Sisyphus oralensis Daniel & Davis

Daniel, Gimo M., Davis, Adrian Lv. & Scholtz, Clarke H., 2016, Three new Sisyphus species (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) from shaded vegetation in southern Africa, Zootaxa 4147 (1), pp. 67-74 : 70-71

Sisyphus oralensis Daniel & Davis sp. nov.

( Fig. 2a )

Diagnosis. Sisyphus oralensis sp. nov. is similar to S. umbraphilus sp. nov., but can be distinguished by the following combination of characters: genae rounded forming obtuse angle with genal suture; less dense cover of long setae on pronotal disc, not distributed uniformly but mostly arranged in a linear pattern separated by bare patches; S. oralensis sp. nov. is smaller than S. umbraphilus sp. nov. ( Fig. 2 bi-ii).

Description. Size: Male: Length: 3.4–4.8 mm, width: 2.1–2.5 mm. Female: Length: 3.9–4.7 mm, width: 2.1– 2.5 mm.

Colour: Dark brown to black.

Head: Clypeus with a strong cleft between two medial teeth, deep excavation lateral to each tooth, lateral convex sinuosity between excavation and genal suture, genae rounded forming obtuse angle with genal suture; frons finely punctate and setose, post-occipital suture fully rounded and arciform, eyes reniforme with dark ocular stains, antennae brown.

Pronotum: Convex, dark brown, coarsely punctate; anteriorly inclined; central diameter wider than elytra; complete lateral prothoracic ridge separating prothoracic disc and prothoracic episternum; long setae of pronotal disc not uniformly spaced but forming a clear, mostly linear pattern separated by bare patches ( Fig. 2 bii).

Elytra: Dark brown; narrowed posteriorly; finely punctate; well-spaced; fine curled setae on interstriae.

Pygidium: Dark brown; strongly narrowed and "v" shaped towards apical base; finely punctate and setose.

Sternites: Abdominal sternites punctate with fine setae arranged in rows; meso- and metasternum black, metallic shiny, and finely punctate; mesepimerum and metepisternum: punctate with fine setae.

Legs: Profemur with well-developed setae laterally, punctate ventrally; meso- and metafemur brown, punctate and setose; meso- and metatrochanter contiguous with femur, forming a divergent spine at the tip in latter; promeso- and metatibia setose with single terminal spur, protibia with three teeth; pro- meso- and metatarsus five segmented with two claws; the first tarsal segment of the meso- and meta-thoracic legs with a row of strong setae on the ventral edge.

Aedeagus: Phallobase curved dorsally, forming a strong angle with parameres, visible medial line ventrally; parameres nearly symmetrical, separated by membranous area visible dorsally on apical edge; basal edges slightly excavated longitudinally both ventrally and dorsally. ( Fig. 2 c)

Etymology. We named this species S. oralensis because it is found on the Indian Ocean coastline of South Africa and Mozambique where it is associated with dense woodland and forest.

