The following new species from South Africa are described and illustrated: Phacophallus capensis sp. n. (Eastern Cape), Notolinopsis complicitus sp. n. (Eastern Cape), Elapheia zuluensis sp. n. (KwaZulu-Natal), and E. natalensis sp. n. (KwaZulu-Natal).
Die folgenden neuen Arten aus Südafrika werden beschrieben und illustriert: Phacophallus capensis sp. n. (Eastern Cape), Notolinopsis complicitus sp. n. (Eastern Cape), Elapheia zuluensis sp. n. (KwaZulu-Natal) und E. natalensis sp. n. (KwaZulu-Natal).
Introduction
This contribution is based on specimens collected in South Africa and received on loan from the Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde in Stuttgart, Germany. Alongside known species, I was able to examine specimens belonging to four new species from the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces of South Africa, thus increasing the knowledge of Afrotropical Xantholinini.
Material and methods
The abbreviations used in the text are as follows: cB – A. Bordoni collection, Florence, Italy; SMNS – Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Stuttgart, Germany. The examination of the specimens was done through a Wild M5A binocular and an Optika B-293 trinocular microscope.
Photographs were taken with a Visionary Digital photography system (LK Imaging System, Dun. Inc.) equipped with a Canon EOS 5DSR objective, and were subsequently processed with Helicon Focus Pro, Adobe Lightroom, and Adobe Photo-shop CS6.
Taxonomy
Phacophallus capensis sp. n.
(Figs. 1–3, 13)
Type material
Holotype ♂ (Fig. 13): Republic of South Africa, Eastern Cape, N Fort Beaufort, Fort Fordyce N. R., 1000 m, 3–5.XII.2007, W. Schawaller leg. (SMNS).
Description
Male. Length of body: 6.4 mm; length from anterior margin of head to posterior margin of elytra: 2.9 mm. Body dark reddish-brown, with black head. Head sub-rectangular, narrow anteriad, with widely rounded posterior angles. Eyes medium-sized and almost flat. Surface of head with long ocular grooves and 2–3 series of deep punctures on the sides. Pronotum convex, longer than and as wide as head, with oblique anterior margins, widely rounded anterior angles, non emarginate sides; surface with dorsal series of 2 anterior and 3 posterior punctures, lateral series of 3 punctures. Elytra large, dilated posteriad, longer and wider than pronotum, with marked humeral angles; surface with 4–5 series of fine and spaced punctures. Abdomen with fine, sparse punctures.
Tergite and sternite of male genital segment as in Figs. 1–2. Aedeagus (Fig. 3) 0.81 mm long, sub-spherical; inner sac with three areas of spinulae.
Differential diagnosis
The new species differs from P. elephantorum Bordoni, 2016, from the same Cape province, by the punctation of the pronotum and, in particular, by the inner sac of the aedeagus without spines.
Etymology
The specific epithet refers to the type locality.
Distribution
The species is known only from the type locality.
Figs. 1–12.
Male genitalia structures of the new species. 1–3. Phacophallus capensis sp. n. – 1. Tergite of male genital segment. 2. Sternite of male genital segment. 3. Aedeagus. 4–6. Notolinopsis complicitus sp. n. – 4. Tergite of male genital segment. 5. Sternite of male genital segment. 6. Aedeagus. 7–9. Elapheia zuluensis sp. n. – 7. Tergite of male genital segment. 8. Sternite of male genital segment. 9. Aedeagus. 10–12. Elapheia natalensis sp. n. – 10. Tergite of male genital segment. 11. Sternite of male genital segment. 12. Aedeagus. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.
Notolinopsis complicitus sp. n. (Figs. 4–6, 14)
Type material
Holotype ♂ (Fig. 14): Republic of South Africa, Eastern Cape, N Fort Beaufort, Fort Fordyce N. R., 1000 m, 3–5.XII.2007, W. Schawaller leg. (SMNS).
Description
Male. Length of body: 10 mm; length from anterior margin of head to posterior margin of elytra: about 4.5 mm. Body dark reddish-brown; antennae and legs brown. Head sub-rectangular, barely narrower anteriad, with widely rounded posterior angles; surface with transverse micro-striation and fine, scattered puntation except for a median stripe. Eyes small and flat. Pronotum longer and narrower than head, with oblique anterior margins, rounded anterior angles and slighly emarginate sides; surface with dorsal series of 10–11 punctures and lateral series of 5 anterior punctures. Elytra shorter and narrower than pronotum, with more or less obsolete humeral angles; surface with very fine punctation, arranged in some series. Abdomen with traces of transverse micro-striation and fine punctures on the sides of each segment.
