Systematic revision of endemic southern African genera of Bolboceratinae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea: Bolboceratidae)
Author
Gussmann S. M.
Author
Scholtz, C. H.
text
Journal of Natural History
2000
2000-12-31
34
1045
1123
journal article
10.1080/00222930050020122
1464-5262
4747979
Prototrupes kochi
(Paulian)
(®gures 1a, d±k, m, 2a,
3, 24e
)
Bolboceras kochi
Paulian, 1952: 59
, ®gures 1±4.
Prototrupes kochi
(Paulian)
:
Krikken, 1977a: 165
(Tax.).
Description
Body length
.
16.4±25.5 mm
.
Head
.
Clypeus
with vertical incline from apex to well-developed and raised anterior transverse carina; anterior carina arcuate in frontal view, sometimes notched in the middle, and curving downward laterally to antero-latera l clypeal angles; lateral carina absent except for a lateral carinate horn above posterior part of the mandibles.
Frons
anteriorly with median bituberculate or bihorned carina or pair of separate tubercles or horns in males and females (®gure 1a).
Pronotum
(®gure 2a). Anterior two-®fths with four separate tubercles medially, topping steep, anterior declivity; with carinate protrusion antero-lateral to declivity; with two arcuate, carinate ridges between protrusion and postero-lateral pronotal angle; with dense punctation grading from ®ne punctures in posterior part to large, shallow punctures anteriad and towards sides; lateral margin distinctly crenulate.
Scutellum
. Finely to moderately punctate.
Elytron
. Striae weekly impressed, their punctures small and separated by two to ®ve puncture diameters; intervals with single punctation (approximately three to ®ve very ®ne punctures between two striae).
Legs
.
Protibia
®ve-, rarely six-dentate (®gure 2a).
Protarsus
with ®rst tarsomere always distinctly longer than ®fth tarsomere, and longer than tarsomeres 2, 3 and 4 together; tarsomeres
2±4 in
dorsal view distinctly dilated apically.
Mesotibia
with dorsal side shaped as in ®gure 1k.
Distribution
(®gure 3). The species occurs in the dunes of arid south-western Africa only. From our own collecting experience we attribute the lack of distributional records between 19ssS and 23ssS to be more than likely due to poor collecting, thus not indicating a true distributional gap.
Type material examined
.
LECTOTYPE
l(here designated):`Oograbies [
29.13S
17.08E
], L. Namaquald.,
30.viii.1950
, C. Koch, G. van Son’/`
Bolboceras kochi Paulian
n.sp.
’ [probably handwriting van Son]/`
Holotypus
[printed] 1952,
Bolboceras kochi
sp.n.
Paulian [handwriting EndroÈdy-Younga, curator TMSA] (TMSA); 22
PARALECTOTYPES
: 17x, same data but`
Paratypus
[printed] 1952,
Bolboceras kochi
sp.n.
Paulian [handwriting EndroÈdy-Younga] ’; 1x, same data but`
Bolboceras kochi
,
n.sp.
paratype
[probably handwriting van Son] (MNHN); 3x,`Brandkaross [
28.28S
16.40E
], Richtersveld,
9.ix.1950
, C. Koch, G. van Son’ /`
Paratypus
[printed] 1952,
Bolboceras kochi
sp.n.
Paulian [hand-written EndroÈdy-Younga]’ (TMSA); 1x,`Holgat [
28.56S
16,47E
], NW C.P.,
28.xi.1948
, Koch & van Son’/`
Paratypus
[printed] 1952,
Bolboceras kochi
sp.n.
Paulian [handwriting EndroÈdy-Younga]’ (TMSA).
Additional material examined
(
107 specimens
).
Namibia
:
9x,
Kaokoveld
,
Kunene
R., W.
Hartmannberg
,
17.12S
12.10E
,
7.iv.1984
, E-Y:2098, at light, leg.
EndroÈdy-Younga
(
TMSA
)
;
2x,
Kaokoveld
,
Munitum
riv., at park,
18.10S
12.13E
,
10.iv.1984
, E-Y:2114, sandbl. hill, night, leg.
