Anaxius limpopoensis, Kamiński & Schoeman, 2018

Kamiński, Marcin J. & Schoeman, Colin S., 2018, Taxonomic revision of a darkling beetles genus Anaxius (Tenebrionidae: Pedinini: Helopinina), Zootaxa 4455 (3), pp. 471-485 : 477-478

Anaxius limpopoensis sp. nov.

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:0719746F-D175-4BF0-9B46-561914F390E1

( Figs. 1C , 3C , 5 )

Type data. Holotype, male ( TMSA): “ S. Afr.; Limpopo Prov. / Lindani Nat. Res 1336m / 24.02 S – 28.23 E ”, “ 8.12.2005; E-Y:3687 / single, bushveld / leg. Gusmann, Müller ” . Paratypes, male ( TMSA) and male ( MIZ PAN): same data as holotype; 2 males ( TMSA): “S. Afr. Limpopo Prov. / Mabote farm / 24.07S 28.39 E ”, “ 14.11.2009 / Leg. Ruth Müller ”; male ( TMSA) “ S. Afr.; Limpopo Prov. / 25 km N Mookgophong / 24.25 S – 28.41 E ”, “12 – 15.1.2014 E-Y:3951 / mixed moodland 1185m / leg. Ruth Müller ”; male ( TMSA): “ S. Afr.; Limpopo Prov. / Waterberg Game Res. / 24.11 S – 28.20 E ”, “4 – 7.11.2002 / leg. B. Dombrowsky”.

Etymology. The name refers to the type locality, Limpopo Province ( South Africa).

Diagnosis. This species is similar to A. prozeskyi by having relatively narrow protarsi in males (like in Fig. 1F ), strongly depressed apical part of the intercoxal process of prosternum (lateral view), and dorsal body surface covered with soft and dense bristles, with additional stiff and black setae on elytra ( Fig. 1C, F ). Anaxius limpopoensis can be easily distinguished by having simple mesotibia (curved in limpopoensis ; flattened apically, protruding in middle in prozeskyi ) profemora (with fringe of bristles on underside in prozeskyi ), and mesofemora (with prominent denticle in prozeskyi ).

Description. Body—length = 5.0–7.0 mm. Habitus as in Fig. 1C .

Dorsal side of head covered with fine confluent punctures (0.5–1.0 diameters apart) and fine yellow bristles. Frontoclypeal suture smooth. Canthus rounded at base; narrower than head at level of eyes. Clypeal emargination shallow (clypeal emargination width: depth ratio ca. 9.0). Labrum wide (width: length ratio ca. 1.5); shallowly emarginate medially; with basal membrane exposed. Ligula exposed, not covered by mentum. Mentum widest in apical part; with well-developed medial keel; with exposed lateral lobes; not covering cardo or basistipes; apically with median indentation. Submentum pentagonal; short. Apical segment of maxillary palpus trapezoidal; with sensory field occupying whole proximal edge. Second segment of maxillary palpus elongate (length: width ratio ca. 2.3). Palpifer located laterally on basistipes. Anterior tentorial pit circular. Eye not dorsally shielded by any keel. Margin between maxillary fossa and antenna insertion well marked. Antenna relatively long (antenna: pronotum length ratio ca. 1.6); third antennomere short (3rd: 2nd antennomere length ratio ca. 3.0); fifth antennomere relatively short (length: width ratio ca. 2.0).

Pronotum narrower than elytra (elytra: pronotum width ratio ca. 1.3); relatively narrow (length: width ratio of pronotal disc ca. 0.7); disc dull, covered with confluent punctures (space between punctures shiny) and yellow bristles, which are becoming denser in posterior anges. Lateral sides of pronotal disc rounded. Disc widest in middle; without apophyseal depressions; with basal depressions. Basal, anterior and lateral emargination of pronotal disc present. Base of pronotum slightly bisinuate. Posterior angles not protruding beyond base. Pronotal hypomeron dull; with fine punctures; covered yellow bristles; without submarginal indentation. Intercoxal process of prosternum depressed apically (lateral view); not protruding towards first abdominal segment. Procoxae narrowly separated (procoxa: intercoxal process width ratio ca. 2.0).

Elytral striae and intervals not visibly distinguishable. Elytron covered by confluent punctures, yellow hair, which become more dense closer to elytral suture and epipleuron, and additional stiff and black setae ( Fig. 1C ). Elytral base slightly bisinuate; not emarginate. Elytral humerus rounded. Epipleuron slightly narrowing apically, then of constant width; basally covering all elytral intervals (ventral view). Scutellum relatively large; triangular. Metathoracic wings absent.

Metaventrite extremely short (metacoxal cavity: metaventrite (between insertions of meso- and metacoxae) length ratio ca. 10.0). Process of first abdominal ventrite wide (distances between mesocoxae: metacoxae ratio ca. 0.9). Fifth abdominal ventrite without submarginal sulcus; covered with fine punctures (4–5 diameters apart).

Male protarsi relatively narrow. Protibia with shallow median cavity on inner side. Pro- and mesofemora simple. Meso- and meta curved; with fringe of setae distributed on whole length. Metafemora with fringe of setae distributed along whole length; with three spines. First tarsomere of metatarsi elongated (1.5× longer than 4th one). Metatarsus nearly as long as metatibia.

Aedeagal tegmen widest in middle; bipartite. Apical part divided (up to 0.15 of whole tegmen length). Clava straight. Penis of even width along most of its length; with apical part not covered by tegmen, exposed dorsally. Basal apophyses of penis relatively short (ca. 0.4 of whole tegmen length).

Distribution. This species has been collected in the following ecoregion of South Africa ( Fig. 5 ): Southern Africa bushveld.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Habitus images of the studied species. Anaxius bloubergensis (A), A. campbellae (B), A. limpopoensis (C), A. meletsensis (D), A. obesus (E), A. prozeskyi (F), and A. pseudoloensus (G).

FIGURE 3. Aedeagal tegmen morphology. Anaxius bloubergensis (A), A. campbellae (B), A. limpopoensis (C), A. meletsensis (D), and A. pseudoloensus (G).

FIGURE 5. Distribution of the species representing Anaxius.