Pseudorphnus olsoufieffi Paulian, 1977

Frolov, Andrey V., Montreuil, Olivier & Akhmetova, Lilia A., 2016, Review of the Madagascan Orphninae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) with a revision of the genus Triodontus Westwood, Zootaxa 4207 (1), pp. 1-93 : 15-17

Pseudorphnus olsoufieffi Paulian, 1977

( Figs. 6 A–G)

Pseudorphnus olsoufieffi Paulian, 1977: 1205 ; Frolov 2011: 66; Frolov & Montreuil 2006: 30.

Type material examined. Holotype ( Figs. 6 A–F), male, “Madacascar Antsianaka et lac Alaotra [Toamasina Province, Alaotra Lake ] 2e Trimestre 1889 Perrot Freres / Pseudorphnus olsouffiefi n. sp. R.Paulian det. / HOLOTYPE ” ( MNHN) .

Additional material examined. MADAGASCAR: Toamasina: one female, “ MADAGASCAR EST ANKASOKA ROUTE DE LAKATO [Ankasoka, road to Lakato] 1-[...]-1972 R.VIOSSAT REC.” ( MNHN) .

Diagnosis. Pseudorphnus olsoufieffi is similar to P. carinatus in the body size, sculpture of the pronotum and elytra, and in the shape of the prothoracic ridges, but the males of the species differ in having a rather large, conical tubercle situated in the center of the frontoclypeus, as opposed to having a long transverse low ridge near the anterior margin in the later species. The two species also differ in the sculpture of the frontoclypeus (rugose in P. olsoufieffi and smooth in P. carinatus ) and in the shape of the parameres (having less acute apices not depressed laterally in P. carinatus ).

Description. Male. Elongate, shiny ( Figs. 6 A, B), colored uniformly brown beetle. Body length 9.5 mm.

Frontoclypeus slightly convex anteriorly, obtuse laterally, anterior margin setose and crenulate in dorsal view. Eyes relatively large (diameter larger than the distance between eye and gula in ventral view), incompletely divided by canthus into slightly smaller dorsal and larger ventral parts. Frontoclypeus with a short conical tubercle in center, rugosely punctate ( Figs. 6 D, E). Labrum bilobate, slightly sinuate in the middle and relatively feebly protruding past frontoclypeus. Length in the middle is 1/8 width (in dorsal view).

Pronotum 1.6 times wider than long, widest medially. Anterior margin with wide border, base with fine border. Lateral margins densely punctate, appearing crenulate in dorsal view. Disc of pronotum with deep excavation in the middle, with 2 slender longitudinal somewhat triangular ridges bordering the excavation ( Figs. 6 B, E). Surface of disc between the ridges smooth, without punctures. Sides of pronotum rugose posteriorly. Lateral margins with long, brown setae.

Scutellum triangular, narrowly rounded apically, about 1/10 length of elytra.

Elytra convex, with marked humeral humps. Maximum width approximately at the middle. Elytral striae are feebly distinct. Elytra covered with sparse narrow and somewhat curved punctures, bearing a short, yellow seta; the setae are mostly abraded on disc. Epipleura with long, sparse, brown setae. Base of elytra bordered and densely punctate with punctures similar to those in striae but more rugose and irregular.

Lateral margin of protibia basad of outer teeth not crenulated. Apices with 3 robust, spur-like setae and a number of smaller setae.

Mesothoracic and metathoracic legs are similar in shape; metafemora and metatibiae about 1/8 longer than mesofemora and mesotibiae. Tibiae somewhat triangular, with 2 apical spurs, with inner margin only slightly concave and with 1 transverse keel. Longer tibial spur as long as 2 basal tarsomeres. Claws 1/3 length of apical tarsomere. Femora almost impunctate, with 2 rows of long setae.

The holotype lacks the abdomen.

Aedeagus with parameres having short, acute, somewhat depressed laterally apices ( Fig. 6 C).

Female. The only female specimen available, putatively identified as P. olsoufieffi , has the body length of 10.5 mm. It differs from the male in the rugose surface of the head, absence of the frontoclypeal horn or tubercle, presence of a distinct spur on protibiae, densely punctate disc of the pronotum, and absence of the pronotal excavations and ridges. The sexes are similar in general body shape and color.

Distribution. This species is known from two localities in the East Madagascar ( Fig. 6 G). Exact habitat is unknown but the localities are situated in the rain forest region.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Pseudorphnus olsoufieffi. Habitus (A—dorsal, B—lateral view), aedeagus in lateral view and parameres in dorsal view (C), head in dorsal view (D), head and pronotum in dorsolateral view (E), labels of holotype (F), distributional records (G).