Atrichelaphinis (Heterelaphinis) nigra Antoine, 2002: 185

Rojkoff, Sebastien & Perissinotto, Renzo, 2015, Review of the genera Anelaphinis Kolbe, 1892 and Atrichelaphinis Kraatz, 1898 (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Cetoniinae), ZooKeys 482, pp. 91-142 : 105

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Scarabaeidae

Atrichelaphinis (Heterelaphinis) nigra Antoine, 2002: 185 Figures 6and 7

Type specimens.

Holotype male in MNHN: "Somalie, Berbera Check, ex. Coll. Argod 1931". Two female paratypes in MNHN with the same label.

Redescription

(n = 3). Size: length 8.8-10.3 mm; width 5.2-6.0 mm.

Body. Appearance stocky, black to dark-brown, from dull to slightly shiny, with white tomentose spots; lateral and irregular band on pronotal margin in male, narrower in female, occasionally reduced to line on lateral angle; three main spots on lateral margins of elytra in male, reduced and fragmented in female.

Head. Longer than wide, rectangular, with slightly sinuate anterior margin, slightly upturned and markedly thickened; disc convex; sculpture of large and deep punctures forming laterally some striae; lateral margin almost carinate at base, curving downwards and depressed at middle and reborded in apical part, as anterior margin; vertex and frons without protuberance, with same sculpture as clypeus; antennae dark-brown with club as long as flagellum in male, shorter in female.

Pronotum. Slightly transverse, larger at posterior angles; sculpture of transverse punctures with circular distribution centered at middle of posterior margin, middle unsculpted longitudinal line on disc, posterior margin in front of scutellum also unsculped; anterior margin slightly wider than head, slightly tectiform, lateral margins reborded with very smooth lateral angles at middle; posterior margin convex, straight to convex in front of scutellum.

Scutellum. Black to dark-brown, longer than wide, apex acute, smooth, with few punctures only on lateral angles and along lateral parts of basal third; grooved laterally.

Elytra. Dull, except costae and callus which are slightly shiny; strongly sculpted with two different punctures, fine on costae and horseshoe with central point (semi-annular) on remaining surface; sculpture of first two interstriae becoming confluent in apical half; costae strongly elevated, discal one almost complete to apical callus and strongly developed; apex angular but not produced; lateral margin reborded on basal half.

Pygidium. Transverse with horseshoe setigerous sculpture, setae thin and separate; medial line strongly convex, wide and smooth area just before apex reborded and depressed, depression exhibiting striae; two small depressions near anterior angles and one spot of white tomentum on each side.

Underside. With scattered lunulate setigerous sculpture, setae longer on sternum than on abdomen; wide crescent punctures on metasternum, disc poorly sculpted (few fine punctures), denser to confluent laterally; abdomen with horseshoe sculpture regularly distributed; posterior coxae reborded laterally, latero-posterior angles well marked, setigerous sculpture of transversal to backward-curved striae; mesosternal apophysis transverse with few setigerous punctures, compressed between the mesocoxae and not protruding; male abdomen concave with visible groove on the sternites 3-5; two small lateral spots on sternite 6 in male, absent in female.

Legs. Exhibiting whitish double setae, one long and simple, second scale-type; protibiae bidentate, meso- and metatibiae with carina in apical third; profemora strigillate, mesofemora with crescent punctures to small striae, long setigerous stria along internal margin; metafemora slightly dilated, with crescent punctures to small striae; first tarsal segment shorter than others, metatarsi not spiny; claws normal.

Aedeagus. Simple, with sides converging in front; apex rounded and slightly protruding at center, very short longitudinal incision just in front of protrusion.

Remarks.

This species is only known from the type series (male holotype and two female paratypes) and is apparently restricted to Somalia. Females exhibit a convex abdomen and enlarged to spatuliform metatibial spurs, while male spurs are slender and acute.