Prototrupes kochi (Paulian)

Gussmann S. M. & Scholtz, C. H., 2000, Systematic revision of endemic southern African genera of Bolboceratinae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea: Bolboceratidae), Journal of Natural History 34, pp. 1045-1123 : 1056-1058

Prototrupes kochi (Paulian)

(®gures 1a, d±k, m, 2a, 3, 24e)

Bolboceras kochi Paulian, 1952: 59 , ®gures 1±4.

Prototrupes kochi (Paulian) : Krikken, 1977a: 165 (Tax.).

Description

Body length. 16.4±25.5 mm.

Head. Clypeus with vertical incline from apex to well-developed and raised anterior transverse carina; anterior carina arcuate in frontal view, sometimes notched in the middle, and curving downward laterally to antero-latera l clypeal angles; lateral carina absent except for a lateral carinate horn above posterior part of the mandibles. Frons anteriorly with median bituberculate or bihorned carina or pair of separate tubercles or horns in males and females (®gure 1a).

Pronotum (®gure 2a). Anterior two-®fths with four separate tubercles medially, topping steep, anterior declivity; with carinate protrusion antero-lateral to declivity; with two arcuate, carinate ridges between protrusion and postero-lateral pronotal angle; with dense punctation grading from ®ne punctures in posterior part to large, shallow punctures anteriad and towards sides; lateral margin distinctly crenulate.

Scutellum. Finely to moderately punctate.

Elytron. Striae weekly impressed, their punctures small and separated by two to ®ve puncture diameters; intervals with single punctation (approximately three to ®ve very ®ne punctures between two striae).

Legs. Protibia ®ve-, rarely six-dentate (®gure 2a). Protarsus with ®rst tarsomere always distinctly longer than ®fth tarsomere, and longer than tarsomeres 2, 3 and 4 together; tarsomeres 2±4 in dorsal view distinctly dilated apically. Mesotibia with dorsal side shaped as in ®gure 1k.

Distribution (®gure 3). The species occurs in the dunes of arid south-western Africa only. From our own collecting experience we attribute the lack of distributional records between 19ssS and 23ssS to be more than likely due to poor collecting, thus not indicating a true distributional gap.

Type material examined. LECTOTYPE l(here designated):`Oograbies [29.13S 17.08E], L. Namaquald., 30.viii.1950, C. Koch, G. van Son’/` Bolboceras kochi Paulian n.sp. ’ [probably handwriting van Son]/`Holotypus [printed] 1952, Bolboceras kochi sp.n. Paulian [handwriting EndroÈdy-Younga, curator TMSA] (TMSA); 22 PARALECTOTYPES: 17x, same data but` Paratypus [printed] 1952, Bolboceras kochi sp.n. Paulian [handwriting EndroÈdy-Younga] ’; 1x, same data but` Bolboceras kochi , n.sp. paratype [probably handwriting van Son] (MNHN); 3x,`Brandkaross [28.28S 16.40E], Richtersveld, 9.ix.1950, C. Koch, G. van Son’ /`Paratypus [printed] 1952, Bolboceras kochi sp.n. Paulian [hand-written EndroÈdy-Younga]’ (TMSA); 1x,`Holgat [28.56S 16,47E], NW C.P., 28.xi.1948, Koch & van Son’/`Paratypus [printed] 1952, Bolboceras kochi sp.n. Paulian [handwriting EndroÈdy-Younga]’ (TMSA).

