Tragardhus (Tragardhus) biapicalis Koch, 1956

Kamiński, Marcin Jan, 2017, Afrotropical Melambiina: revision of the genus Tragardhus Koch, 1956 and redescription of Pseudemmallus Koch, 1956 (Tenebrionidae: Pedinini), Zootaxa 4347 (1), pp. 71-93 : 83-84

Tragardhus (Tragardhus) biapicalis Koch, 1956

( Figs 2I , 4A , 7 )

Tragardhus (Tragardhus) biapicalis Koch, 1956: 385 .— Kamiński 2011: 321.

Studied type material. Holotype, mAle (Iziko SoUth AfRicAN MUseUm): “ZUlUlAND / SA MUseUm / F. LAwReNce / JUlY 1938 ”, “Holo / TYPE / biApicAlis / Koch”, “ TRAgARDhUs / biApicAlis / C. Koch Det., 19”, “TYpe / SAM/ENt / 4965” ( Fig. 4A ). Other material, 2 mAles AND 4 femAles (TMNH): “S. AfR., ZUlUlAND / MkUzi GAme ReseRve / P.E. ReAvell 7.1976”, femAle (TMNH): “S. AfR., KWZ NAtAl / HlUhlUwe 67 m / 27.54S–32.16 E”, “7– 8.12.2010; E-Y: 3893 / gRoUND & UNDeR stoNes / leg. RUth MülleR”.

Notes. UNtil Now, the coNcept of this species wAs bAseD oNlY oN the holotYpe. DURiNg ReceNt woRk seveN otheR iNDiviDUAls of this tAxoN weRe iDeNtifieD. This pRoviDeD the oppoRtUNitY to UpDAte Koch’s (1956) DescRiptioN AND to pReseNt DAtA oN the femAle moRphologY foR the fiRst time.

Redescription. BoDY—leNgth = 5.0–6.0 mm. HAbitUs As iN Fig. 4A .

DoRsAl siDe of heAD DUll, with coNspicUoUs pUNctURes (0.1 DiAmeteRs ApARt). FRoNtoclYpeAl sUtURe NoticeAble; with A pAiR of Deep DepRessioNs locAteD NeAR meDiAN pARt. CANthUs RoUNDeD At bAse. ClYpeAl emARgiNAtioN Deep (clYpeAl emARgiNAtioN wiDth: Depth RAtio cA. 5.0). LAbRUm wiDe (wiDth: leNgth RAtio cA. 3.0); DelicAtelY emARgiNAte iN miDDle; posteRioR thiRD coveReD with DeNse AND coNspicUoUs setAe. MeNtUm wiDest iN miDDle; flAt, Not coveRiNg cARDo oR stipes; ApicAllY with shAllow meDiAN iNDeNtAtioN; lAteRAl lobes, iN veNtRAl view, coveReD bY miDDle pARt. SUbmeNtUm tRiANgUlAR. ApicAl segmeNt of mAxillARY pAlpUs tRApezoiDAl; with seNsoRY fielD occUpYiNg whole pRoximAl eDge. SecoND segmeNt of mAxillARY pAlpUs eloNgAteD (leNgth: wiDth RAtio cA. 3.8). PAlpifeR with pAtch of loNg setAe locAteD NeAR bAse; with iNteRNAl sUlcUs foR mAxillARY pAlpUs visible fRom veNtRAl view. ANteRioR teNtoRiAl pit ciRcUlAR. EYe DoRsAllY shielDeD bY loNgitUDiNAl keel. DoRsAl AND veNtRAl pARts of eYes composeD of similAR NUmbeR of fAcets; thRee fAcets pReseNt betweeN cANthUs AND temple. ANteNNA RelAtivelY shoRt (ANteNNA: pRoNotUm leNgth RAtio cA. 1.0); thiRD ANteNNomeRe shoRt (3RD: 2ND ANteNNomeRe leNgth RAtio cA. 1.4); fifth ANteNNomeRe shoRt (leNgth: wiDth RAtio cA. 1.1); ANteNNomeRes 8–10 tRANsveRse.

PRoNotUm NARRoweR thAN elYtRA (elYtRA: pRoNotUm wiDth RAtio cA. 1.4); RelAtivelY wiDe (leNgth: wiDth RAtio cA. 0.8); Disc DUll, coveReD with coARse pUNctURes (0.1 DiAmeteRs ApARt); with two pAiRs of RoUNDeD cARiNAe. LAteRAl siDes of pRoNotAl Disc RoUNDeD; wiDest iN miDDle; withoUt ApophYseAl DepRessioNs. LAteRAl emARgiNAtioN of pRoNotUm NARRow AND complete; bAsAl emARgiNAtioN AbseNt; ANteRioR wiDelY iNteRRUpteD miDDle. BAse of pRoNotUm slightlY bisiNUAte. MiDDle of pRosteRNUm coveReD bY pRomiNeNt setAe (iN both sexes). PRoNotAl hYpomeRoN DUll, with coARse pUNctURes (1.0 DiAmeteRs ApARt). INteRcoxAl pRocess of pRosteRNUm DepResseD ApicAllY. PRocoxAe NARRowlY sepARAteD (pRocoxA: iNteRcoxAl pRocess wiDth RAtio cA. 2.0).

