Leucocelis (Leucocelis) adspersa orientalis, Perissinotto, 2023

Perissinotto, Renzo, 2023, New taxa of Leucocelis Burmeister, 1842 from Namibia, and revision of L. (L.) adspersa s. l. (Fabricius, 1801) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae, Cetoniinae), Fragmenta entomologica 55 (2), pp. 195-214 : 203-205

Leucocelis (Leucocelis) adspersa orientalis subsp. nov.

( Figs 8-11 )

Péringuey (1907: 480) had already pointed out in his rede- scription of L. (L.) adspersa that “The variety L. verreauxi differs from the type in the absence of the reddish marginal band of the prothorax, and the dark bronze pygidium”. While unfortunately, his reference to L. verreaux was erroneous, this highlighted the consistent differences existing between the nominal form and the populations occurring in the eastern parts of the country, a pattern now confirmed by review of several hundreds of specimens ( Figs 8 and 11 ). Apart from the pronotal marginal bands, L. (L.) a. orientalis differs further from the nominal subspecies by usually having a much more extensive dorsal white maculation and often a reddish-brown pygidium with 2-4 pairs of white spots, in contrast to the consistently dark coppery pygidial surface observed in L. (L.) a. adspersa , where white spots are either absent or extremely reduced in size and number. Although a few exceptions of intermediate forms exhibiting a residual brown-orange lateral margins on their pronotum and reddish pygidium can be found in the Klein Karoo of the Western Cape, the geographic distribution of the two forms is sufficiently coherent and distinct ( Fig. 10 ) to warrant the erection of a new subspecies.

Distribution. This subspecies occurs east- and northwards from the easternmost parts of the Western Cape to the Gauteng Province of South Africa in the north and to Mpumalanga and eSwatini in the east ( Fig. 10 ). Serrano et al. (2020) report of a female specimen housed in the MZUC, superficially resembling L. (L.) a. orientalis and carrying a label with locality “ Angola ”. However, given its obvious old age, the lack of precise collection data, its incoherent biogeographic position and the fact that no oth- er specimens were found in that country during the recent surveys, it is doubtful that this specimen indeed originated from that country. Alternatively, if it did, it would almost certainly represent a different taxon.

