Ausmontins Deschodt & Davis, 2018

Deschodt, Christian M. & Davis, Adrian L. V., 2018, New deltochiline (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) taxa associated with hyrax dung in arid south western Namibia, Zootaxa 4450 (1) : -

Ausmontins Deschodt & Davis , new genus

( Figs. 1A , 2A–B , 3 )

Type species: Ausmontins jacobsi Deschodt & Davis , new species, here designated

Head. Clypeus bidentate, with two fairly well-developed and forward-pointing teeth. Single minute tooth on lower clypeal margin between dorsal teeth. Clypeogenal suture fairly distinct and straight.

Pronotum. Highly convex. Antero-lateral margin somewhat flattened.

Elytra. Convex and fused. Striae visible.

Sterna. Meso- and metasternum fused, mesometasternal suture well defined, straight. Densely punctate with small punctures.

Protibia. Three teeth at apical outside margin.

Pygidium. Parameres surface shagreened with medium sized faint punctures.

Aedeagus. Symmetrical. Phallobase with normal shape, parameres complexly shaped with three extending spines (see Fig. 2 ).

Etymology. The gender is masculine. This genus is named after the Aus Mountains, Namibia, an isolated inselberg where the type species of the genus was collected.

Diagnosis. Ausmontins new genus clearly falls within the tribe Deltochilini by being dorsally strongly convex, bearing three protibial teeth, the lateral margin of elytra being entire and by fore tarsi being present. It keys out to the genus Namaphilus in the key provided by Deschodt & Davis (2017). This new genus can be separated from Namaphilus with its standard aedeagus shape, by the very peculiar denticulate and angulate shaped parameres of the aedeagus and by its highly convex habitus.

Figures

FIGURE 1. A, Ausmontins jacobsi Deschodt & Davis, new genus and species; B, Namaphilus tirasmontanus Deschodt & Davis, new species; C, Namaphilus nubibmontanus Deschodt & Davis, new species; D, Namakwanus kamfferi Deschodt & Davis, new species; E, Namakwanus minutus Deschodt & Davis, new species. Scale bar = 2 mm.

FIGURE 2. Lateral (A, C, E, G) and dorsal (B, D, F) view of the aedeagi. A, B, Ausmontins jacobsi Deschodt & Davis, new genus and species; C, D, Namaphilus nubibmontanus Deschodt & Davis, new species; E, F, Namakwanus minutus Deschodt & Davis, new species; G, Namaphilus endroedyi (Deschodt, Davis & Scholtz, 2011) for comparison with Namaphilus nubibmontanus Deschodt & Davis, new species. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 3. Map showing the localities of all the new and known deltochiline genera and species. The two red lines indicate the area where rock hyrax (shapefile supplied by IUCN 2012) might occur in suitable habitat.