; 6, C. klugii; 7, C. angolensis; 8, C. davidi. Figures are not to scale.