Delopleurus naviauxi Frolov et Cambefort, 2014

Frolov, Andrey V., 2014, Revision of the genus Delopleurus Boheman (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) with description of new species from Africa, Journal of Natural History 49 (3), pp. 129-154 : 141-142

Delopleurus naviauxi Frolov et Cambefort , sp. nov.

( Figures 1D , 2A–C )

Diagnosis

This species can be separated from other Delopleurus species by having deep transverse fossa on the pygidium and by the fore tibia with a small acute tooth near apical spur.

Description

Holotype, female. Body strongly convex, black, glabrous, length 4.9 mm ( Figure 2A ).

Clypeus quadridentate. All four clypeal teeth acute, two medial ones relatively slender. Head without carinae on disc, small carinae present near inner margin of eyes. Genae right-angled, indistinctly separated from clypeus. Frontoclypeal and genal suturae indistinct. Eyes small, their dorsal parts slit-shaped, ventral parts subrectangular. Clypeus rugose in anterior part and laterally, frons densely punctate with elongate punctures.

Pronotum trapezoidal, about two times wider than long. Anterior and lateral margins bordered, base without border. Pronotum relatively densely punctate on disc (punctures separated by one to two puncture diameters), punctation becoming denser laterally.

Elytra trapezoidal, as wide as long, shiny. Stria distinct, with punctures larger than striae. Elytral intervals slightly convex on disc, with minute punctation.

Anterior tibiae with three outer teeth and a small acute tooth between first outer tooth and apical spur ( Figure 1D ).

Pygidium with deep transversal slit-shaped fossa with yellowish setae ( Figure 2B ). Paratype. female, slightly larger than the holotype (6.0 mm). The specimen has malformed or worn, reduced anterior tibiae without outer teeth and tarsi, and reduced clypeal teeth. It also differs from the holotype in having less shiny dorsal side.

Male unknown.

Type material

Holotype, female with the labels ‘ Kenya Colony Makuyu iii-v 1937 C.D.Knight’, ‘Imp. Inst. Entom.’ ( BMNH) and paratype, female with the labels ‘ Kenya Maji ya Chumvi 30.4.78 R.N.’, ‘coll. R. Naviaux’, ‘ Delopleurus n. sp? Y.Cambefort det’ ( MNHN).

Distribution

The species is known from two localities in Northern Acacia-Commiphora bushlands and thickets ecoregion in East Africa ( Figure 2C ).

Etymology

The species is named after Roger Naviaux, a French collector.

Remarks

Yves Cambefort (MNHN) examined the Delopleurus specimen from Maji ya Chumvi in the 1980s and noted that it was distinct from other described species of this genus. However, he did not describe it at that time. In the course of the revision of the genus, I examined the specimen from Makuyu which is housed in the BMNH. After comparison of the two specimens we concluded that they are conspecific and belong to a new species described above.

Figures

Figure 1. Delopleurus spp. (A) D. fossatus sp. nov., lateral view of body (sinuate epipleuron is arrowed); (B–D) anterior tibiae: (B) D. pullus, male; (C) D. pullus, female; (D) D.naviauxi, female, holotype).

Figure 2. Delopleurus spp. (A, D) habitus; (B, E) pygidium; (F) aedeagus in lateral view and internal sac; (C, G) locality maps. (A–C) D. naviauxi sp. nov.; (D–G) D. pubescens sp. nov.