Data Records. Type Series. Holotype ♂, ZAF-EC: Compassberg, 27 Feb 1998, R Perissinotto & L. Clennell ( RPGS to be reposited in TMSA). Paratypes: ZAF-EC: 1♂ + 2♀, ibidem ( RPGS); 1♀, ibidem, 29 Dec 2011, R. Perissinotto & L. Clennell ( RPGS); 1 ind., ibidem, 25.11.1995, R. Perissinotto & L. Clennell ( BMCS); 2♂, Graaf-Reinet, 16 Dec 2004, R. Perissinotto & L. Clennell ( RPGS, BMCS); 2 inds, ibidem, Jan 2.005, R Perissinotto & L Clennell ( BMCS); 1♀, Willowmore, Jan 2005, R. Perissinotto & L. Clennell ( RPGS); 3 inds, ibidem, 9 Jan 2004 R. Perissinotto & L. Clennell ( BMCS); 4 inds, ibidem, Nov 1904, G. Kobrow (TMSA-CPH2269); 7 inds, ibidem, Dr. Brauns (TMSA-CPH2267); 2 inds, ibidem, Jerryida, 20.10.1920, Dr. Brauns (TMSA-CPH2268); 1 ind., Winterberg, 27 Dec 2002, R. Perissinotto & L. Clennell ( BMCS); 3 inds., Baviaanskloof, 33°38ʹS 24°27ʹE, 6.12.1995, C.L. Bellamy, E-Y: 3171 Beating (TMSA-CPH2308); 3 inds, ibidem, Swartbg., 10.11.1982, W. Breytenbach, Beating (TMSA-CPH2309); 1 ind., ibidem, S Kouga Mts, 1 Jan 2000, Derek Clark ( BMCS); 1 ind., ibidem, 24.09.1995, R. Perissinotto & L.. Clennell ( BMCS); 4 inds, ibidem, 22.01.1995, R. Perissinotto & L.. Clennell ( BMCS); 10 inds, ibidem (W), 9.10.1981, E. Holm (TMSA-CPH2286); 1 ind., ibidem (Top), 9.10.1981, E. Holm (TMSA-CPH2285); 1 ind., ibidem, Valley c. 120 km NW of Port Elizabeth, 23-24/11/1983, Prinsloo GL & Grobbelaar NC (SANC-COLS-15742); 1 ind., Huntley Glen, 03.03.1996, R. Perissinotto & L. Clennell ( BMCS); 3 inds, Near Riebeeck East, 30.12.1994, R. Perissinotto & L.. Clennell ( BMCS); 2 inds, Fort Brown, 10.11.1996, R. Perissinotto & L. Clennell ( BMCS); 2 inds, Groendal WA, 12.11.1996, R. Perissinotto & L.. Clennell ( BMCS); 3 inds., M. Zebra NP , 06.04.1994 ( BMCS); 1 ind., ibidem, 06.03.1994 ( BMCS); 2 inds, Sam Knott NR, 6.11.1994, R. Perissinotto & L.. Clennell ( BMCS); 1 ind., Addo Elephant NP, 23.10.1994, R. Perissinotto & L.. Clennell ( BMCS); 1 ind., Joubertina, Dec 2009, Rodger Smith ( BMCS); 1 ind., Morgans Bay , 16.10.1994, R. Perissinotto & L.. Clennell ( BMCS); 1♀, Misgund, 4 Oct 2015, R Perissinotto & L Clennell ( RPGS); 2 inds, Tarkastad, 1.1986, Ex Collection Dr Vincent Allard, received from Christophe Allard, 21.II.2015 ( GBEG); 2 inds, Queenstown, Nov 1966, Ruter 254, Ex Collection Dr Vincent Allard, received from Christophe Allard, 21.II.2015 ( GBEG); 1♂, Port Elizabeth , 1.1973, Ex Collection Dr Vincent Allard, received from Christophe Allard, 21.II.2015 ( GBEG); 1♀, East London , XI.1975, Ex Collection Dr Vincent Allard, received from Christophe Allard, 21.II.2015 ( GBEG); 1 ind., ibidem, Quinba River , 10.11.1979, N.J. Duke (TMSA-CPH2262); 1 ind., Tylden, 25.12.1970, N.A. Brown (TMSA-CPH2261); 5 inds, ibidem, Beacon Bay , 29.10.1979, N.J. Duke (TMSA-CPH2264); 1 ind., ibidem, 5.11.1989, N.J. Duke (TMSA-CPH2263); 1 ind., Enon, - 33.375S 25.625E, Nov 1891, Brauer (SAMC-COL-A028230); 1 ind., Port St Johns , - 31.625S 29.625E, Mar 1967, Gess (SAMC-COL-A028362); 10 inds., Resolution, Albany Distr. , - 33.166S 26.616E, Oct-Nov 1928, Miss Walton (SAMC-COL-A028364); 1 ind., ibidem, Sep 1928 Miss Walton (SAMC-COL-A028365); 1 ind., ibidem, 1930, Miss Walton (SAMC-COL-A028366); 5 inds, ibidem, 1929, Miss Walton (SAMC-COL-A063034); 1 ind., ibidem, 26.11.1928, A. Walton (TMSA-CPH2284); 1 ind., ibidem, 23.12.1928, A. Walton (TMSA-CPH2283); 5 inds, ibidem, 12.2.1928, A. Walton (TMSA-CPH2282); 1 ind., ibidem, Jun1928, A. Walton (TMSA-CPH2266); 3 inds, ibidem, Jan 1929, A. Walton (TMSA-CPH2265); 1 ind., Steynsburg Div., - 31.375S 25.875E, Oct 1935, South African Museum Expedition (SAMC-COL-A028369); 9 inds, Middelburg Division, Nov 1935, South African Museum Expedition (SAMC-COL-A028370); 1 ind., Gra- hamstown, 22.11.1890, Chew (SAMC-COL-A028376); 1 ind., no data (SAMC-COL-A028514); 1 ind., Gra- hamstown, 33°18’S 26°32’E, 22-11-1890 (SANC- COLS-17223). ZAF-ZN: 1♂, Impendle, Good Hope For., 4-5 Dec 2004, R. Perissinotto & L. Clennell ( RPGS); 1 ind., Karkloof, 20 Feb 2002, R. Perissinotto & L. Clennell ( BMCS); 1 ind., Umtamvuna, 8 Nov 1998, R Perissinotto & L Clennell ( BMCS); 1♂, Mt. Currie , 21 Dec 2008 ( RPGS); 1 ind. (missing head & pronotum), van Reenens Pass, - 28.375S 29.375E, 1908, Barker (SAMC-COL-A028374); 1♂ + 1♀, Ithala Game Reserve , 27o32’670”S 31o16’819”E, 13 Dec 2005, Open savana, on flowers of Acacia sp. , R. Perissinotto & L. Clennell ( DMSA); 1 ind., ibidem, 27°28ʹS 31°16ʹE, 25.2.1993, On Lantana flowers, O. Bourquin (TMSA-CPH2260); 1 ind., Hluhluwe Game Res., 24°08ʹS 32°02ʹE, Summer 1970, O. Bourquin (TMSA-CPH2259); 1 ind., Or- ibi Gorge, 5.1.1989, T. Beyers (TMSA-CPH2258); 1 ind., Upper Tongaat , 2931CA, 29o34ʹS 31o11ʹE, C.N. Barker (DMSA-10434); 1 ind., V. Reenen N, 2829AD, 28o22ʹS 29o23ʹE, C.N. Barker (DMSA-10435); 7 inds, Hankey, 33°5ʹS 25°54ʹ, 6.12.1995, C.L. Bellamy, E-Y: 3166 Flower Buddleja (TMSA-CPH2289) ; 8 inds, Middelburg, 31°30’S 25°00’E, 28/01/1991, on Rose flowers, De Jager M (SANC-COLS-15740); 1 ind., Windham (SANC-COLS-17109); 1 ind., Ngubhu Loop Road, Ithala Game Reserve 3200 ft., 27°34’S 31°16’E, 13/12/1993, Collected from flower(s) of Dombeya sp. , Bourquin O (SANC-COLS-17110). ZAF-FS: 2 inds, Harrismith, 10 Jan 2002, R. Perissinotto & L. Clennell ( BMCS). ZAF-WC: 1 ind., Rust en Vrede , Oudtshoorn Distr. , - 33.4S 22.36E, Oct 1951, South African Museum Expedition (SAMC-COL-A028361); n inds, Oudtshoorn, 10 km N, Little Karoo, 33°29ʹS 22°15ʹE, 22.10.1993, Endrody-Younga, E-Y: 2894 White flowering bushes (TM- SA-CPH2307); n inds, Kamanasiberg, Little Karoo, 33°37ʹS 22°33ʹE, 2.11.1993, Endrody-Younga, E-Y: 2928 Beating bushes (TMSA-CPH2306); 3 inds, ibidem, 2.11.1993, Endrody-Younga, E-Y: 2929, Protea flowers (TMSA-CPH2302); 1 ind., Phantom Pass, 10.10.1981, E. Holm (TMSA-CPH2288. ZAF-MP. 1 ind., Lydenburg Distr. , 1896, P.A. Krantz (TMSA-CPH2257). ZAF-GP. 1 ind., Pretoria, Mar 1970 (TMSA-CPH2256); ZAF (no locality). 1 ind., no data, Paralectotype, Cetonia adspersa Fabricius 1801 ( ZMUC: 00031551; ZMUKFabricius 002304); 1 ind., idem ( ZMUC: 00031552; ZMUKFabricius 002305); 1 ind, Paralectotype, attalica Schn, Pr. b. Sp. Drg, congener Dg 487 ( MLUH); LSO: 1 ind., Male- alea, 35 km E of Mafeteng, 29°51’S 27°34’E, xii.1993, Holm E (SANC-COLS-17111). Sine Patria: 1 ind., [no data] (SAMC-COL-A028226); 1 ind., [no locality], Dec 1890, Swanzie (SAMC-COL-A028372) .

