Delopleurus darrenmanni Frolov, 2014

Frolov, Andrey V., 2014, Revision of the genus Delopleurus Boheman (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) with description of new species from Africa, Journal of Natural History 49 (3), pp. 129-154 : 145-146

Delopleurus darrenmanni Frolov , sp. nov.

( Figure 4A–F )

Diagnosis

This species can be separated from other Delopleurus species by the sculpture of its pygidium. Males have punctate, glabrous, narrow disc of pygidium which is almost as long as apical and basal border in the middle ( Figure 4B ). Females have characteristic slit-shaped disc with a transverse carina in the middle ( Figure 4E ).

Description

Male, holotype. Body strongly convex, black, glabrous, its length 6.0 mm ( Figure 4A ).

Clypeus quadridentate, medial teeth acute (right tooth malformed), lateral ones acute-angled. Clypeal margin laterad of lateral teeth somewhat angulate so clypeus looks hexadentate. Clypeal surface rugose in anterior part and laterally, disc of clypeus and frons densely punctate (punctures separated by less than a puncture diameter).

Pronotum more or less trapezoidal, about two times wider than long. Anterior and lateral margins distinctly bordered, base feebly bordered. Surface relatively sparsely punctate on disc (punctures separated by two to three puncture diameters) and denser laterally.

Elytra trapezoidal, as wide as long, shiny. Stria relatively deep, with punctures slightly larger than striae width. Elytral intervals feebly convex, with minute punctation.

Anterior tibiae with three outer teeth, without a small acute tooth between first outer tooth and apical spur. Anterior tibial spur bifurcated apically.

Pygidium with relatively thick borders and convex disc. Apical border almost as long as disc in the middle. Disc glabrous, punctate with punctures separated by two to four puncture diameters ( Figure 4B ).

Parameres rounded in lateral view ( Figure 4C ).

Female can be separated from male in having acute, not bifurcated spurs of anterior tibiae and in sculpture of pygidium, which has very wide borders and very narrow disc with transverse keel ( Figure 4E ).

Variability. Body length of the paratypes 4.0– 6.2 mm.

Distribution

The species is known from three localities in a relatively small area between the Zambezi and Okavango rivers in Zambezian woodland region ( Figure 4F ).

Etymology

The species is named after Darren Mann (OUMNH), who collected the type series.

Type material

Holotype, male with the labels ‘ Namibia W. Caprivi Park Nova , 5 km north of Okavango River 18°09 ʹ 56 ʹ S, 21°44 ʹ 31 ʺ E, 19.xii.1999. In fungi. Coll. Mann, Marais & Newman’, ‘D.J.Mann colln. OX.UNI.MUS.NAT.HIST ( OUMNH) OUMNH- 2006-093 ’. Paratypes, 17 males and 6 females from Namibia , Zambia, and Botswana. Namibia: same data as the holotype , 13 males and 5 females ( OUMNH) , 2 males and 1 female ( ZIN). BOTSWANA : 1 male with the label ‘ Savuti Botswana S 18.5651 E24.0629 Deschodt Tshikai 07.12.05’ ( UPSA). ZAMBIA : 1 male with the label ‘ Kabula Loge , Zambia 17.041314 S, 024.013017 E 26–31.xi.2003 Deschodt & Groenewald’ ( UPSA) .

Figures

Figure 4. Delopleurus darrenmanni sp. nov. (A, D) habitus (A, male, D, female); (B, E) pygidium (B, male, E, female); (C) aedeagus in lateral view and internal sac; (F) locality map.