ElYtRAl stRiAe Not impResseD, visible As teN Rows of coNspicUoUs pUNctURes oN eAch elYtRoN (siNgle DiAmeteR ApARt). INteRvAls 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9 coveReD bY eloNgAteD AND shiNY tUbeRcles; 2, 4, 6, 10 flAt AND DUll, coveReD with micRoscUlptURe. ElYtRAl bAse bisUNUAte; Not emARgiNAte. EpipleURoN DilAteD ApicAllY, with RoUNDish AlveolA At level of foURth veNtRite; slightlY wiDeR thAN NeighboRiNg elYtRAl iNteRvAl; sitUAteD veNtRAllY, iNvisible iN DoRsAl Aspect. ElYtRAl hUmeRUs DeNtAte, stRoNglY pRotRUDiNg lAteRAD. ScUtellUm tRiANgUlAR. MetAthoRAcic wiNgs AbseNt.

MesoveNtRite withoUt pRocesses. MetAveNtRite RelAtivelY shoRt (metAcoxAl cAvitY: metAveNtRite (betweeN iNseRtioNs of meso- AND metAcoxAe) leNgth RAtio cA. 2.8). PRocess of fiRst AbDomiNAl veNtRite NARRow (DistANces betweeN mesocoxAe: metAcoxAe RAtio cA. 0.5). Fifth AbDomiNAl veNtRite UNboRDeReD; coveReD bY fiNe pUNctURes (siNgle DiAmeteR ApARt).

Meso- AND metAtRochANteRs NeARlY eNtiRelY coveReD bY Respective femoRA; eqUippeD with A siNgle setAe. MetAcoxA RoUNDeD (wiDth: leNgth RAtio cA. 1.1). TARsi of both sexes NARRow. MAle pRotibiA with shollow meDiAN cAvitY coveReD bY pAtch of setAe. UNDeRsiDe of mAle metAtibiA AND metAfemoRA coveReD with A Row of setAe. FemAle legs simple.

AeDeAgAl tegmeN wiDest meDiAllY; UNipARtite. PARAmeRes DiviDeD (Up to 0.3 of whole tegmeN leNgth). ClAvAe stRAight. PeNis wiDest meDiAllY; eveNlY NARRowiNg towARDs Apex NeAR Apex. BAsAl ApophYses of peNis RelAtivelY shoRt (cA. 0.25 of whole tegmeN leNgth).

MoRphologY of ovipositoR (boDY: ovipositoR leNgth RAtio cA. 7.0) AND femAle geNitAl tUbes coNsisteNt with those ReveAleD foR T. glandipleurum ( Fig. 5A, C, D ).

Distribution. This species hAs beeN collecteD iN the followiNg ecoRegioN of SoUth AfRicA (TRopicAl sUbRegioN): DRAkeNsbeRg moNtANe gRAsslANDs, wooDlANDs AND foRests ( Fig. 7 ).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Diagnostic characters proposed for Mitragardhus, Tragardhus and chosen species. Pronotal disc (A, B, C), epipleuron (C), 5 th abdominal ventrite (D, E), elytral disc (F, H, I), metatibia (G) and protibia (J). Tragardhus (Tragardhus) biapicalis Koch, 1956 (I), T. (T.) glandipleurum Koch, 1956 (A, E, H, J), T. (Mitragardhus) ewae sp. nov. (B, F) and T. (M.) nodosus Koch, 1956 (D, G). White arrow indicates a characteristic apex of the metatibia of T. (M.) nodosus.

FIGURE 4. Habitus images of the studied species. Tragardhus (Tragardhus) biaplicalis Koch, 1956, holotype (A), T. (T.) glandipleurum Koch, 1956, syntype (B), T. (T.) jani sp. nov., holotype (C, F), T. (T.) majae sp. nov., paratype (D) and T. (T.) stigmaticus Koch, 1956, syntype (E, G).

FIGURE 5. Male and female terminalia of Tragardhus and Pseudemmallus. Ovipositor (A – D), genital tubes (C, D), aedeagal tegmen (E, G) and penis (F). Tragardhus (Tragardhus) glandipleurum Koch, 1956 (A, C – F), T. (Mitragardhus) nodosus (B) and Pseudemmallus aspericollis (G). Abbreviations: C 1 – C 3 — subsequent lobes of coxites, val—valvifer, ov—oviduct, bcbursa copulatrix, sp—spermatheca, par—paraproct, p—penis, cl—clavae.

FIGURE 7. Distribution of the genus Tragardhus.