Other records. ZAF-EC: 1♂ + 1♀, Chris Hani (Camde- boo), Sneeuberge Mountains, Nieu-Bethesda 31°50’39.34”S 24°31’ 5l. 14”E, 1150 m, 30-X11-2014, several imagos observed feeding on flowering Wahlenbergia albens ( Malec and Šípek 2016: 66, fig. 21); n inds, Chris Hani (Tsolwa- na), Winterberge Mountains along R344, 1000-1650 m, 1-I-2015, several adults found on Daucus carota ( Malec and Šípek 2016: 66) ; 1 ind., Sarah Baartman District (Dr Beyers Naudé Municipality), 15 km NW of Willowmore, 33°15’24.13”S 23°20’1.95”E, 870 m, 4-I-2017; one adult found in pellets of hyrax (dassie) Procavia capensis (Pallas, 1766) ( Malec and Šípek 2017: 71) ; 1 ind., Kleinpoort, Cacadu, 27 Oct 2021 15:18, Felix Riegel (https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/125180984). ZAF-WC: 1 ind., Camferskloof, Outeniquas, 15 Nov 2019 12:59, Sandra Falanga (https://www.inaturalist.org/ observations/37740820); 1 ind., Meiringspoort, 25 Oct 2020 12:24, Sally Adam (https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/63706752); 1 ind., Hillside, South Cape DC, 30 Oct 2022 10:59, Nicola van Berkel (https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/141377266). LSO: 4♂ + 6♀, Mamathes, Sammler C. Jacot-Guillarmod ( Schein 1960: 105). SWZ: 1 ind., Usuthu forest, Mbekhetulu, 19 Oct 2023, Kate Braun (https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/188872554).

