Metacatharsius janssensi (Frey) Frolov, 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 : 152-153

Metacatharsius janssensi (Frey) , comb. nov.

( Figure 9E )

Delopleurus janssensi Frey, 1963

Delopleurus janssensi was described from two specimens from Warder, Somali region of Ethiopia. The holotype, female, has all the diagnostic characters of the genus Metacatharsius Paulian (large dorsal eye parts can be seen on the habitual photo, Figure 9E ). The paratype is similar to and apparently conspecific with the holotype. In the original description, the author compared this species with D. pullus and D. gilleti but did not provide characters specific for the genus Delopleurus . However, the original description and locality data agree well with the type specimens. There is no doubt that Delopleurus janssensi was described from misidentified Metacatharsius specimens and the new generic combination is therefore established here.

It is possible that M. janssensi is conspecific with another described species of the genus. There are up to 18 species of this genus known from adjacent Somalia ( Ferreira 1972) and the genus is currently a subject of taxonomic revision (François Génier, pers. comm.). It is out of the scope of the present work to specify the taxonomic status of M. janssensi more exactly.

Type material

Holotype, female with the labels: ‘ Wardere Somalia’ , ‘Holotype’, ‘TYPE’, ‘Brit. Mus 1963-277’, ‘ Delopleurus janssensi det. G. Frey 1963, n. sp. Typus’ ( BMNH) and paratype with the labels: ‘Wardere Somalia Oct. 1943, T.H.E.Jackson’, ‘ Delopleurus janssensi det. G. Frey 1963, p. Typus’, ‘Cotype’ ( NHMB).

Figures

Figure 9. Delopleurus spp. and Metacatharsius janssensi. (A, E) habitus (A, D. striatus, E, M. janssensi); (B) D. striatus, head and pronotum in dorsal view; (C) D. striatus, pygidium; (D) D. striatus, locality map; (F) D. fossatus sp. nov., ventral view of head showing gula with distinct longitudinal groove.