Silvaphilus joselmae Daniel, Strümpher & Deschodt, 2022

Daniel, Gimo M., Strümpher, Werner P. & Deschodt, Christian M., 2022, An unexpected new flightless dung beetle species (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae: Endroedyolini) from the Cederberg Mountains, South Africa, Zootaxa 5093 (4), pp. 414-420 : 415-417

Silvaphilus joselmae Daniel, Strümpher & Deschodt , new species

( Figs 1A–F , 2–3 )

Nomenclatural act:

LSIDurn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: F290EEB4-901D-4A68-AD23-6F35EF90E7AC

Type locality. 4 km SE of Algeria Forest Station (32°24′30″S 19°05′03″E), Cederberg Wilderness Area , Western Cape Province, South Africa ( Figs 2–3 ) .

Type material. HOLOTYPE, ♂ ( TMSA) ( Figs 1A–F ): “ SOUTH AFRICA: Western Cape Prov., | Cederberg Wilderness Area , | 4 km SE of Algeria Forest Station,” || “ 7-9.viii.2021, altitude 790 m, | 32°24′30″S 19°05′03″E, | GM Daniel & WP Strümpher” || " SITE IV: 790 m, Shaded vegetation, | near stream, pitfall trap | baited with pig dung.” || “ HOLOTYPE | Silvaphilus joselmae | Daniel, Strümpher & | Deschodt, 2021 [red cardstock]”.

PARATYPES, 10♂♂, 18♀♀ ( BMSA 4♂ 6♀; TMSA 5♂ 9♀; SANC 1♂; 3♀♀); same collection data as holotype .

Description of holotype (♂).

Size: Length: 3.4 mm. Width: 1.7 mm.

Colour ( Figs 1A–B ): Black; mouthparts and antenna yellowish. Body surface covered with recurved tan setae.

Body shape ( Fig. 1A ): Round (in dorsal view) and strongly convex (in lateral view).

Head ( Figs 1A–B ): Rounded, surface densely and coarsely punctate with few scattered tan setae. Clypeus broadly rounded, somewhat depressed anterolaterally. Anterior clypeal margin bidentate; edge between denticles broadly W-shaped with small triangular medial denticle present; lateral clypeal margin continuous; fronto-clypeal suture indistinct. Clypeo-genal margin continuously rounded. Dorsal part of eyes elongated and curved. Antennae with nine antennomeres; mouthparts with few setae.

Pronotum ( Fig. 1A ): Strongly convex, wider than long, coarsely punctate, some punctures bearing recurved tan setae; basal margin with single clear line of uniform elliptical punctures arranged in parallel; basal margin wider than apical; lateral margin somewhat explanate.

Elytra ( Figs 1A, D ): Strongly convex, fused, with nine striae. Striae 1–7 formed by continuous row of double semi-circles; stria 8 with a carina on either side, modified as deep and obvious groove; stria 9 adjacent to epipleuron. Epipleuron surface smooth, well-defined, wider basally and narrower apically. Elytral interstriae with single row of recurved tan setae paralleling outer edge of each interval; seta spaced every four or five punctures. Medial edges impunctate; interstriae surface densely punctate on first basal half, while on second apical half punctate only on lateral edges. Elytral humerus and apical callosity absent. Metathoracic wings absent.

Prosternum and propleuron ( Fig. 1B ): Surface dull, with few irregular sets of ocellate punctures.

Ventrites ( Fig. 1B ): Mesepimere with few punctures; surface dull. Mesoventrite with surface shining; virtually glabrous; punctures almost touching and about twice larger than those on the metaventrite. Mesometaventral suture very slightly curving anteriorly. Metaventrite surface shining; surface completely punctate with punctures separated by almost one puncture diameter, glabrous anteriorly, setose posteriorly. Six abdominal ventrites visible, punctate laterally, last abdominal ventrite twice wider than others with single row of recurved setae.

Pygidium ( Fig. 1C ): About twice as wide as high, surface shagreened with punctures, lateral edges with few punctures, each bearing tan seta. Complete and strongly marginate, marginal bead obtusely angulate at basal midline.