Remarks. In this subspecies, body size ranges from 9.5 to 12.8 in total length and from 4.6 to 6.2 in maximum width. Dorsal background colour varies widely both on the elytra and pronotum. The former can range from a mixture of ferrugineous and light green, to dark green, orange, purplish and even brown, while in the latter the testaceous-or- ange bands can be constrained to the central part of the lateral margins or show an expansion to the entire lateral margins, the posterior margin and on rare occasions even to the entire disc ( Figs 8 , 9 and 11 ). The pygidial surface too can vary from the more common reddish brown variety ( Figure 9E ) to dark coppery, but there is always at least one pair of white spots, increasing to three pairs in some specimens, where the baso-central pair assumes a longitudinally elongate shape and eventually splits into a basal and an apical portion. This is most often observed in the more eastern and northern populations. The white maculation varies widely in extent and density, on both pronotal and elytral surfaces, but is always rather prominent ( Fig. 11 ).

Adults are active from early spring to early autumn, with a peak in mid-summer. They are typically floricolous and have been found feeding on a variety of flowers, including Protea spp. , Buddleja sp. , Lantana sp. , Dombeya sp. and Vachellia spp. ( Holm & Marais 1992, pers. obs.), as well as Wahlenbergia albens and Daucus carota ( Malec and Šípek 2016) . Both adults and larvae have been obtained in numbers from middens of hyrax ( Procavia capensis ) dung, and the latter have been reared successfully on this medium (A.P. Marais, pers. comm.). Captiv- ity breeding has also been described by Malec and Šípek (2016), who reported that this subspecies does not undergo dormancy in any phase of its development, and as such is easy to reproduce under controlled conditions. These authors concluded that its entire life cycle takes 2-3 months to complete, using a dry substrate containing a mixture of 30% silty to sandy soil and 70% rotten wood and leaf lit- ter. However, the larval stages remain still undescribed at present.

Figures

Fig. 8 – Left: Leucocelis (L.) adspersa orientalis subsp. nov., Klein- poort, Cacadu, Eastern Cape, South Africa, Oct 27, 2021 15:18 (Photo: Felix Riegel). Right: Leucocelis (L.) adspersa. Pixley ka Seme District Municipality, Northern Cape, South Africa, Dec 31, 2013 8:12 (Photo: Johan Heyns).

Fig. 9 – Distribution range of the four subspecies of Leucocelis (L.) adspersa within the southern and East African regions. (Map: Google Earth Pro with image from Landsat/Copernicus 12/14/2015).

Fig. 10 – Leucocelis (Leucocelis) adspersa orientalis subsp. nov.: A, HT♂ dorsal habitus; B, HT♂ ventral habitus; C, HT♂ lateral habitus; D, HT♂ clypeus; E, HT♂ pygidium; F, HT♂ parameres, dorsal view; G, HT♂ parameres, lateral view. Photos: Lynette Clennell.

Fig. 11 – Examples of dorsal habitus variability among the different subspecies of Leucocelis (Leucocelis) adspersa s.l. Leucocelis (L.) a. adspersa: 1, Cetonia adspersa, Fabricius LT (“Cap: bon: sp:”); 2, Cetonia verreaux Gory LT (“Cap. b. sp.”); 3, ♂, ZAF-WC, Cederberg; 4, ♀, ZAF-WC, Elandsberg. Leucocelis (L.) a. giannatellii: 5, ♀, ZAF-NC, Steinkopf-Springbok; 6, ♀, ZAF-NC, Near Kamieskroon; 7, ♂, ZAF-NC, Kamieskroon; 8, ♂, ZAF-NC, Nieuwoudtsville.Leucocelis (L.) a. orientalis: 9, ♂, ZAF-ZN, Mt Currie; 10, ZAF-EC, Fort Brown; 11, ♂, ZAF-EC, Willowmore; 12, ♀, ZAF-EC, East London. Leucocelis (L.) a. umtalina: 13, ♂, ZIM Kwekwe; 14, ♀, ZIM Masvingo; 15, TAN Lindi-Masasi; 16, MAL Cape Maclear. (Photos:1, Michael Kuhlmann; 2, Giulio Cuccodoro; 3,4, 7-12, Lynette Clennell; 5,6, 13-16, Gerhard Beinhundner).