Stegopterus paardebergi, Ricchiardi & Perissinotto & Strümpher, 2025

Ricchiardi, Enrico, Perissinotto, Renzo & Strümpher, Werner, 2025, Revision of the Western Cape endemic genus Stegopterus Burmeister & Schaum, 1840 (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Cetoniinae, Trichiini), African Invertebrates 66 (1), pp. 151-191 : 151-191

Stegopterus paardebergi sp. nov.

Fig. 14

Type material.

Holotype. South Africa – WCP • ♂; N end of Paardeberg ; 14 Aug. 1969; SAMC: SAM-COL-A 043588 .

Diagnosis.

Stegopterus paardebergi sp. nov. differs from S. suturalis , the closest species, by having the anterior corner of its clypeus shortly rounded (about 33 % of clypeal length) and the lateral margins mildly reborded and narrowing towards the base. Its antennal clubs are much longer than the total length of its clypeus (2.0 times). The shape of its parameres is peculiar (Fig. 14 F, G ).

Description.

Male (holotype). Measurements. Total length = 11.4 mm; maximum width = 5.6 mm. Body. Stocky, with melolonthinoid shape; black, with greenish metallic hue on head vertex, pronotum and legs; clypeus black, with metallic reddish-copper band along anterior margin; scutellum black, with reddish-copper metallic hue; antennae brownish and elytra testaceous, with sutural and juxtascutellar margins fringed with black band and greenish metallic hue in anterior half but dark testaceous posteriorly; humeral humbones prominent. Head. Clypeus wider than long (1.8 times), hollowed, covered with thick, rounded punctures and glabrous; vertex covered with long, scattered, testaceous setae; anterior margin of clypeus slightly retuse, almost straight, anterior corners shortly rounded; lateral margins mildly reborded and tapering towards base; antennal clubs much longer than clypeus (2.0 times), slightly arched. Pronotum. Wider than long, with maximum width posteriorly; covered with scattered, long, testaceous setae and with round, deep, very dense and large punctures. Scutellum. Covered with very dense to shagreened round punctures. Elytra. Testaceous, with apicosutural corner rounded and apical margin exhibiting dense, round punctures; discal striae effaced, with scattered large, round punctures, especially around scutellum; lateral declivity horizontally shagreened. Pygidium. Wider than long, surface tectiform, covered with very scattered, long, brown, flattened setae. Legs. Black, with green metallic hue; protibia externally bidentate with distal tooth elongate and rounded at apex; mesotibia strongly bent ventrally, with upper spur straight and lower slightly shorter; second metatarsal segment as long as first. Venter. Abdomen black, covered with very long, scattered, dark, testaceous and backward flattened setae.

Etymology.

The species name is a noun in apposition, which reflects the name of the locality (Paardeberg) where the holotype specimen was collected.

Distribution.

Although there is some reservation about the correct interpretation of the locality reported in the label of the holotype specimen of this species, it seems most likely that this is an inhabitant of the isolated Perdeberg peak, situated in the highly developed Boland region between the towns of Paarl and Malmesbury (Fig. 21 ).

Remarks.

The female is unknown and there is no available information on the biology / ecology of this species.

Figures

Figure 14. Stegopterus paardebergi sp. nov., holotype ♂ SAMC A dorsal habitus B lateral habitus C ventral habitus D head E pygidium F parameres, lateral view G parameres, frontal view H labels. Photographs: W. S. Scale bars: 2 mm (A – C); 1 mm (D, E); 0.5 mm (F, G).

Figure 21. Distribution map of Stegopterus species occurring in the Western Cape, South Africa.