Examined material. Holotype: (♂ TMSA): SOUTH AFRICA, KZN, Richard’s Bay 28[◦] 39[’] 29.1[”] S; 32[◦] 15[’] 19.2[”] E, 27.i.2000, leg: Davis & Delport . Paratypes: (5♂, 8♀ UPSA): SOUTH AFRICA , KZN Richard’s Bay 28[◦] 39[’] S; 32[◦] 15[’] E, 26-27.i.2000, leg: Davis & Delport. (1♂, 2♀ UPSA): SOUTH AFRICA , KZN, Itala Game Reserve 27[◦] 27[’] 53.6[”] S; 31[◦] 15[’] 36.1[”] E, 13.i.1999, leg: Chown, McGeogh & Davis. (4♀ UPSA; 3♂, 2♀ SANC): SOUTH AFRICA , KZN, Thembe Elephant Park 27[◦] 01[’] S; 32[◦] 24[’] E, 17.xii.1996, leg: B.J. Van Rensburg. (9♂, 8♀ UPSA): SOUTH AFRICA , KZN, Thembe Elephant Park 27[◦] 01[’] S; 32[◦] 24[’] E, 17.vii.1995, leg: B.J. Van Rensburg. (2♂, 3♀ UPSA): SOUTH AFRICA, KZN Thembe Elephant Park 26[◦] 55[’] S; 32[◦] 23[’] E, 15-30.x.2008, leg: B.J. Van Rensburg. (2♂ SANC, 1 ♀ TMSA) : SOUTH AFRICA, KZN, Umfolozi 28[◦] 15[’] S; 31[◦] 55[’] E, 25.viii.1971, leg: Bornemissza & Insley. (1♂, 10♀ SANC) : SOUTH AFRICA, KZN St Lucia Est. Nat. Reserve, Dune Forest 28[◦] 13[’] S; 32[◦] 21[’] E, 27.x.1978, leg: Bornemissza. (1♀ SANC) : SOUTH AFRICA, KZN Ntl Kosi Bay Nature Res 26[◦] 34[’] S; 32[◦] 28[’] E, 8- 11.ii.1990, leg: B. Grobbelaar. (1♀ SANC) : SOUTH AFRICA, KZN, Near Richards Bay , 28[◦] 36[’] 52[’’] S; 32[◦] 17[’] 34[’’] E, 27.x.1978, leg: Bornemissza. (1♂ SANC) : SOUTH AFRICA, KZN, Thembe Elephant Park 27[◦] 01[’] S; 32[◦] 24[’] E, 01-49. ii.1996, leg: R Stals. (5♂, 6♀ TMSA) : SOUTH AFRICA, KZN, Ntl Kosi Bay Nature Res 26[◦] 34[’] S; 32[◦] 28[’] E, 14.xi.2002, leg: Burguer, Harrison & Muller. (7♂, 8♀ TMSA) : SOUTH AFRICA, Zululand, Sodwana Bay 5km, 27[◦] 21[’] S; 32[◦] 23[’] E, 23.xi.1992, leg: Endrody-Younga. (8♂, 8♀ TMSA) : SOUTH AFRICA, N Zululand, Ndumu Game Reserve 26[◦] 32[’] S; 32[◦] 10[’] E, 1.xii.1992, leg: Endrody-Younga. (30♂, 42♀ TMSA) : SOUTH AFRICA, N Zululand, Lake Bangazi 28[◦] 04[’] S; 32[◦] 18[’] E, 12.xii.1992, leg: Endrodi-Younga. (1♂, 2♀ TMSA) : SOUTH AFRICA, Zululand, St. Lúcia. Mission Rock 28[◦] 13[’] S; 32[◦] 21[’] E, 23.xi.1992, leg: Endrody-Younga. (1♂, 2♀ TMSA) : SOUTH AFRICA, Natal, Cape Vidal, Forest litter 28[◦] 8[’] S; 32[◦] 33[’] E, 23.i.1990, leg: J. Klimaszewski. (1♂, 2♀ TMSA) : SOUTH AFRICA, N Zululand, Hluhluwe Game Reserve. 28[◦] 03[’] S; 32[◦] 02[’] E, 20.xi.1992. leg: Endrody-Younga. (12♂, 30♀ SANC) ; SOUTH AFRICA, KZN St Lucia Est. Nat. Reserve, Forest 28[◦] 13[’] S; 32[◦] 21[’] E, 24-23.i.1979, leg: NH Aschenborn. (1♂, 2♀ TMSA) : MOZAMBIQUE, Inhambane, Pomene , 22[◦] 35[’] S; 35[◦] 21[’] E, 04.v.1974, leg: A. Strydom. (5♂, 5♀ UPSA) : MOZAMBIQUE, Maputo Elephant Reserve 26[◦] 39[’] S; 32[◦] 43[’] E, 10- 16.xi.2007, leg: W. Strümpher & C. Deschodt. (7♂, 10♀ SANC) : MOZAMBIQUE, Sofala, Dondo 19[◦] 37[’] S; 34[◦] 45[’] E. 19.i.1972, leg: Bornemissza & Kirk. (1♂, 1♀ SANC) : MOZAMBIQUE, Sofala, Beira 19[◦] 50[’] S; 34[◦] 51[’] E 19.i.1972, leg: Bornemissza & Kirk. (1♂ SANC) ; MOZAMBIQUE, Sofala, Gorongosa 18[◦] 57[’] S; 34[◦] 10[’] E, 11-28.i.1972, leg: Bornemissza & Kirk.

Habitat. This new species is confined to dense coastal woodlands and forest from northeast South Africa to at least Central Mozambique (Inhambane, Pomene, Gorongosa, Dondo, Beira) ( Fig. 4 ). Across a vegetation restoration gradient at Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, S. oralensis was absent from grassland cleared of forest, but present in younger and older regenerating woodland (19, 6) plus natural dune forest (14) ( Davis et al. 2002).

Remarks. Both species ( S. umbraphilus sp. nov. and S. oralensis sp. nov.) exhibit little sexual dimorphism, but may be separated by meta- and mesotibia curved; the mid-ventral narrowing of the last abdominal sternite in males; compared to the lack of narrowing, and meta- and mesotibia almost straight in females,

Figures

FIGURE 4. Map of southern Africa showing the geographic distribution of the new species: S. umbraphilus, S. oralensis and S. neobornemisszanus.

FIGURE 2. A. S. oralensis sp. nov. habitus. Diagnostic characters: Bi. Gena rounded forming obtuse angle with genal suture. Bii. Patterned arrangement of setae on pronotal disc separated by bare patches. C. Aedeagus.