EndroÈdy-Younga
(
TMSA
)
;
1x,
Gobabeb
,
70 m
SE of Walvis Bay
[
23.34S
15.03E
] (
TMSA
)
;
1x,
Gobabeb
,
13.iii.1979
,
B. Wharton
(
HAHC
)
;
2x,
Gobabeb
,
Namib Naukluft Park
,
23.34S
15.03,
14.vi.1989
, M.
Nel
,
light trap
in
Kuiseb River
(
SMWN
)
;
1x,
Namib
,
Tsondab
vlei,
23.59S
15.26E
,
12.i.1975
, E-Y: 537, singled at night, leg.
EndroÈdy-Younga
(
TMSA
)
;
1x,
Namib Desert Park
,
Sossusvlei
,
24.42S
15.23E
, 4±
5.vii.1979
,
S. Louw
,
M.-L. Penrith
(
SMWN
, H39215)
;
1x,
Walvisbaai
,
Sossusvlei
[
24.42S
15.23E
],
24.vi.1959
(
SMWN
,
H2758
)
;
2x,
MaltahoÈhe
,
Sesriem
137, SE 2415
Dc
, 5±
8.iv.1972
(
SMWN
,
H7449
)
;
1x,
LuÈderitz
,
Awasib
, dunes E.,
25.15S
15.43E
, 29±
30.i.1974
(
SMWN
, H17183)
;
16x,
LuÈderitz
,
Gorrasis
99,
25.19S
15.56E
, 25±
31.i.1974
(
SMWN
, H17023)
;
1x,
MaltahoÈhe Distr.
,
Wolwedans
144, SE 25 15
Bb
,
xi.1989
±
ii.1990
,
M. Paxton
(
SMWN
)
; 2x (UPSA), 2x (TMSA),
Guinasibberg, SE
25 15
Bc
1,
4.vii.1976
;
1x,
N Guinasibberg, SE
25 15
Ba
3.
5.vii.1976
(
UPSA
)
;
1x,
Grasplatz
,
26.41S
15.17E
,
1.viii.1981
, E-Y:1816, night, large dunes, leg.
EndroÈdy-Younga
(
TMSA
)
;
1x,
Gt. Namaquald.
, betw.
Aus
±
Kubub, SE
26 16
Cb
,
v.1953
,
C. Koch
(
TMSA
)
;
1x, S.
Namib
,
Klinghardt Mt.
,
27.18S
15.42E
,
29.viii.1981
, E-Y:1809, night, rocky hill, leg.
EndroÈdy-Younga
(
TMSA
)
;
1x, same data but:
21.viii.1989
, E-Y: 2658, hummocks, night,
EndroÈdy
&
Klimaszewsky
(
TMSA
)
;
1x,
Diamond Area
1,
Klinghardt Mts.
,
Sargdeckel
,
27.20S
15.45E
, 22±
25.x.1977
,
M.-L. Penrith
,
S.Louw
(
SMWN
, H34991)
;
2x,
Diamond Area
1,
Klinghardt Mts.
,
27.21S
15.42E
, 2±
4.x.1982
,
M.-L. Penrith
,
J. Irish
(
SMWN
, H54955)
;
5x,
LuÈderitz Distr.
,
10 km
NW Rosh Pinah
,
27.54S
16.42E
,
13.viii.1990
,
C. Roberts
,
E. Marais
(
SMWN
)
;
1x,
LuÈderitz
,
Obib Dunes E
,
28.02S
16.37E
, 16 ±
20.ix.1973
(
SMWN
, H14394)
;
1x,
Obib Dune
,
54 m
NE Oranjemund
[
ca
28.06S
16.38E
],
19.xi.1962
,
H. D. Brown
,
W. FuÈrst
(
TMSA
)
;
1x,
LuÈderitz
,
Rosh Pinah
,
28.02S
16.50E
,
14.ix.1973
, at night (
SMWN
, H14394)
;
1x,
Nam.
,
Gt. Namaquald.
,
Daberas Dunes, SE
28 16
Bb
,
v.1953
,
C. Koch
(
TMSA
)
;
4x,
S.Afr.
, SWA,
Namib
,
Obib
dunes, SE 28 16
Bb
,
17.ix.1973
, E-Y: 116, singled, dune, night, leg.
