Gyronotus schuelei Moretto

Moretto, Philippe & Perissinotto, Renzo, 2013, Description and ecology of two new species of Gyronotus van Lansberge, 1874 (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae) from southern Africa, ZooKeys 344, pp. 73-82 : 75-76

Gyronotus schuelei Moretto sp. n. Figures 2

Type locality.

Western Swaziland (26°08'18"-26°29'33"S; 31°08'13"-31°11'02"E); in mountain grassland with pockets of sour bushveld.

Type specimens.

Holotype ♂: Swaziland, Mlilwane, 28.III.1997, R. Perissinotto & L. Clennell legit (PMOC). Allotype ♀: 19/20.XI.2001, Swaziland, Malolotja Nature Reserve, P. Schüle legit (PMOC).

Diagnosis.

This species shows its closest affinity to Gyronotus glabrosus Scholtz & Howden, 1987 (p. 84, fig. 3), with which it shares the same structure of the parameres, although their shape is clearly different. In particular, the right paramere is much slender and more regularly curved than its left counterpart, while the apical plate of the left paramere is larger than that on the right.

Etymology.

This species is dedicated to Peter Schüle, German specialist of Cicindelidae , who collected the allotype specimen.

Description.

Length 14 mm, width 8.5 mm; body moderately convex, very dark brown, with few short, erected, white setae on the posterior half of the elytra.

Head. Entirely, densely and finely punctate except for a small space between the clypeal teeth, which is finely dotted.

Thorax. Entirely, densely and very finely punctate; exhibiting lateral angle before the middle of the sides; mesosternum strongly but sparsely punctate; metasternum shiny, very finely and sparsely punctate; profemur densely punctuate; mesofemur punctate in the middle, sparsely dotted distally and apically; metafemur sparsely dotted distally, densely punctuate apically.

Elytra. Striae obsolete on the disc, more distinct on the sides, finely punctate; interstriae flat on the disc, more convex apically and laterally, finely punctate.

Abdomen. Pygidium convex in male, totally inflexed in ventral position in female; with raising contour at margin, particularly enlarged at apex in male (Figure 2C), very enlarged in female (Figure 2D); parameres of aedeagus asymmetrical (Figures 2 E–G).

Remarks.

This appears to be the first record of the presence of Gyronotus in Swaziland. Its distribution range needs to be investigated further, as it may include adjacent mountainous areas in the Mpumalanga Province of South Africa.