Hycleus san Bologna, 2018

Bologna, Marco A., Amore, Valentina & Pitzalis, Monica, 2018, Meloidae of Namibia (Coleoptera): taxonomy and faunistics with biogeographic and ecological notes, Zootaxa 4373 (1), pp. 1-141 : 90-93

Hycleus san Bologna sp. n. ( Fig. 5P )

Types. Holotype male, 1 female paratype (SMWN) and 1 female paratype (CB), labelled “Bushmanland at 19°22’S 19°36’E, 08.I–01.II.1990, E. Marais, Pres. pit. traps”. Holotype lacks left antenna, both types lack all antennomeres III-XI.

Type locality. The type locality (19.36667° 19.6000°E in decimal degrees) is located in the Otjozondjuparegion, Tsumkwe district, in the savannah biome.

Diagnosis. One small-sized Hycleus with the mesosternum of Mesoscutatus type, with 11 black antennomeres, well distinct because of its particular elytral pattern ( Fig. 5P ).

Description. Body shiny and unicolor black, elytra brown-yellow with black pattern ( Fig. 5P ) with one narrow longitudinal stripe along the sutura and narrowly extended on apex, one longitudinal wider stripe from humerus in middle of elytra where it is extended trasversaly to join sutural stripe, one subsquared wide spot on apical third. Body setation yellow-white, dense, sligthly shorter on elytra. Maximal body length: 8.5–10.1 mm.

Head distinctly transverse, subrectangular, temples sligthly convergent posteriorly where are almost subgibbose, very short, half as long as longitudinal diameter of eye, distinctly smaller than maximum width at the level of eyes; punctures small and quite dense, deep, intermediate surface micropunctuate; frons and occiput slightly convex; eye suglobose, distinctly bulging, with antero-dorsal margin emarginated. Clypeus narrower than interocular width, subrounded on sides, convex and with same punctures that on frons, smooth anteriorly; frontoclypeal suture well visible; labrum about as long as clypeus, fore margin only scarcely emarginated, punctures as on clypeus but more scattered. Maxillary palpomeres subcylindrical, with black setae on external side of the apex of each palpomere, except last one; male maxillae and labial palpomeres not modified with stipes narrow and elongate in lateral view; mandibles robust, distinctly curved in fore half, sharp at apex, slightly longer than labrum. Antennae with 11 antennomeres, I–II shiner, III–XI subopaque and microsetate; I as long as II-III together, II subglobose, III–V slender and cylindrical, III slightly longer than IV and V, VI–VIII sligthly trapezoidal apically moderately widened on external side, increasing in width and length, IX–X subcylindrical, XI at base as wide as X but 1.3 times longer, apical half obtusely conical and progressively narrowed.

Pronotum slightly longer than wide, distinctly smaller than maximal width of head on eye; sides sligthly sinuate on basal third, then distinctly converging in front; fore third with one transverse deep depression; middle furrow extended only in middle, base with a round depression in front of mesonotum; punctures similar to that on head, but denser. Elytra parallel, dorsally convex, punctures on black parts similar to that of pronotum, slightly shallower on yellow-brown parts. Mesosternum ( Fig. 13F ) of Mesoscutatus types, with a wide triangular fore modified area; fore margins of mesepisterna with a wide furrow. Legs slender; female fore tibiae and tarsi with mixed with longer setae; both tibial spurs on all legs slender, external metatibial spur obtuse; ventral blade of claw regularly developed and scarcely curved.

Male last ventrite emarginated. Gonoforceps slender in ventral view ( Fig. 13 A ), with lobes very long, in lateral view cylindrical and lobes short ( Fig. 13B ); gonocoxal plate only quite widened; aedeagus ( Fig. 13B ) with two apical hooks, similarly inclined and sharped, prossimal one longer.

Etymology. The species is named (for apposition) after the southern African people “San”, belonging to the Khoi San group, depreciatively named Bushmen, inhabiting also the region where this new Hycleus is distributed.

Remarks. Relationships of this species are unknwown. The elytral pattern of the new species parallels that of some species belonging to the group of H. pallipes , widely distributed in the sub-Saharan Africa, but which, differently than H. san , is characterized by the elongate shape of mandibles and the widened external spur of both pro- and mesotibiae; moreover, temples of H. san are very short.

Distribution. Northeastern Namibia .

Hycleus stali (Fåhraeus, 1870) comb. n.

Mylabris stali Fåhraeus, 1870

Mylabris palliata Marseul, 1879

Types. The type of the Fåharaeus’ species was not examined but this taxon is very distinctive because of the elytral pattern. Type of the Marseul’s species was examined at MNHN.

Distribution. Angola, Botswana, northern Namibia (new species record for this country), and South Africa, Zimbabwe.

Material examined. [Otjozondjupa] Omatako: Onjoka, Waterberg Plateau Park, 20.4167°S 17.2500°E ( SMWN).

