Ascopus echinatus (Marshall, 1951), comb. nov.

(Fig. 3)

Rhadinocopes echinatus Marshall, 1951: 321 (original description).

Rhadinocopes echinatus: Hoffmann 1963: 311 (noted).

Type locality. Gold Coast: Enchi [Ghana]. Type material examined. Type, 1 spec. (BMNH): ‘ Type [p, rounded, red margin] // Gold Coast Colony: / Enchi. / Capt. B. D. Peake. / B. M. 1924-368. [p] // Rhadinocopes / echinatus, Mshl. / TYPE ♀ [hw] // Ascopus / echinatus (Marshall) / Borovec & Perrin det. 2019 [p]’. Cotype, 1. Spec. (BMNH): ‘Cotype [p, rounded, yellow margin] // IFAN-1946 / TONKOUI C.I. / 900-1200 m / A. VILLIERS [hw] // FORET PRIM / 20-30-IX [hw] // Rhadinocopes / echinatus, Mshl. / COTYPE [hw] // Pres by / Com. Inst. Ent. / B. M. 1951-61 [p] // Ascopus / echinatus (Marshall) / Borovec & Perrin det. 2019 [p]’.

Additional material examined. 5 spec., Togo, Missahomé, viii.1964 (MNHN) ; 1 spec., Togo, viii.1964 (MNHN); 1 spec., Guinée, Nimba, Nzo, 2.vi.1942, M. Lamotte lgt. (MNHN) ; 1 spec., the same data as previous, only without Nzo, but with the label TYPE and identification label of Marshall (MNHN) [the specimen does not belong to type series, because the date and name of collector differs from the data stated in original description]; 1 spec., Ivory Coast, Mt. Tonkoui Peak ,, 07°27′15.2″ N, 007°38′12.5″ W, 12.-18.vii.2015, 1171 m, Aristophanous M., Moretto P., Ruzzier E. leg. (BMNH) ; 2 spec., Guinée, Mt. Nimba, Gouéla, Forêt de Piedmont, 6.-8.vi.1991, C. Girard lgt. (MNHN) ; 1 spec., Guinée, Mt. Nimba, Forêt de Séringbara, 600 m, 5.x.2008, Vanderbergh lgt. (coll. Vanderbergh) .

Remarks. The species description was based on 7 specimens from three localities, collected in Ghana, Ivory Coast and Guinea, and is very similar to that for R. curvipes . Marshall in the same article also described a new genus Ascopus, but listed echinatus in Rhadinocopes using three characters for distinguishing between these two genera – apex of protibiae straight or curved and elytra as wide as long or longer than wide with dorsal curvature continuous with that of pronotum or more convex. He simultaneously used the later character for distinguishing between echinatus and curvipes . The above three characters differ between species in many of Entiminae genera and have limited value in distinguishing between genera, especially Rhadinocopes and Ascopus . Because Rhadinocopes echinatus Marshall, 1951 is congeneric with Ascopus pyriformis Marshall, 1951, it must therefore be transferred to the genus Ascopus as A. echinatus (Marshall, 1951), comb. nov.