Colophon stokoei Barnard, 1929

Jacobs, Carmen T., Scholtz, Clarke H. & Strümpher, Werner P., 2015, Taxonomy of Colophon Gray (Coleoptera: Lucanidae): new species and a status change, Zootaxa 4057 (1), pp. 135-142 : 136-137

Colophon stokoei Barnard, 1929

( Figs. 1 a–h; Table 1).

Colophon stokoei Barnard, 1929: 168 ; Endrődy-Younga 1988: 393.

Type material examined. Paralectotype (1♂): Hott.-Holl. [Hottentots Holland] Mts., 4 000ft. [4 000–5 000] ft. [= 1 220–1 524 m], Caledon C.C. [Cape Colony], Barnard, [January] 1916 ( ISAM). Additional material examined: 62♂, 3♀ ( ISAM); 10♂ ( UPSA).

Diagnosis. Colophon stokoei is well represented in collections and is relatively easy to identify despite being superficially similar to C. deschodti new species, C. switalae new species, and C. struempheri new species. It is best characterised by a distinct tooth situated on the inner basal margin of the sickle-shaped mandible, which is small or obsolete in the male specimens of the other three species. The shape of the mentum is also diagnostic ( Table 1).

Redescription. Size: Male: 21–27 mm, pronotal width: 9–12 mm (n = 53). Female: 18–22 mm, width: 9–11 mm (n = 3). Body: Convex, dull black ( Fig 1 a, b). Head: Transversely oblong, anterior lateral angle almost pointed; lateral margins straight, upper surface with a compressed tubercle on either side at the base of the mandible and an oblique ridge over the eye; internal subocular crests rounded but distinct, with tubercle at the anterior inner end of each crest; frons surface pitted, evenly depressed between tubercles and arcuately slanting to clypeus; clypeus meets triangular labrum on the same level ( Table 1). Antennae: Elbowed, antennomeres of club cannot be folded together. Mandibles: Short and simple, each nearly semicircular; dorsal surface of apical portion strongly furcate; inner basal margin of lower surface with a distinct tooth, which is prominently visible in dorsal as well as ventral view; yellow setae between mandibles ( Table 1). Mentum: Thick and projecting prominently in lateral view; evenly elevating from base in lateral view, and forming a vertical line or surface anteriorly; transversely quadrangular in ventral view, evenly elevating from base in lateral view, and forming a vertical line or surface anteriorly; anterior surface large and deeply excavated; anterior margin transverse ( Table 1). Pronotum: Lateral margins evenly arcuate, hardly and only slightly emarginate near posterior angle, in general appearance moderately enlarged. Legs: Protibia strongly curved and dilated towards the apex, ventral longitudinal crest distinct, but not sharply raised basally; apicoventral process long and narrow; apex externally bidentate, proximal to which is a semicircular excision, dorsal surface convex with a blunt median keel, ventral surface also keeled, distally concave, with a short forwardly directed tooth near insertion of tarsus ( Fig. 1 d). Male genitalia: Aedeagus symmetrical. Dorsal line of left paramere in lateral view emarginated in apical third, and forms an angle where it turns into the finely convex basal two-thirds ( Fig. 1 e–h). Female: Body convex, dull black; pronotum slightly narrower but similar in shape to that of the males; elytra similar to that of males; punctation on head, pronotum, and elytra much more distinct than in males; head and mandibles conspicuously small ( Fig. 1 c).

Distribution. Hottentots Holland Mountains, Western Cape Province, South Africa.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Adult habitus of Colophon stokoei Barnard: (a) male dorsal view; (b) male ventral view; (c) female dorsal view; (d) male protibia; (e) aedeagus dorsal view; (f) aedeagus lateral view; (g) ventral plate of genital mass; (h) dorsal plate of genital mass.