Tergite and sternite of male genital segment as in Figs. 4–5. Aedeagus (Fig. 6) 1.11 mm long, ovoid, with asymmetric, complex parameres and long distal lobulae.
Differential diagnosis
Notolinopsis complicitus sp. n. differs from N. nquadu Bordoni, 2016, from Transkei, by the length of the body (10.0 mm instead 8.7), by the punctation of the pronotum (10–11 punctures instead of 5–6), by the surface of the elytra (shiny instead of with polygonal micro-reticulation), and by the structure of the aedeagus.
Etymology
The specific epithet is the Latin adjective “complicitus” (-a, -um), meaning “enveloped”.
Distribution
The species is known only from the type locality
Elapheia zuluensis sp. n.
(Figs. 7–9, 15)
Type material
Holotype ♂ (Fig. 15): Republic of South Africa, Kwa-Zulu-Natal, 15 km S Pongola, 1.II.2008, P. Schüle leg. (SMNS).
Paratypes: same data, SW Magudu, 27°34′S, 31°35′W, 4–5.I.2009, P. Schüle, 1 ♀ (SMNS), 1 ♂ (cB).
Description
Male. Length of body: 4.6 mm; length from anterior margin of head to posterior margin of elytra: about 2.7 mm. Body reddish-brown with darker head; antennae and legs brown. Head sub-rectangular, with sub-parallel sides and narrowly rounded posterior angles. Eyes medium-sized and slightly protruding; surface of head with fine punctuation, except for a median stripe. Pronotum longer and narrower than head, with oblique anterior margins and rounded anterior angles; surface with dorsal series of 7–8 punctures and lateral series of 4–5 punctures. Elytra long, sub-rectangular, with narrowly rounded humeral angles; surface with fine punctation arranged in some series. Abdomen with fine punctation on the sides of each segment.
Tergite and sternite of male genital segment as in Figs. 7–8. Aedeagus (Fig. 9) 0.6 mm long, ovoid, with symmetric, short parameres; inner sac long and narrow, with a median black area below a surface covered with fine scales.
Differential diagnosis
The species differs from E. gracilenta (Scheerpeltz, 1974) (Fig. 17) from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, and South Africa by the punctation of the pronotum (7–8 punctures instead 13–14 punctures), by the shape of eyes (medium-sized and moderately protruding instead of large and prominent), and by the structure of the inner sac of the aedeagus.
Etymology
The specific epithet refers to the Zululand region.
Distribution
The species is known only from the type locality.
Elapheia natalensis sp. n. (Figs. 10–12, Fig. 16)
Type material
Holotype ♂ (Fig. 16): Republic of South Africa, Kwa-Zulu-Natal, SW Magudu, 27°34′S, 31°35′W, 4–5.I.2009, P. Schüle leg. (SMNS)
Description
Male. Length of body 4.8 mm; from anterior margin of head to posterior margin of elytra: about 2.8 mm. Other characters similar to E. zuluensis sp. n., but anteriorly narrower head, longer pronotum, and shorter and posteriad-dilated elytra.
Tergite and sternite of male genital segment as in Figs. 10–11. Aedeagus (Fig. 12) 0.81 mm long, ovoid, with asymmetric, short parameres; inner sac with on the right a narrow, long structure covered with dense scales, and on the left a vast area covered with sparse scales.
Differential diagnosis
Similar to E. zuluensis sp. n., from which differs by the following characters: anteriorly narrower head, longer pronotum, shorter and posteriad-dilated elytra, and structure of the aedeagus.
Etymology
The specific epithet refers to the old name of the province: Natal.
Distribution
The species is known only from the type locality.
Elapheia gracilenta (Scheerpeltz, 1974) (Fig. 17)
Material examined
Republic of South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal, SW Magudu, 27°34′S, 31°35′W, 4–5.I.2009, P. SCHÜLE leg.; 17 exx. (SMNS), 5 exx. (cB).
Distribution
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, South Africa (Bordoni 2016).
Fig. 17.
Elapheia gracilenta (Scheerpeltz, 1974); male from South Africa (SMNS), dorsal habitus. Scale bar: 2 mm.
Acknowledgements
Thanks to Arnaud Faille (SMNS) for the loan of this interesting material, and to Aron Bellersheim (SMNS) for the habitus photos.
© Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Stuttgart