Remarks. This species was erroneously related to H. tristigmus (Gerstäcker, 1854) , which actually belongs to the Mesotaeniatus -lineage.

[ Hycleus subarcuatefasciatus ( Pic, 1941) ]

Zonabris subarquatefasciata Pic, 1941

Literature records. Namaqualand ( Pic 1941, type locality); Namibia ( Bologna 2000a) . The type locality was generically indicated as “Namaqualand” so it is impossible to define if it refers to the Little Namaqualand, in western South Africa, or to the Great Namaqualand, in southern Namibia . In the first case, this unknown species must be excluded from the checklist of Namibian Meloidae .

Remarks. The holotype of this species was not found at MNHN.

This species was never cited or examined after its short and vague description. We suspect that it could represent an elytral variation of another southern African species of Hycleus , already described, with 11 antennomeres. No information are available to resolve this taxonomic problem and types need examination.

Hycleus windhoekanus ( Kaszab, 1981) ( Fig. 5Q )

Decapotoma windhoekana Kaszab, 1981

Distribution. Namibia and northern South Africa.

Material examined and literature records. [Kunene] Opuwo: Opuwo town, 18.0500°S 13.8333°E (CB); C 35, 110 km NW Kamanjab, 18.9167°S 14.3833°E (CB). Kamanjab: Ombika, Etosha N.P., 19.3333°S 15.9333°E (SMWN); C39, 25 km E Khorixas, 20.3061°S 15.1867°E (CB). Outjo: C39, 10 km W Outjo, 20.0100°S 16.0100°E (CB); road Outjo-Kalkfeld, 16–20 km S Outjo, 20.3333°S 16.1500°E (CB). [Oshikoto] Omuthiyagwiipundi: Kalkheuwel, Etosha N.P., 18.9000°S 16.8333°E (SMWN); Etosha N.P., Gemsbokvlakte, 19.2167°S 16.0667°E (CB); Okaukuejo-Pan 37-Olifantsbad, Etosha N.P., 19.2333°S 16.1333°E (SMWN). Guinas: Dinaib 852, 19.0833°S 17.4833°E ( Kaszab, 1981b; SMWN). [Oshana] Uuvudhiya: N Okondeka, Etosha N.P., 18.9500°S 15.8333°E (SMWN); W Wolfsnes, Etosha N.P., 19.0500°S 15.8667°E (SMWN); Okaukuejo, Etosha N.P., 19.1500°S 15.9333°E (SMWN); Etosha N.P., Pan Okaukuejo Camp, 19.1666°S 15.9166°E ( Kaszab 1981b); Ombika, Etosha N.P., 19.3167°S 15.9333°E ( Kaszab 1981b, paratype; SMWN). [Omusati] Okahao: Duikersdrink, Etosha N.P., 19.0667°S 14.7167°E (SMWN). [Otjozondjupa] Grootfontein: Grootfontein, 19.5667°S 18.1167°E (CB). [Khomas] Windhoek Rural: D1535, near Windhoek, 5 km jct. B6, 22.3681°S 17.6675°E (CB); D1525, Windhoek-Gobabis, to Bodenhausen, 1 km N jct. B6, 22.3968°S 17.6600°E (CB); Excelsior 286, 22.4500°S 17.6333°E (SMWN); Haris 367, 22.7833°S 16.8667°E ( Kaszab 1981, holotype; SMWN, paratypes); Windhoek, Claratal 18, 22.8000°S 16.8333°E ( Kaszab 1981, paratype); D1228, 3 km E Rehoboth, 23.29086°S 17.20119°E (CB). [Hardap] Mariental Urban: C19, 11 km W Mariental, 24.6167°S 17.8500°E (CB). Mariental Rural: M29, 88 km S Mariental, 25.2410°S 18.5155°E (CB). [Karas] Keetmanshoop Rural: M29, 4 km S jct. D3919, 25.6205°S 18.6135°E (CB).

Other records: Namibia ( Bologna 2000a; Pitzalis et al. 2014).

Records. Holotype (SMWN) and paratypes (HMNH, SMWN) were examined.

Hycleus zigzagus ( Marseul, 1872) ( Fig. 5R )

Mylabris (Mylabris) zigzaga Marseul, 1872

Distribution. Western Namibia (endemic).

