Upsa centennial Deschodt, Sole & Scholtz, 2020

Deschodt, Christian M., Sole, Catherine L. & Scholtz, Clarke H., 2020, Upsa centennial, a new genus and species (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae: Endroedyolini) from the Southern Mistbelt forest in South Africa celebrating 100 years of entomology at the University of Pretoria, Zootaxa 4728 (3), pp. 357-362 : 359-361

Upsa centennial Deschodt, Sole & Scholtz , new species

( Figs. 1 , 2A, C , E–G)

Type material. Holotype ♂: “ S.Afr;SE. Cape Prov. | Alexandria For.St. | 33[°].43[ʹ] S–26[°].23[ʹ] E || 5.12.1987;E- Y:2553 | groundtraps, 2 days | leg. Endrödy-Younga || groundtrap with | faeces bait” ( TMSA).

Additional notes from Endrödy-Younga’s field diary: “old indig.[enous] for.[est] on sand. Very dry cond.[itions].”

Description of the holotype, male. Body: 2.3 (maximum length with head extended) x 1.7 mm (maximum width over elytra).

Head. Clypeus bidentate, with genae slightly protruding anteriorly to form two small denticles next to each denticle; teeth separated by almost two times their length; surface punctate with punctures close together; genal suture straight forming obtuse angle with frontoclypeal suture; frontoclypeal suture medially incomplete.

Pronotum. Surface covered with small punctures, punctures sometimes bearing setae, close together; setae light brown, recurved; lateral edges somewhat explanate.

Elytra. Striae with punctures separated by about two puncture widths, punctures slightly larger than width of striae; interstriae with single rows of setiferous punctures with short recurved setae, punctures separated by up to eight puncture widths.

Meso- and metasterna. Meso- and metasterna fused, mesometasternal suture evenly curved; mesosternum punctate, medial area with fewer punctures, mesosternum about eight puncture widths wide medially; metasternum with slightly smaller punctures that are separated by about two puncture widths ( Fig. 2C ).

Pygidium. Indistinctly punctate with small closely arranged punctures ( Fig. 2F ).

Foretibia. Narrow at base and widening to two times the basal width at the first denticle; outside margin crenulate in basal half with three denticles in distal half; end of foretibia blunt with a downward pointing spur.

Aedeagus. Parameres symmetrical with terminal area flattened, similar to other Endroedyolini species.

Etymology. This new species celebrates a century of entomology at the University of Pretoria.

Remarks. The new genus occurs within the Southern Mistbelt group that consists of three different forest types as defined by Von Maltitz et al. (2003). One of these forest types comprises the Albany Coastal Mistbelt forest consisting of five isolated forest patches. These patches often cover undulating coastal plains and include Alexandria Forest ( Von Maltitz et al. 2003). Although it receives less rain than most of the other forest types ( Mucina & Rutherford 2006), rain can be expected any time of the year. This forest is protected within the Addo National Park boundaries.

The main forest patch of Alexandria forest is 78 km 2 ( Mucina & Rutherford 2006) and there are four other forest patches of the same type that this species may possibly inhabit. On the basis of current knowledge this new species should be assessed as endangered B2ac(iv)—see IUCN Standards and Petitions Subcommittee (2014) for an explanation of the criteria.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Map showing the distribution of all the known Endroedyolini species with the type locality of Upsa centennial Deschodt, Sole & Scholtz, new species in Alexandria forest. All the forests in South Africa (Mucina & Rutherford 2006) are marked in green on the main map and major cities indicated with black circles.

FIGURE 2. Holotype of Upsa centennial Deschodt, Sole & Scholtz, new species (A, C, E–G) and Outenikwanus tomentosus Scholtz & Howden, 1987 (B, D). A, B, habitus, dorsal view; C, D, line diagram of the meso- and metasternum; E, aedeagus, dorsal view; F, pygidium; G, labels. Scale bar = 1.0 mm for 2A–D and 0.5 mm for 2E, F.