Legs ( Figs 1A–B ): Profemora ventrally punctate, with some punctures bearing seta, surface micro-shagreened, shining; upper anterior and posterior edges strongly marginate; lower anterior edge weakly marginate; distinct pit on trochanterofemoral segments present. Protibiae, slender basally and stouter apically, truncate apically with three prominent teeth on outer margin; entire margin distinctly serrated, area between teeth serrate; apical tooth largest, medial tooth somewhat smaller than basal one. In dorsal view, a row of six-aligned setae running parallel to outer margin visible; outer margin carina present, extending from basal edge of tibia to basal tooth. In ventral view, median row of seven-aligned setae running in between inner and outer margin; shallowly carinate on basal half of outer margin. Protibial spur present. Protarsi with four visible tarsomeres and tiny pair of claws; protarsomeres 1–3 triangular and short; protarsomere 4 cylindrical at least twice longer than others, with pair of tiny apical claws. Meso- and metafemora ventrally sparsely, finely punctate hind edges, punctures bearing setae, surfaces microreticulate, shiny; anterior and posterior edges marginate. Meso- and metatibiae flattened, gradually expanded nearly to apex, with prominent spur on inner margin. Meso- and metatarsomeres with five tarsomeres, protarsomeres 1–4 triangular, short, covered with few stiff setae; protarsomere 5 cylindrical at least twice longer than others, with pair of very tiny apical claws.

Aedeagus ( Fig. 1E ): Symmetrical, parameres with the apex tapered and inwardly curving.

Morphological variation: Length: 3.3–3.8 mm. Width: 1.6–1. 9 mm. There is no clear sexual dimorphism, but females are slightly larger than males.

Diagnosis: Silvaphilus joselmae new species can be distinguished from S. oubosiensis by the following combination of characters: males of the new species lack the lateral elytral spine which is present in males of S. oubosiensis . Silvaphilus oubosiensis shows a pronotal depression on the basal-medial edge, which is not present in the new species. Silvaphilus joselmae new species is much smaller in size than S. oubosiensis ; in the former the medial width of its mesoventrite is twice wider and with two rows of punctures, in the latter the mesoventrite is narrower and with one row of punctures. Furthermore, the mesometaventral suture curves very slightly anteriorly in the new species, whereas it is rounded in S. oubosiensis . Lastly, the eighth stria in S. joselmae new species is modified to form a deep and obvious groove, but in S. oubosiensis it is formed of deep and clear elongated and connected punctures.

Etymology: The new species is named after Joselma G. Pereira, the wife of the first author, Gimo M. Daniel, for her unconditional love and support in his entomological career.

Distribution ( Figs 2–3 ): Silvaphilus joselmae new species is known from a single locality in the Cederberg Mountains where it was recorded in Fynbos riparian vegetation (Aza 1; Mucina & Rutherford 2006) ( Fig. 3 ). In the Cederberg area there are less than ten severely fragmented patches of the Fynbos riparian vegetation covering a total area of less than 50 km 2. Although the vegetation unit is well protected in the Cederberg Wilderness Area dedicated collecting in the area is required to determine if this species occurs in any of the other patches of riparian scrub vegetation or if it exhibits broader vegetation specialisation.

Figures

FIGURES 1A–F. Silvaphilus joselmae Daniel, Strümpher & Deschodt, new species, holotype (TMSA). A, habitus, dorsal view; B, habitus, ventral view; C, pygidium; D, elytron, lateral view; E, aedeagus (paratype), lateral and dorsal views; F, holotype labels.

FIGURE 2. Distribution map of Silvaphilus joselmae Daniel, Strümpher & Deschodt, new species. In green, the limited extent of the Fynbos riparian vegetation following the valleys in the Cederberg Mountains as shown by Mucina & Rutherford (2006).

FIGURE 3: The type locality of Silvaphilus joselmae Daniel, Strümpher & Deschodt, new species. Photo by W.P. Strümpher, 9. viii. 2021.