Ablaberoides fuliginosus ( Thunberg, 1818 ), 2019

Ahrens, Dirk, Fabrizi, Silvia, Nikolaev, Katharina, Knechtges, Lisa & Eberle, Jonas, 2019, On the identity of some taxa of Sericinae described by C. P. Thunberg and L. Gyllenhal (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae), Bonn zoological Bulletin 68 (1), pp. 21-29 : 24-27

Ablaberoides fuliginosus ( Thunberg, 1818) comb. n.

( Figs 1K–L , 2A–D )

Melolontha fuliginosa Thunberg, 1818: 426 , not Fairmaire 1889: 22.

Type material examined. Lectotype (here designated). ♀ “ Uppsala Univ. Zool. Mus. Thunbergsaml. Nr. 3802 Melolontha fuliginosa Cap. TYP ” ( UUZM).

Additional material examined. 1 ♂ “X-DA4037 – South Africa, W. Cape: Goukamma Nat. Res. Dunes near Rondavell Chalet , 10m, 34°04'02.9"S; 22°56'50.8"E, 24.–26. xi.2013, lg. Ahrens, Eberle, Fabrizi” ( ZFMK) , 2 ♂, 1 ♀ “ S.Afr.; Namaqualand Stallberg pass 30.27 S – 18.04 E / 5.9.1977; E–Y: 1384 grass netting leg. Endrödy-Younga” ( TMSA) , 1 ♂ “ S.Afr.; W Cape Gamkaberg Nat. Res. 33.43 S – 21.56 E / 8.12.1995; E–Y: 3176 fymbos flower leg. CL Bellamy “ ( TMSA), 5 ♂ “ S.Afr.; Little Karoo Gamkaberg Nat. Res. 33.42 S – 21.54 E / 8– 9.12.1995; E–Y: 3175 beating leg. CL Bellamy ” ( TMSA), 1 ♂ “ S.Afr.; Cape Prov Tsitsikama 33.58 S – 24.10 E / For. & Coastal Nat. Park 9.3.1992; dung Janssen & Le Roux“ ( TMSA), 2 ♂ “ S.Afr., S.W. Cape Ryspuntstrand 34.36 S – 20.19 E / 30.9.1984; E–Y: 2130 ground & vegetation leg. R. Müller ” ( TMSA), 1 ♂ “ S.Afr., Cape-Karoo Farm Zwaartskraal 33.10S – 22.32E / 8.11.1978; E–Y: 1539 ground traps, 69 days leg. R. Oosthuizen A / ground traps with ferm. Banana bait“ ( TMSA), 1 ♂ “Assengaibos, La Motte, C.P.X 40 G. van Son ” ( TMSA), 1 ♂ “ Uitenhage IX. 1950 K. Dickson ” ( TMSA), 2 ♂ “ S.Afr., S.W. Cape Waenhuiskrans 34.39 S – 20.14 E / 30.9.1984; E–Y: 2129 grass netting leg. R. Müller ” ( TMSA), 1 ♂ “ S.Afr.; Little Karoo Gamka Mt., 1000 m 33.43 S – 21.56 E / 25.10.1993; E–Y:2901 flow. Karoo veget. Leg. Endrödy-Younga” ( TMSA), 1 ♂ “ S. Afr; LittleKaroo Gamka Nat. Res. 33.43 S – 21.46 E / 8.11.1993; E–Y: 2950 flower. Vegetation leg. Endrödy-Younga” ( TMSA), 2 ♂ “ S.Afr., S.W. Cape Arniston, dunes 34.39 S – 20.13 E / 26.10.1983; E–Y: 2021 grass netting leg. Endrödy-Younga” ( TMSA), 1 ♂ “WILDERNIS SE 34 23 Aa 3 - X - 1981 C. H. SCHOLTZ” ( TMSA), 3 ♂, 1 ♀ “ RSA, W Cape, Greyton env., 22.XI.2002, leg. M. Snížek, ex. Coll. Ahrens ” ( ZFMK), 1 ♂ “ SOUTH AFRICA: Eastern Cape, R337, 43 km NE of Willowmore , 33°08’S 23°50’E 650m, 18.XI.1999 leg. M. Hauser ” ( SMNS) .

Lectotype redescription. Length: 5.5 mm, length of elytra: 3.4 mm, width: 3.2 mm. Body short-oval, blackish, antenna black, surface with iridescent shine, with a few robust setae on head, otherwise glabrous.