Material examined and literature records. [Erongo] Arandis: Namib Desert, Swakopmund, 22.5667°S 14.7167°E (CK); Namib Desert, 23.0000°S 15.0000°E (SMWN). Swakopmund: Swakopmund, 22.6667°S 14.5500°E (SMWN). Walvis Bay Rural: Rooibank, 23.1833°S 14.6000°E (SMWN); Rooibank, 23.1833°S 14.6500°E (SMWN); Dunes Gobabeb, 23.5500°S 15.0333°E (SMWN); 5 km E Gobabeb Kuiseb River, 23.5500°S 15.0333°E (SMWN); Namib/Naukluft Park, Kuiseb River near Gobabeb, 23.5667°S 15.0500°E (SMWN); Namib Naukluft Park, dunes near Kamberge, 23.5667°S 15.6833°E (SMWN); 43 km NNW Solitaire, 23.5667°S 15.7667°E (SMWN); Gobabeb, 23.5833°S 15.0833°E (SMWN); Natab, 23.6000°S 15.0500°E (SMWN); Homeb/ Isondavlei, 23.6333°S 15.1833°E (SMWN); Namib Desert, 23.7667°S 15.7833°E (SMWN). [Khomas] Windhoek Rural: Witberg, 23.5167°S 16.0667°E (SMWN); SE corner of Namib Desert Park, near Knamhoek farm, 23.5333°S 15.9500°E (JP). [Hardap] Gibeon: Homeb, Namib Desert Park, 23.6500°S 15.1667°E (SMWN); Sossusvlei Namib-Naukluft Park, 24.3000°S 15.7500°E (SMWN); Sesriem 137, 24.4833°S 15.8000°E (SMWN); Sessriem, Namib Desert, 24.4833°S 15.8000°E (CP); Dunes W Sossusvlei, 24.7000°S 15.2833°E (SMWN; photos, CB). Rehoboth West: btw. Rehoboth and Bullsport ( Kaszab 1955b, as ab. anticebisinterrupta, ab. rehobothensis, ab. zumpti). Mariental Urban: Namib Desert, Hardap Dam, 24.4833°S 17.8333°E (CB). [Karas] Lüderitz: 60–80 km N of Aus, 9/ 10. II.2006 (CB); Aus ( Schultze, 1908); near Aus, 14/ 15.X.2004 (CB); Awasib dunes E, 25.2500°S 15.7167°E (SMWN); Awasib, 25.3833°S 15.6500°E (SMWN); Dunes S.W. of Kanaan, Diamond Area 2, 25.9667°S 16.0417°E (SMWN); Khoichab Pan, 26.2333°S 15.4667°E (SMWN); Heioab, Diamond Area 1, 27.4167°S 15.9667°E (SMWN); Roter Kamm, 27.7667°S 16.2833°E (SMWN); Obib dunes E., 28.0333°S 16.6167°E (SMWN); Obib Dunes, Diamond Area 1, 28.1667°S 16.6833°E (SMWN). Oranjemund: Obib dunes, Diamond Area 1, 27.8833°S 16.5333°E (SMWN); Obib Dunes, 27.9167°S 16.5833°E (SMWN); Obib dunes S., 28.1667°S 16.8000°E (SMWN); Namaqualand, Daberas Dunes, 28.2167°S 16.7500°E ( Kaszab 1955b, as ab. zumpti).

Other records: Damaraland ( Kaszab 1955b, as ab. zumpti); Namib Sand Sea desert ( Seel, 2012); Namibia ( Bologna 2000a) ; SW Afrika ( Kaszab 1955b, as ab. welwitschiacola). The species was described from “Cafrérie” ( Marseul 1872), but probably this is a generic definition of southern Africa. Schultze (1908) recorded the species also from Kalahari, but probably this record is erroneous.

Remarks. The holotype of this species was examined at MNHN.

Very distinct species because of its elytral pattern with fore spot red and the remaining fasciae yellow, with intermediate surface black, zigzaggy shaped ( Fig. 5R ). Antennae are sligthly similar to those of the Afrotropical genus Lydoceras Marseul, 1870, with antennomeres III–VI slender, VII–IX subtrapezoidal, X subcylindrical, XI slender, VII–XI with sparse and elongate setae. Male maxillary galeae not modified.

Figures

FIGURE 5. A. Hycleus herero; B. Hycleus hybridus; C. Hycleus matabele; D. Hycleus tinctus; E. Hycleus cfr. africanus; F. Hycleus namaquus; G. Hycleus svakopensis; H. Hycleus dvoraki: I. Hycleus aridus; J. Hycleus benguellanus; K. Hycleus bissexguttatus; L.Hycleus decemguttatus; M. Hycleus decoratus; N.Hycleus cfr. overlaeti; O. Hycleus pilosus; P.Hycleus san; Q. Hycleus windhoekanus; R. Hycleus zigzagus; S. Paractenodia damarensis; T. Paractenodia freyi; U. Paractenodia glabra; V.Paractenodia namaquensis; W.Paractenodia parva; X. Meloe meridianus; Y.Meloe sp. aff.hottentotus.

FIGURE 13. Hycleus san: tegmen in ventral view (A); tegmen and aedeagus in lateral view (B); mesosternum (F). Hycleus planitiei: tegmenin ventral (C) and lateral view (D). Hycleus cfr.overlaeti: mesosternum (E). Bar = 1 mm.