Systematic revision of endemic southern African genera of Bolboceratinae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea: Bolboceratidae)
Author
Gussmann S. M.
Author
Scholtz, C. H.
text
Journal of Natural History
2000
2000-12-31
34
1045
1123
journal article
10.1080/00222930050020122
1464-5262
4747979
Boboceratex jouberti
spec. nov.
(®gures 24a±c, e, 27a, b, 29a±e, 33a, 35)
Description
Body length
.
14.1±17.3 mm
.
Colour
. Mid-brown, but elytra usually dark brown except for mid-brown humeral umbone and elytral margin.
Head
. Dorsal surface asetose.
Outer margin of mandible
(®gures 27a, 33a) distinctly sinuate and anteriorly strongly curved inward.
Labrum
(®gure 27a) asetose; declivous in anterior third and posterior two-thirds, transverse carina obsolete; anterior margin distinctly sinuate.
Clypeus
(®gure 27a) sloping upward posteriorly to apex of mostly obsolete transverse anterior carina; anterior carina medially often with feeble tubercle; lateral carina obsolete anteriorly but raised and distinct above antennal insertion, continuing from there posteriorly in a slightly arcuate line, and feebly developed near eye-canthus, to almost posterior end of frons; antero-lateral angle of genae sharply raised; with posterior transverse bituberculate carina, carina U-shaped between tubercles; carina laterally terminating with tubercles, not joining lateral clypeal margin.
Frons
slightly depressed in the middle, depression bordered by a slight swelling on each side in the posterior part.
Antennal club
with glabrous area of basal segment two-thirds of exposed surface.
Pronotum
(®gures 29d, e, 33a). With large concavity occupying anterior median two-thirds of pronotum; concavity slightly narrowed to posterior U- or V-shaped end (®gure 33a), sides steepest at posterior end; posteriorly with distinctly impressed midline opening up into concavity but not reaching posterior pronotal margin; each endpoint of the`U’ or`V’ feebly tuberculate; concavity with very ®ne punctures, interspersed with larger punctures, the latter becoming largerÐbut not deeperÐ and often conūent towards sides; concavity at its widest point narrower than frons between eyes; lateral margin entire.
Scutellum
(®gure 27b). Basal width about 1.6Ölength; with large, often conūent but shallow punctures.
Elytron
. Striae moderately impressed, their punctures separated by two to four puncture diameters (®gure 27b); intervals with double punctation (about four ®ne and 12±15 minute punctures between two striae).
Metasternum
. As in generic description but longitudinal suture reaching mesometasternal suture (®gure 24a).
Legs
.
Protibia
®ve-dentate.
Metatibia
in lateral view distinctly broadening towards apex; with subapical carina unlobed; with knoblike projections spread over surface above subapical carina.
Metatarsus
with one subapical seta each on tarsomere 2 and 3, but lacking subapical setae on tarsomere 4.
Male genitalia
. Aedeagus as in ®gure 29a±c.
Distribution
(®gure 35). The species is known from two localities in southwestern
Namibia
and from Brandvlei in the
Northern Cape Province
,
South Africa
.
Type material examined
.
HOLOTYPE
: l`
South Africa
,
Northern Cape Province
,
Brandvlei
,
30.27S
20.29E
, 12±
14.iv.1997
, leg.
C. R. Owen’
(
TMSA
); 12
PARATYPES
:
1m
(
TMSA
)
, 1x (UPSA), 1, l
1m
(
AJCS
)
, 2 ll,
1m
, 3x (
COCS
)
,
same data as holotype; 1x,`
Brandkaross
[
28.28S
16.40E
],
Richtersveld
,
9.v.1953
,
C.Koch’
/`’l /`
Bolboceras spurium PeÂring.
’ [handwriting
Andreae
, curator ex
SAMC
] (
TMSA
)
;
1, l`
S.W. Afr.
,
S. Namib
,
Klinghard Mt.
,
27.18S
±
15.42E
,
29.vii.1981
, E-Y: 1809, night, rocky hill, leg.
EndroÈdy-Younga’
(
TMSA
)
.
Etymology
. The species is named after Mr Andre Joubert, an enthusiastic biology teacher in
Somerset
West who enjoys collecting and studying beetles and often collects valuable research material.
Comments
. A separate description of a female specimen is not necessary as no external sexual dimorphism was found in this new species. The only variations observed among the limited number of specimens are: body size; clypeus: the anterior and lateral carinae vary from completely obsolete to feebly developed; pronotal concavity: at posterior end either more V- or U-shaped; and the colour: elytra sometimes not darker than rest of the body.
The new species is without any doubt placed in the genus
Bolboceratex
. It agrees with the general external generic characters as well as with the distinct aedeagal
type
. Sexual dimorphism is absent and intraspeci®c variability appears to be minimal.
The aedeagus of
Bolboceratex jouberti
is most similar to that of
Bolboceratex posticatus
and
Bolboceratex rhodesianus
. It is, however, more elongate and the pair of sclerotized projections on the median apparatus is not angularly extended (compare ®gures 29a±c and 28j±l). In external morphology
Bolboceratex jouberti
can only be confused with
Bolboceratex posticatus
(see under the latter) and
Bolboceratex holmi
spec. nov.
(see below).