Atrocrates smithi, Kamiński, Marcin Jan, 2017

Kamiński, Marcin Jan, 2017, Three new species of trigonopoid Platynotina (Tenebrionidae: Pedinini) from the Baviaanskloof Nature Reserve, South Africa, Zootaxa 4236 (1), pp. 183-193 : 186-187

Atrocrates smithi sp. nov.

( Figs 1 , 2 , 3 C, 4A–F)

Type material. Holotype, preserved in 96% ethanol, male (Ditsong National Museum of Natural History in Pretoria): “ Republic of South Africa Baviaanskloof, Doodsklip // 12/11/2015 // -33.658; 24.432; under stone // Leg. Marcin Jan Kamiński” . Paratypes, pinned, male and female (Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences), preserved in 96% ethanol, 1 males and 2 females (Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences), 11 males and 7 females (Ditsong National Museum of Natural History in Pretoria): same data as holotype .

Diagnosis. A. smithi resembles A. kandai and A. peringueyi by sharing the following character combinations: medial lobe of mentum hexagonal, narrowing towards apex; sides of pronotal disc rounded; elytra with punctatesulcate intervals; elytral humeri protruding outwards; and male mesotibiae without denticles. All three abovementioned species differ from most of their congeners by having narrow protarsi in males (widened in all other Atrocrates species except A. galbasi and A. matthewsi ). A. smithi and A. kandai differ from A. peringueyi by having more coarse and dense punctation on the pronotal disc ( Fig. 3 A–C); preapical indentations on the male protibiae ( Fig. 4 E) (protibiae evenly narrowing towards apex in A. peringueyi ); prominent denticles on the inner sides of metafemora ( Fig. 4 E). From A. kandai , A. smithi can be distinguished by a wider lateral border of the pronotum (width ratio of the lateral margin to the submarginal depression ca. 4.0; in A. kandai ca. 2.0), obtuse intercoxal process of prosternum (angular in A. kandai ) and larger body size ( A. smithi = 10.0 – 11.0 mm; A. kandai ca. 8.0 mm).

According to Iwan’s (2016) infrageneric classification concept, A. smithi and A. kandai belong to the bellamyi species group.

Description. Measurements. Body—length = 10.0–11.0 mm; width ratio elytra / pronotum ca. 1.0; length ratio elytra / pronotum ca. 1.8. Clypeus—clypeal emargination width/depth ratio ca. 16.0. Antennae—length ratio antenna / pronotum ca. 0.7; ratio length of antenna / width of 3rd antennomere ca. 10.0; length ratio of antennomere 3rd/2nd ca. 2.0; ratio length / width of 5th antennomere ca. 1.4. Maxillary palp—ratio width of maxillary palp / length of 3rd antennomere ca. 1.3. Pronotum—pronotum length / width ratio ca. 0.8; length ratio pronotum (measured in the middle) / side of pronotum (measured at the level of anterior angle) ca. 0.9. Elytra—elytra length / width ratio = 1.3–1.4. Scutellum—width ratio anterior margin of elytra / scutellum at base ca. 3.2. Metaventrite—length ratio cavity of hind coxa / metaventrite between the insertions of mid and hind coxae ca. 3.1. Abdomen—width ratio process of 1st abdominal ventrite / process of metaventrite = 1.6. Legs—protibia length / width ratio = 1.9–2.0; profemur length / width ratio ca. 3.0. Tarsi—length ratio metatarsomere 1st / 2nd ca. 1.6. Male genitalia—length of parameres / basal part of aedeagus ca. 0.4; length of clavae / parameres ca. 0.6. Female genitalia—length of paraproct/all coxites ca. 1.1.

Body surface bare and dull ( Fig. 3 C). Head with dense punctures, 1–3 diameters apart. Clypeus scarcely emarginated. Mentum widest at middle; narrowing towards apex. Submentum triangular. Prosternite medially covered with long but sparse setae. Hypomeron glabrous and impunctate. Pronotum covered with fine punctures, 1–3 diameters apart; anterior and basal borders complete; lateral border widened basally, broad (width 4x greater than submarginal depression width); lateral margins actuate from anterior to posterior ends. Intercoxal process of prosternum obtuse in lateral view. Scutellum triangular, with fine punctures. Elytral striae punctate-sulcate; punctures fine, 2–3 diameters apart. Intervals dull; with visible microsculpture (magnification 50x); punctures scarcely visible, 3–4 diameters apart. Elytral humeri protruding laterally. 5th abdominal ventrite with submarginal sulcus; with irregularly distributed punctures, 1–2 diameters apart. Pro- and mesotarsi in both sexes narrow. Female protibiae evenly widened towards apex. Male protibiae with preapical concavity on the inner side. Female metafemora simple. Inner face of male metafemora with longitudinal concavities ending with large denticles. Other leg segments without modifications. Parameres evenly narrowing towards apex; not fused basally. Ovipositor with coxites subequal in length to paraproct. Valvifers short and wide, other lobes elongate. Gonostyli situated on dorsal part of apical lobe of coxities.

Etymology. I have named this species in honor of my friend Prof. Aaron D. Smith, specialist in Tenebrionidae , to whom I am greatly indebted for his help during my projects.

Distribution. This species has been collected in the eastern part of the Baviaanskloof Nature Reserve, near the Doodsklip campsite (GPS coordinates: -33.658, 24.432) ( Figs 1 , 2 ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Distribution of the newly described species (Geelhoutbos— S. baviaanskloofensis; Doodsklip— A. smithi; Komdomo— A. kandai) and location of the Baviaanskloof Nature Reserve in relation to the surrounding towns in South Africa.

FIGURE 2. Habitat of Schelodontes baviaanskloofensis, surroundings of the Geelhoutbos campsite (A, B): habitat of Atrocrates smithi, surroundings of the Doodsklip campsite (C, D, E). Two specimens of A. smithi dwelling in the soil (D). Specimen of A. smithi (bottom, left) and Zadenos delalandei (Mulsant et Rey, 1854) (Tenebrionidae: Melambiina) (top, right) found under a dung patch (E).

FIGURE 3. Body structure of chosen representatives of Atrocrates (A – C) and Schelodontes (D – G). A. kandai, paratype (A); A. peringueyi (B); A. smithi, paratype (C); S. baviaanskloofensis, paratype (D); S. chevrolati (E); S. oblitus (F); S. omeri (G).

FIGURE 4. Morphology of the newly described species: Atrocrates smithi sp. nov., paratype (A – F) and Schelodontes baviaanskloofensis sp. nov., paratype (G – K). Head dorsal (A) and ventral (C) views, pronotum (B, G), elytra (D, F, H), intercoxal process of prosternum (I), 5 th abdominal ventrite, legs: dorsal (E 1) and ventral (E 2) views of male protibia, male metaleg (K), female protibia (paratype).