Atrichelaphinis (Eugeaphinis) deplanata deplanata (Moser, 1907)

Rojkoff, Sebastien & Perissinotto, Renzo, 2015, Review of the genera Anelaphinis Kolbe, 1892 and Atrichelaphinis Kraatz, 1898 (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Cetoniinae), ZooKeys 482, pp. 91-142 : 106-109

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Scarabaeidae

Atrichelaphinis (Eugeaphinis) deplanata deplanata (Moser, 1907) Figures 8and 9

Atrichelaphinis deplanata Moser, 1907: 316-317; Schenkling 1921: 304; Girard 1993: 165; Marais and Holm 1992: 11; Joly 1993: 9.

Atrichelaphinis deplanata (Moser, 1908) Touroult & Le Gall, 2001: 34.

Atrichelaphinis deplanate (Moser) Antoine, 1988: 48.

Atrichelaphinis kwangensis (Burgeon) Marais & Holm, 1992: 11.

Anelaphinis deplanata (Moser) Antoine, 1991: 2; Antoine 2002: 186.

Anelaphinis kwangensis Burgeon, 1931: 221-222; Burgeon 1932: 95; Burgeon 1935: 470; Basilewsky 1955: 114; Antoine 1988: 48; Antoine 1991: 2.

Type specimens.

Atrichelaphinis deplanata , holotype in MNHU: "Dahomey"; Atrichelaphinis kwangensis , holotype in MRAC: " Musée du Congo, Kwango V-1927, (D? Zoballo), Don R. Mayné ".

Redescription

(n> 30). Size: length ♂, 9.6-13.3 mm; ♀, 9.8-12.4 mm; width ♂, 5.6-6.9 mm; ♀, 6.2-7.0 mm.

Body. Dorsally velutinous, background colour from light-yellow to light-brown, with many black/dark brown markings and small white maculae; scale pilosity mainly on ventral suface, more extensive in male than in female, particularly dense on antero-lateral borders of pronotum, on mesepimerons and legs.

Head. Clypeus transverse, almost bilobed in front, anterior margin reborded, anterior angles rounded, lateral angle visible from above, large and dense simple punctures on disc, laterally wrinkled; small white maculae scattered throughout dorsal surface, scale pilosity laterally behind eyes; antennae concolor, with clubs slightly longer in male than in female.

Pronotum. Exhibiting strong development of black markings, reducing the background colour to margins in some specimens; octagonal, anterior margin from straight to slightly tectiform, disc bulbous in front and without punctures; lateral margin almost completely reborded, with posterior half straight from subparallel to convergent, lateral angles rounded but visible, posterior angles rounded; posterior margin straight to weakly convex laterally, medial part strongly emarginate in front of scutellum.

Scutellum. With apex from weakly rounded to acute, lateral margins from straight to weakly concave and with lateral grooves.

Elytra. Usually showing transverse area lighter than base and apical parts, which exhibit more black marks; tricostate, with the second costa raised only in basal half; three pairs of geminate striae, sculpture of horseshoe-like punctures diverging at basal part of each stria, becoming confluent and geminate on upper half; apico-sutural angle acute, longer in male than in female.

Pygidium. Light brown with black markings, with horseshoe punctures and dense scale pilosity; exhibiting many depressed areas.

Underside. Brown and black with white maculae; scale pilosity dense on lateral parts of sternum which are striated; abdominal pilosity thinner and reduced to lateral sides where punctuation consists of few horseshoe setigerous puncture; middle of sternum and abdomen without punctuation, only longitudinal line visible on metasternum, abdomen weakly concave in male, convex in female; mesosternal apophysis transverse, compressed and not protruding between mesocoxae, metasternal declivity with scale pilosity.

Legs. Light brown, with scale pilosity, metafemora widened, metatibia short, thickened at apex, tarsi unmodified and normal; latero-posterior angle of metacoxae rounded; metatibial spurs thin and acute in male, slightly thickened and acute in female.

Aedeagus. Parameres narrowing gently towards apex, more abruptly close to apex; apex truncate and curved downwards, apical curved part from bilobed to incised (in frontal view).

Remarks.

Through courtesy of the MNHU and the MRAC, an opportunity was provided to study both types of Atrichelaphinis deplanata (Figure 7) and Atrichelaphinis kwangensis (Figure 8). As already indicated by Antoine (1988: 48), the synonymy between these two taxa can now be conclusively confirmed. Many specimens from several countries were analysed, including Cameroon, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Togo, Congo-Brazzaville, Congo-Kinshasa, Central African Republic and Kenya. The species seems to be a flower visitor.