Frankenbergerius armatus tuberculatus, Frolov & Scholtz, 2005

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 : 2371-2372

Frankenbergerius armatus tuberculatus ssp. n.

( Figures 17–21 , 24, 26, 27 )

Diagnosis

This subspecies differs from the nominotypical one chiefly by the shape of the clypeal horns in males: the horns curve upwards, with acute apices ( Figures 17, 21 ).

Description

Holotype: „ ( Figure 21 ). Body length 9.5 mm, width 5.5 mm. Dorsal surface of pronotum, elytra and head with minute setae.

Head. Clypeus with two horns slightly curved upwards; horns acute at 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 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, 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 more developed than those in F. armatus armatus . 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, 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 armatus ( Figure 17 ).

Paratypes: body length of males 7.0–11.0 mm, width 4.1–5.2 mm, of females 6.3–8.6 mm and 4.0– 5.1 mm. Colour of body from black to dark brown. In most specimens, disc of head and pronotum without setae. Length of clypeal horns varies in males ( Figures 18, 19 ). Females can be separated by acute, not bifurcated spur of anterior tibiae and by shorter clypeal processes in some cases ( Figure 20 ).

Distribution

This subspecies is distributed is Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces. The southernmost known locality is Wakkerstroom in southern Mpumalanga ( Figure 27 ).

Type material

Limpopo Province : Entabeni Forest Station [23 ° 00 9 S, 30 ° 14 9 E], November 1931, 3♀, G. van Son leg. ( TMSA). Malta [24 ° 10 9 S, 30 ° 14 9 E], 1 February 1927, 1♀ ( TMSA); Uitzicht [23 ° 19 9 S, 30 ° 01 9 E], Soutpansberg Distr., November 1924, 1 „ and 1♀ ( IRSNB); Brak River [? 22 ° 36 9 S, 29 ° 44 9 E], October 1927, 1 „ ( TMSA). Mpumalanga: Nelshoogte, Knuckles Rocks Forest, 25 ° 47 9 S, 30 ° 50 9 E, 24 October 1986, intercept traps, 41 day, 6 „ 3♀, S. Endrödy-Younga leg. ( TMSA). Wakkerstroom [27 ° 21 9 S, 30 ° 08 9 E], January 1925, 1♀, G. van Dam leg. ( TMSA). Uitsoek, 25 ° 15 9 S, 30 ° 34 9 E, 7 February 1987, high altitude grassveld, pitfall traps, 61 days, 9 „ and 7♀; 5 December 1986, Grootkloof indigenous forest, 25 ° 15 9 S, 30 ° 33 9 E, pitfall traps, 53 days, 5 „ and 6♀, S. Endrödy-Younga leg. ( TMSA). Nelshoogte, 11 February 1987, Knuckles grassveld, Agaricaceae fungus, 1 „; pitfall traps, 58 days, 2 „ and 4♀; 4 December 1986, Knuckles Rocks Forest, pitfall traps, 68 days, 2 „; 8 April 1987, Knuckles grassveld, grass-netting, 1♀, S. Endrödy-Younga leg. ( TMSA). Berlin, 24 ° 32 9 S, 30 ° 44 9 E, 4 February 1987, pitfall traps, 41 days, 1 „? and 1♀, S. Endrödy-Younga leg. ( TMSA). Mariepskop, 24 ° 35 9 S, 30 ° 50 9 E, 2 May 1981, pitfall traps, 5 days, 1 „, S. Endrödy-Younga leg. ( TMSA). Road Barbeton to Bulembu near Swaziland border [25 ° 55 9 S, 31 ° 10 9 E], 20 January 2000, 1 „ and 1♀ ( TMSA). White River Distr., farm Lichtfontein [25 ° 19 9 S, 31 ° 01 9 E], 28 December 1992, 1 „, R. Müller leg. ( TMSA) .

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.