Frankenbergerius armatus armatus (Boheman)

Frolov, A. V. & Scholtz, C. H., 2005, Revision of the southern African genus Frankenbergerius Balthasar with description of new taxa (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae), Journal of Natural History 39 (25), pp. 2355-2377 : 2369-2371

Frankenbergerius armatus armatus (Boheman)

( Figures 14–16, 22 , 23, 25, 27 )

Diagnosis

This subspecies differs from F. armatus tuberculatus by the clypeal horns of males that are curved upwards and backwards and truncate at the apices.

Description

Male ( Figure 22 ). Dorsal surface of pronotum, elytra and head with small yellowish setae. Most of setae may be abraded; in most specimens setae absent on disc of head and pronotum.

Head. Clypeus in some individuals with horns curved upwards and slightly backwards ( Figure 14 ) with somewhat truncate apices. Genae obtuse, finely bordered. Genal sutures visible as fine lines. Lateral margin of clypeus not, or very feebly, sinuate near genal suture. Frontal suture broadly interrupted at middle. Area behind genae slightly concave, coarsely punctate with big adjoining punctures, with distinct margins. Genae and anterior part of clypeus densely punctate; margins of punctures indistinct. Very anterior part of clypeus with sculpture nearly rugose. Disc of head with minute, feebly visible punctuation. Inner (dorsal) surface of clypeal horns finely granular, outer (ventral) surface smooth. Anterior margin of clypeus flattened, deeply sinuate at middle, slightly rugose.

Pronotum. Anterior angles rounded. Lateral margins with fine border, hind and anterior angles and anterior margin with wider border. Border of anterior margin widened and sinuate at middle. Base not bordered. Hind angles obtuse. Dorsal surface densely and coarsely punctate; punctures separated by 0.2–0.3 times their diameters on disc, becoming denser laterally.

Elytra. Striae fine on disc becoming slightly wider and deeper apically, shiny, punctate (punctures separated by three to four puncture diameters). Intervals flat on disc, feebly convex in apical part, smooth to slightly shagreened and punctate (punctures separated by 1.5 to two puncture diameters). Intervals 2–7 with longitudinal tubercles, less developed than those in F. armatus tuberculatus . Interval 8 with long keel interrupted at middle of elytron. Interval 9 with smaller keel situated at about middle of elytron. Keels, especially hind part of keel on interval 8, serrate in most individuals.

Underside. Pygidium with deep border, its disc densely punctate. Abdominal and thoracic sternites coarsely punctate except for disc of meso- and metasternum.

Legs. Anterior tibiae with smaller teeth between major outer teeth in most specimens. Spur of anterior tibia bifurcated in males and simple, acute in females.

Aedeagus. Similar to F. armatus tuberculatus ( Figure 23 ).

Variability. Body length of males 4.6–8.2 mm, width 3.5–5.2 mm, of females 6.2–8.3 mm and 3.9–5.0 mm. Colour of body from black to dark brown. Length of clypeal processes varies, some males have shorter clypeal processes ( Figure 15 ). Females can be separated by acute, not bifurcated spur of anterior tibiae and, in some cases, by shorter clypeal processes ( Figure 16 ).

Distribution

The subspecies is distributed is Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces up to 29 ° S in the north ( Figure 27 ).

Type material examined

Lectotype (here designated): „ with labels ‘‘Caffraria’’, ‘‘ J. Wahlb [erg]’’, ‘‘ armata Boh. ’’, and ‘‘3636 E92’’ ( NHRS). Paralectotypes: „ with labels ‘‘Caffraria’’, ‘‘ J. Wahlb’ ’, ‘‘Type’’, ‘‘ armatus Bhm. ’’, ‘‘Typus’’, ‘‘157 54’’, ‘‘3632 E92’’; 3♀ with labels ‘‘Caffraria’’, ‘‘ J. Wahlb’ ’ and catalogue numbers ‘‘3633 E92’’, ‘‘3634 E92’’, and ‘‘3635 E92’’ ( NHRS).

