Tragardhus (Mitragardhus) nodosus Koch, 1956

Kamiński, Marcin Jan, 2017, Afrotropical Melambiina: revision of the genus Tragardhus Koch, 1956 and redescription of Pseudemmallus Koch, 1956 (Tenebrionidae: Pedinini), Zootaxa 4347 (1), pp. 71-93 : 75

Tragardhus (Mitragardhus) nodosus Koch, 1956

( Figs 2D, G , 3B , 5B , 7 )

Tragardhus (Mitragardhus) nodosus Koch, 1956: 379 .

Studied type material. This species wAs DescRibeD bAseD oN five sYNtYpes (4 mAles AND 1 femAles) DepositeD At the collectioNs of the SweDish MUseUm of NAtURAl HistoRY AND TMNH ( Koch 1956). DURiNg the pReseNt stUDY, oNlY A siNgle sYNtYpe (mAle) fRom TMNH wAs iNvestigAteD: “ PARAtYpe No: 3565 / TRAgARDhUs / NoDosUs KOCH ”, “Nov.”, “ZUlU.”, “TRgDh” ( Fig. 3B ).

Other material, mAle AND femAle ( TMNH): “UmgeNi RiveR VAlleY / BothAs Hill DistR., Ntl. / Dec. 196, R.F. LAwReNce”; mAle ( SMNS): “S. AfR. NAtAl / UmhlANgA b. DURbAN / I. MeYbohm 27.7.1997 ”.

Notes. UNtil Now, the coNcept of this species wAs bAseD exclUsivelY oN tYpe mAteRiAl. DURiNg ReceNt woRk, eleveN otheR iNDiviDUAls of this tAxoN weRe iDeNtifieD. This pRoviDeD the oppoRtUNitY to pReseNt DAtA oN femAle moRphologY foR the fiRst time.

Sexual dimorphism. DiffeReNces betweeN sexes exclUsivelY coNceRN leg stRUctURe. MAle pRotibiAe possess meDiAN DilAtAtioNs, which ARe coveReD bY A pAtch of DeNse setAe; metAtibiAe ARe wiDeNeD AND coveReD bY A loNgitUDiNAl pAtches of setAe ( Fig. 2G ). IN femAles, All Above meNtioNeD leg pARts ARe sleNDeR.

Female terminalia. OvipositoR ( Fig. 5B ) RelAtivelY shoRt (boDY: ovipositoR leNgth RAtio cA. 6.2). PARApRoct slightlY shoRteR oR eqUAl iN leNgth to coxites; tRiANgUlAR, Not shielDiNg vAlvifeR oR ANY otheR lobes of coxites. VAlvifeR tRANsveRse (wiDth: leNgth RAtio cA. 5.0). SecoND lobe tRApezoiDAl. ThiRD AND foURth lobes ReDUceD; sitUAteD ApicAllY. GoNostYlUs locAteD oN DoRsAl siDe of foURth lobe. VAgiNA AND bURsA copUlAtRix withoUt scleRites. SpeRmAthecA with thick DUcts; coNNecteD with bURsA copUlAtRix bY A thiN cANAl. SpicUlUm veNtRAle shoRt (wiDth: height RAtio cA. 1.5). PRoctigeR coveRiNg whole veNtRAl siDe of ovipositoR.

Distribution. This species hAs beeN collecteD iN the followiNg ecoRegioNs of SoUth AfRicA (CApe ZoNe): KwAZUlU-CApe coAstAl foRest mosAic AND SoUtheRN AfRicA mANgRoves ( Fig. 7 ).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Diagnostic characters proposed for Mitragardhus, Tragardhus and chosen species. Pronotal disc (A, B, C), epipleuron (C), 5 th abdominal ventrite (D, E), elytral disc (F, H, I), metatibia (G) and protibia (J). Tragardhus (Tragardhus) biapicalis Koch, 1956 (I), T. (T.) glandipleurum Koch, 1956 (A, E, H, J), T. (Mitragardhus) ewae sp. nov. (B, F) and T. (M.) nodosus Koch, 1956 (D, G). White arrow indicates a characteristic apex of the metatibia of T. (M.) nodosus.

FIGURE 3. Habitus images of the studied species. Tragardhus (Mitragardhus) ewae sp. nov., paratype (A), T. (M.) nodosus Koch, 1956, syntype (B), T. (M.) ryszardi sp. nov., holotype (C, E), T. (M.) zuzannae sp. nov., holotype (D, F) and Pseudemmallus aspericollis (G).

FIGURE 5. Male and female terminalia of Tragardhus and Pseudemmallus. Ovipositor (A – D), genital tubes (C, D), aedeagal tegmen (E, G) and penis (F). Tragardhus (Tragardhus) glandipleurum Koch, 1956 (A, C – F), T. (Mitragardhus) nodosus (B) and Pseudemmallus aspericollis (G). Abbreviations: C 1 – C 3 — subsequent lobes of coxites, val—valvifer, ov—oviduct, bcbursa copulatrix, sp—spermatheca, par—paraproct, p—penis, cl—clavae.

FIGURE 7. Distribution of the genus Tragardhus.