Scarabaeus (Scarabaeolus) rugosipennis Zidek and Pokorný, 2018

Zidek, Jiri & Pokorný, Svatopluk, 2018, New species of the Scarabaeus subgenus Scarabaeolus Balthasar, with a review of the subgenus (Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae: Scarabaeini), Insecta Mundi 611, pp. 1-35 : 7

Scarabaeus (Scarabaeolus) rugosipennis Zidek and Pokorný , sp. n.

Fig. 29–32

Type locality. RSA, Limpopo Province, Makgaberg [Plateau].

Type material. HT from type locality. No other specimens. HT at TMSA .

Etymology. Named for its distinctive, transversely rugate elytra.

Description. Length 12.5 mm. Head and pronotum black, glossy, with a weak metallic hue. Elytra, venter and legs brownish black. Abdominal ventrites, pygidium and right legs missing, sex indeterminate.

Head. Clypeus without ventral keel, anteriorly longitudinally rugose, posteriorly granulose; teeth strongly upturned, bases of spaces between them weakly angular, shallower between medial/lateral teeth than between medial pair. Genae separated from clypeus by a narrow fissure, sculpture as that on clypeus. Vertex with an indistinct sagittal line and deep setose punctures. Antennal club yellow.

Pronotum bordered all around, with a wide but shallow sagittal line throughout length, disc covered by deep setose punctures that become finer and denser laterally and near margins are replaced by gran- ules. Lateral margins evenly rounded, weakly crenulate, with long setae. Front angles inconspicuous, directed outward; hind corners evenly rounded toward eyes.

Scutellum . E xposed, small, triangular.

Elytra. Bicolored, dominantly brownish black with sides and posterior wedge brownish yellow, but in internal view brownish yellow prevails. Striae medium wide, due to coarse sculpture poorly defined. First interval smooth and glossy, other intervals very coarsely transversely rugate.

Venter. Metasternum with anterior process evenly rounded, medially impunctate, laterally with setose asperate punctures.

Legs. Protibia curved inward at level of second tooth, last tooth distinctly smaller than preceding; outer edge finely serrate, inner edge sparsely tuberculate. Mesotibia with two spurs and two transverse carinae. Metatibia with two transverse carinae and a dense brush of setae.

Comparison. The transversely rugate elytra make this species unique and hard to compare to any other in the subgenus. The head, pronotum, metasternum and protibia show similarities to the preceding S. fragilis sp. n., which however has only one mesotibial spur. Moreover, S. fragilis is a female whereas S. rugosipennis sp. n. most likely is a male (longer, distally incurved protibia), making the assumption of a closer relationship purely conjectural.

Figures

Figures 25–32. Scarabaeus (Scarabaeolus) spp. 25–28) Scarabaeus (Scarabaeolus) fragilis sp. n., HTf, 12.5 mm. 25) Dorsal habitus. 26) Ventral habitus. 27) Head leveled horizontal. 28) Locality label. 29–32) Scarabaeus (Scarabaeolus) rugosipennis sp. n., HT, 12.5 mm. 29) Dorsal habitus. 30) Ventral habitus. 31) Head leveled horizontal. 32) Locality label.