Lophorrhina garnieri, Perissinotto, 2021
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.13133/2284-4880/523 |
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publication LSID |
lsid:zoobank.org:pub:4132F6AC-83C5-4D48-B20F-26D7465FC46C |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/923087BF-FFD5-FFB4-FCDA-F21EFB07FB8D |
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treatment provided by |
Felipe |
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scientific name |
Lophorrhina garnieri |
| status |
sp. nov. |
Lophorrhina garnieri View in CoL sp. nov.
Diagnosis. This new species is most closely related to Lophorrhina pentachordia , from which it differs particularly at the level of male clypeus, but also in aedeagal parameres, extent of light-yellow ornamentation and shape of mesometasternal process ( Figs 1-5 View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig ). The male clypeus of L. garnieri exhibits a smaller apical horn and especially a narrower but more elongate frontal horn, in comparison with what is typically observed in L. pentachordia ( Figs 2 A View Fig , 4 A View Fig ). In fact, its frontal horn actually takes the shape of a tapering ridge, rather than a true laminar horn, as is the case in the male of L. pentachordia . In this respect, the male of L. garnieri actually resembles more the female of L. pentachordia , except that in the latter the clypeal horn is not only reduced in size by comparison with that of its male, but it also exhibits a deep dorsal indentation, imparting to its structure an effective bifurcate shape ( Fig. 5 B View Fig ). The pale-yellow ornamentation of L. garnieri is remarkably more developed that in any variety of L. pentachordia , both on its dorsal and ventral surfaces as well as on pygidium ( Figs 1-5 View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig ). Its mesometasternal process is less projected forward than in L. pentachordia and the shape of its anterior margin is also smoothly angulate, rather than perfectly rounded, as is the case in the sister species. Finally, the aedeagal parameres of the new species show an expanded apical surface with enhanced lateral projections, by comparison with those of L. pentachordia ( Figs 2 View Fig C-E, 4 C-E).
Description of holotype male ( Figs 1 View Fig A-C, 2 A-E)
Size. Total Length = 21.2 mm; Maximum Width = 9.3 mm. Body: Brown and matte, with darker areas along margins and on head as well as central part of elytral disc; pale-yellow ornamentation widespread across entire surface, with mid-scutellar line reaching almost apex and pronotal lines joint at base almost uninterruptedly; shallow and sparse, but wide round to horse-shoe sculpture covering virtually entire surface, with extremely short, light setae emerging at centre of most punctures; dense clusters of light, fine and long setae occurring on head and exposed parts of mesepimeron and metacoxa ( Figs. 1 A View Fig , 2 A View Fig ).
Head. Black becoming dark brown towards base; with deep concavities along lateral and apical margins, with clypeus broadly pentagonal and exhibiting sharply upturned, blunt horn at apex ( Fig. 2 A View Fig ); clypeo-lateral margins vertically declivous and joining frontal ridge dorsally; presence of prominent convexity at mid vertex, extending into a tapering tubercle on frons and ending with a sharply angulate but tiny horn, just posteriad of clypeal horn; clypeal surface covered in coarse dense punctures, becoming progressively more scattered and shallow on frons and fading on vertex; light-yellow tomentum and setae distributed along entire surface of lateral and apical concavities, except central area; antenna dark brown to black, with club as long as flagellum and pedicel combined; thin light setae scattered across flagellum, becoming thicker and denser on pedicel.
Pronotum. Brown with darker margins, matte and glabrous with five longitudinal tomentose lines across entire surface, forming transverse joints at base but interrupted above scutellum; marginal lines extending medially towards disc to form two symmetric eye-shaped figures ( Fig. 1 A View Fig ); shape broadly octagonal with lateral margins angulate at centre and both antero- and postero-lateral margins sharply rounded with pronounced angle; posterior margin slightly sinuate with smooth pre-scutellar arch.
Scutellum. Brown and matte, with mid and marginal tomentose lines almost completely uninterrupted, except small gaps towards apical point; exhibiting few, large but shallow horse-shoe punctures on disc, with tiny pale setae emerging at centre of each puncture; isoscelic triangular in shape with sharp apex; lateral grooves shallow and narrow ( Fig. 1 A View Fig ).