EndroÈdy-Younga
(
TMSA
)
;
8x,
Hohenfels
, 28.30,34S 16.37,02E, 13±
14.xi.1992
(
UPSA
)
;
2x,
Hohenfels
, 28.30,5S
16.37E
, 1±
7.xi.1994
,
Scholtz
,
Chown
,
Klok
(
UPSA
)
;
6x,
Diamond Area
1,
Oranjemund
,
28.33S
16.27E
, 9±
11.ix.1980
,
S. Louw
,
M.-L. Penrith
(
SMWN
, H42567)
;
4x,
Oranjemund
[
28.33S
16.27E
],
10.ix.1980
,
Whitehead
(
SAMC
)
.
South Africa
:
2x,
C.P.
,
Klinghardt
,
2.x.1982
,
Whitehead
(
SAMC
)
;
1x,
Richtersveld
,
Holgat
camp,
28.56S
16.47E
,
6.x.1976
, E-Y: 1266, light collection,
EndroÈdy-Younga
&
Breytenbach
(
TMSA
)
;
2x,
Richtersveld
,
Annisfontein
[
28.25S
16.52E
],
9.x.1974
,
H. D. Brown
(
SANC
)
;
3x,
C.P.
,
Jakkelsputs Dunes
,
8.x.1980
,
Whitehead
(
SAMC
)
;
1x,
C.P.
,
Jakkalsputs
,
Namaqualand
,
28.38S
18.54E
, 9±
11.ix.1982
,
S.Louw
(
BMSA
,
No.
8472)
;
1x,
Richtersveld
,
Port Nolloth
,
29.14S
16.57E
,
4.x.1976
, E-Y: 1258, on dunes (night), leg.
EndroÈdy-Younga
(
TMSA
)
;
2x,
Oograbies
[
29.13S
17.08E
],
L. Namaqualand
,
30.viii.1950
, C.
Koch
,
G. van Son
(
HAHC
)
;
1, l S.
Afr.
,
Orange
R.,
20 km
NE Alexander Bay
[
28.31S
16.37E
],
24.viii.1989
,
W.Wittmer
(
HAHC
)
;
2x,
C.P.
,
Wallekraal
,
24 km
W of Hondeklip
B.,
30.23S
17.31E
,
1.xii.1976
,
V. B. Whitehead
, on red dunes, to light (
SAMC
)
;
5x,
Namaqu. Coast
,
Gemsbok Vlakte
farm,
30.30S
17.29E
,
31.viii.1977
, E-Y: 1364, singled, dunes, night, leg.
EndroÈdy-Younga
(
TMSA
)
;
3x, same data but:
28.x.1977
, E-Y: 1399, singled on dune (
TMSA
)
;
1x,
In Renoster Mts
[not traced] (
UPSA
)
.
Comments
.
Paulian (1952)
stated that the type of
Prototrupes kochi
is deposited in TMSA and
22 paratypes
are deposited in TMSA and MNHN. He referred to three diOEerent type localities. The holo- and
paratype
labels currently attached to specimens have been attached by curators in the respective collections as none of them bears Paulian’s handwriting. Most type specimens originate from a single series with identical locality data and it is impossible to determine which specimen Paulian intended to be the
holotype
. To further complicate matters,
24 specimens
(
22 in
TMSA, one in SAMC, one in MNHN) are labelled as
paratypes
instead of 22 (
Paulian, 1952
). We therefore decided to designate a
lectotype
and
22 paralectotypes
while removing two`paratypes’ (one in TMSA, one in SAMC) from the type series.
An interesting variation of
Prototrupes kochi
was collected at Gobabeb,
Namibia
. The pronotum of
two specimens
has two transverse carinae medially, as in
Prototrupes copridoides
(Kolbe)
, instead of four separate tubercles. The cephalic ornamentation, shape of eye-canthus, shape of the mesotibia and the apically dilated protarsal segments, however, place the specimens clearly with
Prototrupes kochi
. The transverse bituberculate clypeal carina is also unusually developed. It consists of a narrow, extremely long protuberance that is apically feebly bi®d.