Andrahomanus sabulicola, Kejval & Cz, 2010

Kejval, Zbyněk & Cz, Domažlice, 2010, Taxonomic revision of the genus Andrahomanus (Coleoptera: Anthicidae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 50 (1), pp. 167-188 : 180-183

Andrahomanus sabulicola sp. nov.

( Figs. 24–30 , 43 , 48–50 )

Type locality. South Africa, Limpopo Province, Kruger National Park, Nyandu sands, 22°38′S 31°22′E.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: J, ‘ S. Afr; Kruger Nat. Pk Nyandu sands 22.38 S – 31.22 E // 18.11.1994; E-Y: 3055 groundtraps, 60days Endrödy, Bellamy’ ( TMSA) . PARATYPES: 4JJ 8♀♀, same data as holotype ( TMSA, ZKDC) ; 3 JJ 2♀♀, ‘S.Afr; Kruger Nat.Pk Punda Maria sands 22.38 S – 30.59 E // 19.11.1994 ; E-Y: 3055 groundtraps, 60days Endrödy , Bellamy’ ( TMSA) ; 4 JJ 12 ♀♀, ‘S. Afr; Kruger nat. Pk Pumbe sands 24.12 S – 31.55 E // 22.11.1994 ; E-Y: 3063 groundtraps, 60days Endrödy , Bellamy // groundtrap with faece [or meat] bait’ ( TMSA, ZKDC) ; 1 J, ‘S.Afr; Kruger Nat. Pk Satara flood plain 24.11 S – 31.50 E // 22.11.1994 ; E-Y: 3065 groundtraps, 60days Endrödy , Bellamy // groundtrap with faece bait’ ( TMSA) ; 2 JJ 1 ♀, ‘S Afr; LittleKarroo Gamkaberg , 1000m 33.44 S – 21.57 E // 21.12.1993 ; E-Y: 3069 groundtraps, 24days leg. Endrödy-Younga // groundtrap with banana bait’ ( TMSA).

Additional material. REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA: NORTHERN CAPE PROVINCE: 10JJ 11♀♀, Tswalu Nature Reserve , 27°16′S 22°23′E, red dunes, groundtrap with faeces [or meat or banana] bait, 12.ii.2006, R. Müller leg. ( TMSA, ZKDC) ; 1 J, 62 km SW of Vanzylsrus , 27°04′S 21°33′E, 23.iii.1983, R. G. Oberprieler leg. ( SANC) .

Description (male, holotype). Body length 4.2 mm. Head and pronotum reddish brown; elytra brown with reddish brown base, suture and lateral margins, and with slight indication of two transverse paler bands; antennae and legs reddish brown.

Head 1.2 times as long as wide, widely rounded posteriorly; posterior temporal angles rounded but distinct. Eyes small, moderately convex. Dorsal surface matt, very densely punctate; punctation simple, punctures rather large but shallow, contiguous, evenly spaced. Setation short, appressed, with a few very short and inconspicuous erect setae. Antennae moderately enlarged in terminal third; antennomere X 1.1 times as long as wide, antennomere XI 1.8 times as long as wide.

Pronotum robust, nearly as wide as long, much wider than head including eyes, widely rounded to angulate anteriorly; pronotal disc rather convex, its basal portion somewhat bulging over antebasal sulcus; dorso-lateral sides of pronotum forming rounded edge, their outlines narrowing and slightly angled posteriorly in dorsal view. Dorsal surface matt, densely punctate; punctation and setation as those on head.

Elytra 1.7 times as long as wide, conjointly rounded apically, rather convex, strongly declivous basally. Surface slightly glossy, densely punctate; punctation in basal third moderately finer and sparser than that on head, punctures narrowly separated. Setation longer than that on head, appressed, mostly pale to brownish, with silvery setae forming two rather sparse/vague transverse bands; erect setae more distinct/numerous than those on head.

