Epirinus pseudorelictus Deschodt & Davis, 2019

Deschodt, Christian M., Davis, Adrian L. V. & Daniel, Gimo M., 2019, The endemic Southern African genus Epirinus Dejean, 1833 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) revisited: five new species and two new synonyms, Zootaxa 4603 (2), pp. 327-340 : 333-334

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4603.2.6
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:F35B190E-FC03-4329-8B1F-F2E7D819CC62
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/EF427CA9-9C64-435D-814E-144FE0F04C44
taxon LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:act:EF427CA9-9C64-435D-814E-144FE0F04C44
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Epirinus pseudorelictus Deschodt & Davis
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Epirinus pseudorelictus Deschodt & Davis View in CoL , new species

Figs. 1C View FIGURE 1 , 3D View FIGURE 3 , 5 View FIGURE 5 .

Type material: Holotype. Male: S. Afr.: Transkei | Magwa, Fraser gorge | 31.24 S – 29.42 E || 28.11.1988; E- Y:2589 | groundtraps, 11days | leg Endrödy-Younga || groundtrap with faeces bait || EPIRINUS | relictus | Scholtz & Howden | det. C.A.Medina 2002 ( TMSA) GoogleMaps . Paratypes. 4 females: S. Afr.: S Natal Weza | Impetyenegrassveld | 30.37 S - 29.42 E || 16.11.1989, E-Y:2678 | groundtraps, 12days | leg Endrödy [-Younga] & Klimaszew [ski] || groundtrap with faeces bait || EPIRINUS | relictus | Scholtz & Howden | det. C.A.Medina 2002 ( TMSA) GoogleMaps .

Description of holotype, male. Body: 4.1 x 5.6 mm (length with head extended x maximum width) Small and somewhat flattened. Head: Clypeal teeth small, pointing upwards and separated by a rounded indentation about equal to the length of the teeth; frontal suture effaced; clypeal surface shagreened, also densely and irregularly punctate with irregular short brown setae; eyes narrowing posteriorly; antennae dark.

Pronotum: Surface shagreened with irregularly placed, brown, forward curving setae which are longer than the combined length of two punctures; densely punctate with round punctures, punctures almost touching; shallow medial depression, no lateral foveae.

Elytra: Striae distinct, punctate with clear double margins; interstriae shagreened with no punctures or granules and single recurved brown seta; setae on sutural interval in single row but in irregular double rows from second interval.

Pygidium: Shagreened, small punctures and two horizontal costae with short irregular brown setae.

Venter: Ventrites with short setae and single or double irregular rows of punctures; metaventrite rugose, punctures small, about two to three puncture diameters apart; mesoventrite shagreened with small punctures and associated short brown setae.

Male genitalia: Asymmetrical ( Fig. 3D View FIGURE 3 ).

Etymology: The close affinity of this new species with E. relictus Scholtz & Howden, 1987 is reflected in the specific name.

Diagnosis: This species is very similar to E. relictus . Epirinus pseudorelictus new species can be readily separated by being much smaller, its pronotal setae that are equal or longer than one puncture diameter. In E. relictus , the pronotal setae are close to equal or shorter than one puncture diameter.

Remarks: The fifth ventrite in males is wider than in females.

Distribution, ecology, conservation status, and potential threats: As this species is known from only two unprotected localities in the Grassland and Savanna biomes of the Eastern Cape, it is impossible to determine its extent of occurrence. Given the limited distribution data, E. pseudorelictus new species is, therefore, assessed as data deficient (DD). No potential threats are currently identified.