Cypholoba fritschi (Chaudoir, 1883)

Mawdsley, Jonathan R., Erwin, Terry L., Sithole, Hendrik & Mawdsley, Alice S., 2012, A synopsis of the genus Cypholoba Chaudoir (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Anthiini) known to occur in the Republic of South Africa, ZooKeys 181, pp. 23-43 : 28

Cypholoba fritschi (Chaudoir, 1883) Figs 529

Polyhirma fritschi Chaudoir (1883:27, type locality “Kuruman,” holotype in Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris)

Cypholoba opulenta fritschi (Chaudoir) Strohmeyer (1928:368)

Cypholoba fritschi (Chaudoir) Strohmeyer (1928:450)

Diagnosis.

Apparent body length (ABL) 25-31 mm; distinctive for its large body size and for the lack of patterned pubescence or setae on the elytra, although some specimens may have a small patch of yellow setae adjacent to the scutellum. As noted by Péringuey (1896), there is also a tuft of pubescence on the scutellum. The elytral surface sculpture is also diagnostic, with the rows of costae becoming obsolete shortly after mid-elytron and the apical third smooth and strongly shining.

Materials examined.

11 specimens from the following localities: RSA: Northern Cape Province: Niekerk’s Hope in Griqualand West, Twee Rivieren.

Notes on taxonomy.

Strohmeyer (1928) had placed this species as a subspecies of Cypholoba opulenta but as pointed out by Basilewsky (1948) this is clearly an error as the two species are quite distinct and have different proportions, vestiture, and surface sculpture.