Belohina inexpectata Paulian, 1958

Ballerio, Alberto, Krell, Frank-Thorsten, Randrianirina, Jasmin E., Hawks, David C., Murray, Elizabeth A., Paulsen, Matthew J., Sueur, Jérôme, Mon-Treuil, Olivier & Frolov, Andrey V., 2023, Rediscovery of the enigmatic Madagascan endemic Belohina inexpectata Paulian, 1958, with notes on its morphology and phylogenetic position (Coleoptera, Scarabaeoidea: Belohinidae), Fragmenta entomologica (Frag. Entomol., Roma) 55 (2), pp. 139-160 : 143

Belohina inexpectata Paulian, 1958

( Fig. 3 )

Etymology: not provided by the author, but clearly from Latin inexpectatus, a, um (unexpected), due to the unexpected discovery of this strange beetle.

Type locality: road between Beloha and Tsihombe, 25 km from Beloha (Paulian only mentions “road between Beloha and Tsihombe”, which is the only locality reported on the labels of the holotype, but the paratype in MNHB bears a label indicating the exact distance from Beloha, a detail that has greatly facilitated the first author’s field research).

Material examined: Holotype (female): Madagascar Sud, entre Beloha et Tsihombe, III.57, R. J. E. [probably Jean Elie Randiamasy] / Belohina inexpectata n. g. n. sp. R Paulian det., 1957 / Holotype [pinned, in good condition]; one paratype (male): 25 km de Beloha Rte de Tsihombe III.57 Jean Elie / Belohina inexpectata n. g. n. sp. / Institut Scientifique Madagascar / Paratype [pinned, in good condition] (both holotype and paratype in MNHN).

Further material examined: Madagascar, forêt sèche d’Antreaky (Beloha Androy district), 25° 08’ 09’’ S; 45° 09’ 58’’ E, 150 m a.s.l., 1.III.2008, J. E. Randrianirina leg. (6 specimens: 3 males and 1 female dissected) ( ABCB, DMNS, UPSA, PBZT) . Madagascar, road Tsiombe-Beloha (Beloha Androy district), 25 km from Beloha, 25° 08’ 11’’ S; 45° 13’ 16’’ E, 96 m a.s.l., 10.XII.2007 A. Ballerio & J. E. Randrianirina leg. (one almost complete dead specimen and many fragments) ( ABCB, BMNH, UFMT, UNSM, ZIN) .

Figures

Fig. 3 – Belohina inexpectata (Atreaky forest), habitus of adult a, dorsal; b, ventral; c, lateral. Scale bar: 3 mm.