Legs simple; setation mostly short and fine, metatibiae with longer and more raised setae on inner side subapically, apical margins of tibiae (especially of metatibiae) with fringe of stiff setae.

Abdominal sternum and tergum VII simple, evenly rounded posteriorly. Sternite VIII as in Fig. 24 ; paired prongs simple, narrow, moderately arcuate and convergent, rounded and rather finely setose apically. Tergite VIII nearly evenly rounded posteriorly ( Fig. 25 ). Segment IX as in Fig. 26 ; paired sclerites narrow, simple, with a few longer setae.

Aedeagus as in Fig. 27 ; apical portion of tegmen 0.5 times as long as basal piece, slightly sinuously narrowing towards rounded apex in ventral view.

Female. Externally identical with male.

Variation (see also Remarks). Body length (J ♀) 2.5–4.3 mm; longer setation on inner side of metatibiae in males sometimes less distinct, especially in smaller specimens; paired prongs of male sternite VIII may be slightly widened in apical half as in the specimen from Punda Maria sands ( Fig. 28 ).

Differential diagnosis. Andrahomanus sabulicola sp. nov. is externally very similar to A. opacus sp. nov. They can be barely separated by external characters, but A. sabulicola sp. nov. differs clearly by the morphology of male abdominal sternite VIII (paired prongs narrow and finely setose apically) and tergite VIII (evenly rounded posteriorly).

Etymology. From the Latin nouns sabulum (sand) and incola (inhabitant); named in reference to the collecting circumstances (the specimens have been collected almost exclusively in sandy places); noun in apposition.

Distribution. South Africa.

Remarks. Based on the label data, A. sabulicola sp. nov. appears to be a rather widespread species confined to sandy habitats. It is presently known from three different regions in Limpopo, Northern Cape and Western Cape Provinces ( Fig. 51 ). The specimens from the Northern Cape Province are not included in the type series since they have distinctly shorter/wider prongs of male sternite VIII and a slightly different form of the tegmen ( Figs. 29 and 30 ). They are moreover smaller in size (2.4–3.1 mm) and may represent a geographical subspecies. However, this should be confirmed by examination of males from more localities. Surprisingly, the paratypes from the distant Little Karroo Region in Western Cape Province fit all the male characters, including the morphology of sternite VIII.

Figures

Figs. 24–30. Andrahomanus sabulicola sp. nov. 24–27 – holotype (male): 24 – sternite VIII in dorsal view; 25 – tergite VIII; 26 – segment IX; 27 – aedeagus in ventral (left) and lateral (right) view. 28 – paratype (male, Punda Maria sands), prong of sternite VIII. 29–30 – non-type (male, Tswalu Nature Reserve): 29 – prong of sternite VIII; 30 – apical portion of aedeagus in ventral view. Scale = 0.2 mm: A – Fig. 29; B – Figs. 24, 27, 30; C – Fig. 25; D – Fig. 26; E – Fig. 28.

Figs.37–43.Andrahomanus spp., habitus:37 – A. crassicornis sp. nov. (paratype); 38 – A.scholaris sp. nov. (holotype); 39 – A. particularis (Pic, 1932) (lectotype); 40 – A. ovaliceps sp. nov. (holotype); 41 – A. opacus sp. nov. (paratype, Swartbooisdrift); 42 – A. luteipes Pic, 1903 (holotype); 43 – A. sabulicola sp. nov. (paratype, Nyandu sands).

Figs. 44–50. 44 – Andrahomanus luteipes Pic, 1903, holotype, labels. 45–46 – A. particularis (Pic, 1932), lectotype (male): 45 – labels; 46 – head and pronotum in dorsal view. 47 – A. ovaliceps sp. nov, holotype (female), head base and pronotum in dorsal view. 48–50 – A. sabulicola sp. nov., paratype (male): 48 – meso- and metathorax; 49 – intercoxal process of abdomen; 50 – procoxal cavities in cranial view.

Fig. 51. Distribution of Andrahomanus Pic, 1903.