Galepsus (Syngalepsus) beieri Kaltenbach, 1996

Moulin, Nicolas, 2018, A revision of Syngalepsus Beier, with the description of two new species from the Central African Republic and Malawi (Mantodea, Tarachodidae), ZooKeys 802, pp. 121-143 : 129-131

Galepsus (Syngalepsus) beieri Kaltenbach, 1996 Figures 2A, 6I, 7I, 8

Galepsus (Syngalepsus) beieri : Kaltenbach 1996: 233; Ehrmann 2002: 154; Otte and Spearman, 2005: 336.

Holotype.

Male deposited in ZMAN Amsterdam. Type locality: Lake St. Lucia, False Bay, Natal, South Africa. Paratype: Male deposited in NHM Wien.

Material examined.

1 male. South Africa, Mpumalanga, Blyde River Canyon, Swadini Resort, 24°30'54.7"S, 30°48'8.64"E, 600 m, 18.XI.2017 (SA17-05 field code), Decaëns T. & Rougerie R. leg., genitalia prep. Moulin NM200 (RCNM).

Diagnosis.

Galepsus (S.) beieri is very similar to Galepsus (S.) bipunctatus and G. (S.) birkenmeirae . G. (S.) beieri is distinguished from G. (S.) birkenmeirae and G. (S.) denigratus by the presence of two black spots on prosternum. Kaltenbach, in 1996, speaks of not blackened pronotum in ‘Differentialdiagnose’ but he confuses with the prosternum. Right phallomere with a process on the main posterior lobe; ventral plate (pia) with a tooth turned to the right at the apex; Left phallomere with posterior process of phalloid apophysis (apa) (pseudophallus) ended with rounded apex, distal process (paa) (titillator) with apex in mallet form at the apex, covered by thick bristles.

Original description of Galepsus (Syngalepsus) beieri by Kaltenbach (1996: 233).

" Galepsus (Syngalepsus) beieri sp. n. (♂; ♀ unbekannt): Kopf deutlich breiter als das Pronotum. Vertex fast gerade, nur gegen die Augen zu schwach nach frontal abfallend. Komplexaugen lateral flach gekrümmt. Frontalschild 1,4mal so breit wie hoch. Antennen mit bräunlichen Basalgliedern und ockerfarbener Geißel. Pronotum 2,6-2,7mal so lang wie über den Coxen breit. Metazone etwas schmäler als Prozone. Prosternum mit paarigen schwarzen Makeln. Elytren etwa 3mal so lang wie das Pronotum, das Abdomenende nicht erreichend. Aderung hell bräunlich. Alae hyalin. Coxae und Femora der Vorderbeine ohne auffällige Flecken. Vordertibien mit 11 Außendornen. Cerci etwas abgeflacht. Gesamtfärbung bräunlich. Kopulationsorgan: Rechter Epiphallus distal verbreitert, Apex mit aufgesetztem Zapfen. Mediale Apophysenlippe mit einem großem Apikalzahn, Innenrand glatt, nur distal mit einer kurzen Reihe auf die Lippenfläche verlagerter, kleiner, breiter Zähnchen. Linker Epiphallus mit fußartigem Anhang, ähnlich wie bei manchen Arten von Lygdamia . Dieser Anhang ist dicht mit nadelartigen Borsten besetzt. Pseudophallus fingerartig, mit stumpfem Apex. Der Hypophallus trägt eine spitze Endklaue wie G. bipunctatus (Beier, 1954: fig. 4A) und G. birkenmeierae (Beier, 1969b: Abb. 2). Maße in mm (♂): Long. corp.: 30,0 - 31,5; Long. pronoti: 7,4 - 7,5, Lat. pronoti: 2,7 - 2,8; Long. elytr.: 21,5 - 22,0."

Translation.

" Galepsus (Syngalepsus) beieri sp. n. (♂; ♀ unknown): Head significantly wider than the pronotum. Vertex almost straight, weakly collapsed near the eyes. Eyes slightly rounded laterally. Lower frons 1.4 times wider than high. Antennae with brownish flagellum (first segments) and another segments ocher. Pronotum 2.6-2.7 times longer than its width above the coxae. Metazone barely narrower than prozone. Prosternum with two paired black spots. Forewings about 3 times longer than pronotum, not reaching the end of abdomen. Brownish veins, shiny. Hindwings not coloured. Coxae and femora of forelegs without visible spots. Foretibiae with 11 posteroventral tibial spines. Cerci slightly flattened. General brownish colour. Male Genitalia: Right phallomere widened distally, apex with a process. Ventral process (pva) with a big tooth, ventral plate (pia) smooth, with just a row of small teeth, outer wall with wider teeth. Left phallomere with a mallet form apical process (paa) (titillator), similar to that in some Lygdamia . Apical process (paa) densely covered with hair, like needles. Posterior process of phalloid apophysis (apa) (pseudophallus) finger-shaped, with blunt end. Ventral phallomere with a pointed claw (pda) at the apex as in G. bipunctatus (Beier, 1954: fig. 4A) et G. birkenmeierae (Beier, 1969b: fig. 2). Dimensions in mm (♂): body length 30.0 - 31.5; pronotum length 7.4 - 7.5, width of pronotum 2.7 - 2.8; forewings length 21.5 - 22.0."

The two new species have the following diagnostic characteristics of the subgenus: Always small and delicate appearance; head rounded pentagonal; vertex almost straight or only slightly convex; lower frons wider than high; Prosternum with two rounded black spots near the middle of the metazone, sometimes also largely blackened, so that the spots are occulted; wings of males not protruding abdomen, clear or slightly brownish; wings of females shortened; small dark spots on trochanter and at the base of the anteroventral femoral spines, occasionally fore coxae basally browned; left phallomere with elongated apical process (paa), more or less wide at the apex but always covered with thick silks, posterior process of phalloid apophysis (apa) short; right phallomere obtuse.