Cerhomalus absconditus ( Petrovitz, 1971 ) Frolov & Akhmetova, 2021

Frolov, Andrey V. & Akhmetova, Lilia A., 2021, Taxonomic revision of the Afrotropical scarab beetle genus Cerhomalus Quedenfeldt, 1884 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Orphninae), European Journal of Taxonomy 739 (1), pp. 36-50 : 40-42

Cerhomalus absconditus ( Petrovitz, 1971) comb. nov.

Figs 2 , 5A , 6

Orphnus (Cerhomalus) absconditus Petrovitz, 1971: 3 .

Differential diagnosis

Cerhomalus absconditus can be easily separated from congeners by having the apices of the parameres rounded (in apical view), without semi-circular excavations ( Fig. 2G, J ) and without keels or fossae on ventral side ( Fig. 2K ), and the base of elytra with somewhat tile-shaped punctures ( Fig. 2 A–B).

Material examined

Holotype DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO • ♂; “COLL. MUS. CONGO Tshuapa: Yokamba /1953 J. Stevenard / HOLOTYPUS / O. (Cerhomalus) absconditus n.sp. Petrovitz”; RMCA.

Paratypes DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO • 1 ♀ “COLL. MUS. CONGO Kasai: Ipamu -1937 R. Soeur Imelda / PARATYPUS / O. (Cerhomalus) absconditus n.sp. Petrovitz”; RMCA • 5 ♀♀; “COLL. MUS. CONGO Kwango : Djuma 1953 /R.P.G. Leta/ PARATYPUS / O. (Cerhomalus) absconditus n.sp. Petrovitz / coll. Petrovitz ”; RMCA • 1 ♂; “COLL. MUS. CONGO Lulua : Kapanga – XI-1933 F.G. Overlaet / PARATYPUS / O. (Cerhomalus) absconditus n.sp. Petrovitz”; RMCA • 1 ♂; “MUS. ROY. AFR. CENTR. Kasai : terr. Dekese I.1960 F. Francois / PARATYPUS / O. (Cerhomalus) absconditus n.sp. Petrovitz”; RMCA • 1 ♀; “MUSEE DU CONGO Kasai : Don de la Cie du Kasai / PARATYPUS / R. DET. 1939 F / O. (Cerhomalus) absconditus n.sp. Petrovitz”; RMCA • 1 ♂; “MUSEE DU CONGO Kasai : Ipamu - VIII -1922 P. Vanderijst / PARATYPUS / R. DET. 1939 F / O. (Cerhomalus) absconditus n.sp. Petrovitz”; RMCA • 2 ♂♂; “Musee du Congo Kinda ( Katanga ) 1927 (Don M. Muller.) / Kinda Katanga 1926 Congo / O. (Cerhomalus) absconditus n.sp. Petrovitz / PARATYPUS / R. DET. 1939 F / 139”; MHNG • 1 ♀; “MUSEE DU CONGO Murlambongo (Idiofa) - 1930 (Les Soeurs de la Mission) / PARATYPUS / O. (Cerhomalus) absconditus n.sp. Petrovitz”; RMCA • 1 ♂; “Musee du Congo Sankuru: Komi (Lodja) 27-I-1930 J. Ghesquiere / R. DET 1939 F / Cerhomalus mechowi Qued. / O. (Cerhomalus) absconditus n.sp. Petrovitz / PARATYPUS ”; RMCA • 1 ♂; “COLL. MUS. CONGO Sankuru : Katako-Kombe VIII - 1952 Dr M. Fontaine / O. (Cerhomalus) absconditus n.sp. Petrovitz / PARATYPUS / PARATYPUS”; MCSNG • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; “COLL. MUS. CONGO Tshuapa: Ikela 1956 R. Deguide / PARATYPUS / O. (Cerhomalus) absconditus n. sp. Petrovitz”; RMCA • 1 ♀; “COLL. MUS. CONGO Tshuapa : Ikela 1956 R.P. Lootens / PARATYPUS / O. (Cerhomalus) absconditus n. sp. Petrovitz”; RMCA • 1 ♀; “COLL. MUS. CONGO Tshuapa : Bosekele VI-1952 J. Van Vynckt / O. (Cerhomalus) absconditus n.sp. Petrovitz / PARATYPUS ”; RMCA • 1 ♀; “COLL. MUS. CONGO Tshuapa : Yokamba /1953 J. Stevenard / ALLOTYPUS / O. (Cerhomalus) absconditus n.sp. Petrovitz”; RMCA • 1 ♂; “COLL. MUS. CONGO Terr. de Dibaya Kamponde 1945 Rev. Fr. ALLAER 1945 / PARATYPUS / O. (Cerhomalus) absconditus n. sp. Petrovitz”; RMCA • 1 ♀; “COLL. MUS. CONGO Katoka-Luluabourg / -1938 R. P. VANKERCKHOVEN / PARATYPUS / O. (Cerhomalus) absconditus n.sp. Petrovitz / coll. Petrovitz ”; RMCA • 1 ♂; “MUSEE DU CONGO Luebo - III-1931. 1 ex. J.P. Colin / O. (Cerhomalus) absconditus n.sp. Petrovitz / PARATYPUS”; RMCA .

Other material

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO • 1 ♀; Équateur , Tshuapa , Etata ; Aug.–Sep. 1969; J. Hauwaert leg.; RMCA .

ANGOLA • 1 ♂, 3 ♀♀; Bié, Catabola ; 15–27 Sep. 2012; T. Lackner leg.; BMNH • 4 ♀♀; Lunda Norte, Andrada ; 7°41′ S, 21°17′ E; Aug.–Sep. 1952; M. Fetchkowsky leg.; RMCA • 2 ♀♀; Dundo ; Sep. 1948; Machado leg.; RMCA • 1 ♂; Cuando Cubango Province, N of Menongue City; 1600 m a.s.l.; 22 Nov. 2019; S. Dementev leg.; SDCMR .

CAMEROON • 1 ♂; 1912; BMNH .

Distribution

This is the most widely distributed species of the genus. The majority of records are from the Congo basin, but the species occurs up to Cameroon in the north (no precise locality is recorded) and to the Ancient Plateau in Angola in the south ( Fig. 6 ).

Figures

Fig. 2. Cerhomalus absconditus (Petrovitz, 1971). A, C, E–G. Holotype, ♂ (RMCA). B, D. Paratype, ♀ (RMCA). H–K. Male specimen from Andrada, Angola. A–B. Habitus in dorsal view. C, D. Labels. E, H. Aedeagus in lateral view. F, I. Parameres in dorsal view.G, J. Parameres in apical view. K. Parameres in ventral view. Scale bars = 1.0 mm.

Fig. 5. Cerhomalus spp., scheme of aedeagus in lateral view and parameres in ventral view. A. C. absconditus (Petrovitz, 1971). B. C. mechowi Quedenfeldt, 1884. C. C. petrovitzi sp. nov. D. C. quedenfeldti sp. nov. Abbreviation: va. phlb. sc. = ventroapical phallobase sclerite. Not to scale.

Fig. 6. Cerhomalus spp., distributional record map.