Review of South African Euryphyminae
Author
Tshililo, Precious
text
Zootaxa
2020
2020-07-27
4820
1
70
104
journal article
8903
10.11646/zootaxa.4820.1.4
1be5ef5e-087c-4f67-b4bc-257602ef0842
1175-5326
4397315
801F6659-0253-4141-946B-6860FB517F69
Acrophymus
nr.
rossi
(
Figs.7F
,
15
)
Material.
SOUTH AFRICA
:
Limpopo
,
Hoedspruit
;
March 1958
S24.366667
,
E30.95
—
1♀
(
SANC
)
.
Distribution.
Species of this genus were previously recorded from
Angola
(
Naskrecki 1995
) and from
Zimbabwe
(Dirsh 1963;
Dirsh 1965
). No species were known to occur in
South Africa
.
Naskrecki (1995)
found an undescribed female specimen from
Angola
, which by the shape of tegmina, it resembles
rossi
, and this specimen may constitute a ninth species. In the SANC collection, one female specimen was found which may belong to
A
.
rossi
or may be a tenth species. In order to determine whether this species is
A. rossi
or a new species, the first to be detected in
South Africa
, we require a male and a female specimen collected from the same locality. The current known distribution of
A. rossi
is
Zimbabwe
. Given that the only known specimen of
Acrophymus
from
South Africa
was found near the
Zimbabwe
border, this could be an extension in the known range of
A. rossi
. It seems unlikely that there would be more undescribed species from
South Africa
.
Remarks:
Genus
Acrophymus
was erected by
Uvarov (1922)
on the basis of its shape of pronotum, shape of prosternal tubercle, shape of male genitalia, lateral elytra and undeveloped wings. This genus is said to be related to genus
Amblyphymus
(
Uvarov 1922
)
.
Dirsh (1963) revised the genus and identified new diagnostic features. The structure of the phallic complex is very unique to this genus, with strongly sclerotized ectophallic membrane, sometimes forming a strong dorsal shield with the tendency of forming a capsule covering the endophallus and the cingulum (Dirsh 1963). Another key diagnostic feature is the moderately large, compressed, widened and weakly sclerotized distal part of the apical valves of penis, with narrow and strongly sclerotized valves of cingulum.
Uvarov’s diagnostic features to this genus are misleading and when carefully examining the structure of the phallic complex, there is a great diversity and the genus might be split into two genera Dirsh (1963).
This genus might be in need of a revision, since Dirsh (1963) in his revision found a great diversity in the structure of the phallic complex but did not revise the genus. We also could not revise the genus since we only have a single female specimen found in
South Africa
which may or may not be
A. rossi
.