Bolbaoeer sebastiani, Gussmann & Scholtz, 2001

Gussmann, S. M. V. & Scholtz, C. H., 2001, Systematic revision of the Afrotropical genus BolbaOEer Vulcano, Martinez and Pereira (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea: Bolboceratidae: Bolboceratinae), with descriptions of eight new species, Journal of Natural History 35 (7), pp. 1013-1084 : 1074-1077

BolbaOEer sebastiani sp. nov.

(®gures 2a, 4o±q, 23a±g, 25)

Description male

Body length 19.9±22.3 mm (3 specimens). Colour mid- to dark brown. Outer margin of mandible rounded (®gure 2a). Clypeus with bituberculate, feebly arcuate transverse posterior carina; position of tubercles variable, from in line with antennal insertions to in line with clypeo-frontal transition; posterior carina as long as or slightly shorter than anterior carina (®gure 2a). Frons feebly depressed posterior to posterior clypeal carina. Antennal club with glabrous area of basal segment about one-half of exposed surface. Pronotum with anterior margin medially raised and bihorned (®gures 2a, 4o, p), in major males in dorsal view slightly projecting over frons; with ®ve protuberances along posterior margin, i.e. one pair of long, slightly inward inclined outer horns and three tuberculate swellings between horns (®gure 4o, p); disc with ®ne, well-spaced punctures, these increasingly interspersed by large, often conūent punctures towards sides and along anterior margin of pronotum. Scutellum with surface coarsely punctate. Elytron with strial punctures separated by ®ve to six puncture diameters; intervals with approximately four to six punctures between two striae. Protibia ®ve-dentate. Protibial spur more or less as long as ®fth tarsomere, acuminate. Metatrochanter of unmodi®ed shape; with dense, moderately long setation in basal third and along posterior margin; remaining surface asetose. Metafemur in ventral view in posterior third with line of densely spaced, moderately long and long setae; with dense, moderately long and long setae in basal area and basal third along posterior margin; with fairly dense, long setae in anterior third and apical area; remaining areas with sparse, long setation. Metatibia in lateral view with subapical carina bilobed; with unmodi®ed spurs. Underside with sternites 4, 5, 6 and pygidium strongly modi®ed (®gure 23a±c); process on sternite 4 with rounded apex and strongly projecting over sternite 5 (®gure 23b, c); pygidium apically distinctly bilobed (®gure 23a); median emargination dividing approximatel y apical ninth of pygidium; the two halves of pygidium in basal eight ninth fused to a clearly visible suture (stippled line in ®gure 23a). Genitalia with aedeagus as in ®gure 23d±f; genital capsule apically with moderately long setation.

Description female

Body length 20.0± 22.7 mm (4 specimens). Colour as in male. Outer margin of mandible rounded (®gure 2a). Clypeus unarmed. Frons with distinctly raised bituberculate, transverse carina positioned between eye-canthi; carina straight and slightly shorter than anterior clypeal carina. Antennal club as in male. Pronotum with anterior margin medially raised, in frontal view slightly bisinuate (as in ®gure 4q), in dorsal view feebly arcuate; with transverse distinctly carinate swelling at median portion of disc; carina in frontal view as in ®gure 4q, in dorsal view distinctly bisinuate; swelling with sparse ®ne and small punctures; area anterior to swelling (shaded area in ®gure 4q) with very densely spaced small, deep punctures; on feebly swollen areas lateral to densely punctate area and also along posterior margin with large, densely spaced punctures; otherwise with very densely spaced, partially conūent, large punctures. Scutellum and elytron as in male. Protibia and protibial spur as in male.

Metatrochanter of unmodi®ed shape; with fairly dense, moderately long setation in basal quarter and along posterior margin; remaining surface asetose. Metafemur in ventral view in posterior third with line of fairly dense, moderately long and long setae; with fairly dense and long setae in anterior third and apical area; with fairly dense, moderately long setae along posterior margin; remaining areas with sparse setation. Metatibia as in male. Underside with sternite 5 postero-medially feebly but discernibly swollen (not illustrated); apex of sternite 6 truncate and with strongly sclerotized margin (®gure 23g); pygidium apically broadly bilobed (®gure 23g); median emargination dividing apical third of pygidium; the two halves of pygidium in basal two thirds fused to a clearly visible suture (stippled lines in ®gure 23g).

Distribution (®gure 25). The species is known only from localities in Tanzania.

Type material examined. HOLOTYPE l[diss.]:` Tanganyik a [ Tanzania]: Shinyanga [taken as Shinyanga District, 03.40S 33.30E], Dr. E. Burtt, 5.-23.i.1956 ’ /`At light’ /`Pres. by Comm. Inst. Ent. B.M. 1956-267.’ ( BMNH) ; ALLOTYPE m:`Tanganyika Terr. [ Tanzania], Old Shinyanga Boma [Old Shinyanga Forest Reserve, 03.34S 33.23E], 14.ii.1935, E.Burtt, B.M. 1935-351.’ ( BMNH); 5 PARATYPES: 1 l [diss.], same data as holotype ( BMNH) ; 1 l[diss.],`[ Tanzania] Mpwapwa [taken as loc., 06.21S 36.29E], E. Africa, Nevinson Coll. 1918-14’ ( TMSA) ; 1m,` Manjoni [Manyoni distr. 06.20S 34.35E], D.O. Africa [ Tanzania]’ ( ZMHB) ; 1m, Tanganyik a [ Tanzania], 1.5 miles to Lake Sereri [Lake Burungi, ca 03.53S 35.52E], E shore , 3150 feet, Coll. Dr J. Szunyoghy, singled [sic] material, 11± 27 August 1965 ( HNHM) ; 1m, same data ( NHMG) .

Etymology. Named after the late Dr Sebastian EndroÈdy-Younga in honour of his valuable achievements as a scientist and as head of the Coleoptera Department at the Transvaal Museum of Natural History for many years.

Comments. Although none of the specimens of B. sebastiani were collected in pairs, we felt con®dent enough to associate the above four females with the males. Firstly, the females were collected not very far from localities where males had been found; secondly, the males and females possess the typical modi®cations that place them in the B. abyssinicus species-group; and thirdly, the two sexes show obvious similarities in the modi®cations of the shape of the pygidium, a tendency that is also apparent in the other members of the species-group. For example, the apex of the pygidium in male B. namibiensis (see below) has a narrow, short incision and so has the pygidium in females, on the other hand the pygidium in male B. sasakii is unmodi®ed and so is the pygidium in females. The apex of the pygidium is distinctly bilobed in male B. sebastiani while it is deeply divided and thus forming two, broad lobes in the female sex.

As in the case of the other members of the B. abyssinicus species-group, males of B. sebastiani have species speci®c sternal and pygidial modi®cations, a distinct aedeagus and pronotal armature, making it impossible to confuse them with males of other species. The same applies for the females (see key and description).