Elytron. Brown and matte, with two dark maculae on disc, at 1/3 and 2/3 distance from base respectively; densely ornamented with tomentose figures of irregular and often dotted shape, becoming particularly wide on lateral and apical declivities; first and fifth costae well-developed and raised across entire surface, but third costa fading posteriad of mid discal length; humeral and apical calluses prominent; sub-humeral arch with extremely weak sinuation and postero-lateral margins with fine serration; shallow horse-shoe punctures regularly spaced across entire surface, except on umbonal crests and costae; with extremely short and fine, light setae distributed along lateral and apical margins; apical margin abruptly rounded, with rough edge but without signs of proximal spines or protuberances ( Fig. 1 A View Fig ).
Pygidium. Broadly triangular in shape, with elongate base and round apex; slightly convex with small indentations along lateral margins; covered in pale-yellow tomentum, except on major central part and secondary symmetric lateral areas; with dense rugulose sculpture and short light setae scattered throughout surface ( Fig. 2 B View Fig ).
Legs. Black to dark brown and relatively long, with tarsal segments moderately elongate, particularly apical ones, being at least twice as long as preceding units; protibia tridentate, but with all teeth small and blunt, densely sculptured with mid longitudinal ridge and numerous short yellow setae on inner margin; meso- and metatibia with longer and denser pale-yellow setae, densely sculptured and with mid spine on outer carina sharply pointed to truncated, respectively; spurs moderately long, thin and sharp, approximately twice as long in metatibia than in mesotibia ( Fig. 1 View Fig A-C).
Ventral surface. Black to dark brown and shiny where tomentum is absent; extensive tomentum cover over both sides of body, becoming scattered on femora and disappearing in Distribution. The male holotype was collected on the Labwor Hills, in the north-eastern highlands of Uganda ( Fig. 5 C View Fig ). These hills are characterized by tropical savanna forest with the highest elevation reaching approximately 1200 m (https://geoyp.com/56/labwor-hills-forest-3086003/). It is likely that the species also occurs in adjacent parts of Kenya and South Sudan, where there is some spatial connectivity with the Labwor Hills and similar habitat characteristics.
Type material. Holotype ♂: Ouganda N-E, Labwor Hills, Abim Dist., 05/2017, Mathias (local collector) leg. ( TGPC).
central part of abdominal sternites, mesometasternal region and femoral bases; small, scattered and round to horseshoe sculpture visible across shiny surfaces, except mesosternal lobe; dense pubescence consisting of short to medium pale-yellow setae covering all tomentose areas as well as margins of femora and anal plate; mesosternal lobe ventrally flat, with angulate cuspid shape and poorly projecting ante- riourly; abdominal sternites with shallow concavity at centre ( Fig. 1 View Fig B-C).
Aedeagus. Parameres compact and of typical shape occurring within genus; dorsal lobes gradually tapering anteriorly and expanding then below apex to form hook-like protrusion on each side; apex smoothly rounded with small pair of symmetric indentations on side of central groove ( Fig. 2 View Fig C-E); apical lobes exhibiting lateral expansion with smooth, glabrous margins all around ( Fig. 2 D, E View Fig ); ventral lobes slightly wider than dorsal lobes and emerging only below apex in dorsal view ( Fig. 2 D View Fig ).
Derivatio nominis. This species is named after Dr Thierry Garnier (Montpellier, France) who brought the holotype specimen to my attention, believing that it represented an undescribed taxon. Dr Garnier has made a remarkable contribution to the knowledge of African cetoniines and other beetles through his support for research in this area and his regular collecting expeditions to the continent.
Remarks. The only male specimen of Lophorrhina garnieri sp. nov. currently known was collected with a banana baited trap in tropical savanna forest habitat (T. Garnier, pers. comm.). Unfortunately, a worldwide search of the major collections has revealed that the female of this species remains unknown. The closest localities where its sister species L. pentachordia has been recorded so far are in the proximity of Lake Victoria, both in Uganda and in Tanzania. On the DRC side, several other records of L. pentachordia exist in the area between Lake Albert and Lake Kivu ( Fig. 5 C View Fig ). However, all these localities are at least 300-400 km to the south or to the west of the type locality of L. garnieri and it seems likely that the two species may have become separated by events related to the formation of the Great Rift System in East Africa.
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.