Leucocelis (Leucocelis) claveaui claveaui, 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 : 197

Leucocelis (Leucocelis) claveaui claveaui sp. et subsp. nov.

( Figs 1 , 2 , 7 )

Diagnosis. This new species resembles superficially darkblue specimens of Leucocelis (L.) franki Janson, 1888 but there are clear diagnostic characters differentiating it from the more widespread latter species. In particular, L. (L.) c. claveaui exhibits a consistently black pronotum and reddish-orange pygidium, while in the dark specimens of L. (L.) franki the pronotum is rather dark blue or dark green and the pygidium is always black to dark brown. Light green, blue, orange or polychromatic specimens of L. (L.) franki also have a reddish-orange pygidium, but they differ drastically in many other ways from the new species that only dark specimens can potentially be confused with it. Specimens of L. (L.) c. claveaui also have their dorsal white maculae well rounded and reduced in diameter, by comparison with those of L. (L.) franki , which are particularly large around the apical and postero-lateral margins of their elytra. The ventral surface is markedly less setose and the mesosternal process narrower and more constrained in L. (L.) c. claveaui than in L. (L.) franki . The general body shape of L. (L.) franki is notably stockier than that of L. (L.) c. claveaui , with the former exhibiting a total length to maximum width ratio (TL:MW) of ≈ 2 and the latter of> 2. Concerning aedeagal parameres, in L. (L.) c. claveaui the ventral lobes are laterally parallel and project forward forming a tubercle of medium size at the apex with setation on its inner declivity, while in L. (L.) franki the ventral lobes are short and smoothly rounded, projecting forward barely above the dorsal lobes at the apex, which does not exhibit any setation.

Figures

Fig. 1 –Leucocelis (Leucocelis) claveaui claveaui sp. et subsp. nov.: A, HT♂ dorsal habitus; B, HT♂ ventral habitus; C, PT♀ dorsal habitus; D, HT♂ lat- eral habitus; E, HT♂ clypeus; F, HT♂ pygidium; G, HT♂ parameres, dorsal view; H, HT♂ parameres, lateral view. Photos: Lynette Clennell.

Fig. 2 – Erongoberge at Usakos with the typical habitat of L. claveaui claveaui sp. et subsp. nov. (Photo: https://www.facebook.com/AmeibNamibia/photos).

Fig. 7 – Known distribution range of Leucocelis (Leucocelis) claveaui claveaui sp. et subsp. nov., L. (L.) claveaui otavi sp. et subsp. nov. and L. (L.) franki Janson, 1888 in South Africa and Namibia (Map: Google Earth Pro with image from Landsat/Copernicus 12/14/2015).