Cossyphodes freudei Basilewsky, 1957

Schawaller, Wolfgang, 2013, Cossyphodini (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae: Pimeliinae) in South Africa, Namibia and adjacent regions: New species and records, key to genera, and Old World species catalogue, Zootaxa 3721 (4), pp. 351-364 : 357

Cossyphodes freudei Basilewsky, 1957

( Figs. 18–19 )

Cossyphodes uhligi Ferrer, 2004 syn. n.

Examined type material. Namibia (labelled as S. W. Afr.), Otjiwarongo Distr., Abachaus (Farm), 4.I.1956, leg. G. Hohbohm, holotype and 4 paratypes of freudei ZSM.— Namibia, Kavango, Buffalo Camp, 18°09'S / 21°42'E, 28.II.1992, leg. M. Uhlig, holotype of uhligi MNB.

New material. Namibia (labelled as Hereroland), Otjikonjo Farm, 21°09'S / 17°55'E, 24.VI.1978, leg. S. Endrödy-Younga, 1 ex. TMSA, 1 ex. SMNS.— Namibia, Kaokoveld, Ohopoho, 18°04'S / 13°55'E, 400 m, 6.II.1975, leg. S. Endrödy-Younga, 10 ex. TMSA, 4 ex. SMNS.— Namibia, Kaokoveld, 38–44 km NW Ohopoho, 17°47'S / 13°44'E, 13.II.1975, leg. S. Endrödy-Younga, 4 ex. TMSA.— Namibia, Kaokoveld, Sesfontein, 19°08'S / 13°36'E, 3.II.1975, leg. S. Endrödy-Younga, 1 ex. TMSA.—C Namibia, Ganab, NE Hillgap, 23°08'S / 15°35'E, 7.VII.1978, leg. S. Endrödy-Younga, 8 ex. TMSA, 3 ex. SMNS.—C Namibia, Ganab Water, 23°06'S / 15°32'E, 28.V.1975, leg. S. Endrödy-Younga, 1 ex. TMSA.—C Namibia, Arechadamaberg, 23°00'S / 15°37'E, 28.V.1975, leg. S. Endrödy- Younga, 1 ex. TMSA.—C Namibia, Us Pass (= Us-hoogte Pass), 23°03'S / 15°40'E, 2.III.1975, leg. S. Endrödy- Younga, 1 ex. TMSA.

Synonymy. The strength of the pronotal and elytral keels is slightly variable, but not distinctly different between the types of C. freudei and C. uhligi from the same area in northern Namibia, all other external characters agree. Thus, Cossyphodes uhligi is considered as a junior synonym.

Remarks. Most of the above listed specimens from Namibia have the pronotum with a weak medial keel, in some specimens this keel is reduced and only present in the anterior part of the pronotum. In the examined type specimens this medial keel is completely missing. All other external characters coincide. Additionally, some specimens have the head without any keels (as the types), other specimens have the head with a weak external keel (but not with a pair of distinct keels). Thus, the presence or absence of a weak keel on the head, as well as of a pronotal medial keels are considered just as infraspecific variations. " C. matabele ", mentioned but not described by Andreae (1961), also fits into this variation. Quite similar is also C. machadoi Basilewsky, 1952 from adjacent Angola, but in this species the eyes are reduced and the head is with a pair of distinct keels.

Type localities. "Abachaus, Otjiwarongo" ( freudei ), "Kavango" ( uhligi ).

Distribution. Namibia.

Figures

FIGURES 14 – 20. Dorsal view of African Cossyphodini. 14. Cossyphodes braunsi Andreae, 1961, RSA / Port Elizabeth, nontype HNHM. 15 – 16. Cossyphodes caecus sp. n., RSA / Richtersveld, paratype SMNS and aedeagus. 17. Cossyphodes kundelunguensis Basilewsky, 1950, Congo, paratype ZSM. 18. Cossyphodes freudei Basilewsky, 1957, Namibia, holotype ZSM. 19. Cossyphodes freudei Basilewsky, 1957 (Cossyphodes uhligi Ferrer, 2004 syn. n., Namibia, holotype MNB). 16. Cossyphodes machadoi Basilewsky, 1952, holotype MRUC. Scale: 1 mm.