Additional material examined (107 specimens). Namibia: 9x, Kaokoveld, Kunene R., W. Hartmannberg , 17.12S 12.10E, 7.iv.1984, E-Y:2098, at light, leg. EndroÈdy-Younga ( TMSA) ; 2x, Kaokoveld, Munitum riv., at park, 18.10S 12.13E, 10.iv.1984, E-Y:2114, sandbl. hill, night, leg. EndroÈdy-Younga ( TMSA) ; 1x, Gobabeb , 70 m SE of Walvis Bay [23.34S 15.03E] ( TMSA) ; 1x, Gobabeb , 13.iii.1979, B. Wharton ( HAHC) ; 2x, Gobabeb, Namib Naukluft Park, 23.34S 15.03, 14.vi.1989, M. Nel, light trap in Kuiseb River ( SMWN) ; 1x, Namib, Tsondab vlei, 23.59S 15.26E, 12.i.1975, E-Y: 537, singled at night, leg. EndroÈdy-Younga ( TMSA) ; 1x, Namib Desert Park, Sossusvlei , 24.42S 15.23E, 4± 5.vii.1979, S. Louw, M.-L. Penrith ( SMWN, H39215) ; 1x, Walvisbaai, Sossusvlei [24.42S 15.23E], 24.vi.1959 ( SMWN, H2758 ) ; 2x, MaltahoÈhe, Sesriem 137, SE 2415 Dc , 5± 8.iv.1972 ( SMWN, H7449 ) ; 1x, LuÈderitz, Awasib , dunes E., 25.15S 15.43E, 29± 30.i.1974 ( SMWN, H17183) ; 16x, LuÈderitz, Gorrasis 99, 25.19S 15.56E, 25± 31.i.1974 ( SMWN, H17023) ; 1x, MaltahoÈhe Distr., Wolwedans 144, SE 25 15 Bb , xi.1989 ± ii.1990, M. Paxton ( SMWN) ; 2x (UPSA), 2x (TMSA), Guinasibberg, SE 25 15 Bc 1, 4.vii.1976 ; 1x, N Guinasibberg, SE 25 15 Ba 3. 5.vii.1976 ( UPSA) ; 1x, Grasplatz , 26.41S 15.17E, 1.viii.1981, E-Y:1816, night, large dunes, leg. EndroÈdy-Younga ( TMSA) ; 1x, Gt. Namaquald., betw. Aus ± Kubub, SE 26 16 Cb , v.1953, C. Koch ( TMSA) ; 1x, S. Namib, Klinghardt Mt. , 27.18S 15.42E, 29.viii.1981, E-Y:1809, night, rocky hill, leg. EndroÈdy-Younga ( TMSA) ; 1x, same data but: 21.viii.1989, E-Y: 2658, hummocks, night, EndroÈdy & Klimaszewsky ( TMSA) ; 1x, Diamond Area 1, Klinghardt Mts., Sargdeckel , 27.20S 15.45E, 22± 25.x.1977, M.-L. Penrith, S.Louw ( SMWN, H34991) ; 2x, Diamond Area 1, Klinghardt Mts. , 27.21S 15.42E, 2± 4.x.1982, M.-L. Penrith, J. Irish ( SMWN, H54955) ; 5x, LuÈderitz Distr. , 10 km NW Rosh Pinah, 27.54S 16.42E, 13.viii.1990, C. Roberts, E. Marais ( SMWN) ; 1x, LuÈderitz , Obib Dunes E, 28.02S 16.37E, 16 ± 20.ix.1973 ( SMWN, H14394) ; 1x, Obib Dune , 54 m NE Oranjemund [ca 28.06S 16.38E], 19.xi.1962, H. D. Brown, W. FuÈrst ( TMSA) ; 1x, LuÈderitz, Rosh Pinah , 28.02S 16.50E, 14.ix.1973, at night ( SMWN, H14394) ; 1x, Nam., Gt. Namaquald., Daberas Dunes, SE 28 16 Bb , v.1953, C. Koch ( TMSA) ; 4x, S.Afr., SWA, Namib, Obib dunes, SE 28 16 Bb , 17.ix.1973, E-Y: 116, singled, dune, night, leg. EndroÈdy-Younga ( TMSA) ; 8x, Hohenfels , 28.30,34S 16.37,02E, 13± 14.xi.1992 ( UPSA) ; 2x, Hohenfels , 28.30,5S 16.37E, 1± 7.xi.1994, Scholtz, Chown, Klok ( UPSA) ; 6x, Diamond Area 1, Oranjemund , 28.33S 16.27E, 9± 11.ix.1980, S. Louw, M.-L. Penrith ( SMWN, H42567) ; 4x, Oranjemund [28.33S 16.27E], 10.ix.1980, Whitehead ( SAMC) . South Africa: 2x, C.P., Klinghardt , 2.x.1982, Whitehead ( SAMC) ; 1x, Richtersveld, Holgat camp, 28.56S 16.47E, 6.x.1976, E-Y: 1266, light collection, EndroÈdy-Younga & Breytenbach ( TMSA) ; 2x, Richtersveld, Annisfontein [28.25S 16.52E], 9.x.1974, H. D. Brown ( SANC) ; 3x, C.P., Jakkelsputs Dunes , 8.x.1980, Whitehead ( SAMC) ; 1x, C.P., Jakkalsputs, Namaqualand , 28.38S 18.54E, 9± 11.ix.1982, S.Louw ( BMSA, No. 8472) ; 1x, Richtersveld, Port Nolloth , 29.14S 16.57E, 4.x.1976, E-Y: 1258, on dunes (night), leg. EndroÈdy-Younga ( TMSA) ; 2x, Oograbies [29.13S 17.08E], L. Namaqualand, 30.viii.1950, C. Koch, G. van Son ( HAHC) ; 1, l S. Afr., Orange R., 20 km NE Alexander Bay [28.31S 16.37E], 24.viii.1989, W.Wittmer ( HAHC) ; 2x, C.P., Wallekraal , 24 km W of Hondeklip B., 30.23S 17.31E, 1.xii.1976, V. B. Whitehead, on red dunes, to light ( SAMC) ; 5x, Namaqu. Coast, Gemsbok Vlakte farm, 30.30S 17.29E, 31.viii.1977, E-Y: 1364, singled, dunes, night, leg. EndroÈdy-Younga ( TMSA) ; 3x, same data but: 28.x.1977, E-Y: 1399, singled on dune ( TMSA) ; 1x, In Renoster Mts [not traced] ( UPSA) .

Comments. Paulian (1952) stated that the type of Prototrupes kochi is deposited in TMSA and 22 paratypes are deposited in TMSA and MNHN. He referred to three diOEerent type localities. The holo- and paratype labels currently attached to specimens have been attached by curators in the respective collections as none of them bears Paulian’s handwriting. Most type specimens originate from a single series with identical locality data and it is impossible to determine which specimen Paulian intended to be the holotype. To further complicate matters, 24 specimens (22 in TMSA, one in SAMC, one in MNHN) are labelled as paratypes instead of 22 ( Paulian, 1952). We therefore decided to designate a lectotype and 22 paralectotypes while removing two`paratypes’ (one in TMSA, one in SAMC) from the type series.

An interesting variation of Prototrupes kochi was collected at Gobabeb, Namibia. The pronotum of two specimens has two transverse carinae medially, as in Prototrupes copridoides (Kolbe) , instead of four separate tubercles. The cephalic ornamentation, shape of eye-canthus, shape of the mesotibia and the apically dilated protarsal segments, however, place the specimens clearly with Prototrupes kochi . The transverse bituberculate clypeal carina is also unusually developed. It consists of a narrow, extremely long protuberance that is apically feebly bi®d.