In the original description, Boheman (1857, p 200) did not designate the holotype nor did he indicate the number of specimens examined. However, the size range provided (length 7.5–8.0 mm, width 5.0– 5.2 mm) suggests that a few specimens were studied. The five specimens collected by Wahlberg fit these measurements well and might have all been examined by Boheman. One of these specimens bears a label ‘‘typus’’, but it has lessdeveloped clypeal horns (and its left horn is broken) to class it unequivocally as the subspecies armatus . The locality label ‘‘Caffraria’’ suggests that this specimen could have been collected in the natural habitat of either of the two subspecies. To ensure stability of the nomenclature, another male specimen which has the explicit features of F. armatus armatus is here designated as the lectotype.

Additional material examined

KwaZulu-Natal Province: Durban [29 ° 50 9 S, 31 ° 01 9 E], 4 „? and 6♀, ( BMNH) , 4 „ and 3♀ ( IRSNB). uMvoti [29 ° 09 9 S, 30 ° 45 9 E], 1 „, H. Fry leg. ( SAMC) . Eastern Cape Province: Ntsubane Forest , 31 ° 27 9 S, 29 ° 44 9 E, 25 November 1988, pitfall traps, 14 days, 8 „ and 12♀; fungi and forest litter, 1♀; fungous tree trunks, 1♀; 26 November 1988, pitfall traps, 14 days, 1♀ and 2 „; 1 December 1988, forest litter, 1♀, S. Endrödy-Younga leg. ( TMSA) . Dwesa Forest Reserve , 32 ° 17 9 S, 28 ° 50 9 E, 26 February 1985, pitfall traps, 7 days, 12♀ and 9 „; grass-netting, day, 1♀ and 1 „; 27 February 1985, sifting, indigenous forest litter, 2 „; 11 December 1979, sifting, forest litter, 2 „ and 3♀; 12 December 1979, owl pellet, 1♀; 17 December 1979, 1 „, S. Endrödy-Younga leg. ( TMSA). Silaka Forest Reserve, 31 ° 33 9 S, 29 ° 30 9 E, 24 November 1987, pitfall traps, 8 days, 1 „; indigenous forest litter, 1 „ and 1♀; 24 November 1988, rotten Cussonia fruit, 14 „ and 17♀; 24 November 1988, ground traps, 8 day, 4 „ and 2♀, S. Endrödy-Younga leg. ( TMSA) . Amatole, Isidenge Forest Station , 32 ° 41 9 S, 27 ° 15 9 E, 16 November 1987, Quercus forest litter, 19 „ and 5♀; Quercus and Eucalyptus forest, fungi, 6 „ and 7♀; 14 November 1987, indigenous forest litter, 1♀; 12 November 87, dead Quercus bark, 3 „; 18 November 1987, Pinus forest litter, 1 „, S. Endrödy-Younga leg. ( TMSA) . Alexandria Forest Station , 33 ° 44 9 S, 26 ° 23 9 E, 5 December 1987, pitfall traps with banana bait, 2 days, 3♀; 6 December 1987, indigenous forest litter, 1♀, S. Endrödy-Younga leg. ( TMSA) . Grahamstown [33 ° 18 9 S, 26 ° 32 9 E], February 1978, 1 „ and 1♀, C. Scholtz leg. ( UPSA). Port Saint John’s [31 ° 38 9 S, 29 ° 32 9 E], November 1923, 1 „ and 1♀ ( BMNH) .

There are two series of this subspecies in TMSA with doubtful locality data: 6 „ and 3♀ from Nelshoogte, Knuckles rocks forest, 25 ° 47 9 S, 30 ° 50 9 E, 24 October 1986, S. Endrödy- Younga leg., and 11 „ and 15♀ with the label ‘‘ Probably Uitsoek’ ’. They were apparently mislabelled and the former series probably originated from Dwesa Forest Reserve (Ruth Müller, personal communication) .

Figures

Figures 13–22. Frankenbergerius spp. (13) F. nitidus sp. n., holotype. (14–16, 22) F. armatus armatus. (17–21) F. armatus tuberculatus ssp. n. (13, 21, 22) Habitus (13, ♀; 21, 22 „; 21, holotype). (14–20) Head (14, 15, 17–19, „; 16, 20, ♀).

Figures 23–27. Frankenbergerius armatus. (23, 25) F. armatus armatus. (24, 26) F. armatus tuberculatus ssp. n. (23, 24) Aedeagus in dorsal and lateral view. (25, 26) Elytron. (27) Distribution map of F. armatus.