Neoclita, Renzo Perissinotto, 2017

Renzo Perissinotto, 2017, Neoclita pringlei (Scarabaeidae, Cetoniinae), a new relict genus and species from the Drakensberg Range of South Africa, European Journal of Taxonomy 279, pp. 1-12 : 3-4

Genus Neoclita gen. nov.

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Type species

Neoclita pringlei gen. et sp. nov.

Diagnosis

The most unique features of Neoclita gen. nov. are its remarkably short clypeus and its extremely narrow and reduced mesometasternal process. Also unusual are the general oval shape of the body and the rather hexagonal anteroposteriad (male) to hemicircular (female) pronotal shape, which deviates substantially from the typical trapezoidal shape of the pronota found in the closely related genera ( Figs 1 , 3–4 ).

The new genus exhibits symplesiomorphic similarities with both Heteroclita and Ichnestoma . With Heteroclita , it shares the general shape of its clypeus, although this is much shorter and not bilobate in Neoclita gen. nov., the generally rounded elytra with weakly raised costae and a fully winged female. With Ichnestoma , Neoclita gen. nov. shares the unequivocal hypertrophy of its male tarsomeres, which are particularly elongated on the metalegs, and the presence of tomentose markings on elytra and pygidium ( Figs 1 , 4 ).

The aedeagal structure, however, does not refect any affnity to Ichnestoma and is also poorly comparable to that of Heteroclita . It is actually much closer to that of Meridioclita , by virtue of the expansion of the ventral lobes which are about twice as large as the dorsal ones ( Fig. 2 ). Finally, the drastically reduced setation on the dorsal body surface of Neoclita gen. nov. is an outlying character, which appears to relate this genus to some extent also to the more recent genera of the Goliathina (e.g., Hypselogenia Burmeister, 1842 ) and Coryphocerina (e.g., Lansbergia Ritsema, 1888 ).

Etymology

The name of the new genus arises from the latest discovery of another taxon in the “clita” grouping.

Key characters

1) Body moderately deplanate in male, with lateral margins smooth to rounded; general shape dorsally more convex and laterally more rounded in female.

2) Clypeus tranverse and unarmed in both sexes, smoothly rounded and concave, upturned but not bilobate; mouth parts atrophic.

3) Antennal clubs approximately twice as large in male as in female, but not hypertrophic.

4) Pronotum hexagonal to semicircular in shape, exhibiting few scattered and short setae at margins, but dense, fne round sculpture throughout; anterior angles very rounded, anterior margin remarkably wide and atuberculate; prescutellar arch poorly developed.

5) Scutellum triangular and sharply acuminated at apex, without lateral grooves.

6) Elytra with very slight posthumeral emargination; costae poorly raised in male and hardly discernible in female; female with fully developed wings.

7) Pygidium simple, without indentations and exhibiting scattered, short setae.

8) All tarsal segments extremely elongated in male, but of normal length in female.

9) Protibia tridentate, with extreme reduction of proximal tooth in male.

10) Meso- and metatibia with no or poorly developed outer carina and spines in male, but one prominent spine present on each in female.

11) Metatibial spurs moderately long and robust in male, but slender and short in female (no specialized fossorial adaptation).

12) Ventral surface with widespread setae, particularly dense on anterior prosternal margin, mentum and legs.

13) Mesometasternal process narrow, extremely reduced and smoothly rounded.

14) Aedeagus with dorsal parameral lobes narrower than ventral and exhibiting very scattered, short setae dorso-apically.

Figures

Fig. 1. Neoclita pringlei gen. et sp. nov., holotype, ♂, total length = 16.3 mm. A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Habitus, ventral view. (South Africa, Eastern Cape Province, Matatiele Nature Reserve, 6 Dec. 2008, R. Perissinotto and L. Clennell leg.)

Fig. 2. Neoclita pringlei gen. et sp. nov., holotype, ♂. A. Aedeagus, dorsal view. B. Aedeagus, lateral view. (South Africa, Eastern Cape Province, Matatiele Nature Reserve, 6 Dec. 2008, R. Perissinotto and L. Clennell leg.)

Fig. 3. Neoclita pringlei gen. et sp. nov., paratype, ♀, total length = 16.8 mm. A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Habitus, ventral view. (South Africa, Eastern Cape Province, Matatiele Nature Reserve, 6 Dec. 2008, R. Perissinotto and L. Clennell leg.)

Fig. 4. Neoclita pringlei gen. et sp. nov., ♂, specimen in its natural habitat (photo: Lynette Clennell, Matatiele, 6 Dec. 2018).