Odontolochus oberthueri ( Clouët, 1900 ), Clouet, 1900

Stebnicka, Zdzisława T., 2009, A revision of the African species of Odontolochini Stebnicka & Howden, 1996 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae), Zootaxa 2230, pp. 1-15 : 9-10

Odontolochus oberthueri ( Clouët, 1900)

( Figs 4 , 8, 14–15 )

Odontoderus oberthueri Clouët, 1900: 250 .

Odontolochus oberthueri: Schmidt 1922: 465 –466; Paulian 1942: 126, 128; Endrödi 1960: 243; Endrödi 1964: 373, 379; Dellacasa 1988: 286 (catalog).

Odontolochus (s.str.) elgonensis Balthasar, 1961: 127 –128 — Dellacasa 1988: 286 (catalog). New synonymy.

Material examined. Odontolochus oberthueri : holotype (sex not determined) [ Sierra Leone] /‚Freetown’/ Odontoderus Oberthueri det. L. Clouët des Pesruches’ / ( IRSNB).

Odontolochus elgonensis : holotype male [ Kenya], ‘Ost-Afrika, Mt Elgon’/ ‘ Odontolochus elgonensis n.sp. det. Dr V. Balthasar’ ( NMP, coll. Balthasar).

Other specimens (36). The Democratic Republic of the Congo: Haut-Uele, Yebo Moto, II.1926, L. Burgeon, Odontolochus oberthueri Clouët, Boucomont det. 1929 ( MHNG); Haut-Uele, 25.IV.1925, H. Schouteden, Odontolochus oberthueri Clouët, Boucomont det. 1929 ( MRAC); Yebo Moto, IV.1915, P. Van den Plas; IV.1926, L. Borgeon ( MZLU); Bosum, 1– 10.IV., S. Tessmann ( MHNG); Kibali Ituri, Geti, 1934, Ch. Scops ( MZLU). Central African Rep ublic: Bambari, III.1964, G. Pierrard ( MHNG). Uganda: Bugiri 1400 m, 5–8.VIII.1957, P.Basilevsky & L. Leleup ( MRAC). Ghana: Ashanti, Kumasi 330 m, 12.V.1967, light trap, leg. Endrödi -Younga ( HNHM, labeled by Endrödi 1968 as O. raffrayi ); Tamale, 15.VIII.1960, Imp. Coll. Ghana Exp. ( MZLU); Legon, 12.IV.1965, I.& M. Proszynski ( PBC). The Gambia: Brikama, 22.XI.1984, leg. T. Palm; Abuko Nat. Res. at Bamboo Poo, 11.III.1977, 18.XI.1977, at light; outside Abuko,Nat. Res., 4.XI.1977, at water; 5 km SSW Gunjur, 13.XI.1977, at light, oil palm and mangrove veg. close to beach; Kabafita forest Park, 2.2 km NNW Brikama, 5.XI.1977, at light in close forest savanna; Tendeba Camp, 14.XI.1977, at light in semi-arid veg. near river Gambia, Lund Univ. Gambia-Senegal Expedition 1977 ( MZLU). Senegal: Mpak, 11 km S Ziguinchor, 8.XI.1977, at light; 1 km NE Djibelor, about 7.5 km SW Ziguinchor, 9.XI.1977, at light; Cap Skiring, 10.XI.1977, at light, Lund Univ. Gambia-Senegal Expedition 1977 ( MZLU). Guinea: Coyah, 15.VI.1969, leg. K. Ferencz ( HNHM, labeled by Pittino as O. paucus ); Coyah, III–V.1967, leg. K. Ferencz ( HNHM); Coyah, IV.1967, K. Ferencz ( ISEA); Zambia: Kafue, XII.1989, R. Minetti ( PBC); Ivory Coast: Farm Foro-Foro, 18.VII.1979, P. Bordat ( PBC).

Diagnosis. Pronotum base angulate above scutellum, side margin shallowly emarginate in anterior half, in posterior half with obtuse denticles and deeper emargination ended by basal denticle ( Fig. 8 ). Elytral striae deep, punctate-crenate; all intervals at the same level, obtusely carinate on disc, sharply carinate laterally. Protibia in male different in shape than in female ( Figs 14–15 ). Odontolochus oberthueri is most similar to O. gestroi ; it differs from that species by having a larger and more elongate body and the elytral striae with finer punctures.

Description. Length 3.2–3.9 mm. Body elongate ( Fig. 4 ), parallel-sided, black, dull. Clypeal anterior face minutely punctate, upper margin finely reflexed; surface of head with fine punctures. Pronotum converging posteriorly, anterior angles right-angled, base angulate above scutellum, basal edge with row of large punctures; side margin shallowly emarginate in anterior half, in posterior half with obtuse denticles and deeper emargination ended by basal denticle; surface with shallow lateral oblique fossulae, punctures moderate along anterior margin, coarse and confluent on disc, then smaller and contiguous along lateral edge. Elytral humeral and epipleural denticles small, obtuse; striae deep, punctate-crenate; all intervals at the same level, obtusely carinate on disc, sharply carinate laterally, surface opaque, impunctate. Ventral surface alutaceous; mesosternal median area triangular in shape, with few fine punctures at base, lateral furrows deep; disc of metasternum strongly convex anteriorly, surface from side to side with moderate punctures bearing minute setae; abdominal sternites narrower at middle than on sides, unevenly coarsely punctate-crenate, disc of pygidium eroded, punctate. Mesofemora and metafemora parallel-sided, with scattered minute punctures; mesotibiae and metatibiae apically with distinct row of setae; tarsi moderate in length, basal tarsomere of metatarsus twice as long as upper tibial spur and subequal in length to following two tarsomeres combined. Male. Protibia narrower than in female with two lateral teeth, apical tooth strongly bent inwardly ( Fig. 14 ). Female. Protibia wider than in male, with three equally separated teeth ( Fig. 15 ).

Distribution. Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Zambia.

Remark. Odontolochus oberthueri is one of the most common species, frequently collected at light in forest.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 5. Odontolochus, dorsal view, 1. O. raffrayi Paulian; 2. O. spinicollis (Harold); 3. O. paucus Schmidt; 4. O. oberthueri (Clouët); 5. O. ferenczi Endrödi.

FIGURES 6 – 21. Figs 6 – 13, pronotum, lateral outline, 6. O. basilevskyi Endrödi; 7. O. spinicollis (Harold); 8. O. oberthueri (Clouët); 9. O. costatus Endrödi; 10. O. gestroi (Clouet); 11. O. burgeoni Boucomont; 12. O. setulosus Endrödi; 13. O. villiersi Petrovitz; Figs 14 – 19, right protibiae, 14. O. oberthueri (Clouët), male; 15. O. oberthueri (Clouët), female; 16. O. gestroi (Clouët), male; 17. O. ferenczi Endrödi, male; 18. O. villiersi Petrovitz, male; 19. O. villiersi Petrovitz, female; Figs 20 – 21, aedeagus in lateral view, 20. O. spinicollis (Harold); 21. O. paucus Schmidt.