Anthia circumscripta Klug, 1853

Mawdsley, Jonathan R., Erwin, Terry L., Sithole, Hendrik, Mawdsley, James L. & Mawdsley, Alice S., 2011, The genus Anthia Weber in the Republic of South Africa, Identification, distribution, biogeography, and behavior (Coleoptera, Carabidae), ZooKeys 143, pp. 47-81 : 58-59

Anthia circumscripta Klug, 1853 Figures 23-27, 313539

Anthia circumscripta Klug (1853:245).

Type Locality.

“Tette” (= Tete, Mozambique).

Type Depository.

Anthia circumscripta , Museum für Naturkunde, Humboldt-Universität, Berlin.

Diagnosis.

Unrubbed specimens have scattered areas of white setae on the lateral flanges of the pronotum, which is a diagnostic feature for this species. Rubbed specimens resemble Anthia cinctipennis but males can be separated by the structure of the male genitalia which are slender in Anthia cinctipennis and stouter and more robust in Anthia circumscripta (Figures 30, 31). This species is known from relatively few specimens from RSA; however, it is represented in museum collections by large series from Botswana and Namibia, where it is evidently more frequently collected.

Description.

Body size massive, length of male 41.3-48.0 mm (exclusive of mandibles), length of female 42.6-50.4 mm.

Head elongate, prognathous. Mandibles larger in males than in females. Length of right mandible in male 7.4-8.6 mm. Palpi as in Anthia maxillosa . Antennae, eyes, frons, and vertex as in Anthia thoracica .

Pronotum cordiform, shape as in Anthia cinctipennis except that the basal flanges in male are often much smaller; apical margin of flanges transverse, with distinct emargination at apex of both flanges. Lateral flanges of pronotum with a more-or-less distinct patch of scattered short white reclinate setae. Pronotal surface sculpture smooth and shining, markedly punctate with large round punctures. Scutellum as in Anthia thoracica . Elytra elliptical-oval, convex medially. Vestiture as in Anthia thoracica . Each elytron with 8 distinct longitudinal striate interneurs, which may be feebly to somewhat markedly impressed; each interneur with a row of small round punctures, remainder of surface with scattered small round punctures. Legs as in Anthia maxillosa , mesotibiae modified in both sexes as described for Anthia cinctipennis .

Abdomen as in Anthia thoracica . Male aedeagus stout, robust (Figure 31).

Variation.

Males exhibit considerable variation in the size and length of mandibles and in the size of the basal flange on the pronotum (Figures 23-25). Females also exhibit some variability in overall body size (Figures 26-27).

Adult activity patterns.

Distinctly bimodal (Figure 39), with populations from the Namib and Kalahari deserts having a July activity peak while populations from eastern Botswana, Zimbabwe and the few RSA records have an activity peak in November-March. Figure 39 shows records from throughout southern Africa, since only a very few specimens from RSA were available for study.

Material Examined.

2 pinned adult specimens from the following localities: Republic of South Africa: Free State Province: Golden Gate. KwaZulu-Natal Province: Maritzburg. [Additional material was examined from Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe].