Macroderes politulus Preudhomme de Borre, 1880

Abdalla, Ishtiag H., Deschodt, Christian M., Scholtz, Clarke H. & Sole, Catherine L., 2018, An update to the taxonomy of the genus Macroderes Westwood 1842 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) with descriptions of new species from South Africa, Zootaxa 4504 (1), pp. 41-75 : 67

Macroderes politulus Preudhomme de Borre, 1880

( Figs. 15 , 43 , 52 , 63 , 92 )

Macroderes politulus Preudhomme de Borre 1880: 11 ; Péringuey 1901: 302; Janssens 1939: 29; Ferreira 1969: 322; Frolov & Scholtz 2005: 383.

Type locality. South Africa, Caffria .

Type material examined. None. Type series is deposited in IRSNB ( Frolov & Scholtz 2005).

Additional material examined. 1 ♂ ( SANC): “ Macroderes politulus / Somerset E [East] / [32° 45' 43.95’’ S 25° 32' 28.51'' E] / Jan. 84 ” ; 2 ♂♂ and 1 ♀♀ ( UPSA): “ S. Africa / SW Cape / Oranjefontein farm / nr Darling / 33° 25' S 18° 26' E / 28.VIII. 1987 / ALV Davis // ex cattle dung baited pitfall in pasture” ; 1 ♂ same data but the date of collection: 3.VII. 1987 ; 3 ♀♀ same data but the dates of collections as follows : 1 ♀: 7.VII. 1987, 1 ♀: 29.VII.1987, 1 ♀: 17 Sept. 1987.

Size range. Males length: 9.0– 12.2 mm, width: 6.3–8.6 mm; females length: 9.7–12.2 mm; width: 6.4–8.7 mm.

Differential diagnosis. This species is very close to M. porselinus new species in having elongated punctures of the pronotum ( Fig. 63 ) as well as a punctuated lateral border of pronotum ( Fig. 43 ). It is separated from M. porselinus new species by its rather narrower and less convex pronotum.

Habitat and distribution. The range of the species is restricted to an area located within the Fynbos Biome and characterised by Renosterveld vegetation types in the Western Cape Province ( Fig. 2). These habitats are represented as one of the most threatened areas due to the intensive cultivation and removal of indigenous plants ( Mucina & Rutherford 2006), which in turn might threaten the associated fauna.

Figures

FIGURES 15–18. Habitus of Macroderes species. 15, M. politulus Preudhomme de Borre, 1880; 16, M. undulatus Preudhomme de Borre, 1880; 17, M. porselinus Abdalla, new species; 18, M. gifboomi Abdalla & Scholtz, new species.

FIGURES 40–45. Pronotum of Macroderes species. 40, M. foveatus Frolov & Scholtz, 2005; 41, M. cornutus Frolov & Scholtz, 2005; 42, M. namakwanus Frolov & Scholtz, 2005; 43, M. politulus Preudhomme de Borre, 1880; 44, M. greeni (Kirby, 1818); 45, M. endroedyi Frolov & Scholtz, 2005.

FIGURES 52–57. Lateral side of pronotum (52, 53, 57), lateral elytra intervals (54, 55) and head in dorsal view (56) of Macroderes species. 52, M. politulus Preudhomme de Borre, 1880; 53, M. minutus Frolov & Scholtz, 2005; 54, M. fornicatus Sharp, 1880; 55, 57, M. bias (Olivier, 1789); 56, M. undulatus Preudhomme de Borre, 1880.

FIGURES 58–63. Punctuation of the base of pronotum of Macroderes species. 58, M. greeni (Kirby, 1818); 59, M. arrowi Janssens, 1939; 60, M. bias (Olivier, 1789); 61, M. namakwanus Frolov & Scholtz, 2005; 62, M. endroedyi Frolov & Scholtz, 2005; 63, M. politulus Preudhomme de Borre, 1880.

FIGURES 88–93. Pronotum punctures shape (88, 89) and sculpture of second elytra intervals (90–93) of Macroderes species. 88, M. soleiana Abdalla & Deschodt, new species; 89, M. tourtosus Abdalla and Scholtz, new species; 90, M. minutus Frolov and Scholtz, 2005; 91, M. greeni (Kirby, 1818); 92, M. politulus Preudhomme de Borre, 1880; 93, M. gifboomi Abdalla & Scholtz, new species.