Atrichelaphinis (Eugeaphinis) garnieri, Rojkoff, Sebastien & Perissinotto, Renzo, 2015

Rojkoff, Sebastien & Perissinotto, Renzo, 2015, Review of the genera Anelaphinis Kolbe, 1892 and Atrichelaphinis Kraatz, 1898 (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Cetoniinae), ZooKeys 482, pp. 91-142 : 112-115

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Scarabaeidae

Atrichelaphinis (Eugeaphinis) garnieri sp. n. Figures 13and 14

Type specimens.

Holotype male: Tanzania, Mtandi Masasi reg., 19-III-2008 (IRSN). Paratypes: Tanzania, 2♂ 2♀, same data as HT (PCTG, PCSR, PCRP); 1♂ 1♀, same locality, but I-2006 (PCTG); 2♀, Morogoro reg., UIuguru Mts, M. Coache leg, IV-2006 (PCSR); Zimbabwe, 1♂, Rhod., Christon Bank, Dr. V. Allard don, 25-XI-1974 (MNHN).

Description

(n = 10). Size: length ♂, 10.7-13.6 mm; ♀, 10.7-12.9 mm; width ♂, 6.1-7.4 mm; ♀, 6.2-7.4 mm.

Body. Light brown mottle with dark marks from green to brown, dark color at times covering virtually entire surface; matt to shiny, white spots of tomentum scattered throughout; light pilisoty distributed on vertex, along lateral margins of pronotum, on mesepimeron, on elytra (mainly lateral margins and apex) and pygidium.

Head. Clypeus slightly transverse, anterior margin strongly upturned in male, reborded and slightly bilobed and upturned in female; disc convex; sculpture scattered and superficial becoming striolated laterally and in front, few setae on frons and vertex.

Pronotum. Transverse, lateral angles strongly rounded and from almost imperceptible to slightly discernible; lateral margin completely reborded; posterior margin concave in front of scutellum, laterally convex; anterior margin tuberculate at middle; punctuation sparse on disc, becoming denser and stronger laterally and in front; pilosity present on lateral and frontal margins.

Scutellum. With very thin and short pilosity, occasional round puctures at base; apex acute.

Elytra. With two pairs of striae between sutural costae; discolateral costae with horseshoe sculpture more or less complete and confluent, horseshoe sculpture also on lateral margins; apicosutural angle acute and moderately developed.

Pygidium. Parabolic, with upturned posterior margin.

Underside. Shiny, generally with spots of white tomentum on abdomen and metasternum, sometimes also on metafemora; mesosternal apophysis transverse, compressed between the mesocoxae and with anterior margin slightly convex; median part of metaseternum and abdomen without pilosity and poorly sculpted.

Legs. Protibiae from bi- to tridentate (third tooth sometimes drastically reduced); meso and metatibae with tranverse carina under middle of external side; metafemora and metatibiae strongly enlarged in both sexes; second meta-tarsomere longer than third and fourth; male metatibial spurs large and acute, especially upper one; protarsi (excluding claws) longer than protibiae (from joint to apex of apical tooth); metatarsi robust, especially in female; metatibial spurs slightly enlarged and blunt in male, strongly enlarged to spatuliform and blunt in female.

Aedeagus. Less than twice as long as wide; width at base larger or equal to width at apex; lateral sides of parameres parallel to convergent, with apical margins showing sinuosity and/or hook-like projections.

Derivatio nominis.

The species is dedicated to the renowned French collector Thierry Garnier, who continues to contribute greatly to the knowledge of African entomofauna and brought to our attention several specimens of the type series.

Remarks.

Atrichelaphinis (Eugeaphinis) garnieri is very similar to Atrichelaphinis (Eugeaphinis) rhodesiana , from which it can be separated by the shape of the aedeagus and some external differences. Its body is slightly larger and the dorsal black marking is also usually darker and more developed than in Atrichelaphinis (Eugeaphinis) rhodesiana (except where forms of Atrichelaphinis (Eugeaphinis) rhodesiana do not exhibit the typical colour pattern). The pilosity of Atrichelaphinis (Eugeaphinis) garnieri is thinner and longer than that of Atrichelaphinis (Eugeaphinis) rhodesiana , especially on the underside but more difficult to appreciate on the upperside due to wear. The pronotal tubercule is also more pronounced and larger in Atrichelaphinis (Eugeaphinis) garnieri than in Atrichelaphinis (Eugeaphinis) rhodesiana . The male metatibial spurs are larger and blunt in Atrichelaphinis (Eugeaphinis) garnieri , especially the upper one, while in the female they are are spatuliform. Finally, apart form exhibiting sinuosity and/or hook-like projections, the mean ratio of length to width of the aedeagus of Atrichelaphinis (Eugeaphinis) garnieri is 1.59 versus the 1.88 of Atrichelaphinis (Eugeaphinis) rhodesiana . The two species appear to be cryptic and are sympatric in Zimbabwe, which represents the northernmost geographic limit of Atrichelaphinis (Eugeaphinis) rhodesiana and the southernmost for Atrichelaphinis (Eugeaphinis) garnieri . The two females from the Uluguru Mountains show less enlarged metatibial spurs and very sligth differences in the formation of subcoxite IX. However, it is likely that these constitute simple population variations.