Labroclypeus short, narrow and trapezoidal, widest at base, lateral margins convex and strongly convergent anteriorly but between labrum and clypeus deeply concavely sinuated, anterior angles sharp and reflexed, anterior margin bluntly sinuated medially and strongly reflexed; lateral margin of clypeus and ocular canthus produce an indistinct angle; surface flat, with a transverse carina shortly behind the lateral incision between labrum and clypeus, surface finely, very densely punctate, with a few erect setae in front of the carina; frontoclypeal suture distinctly incised and flat, angled medially and sublaterally; smooth area anterior to eye flat, as wide as long; ocular canthus moderately long and narrow, finely densely punctate, with a terminal seta; at apex touching the strongly produce posterior eye keel (which is as long as the ocular canthus). Frons shiny, with dense, coarse punctures, with a single seta beside each eye. Eyes very small, ratio diameter/interocular width: 0.24. Antenna with ten antennomeres; club with three antennomeres and straight, as long as remaining antennomeres combined. Mentum elevated and slightly convex anteriorly.

Pronotum moderately transverse, widest at base, lateral margins moderately evenly convex and convergent anteriorly, anterior angles distinctly produced and sharp, posterior angles blunt, slightly rounded at tip; anterior margin weakly convex, with robust marginal line, base with robust marginal line that is widely interrupted medially by nearly twice scutellar widths; surface densely and finely punctate, with minute setae in punctures; lateral margin finely sparsely setose; hypomeron carinate, not produced ventrally. Scutellum dull, wide, triangular, with fine, moderately dense punctures.

Elytra widest at middle, striae finely impressed, finely and densely punctate, intervals flat, with fine, moderately dense punctures and with minute setae in punctures; epipleural edge fine, ending at blunt external apical angle of elytra, epipleura sparsely setose; apical border of elytra chitinous, without rim of microtrichomes (visible at ca 100x magnification).

Ventral surface dull, finely and densely punctate, nearly glabrous, metasternal disc sparsely covered with fine, short setae; metacoxa with a few longer setae laterally. Abdominal sternites finely and densely punctate, punctures with minute setae, each sternite with a transverse row of punctures each bearing a fine seta. Mesosternum between mesocoxae as wide as mesofemur. Ratio of length of metepisternum/metacoxa: 1/2.13. Pygidium moderately convex, dull, weakly shiny in apical half, coarsely and densely punctate, without smooth midline, with numerous short setae along apical margin.

Legs short and wide, dull; femora with two longitudinal rows of setae, finely and sparsely punctate, of which the posterior one is nearly completely reduced. Anterior margin of metafemur acute, without adjacent serrated line, anterior row of setae complete; posterior ventral margin smooth, strongly widened at ventral apex, dorsal posterior edge smooth, neither serrate, glabrous. Metatibia short and wide, widest at middle, ratio of width/length: 1/2.55, sharply carinate dorsally, with two groups of spines, basal group shortly before neterior quarter, apical group shortly behind middle of metatibial length; lateral face longitudinally convex, finely and sparsely punctate, along midline broadly smooth, with minute setae in punctures; ventral margin finely serrate, with four equidistant robust setae; medial face smooth and glabrous; apex finely serrate, distinctly concavely sinuate interiorly near tarsal articulation. Tarsomeres dorsally impunctate, glabrous, neither laterally nor dorsally carinate, moderately setose ventrally; metatarsomeres with a strongly serrated ridge ventrally and a smooth subventral longitudinal carina, with a few short setae; first metatarsomere as long as following tarsomere and slightly shorter than dorsal tibial spur. Protibia moderately long, tridentate; anterior claws symmetrical, basal tooth of both claws bluntly truncate at apex.

Remarks. The here designated lectotype specimen was the only available syntype specimen. The name is a primary senior homonym of Melolontha fuliginosa Fairmaire, 1889 , currently placed under a different genus name as Exolontha fuliginosa (Fairmare, 1889) ( Li et al. 2010; Bezdek 2016). Given the rare use of the latter name, we see no reason to make a case to advocate a conservation of Melolontha fuliginosa Fairmaire, 1899 . In consequence, we propose here a replacement name for the latter, Exolontha neofuliginosa Ahrens , nom. nov.

Figures

Fig. 1. A–F. Maladera setifera (Gyllenhal, 1817) (lectotype); G–J. Microserica pusilla (Thunberg, 1818) (lectotype); K–N. Ablaberoides fuliginosus (Thunberg, 1818) (lectotype). A. Aedeagus, left side lateral view; D. Aedeagus, right side lateral view; B. Parameres, dorsal view; C. Parameres, ventral view; G, K. Head, dorsal view; E, J, M. Habitus, dorsal view, I, N. Habitus, lateral view; F, H, L. Specimen labels. Scale: 0.5 mm.

Fig. 2. A–D. Ablaberoides fuliginosus (Thunberg, 1818) (S. Afr.; W Cape, Gamkaberg Nat. Res.); A. aedeagus, left side lateral view; C. aedeagus, right side lateral view; B. parameres, dorsal view; D. habitus, dorsal view. Scale: 0.5 mm.