Stegopterus pallidulus, Ricchiardi & Perissinotto & Strümpher, 2025

Ricchiardi, Enrico, Perissinotto, Renzo & Strümpher, Werner, 2025, Revision of the Western Cape endemic genus Stegopterus Burmeister & Schaum, 1840 (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Cetoniinae, Trichiini), African Invertebrates 66 (1), pp. 151-191 : 151-191

Stegopterus pallidulus sp. nov.

Fig. 15

Type material.

Holotype. South Africa – WCP • ♂; 7-weeks Poort Berg, Ladismith ; 25 / 31 Dec. 1928; K. H. Barnard leg.; SAMC: SAM-COL-A 043590 .

Diagnosis.

Stegopterus pallidulus sp. nov. differs from S. cochraneae sp. nov. by having the clypeal lateral margins strongly reborded and slightly narrowing towards the base, as well as the metatibial lower spur subequal to the upper one. The shape of its parameres is also distinctive (Fig. 15 F, G ).

Description.

Male (holotype). Measurements. Total length = 11.8 mm; maximum width = 5.6 mm. Body. Stocky, of melolonthinoid shape; black, with greenish metallic hue on head vertex, pronotum and scutellum; clypeal basal half dark brown and apical half bright metallic green; elytra light fulvous; legs black-brown in places. Head. Clypeus wider than long (1.8 times), hollowed, with anterior margin slightly retuse; anterior corner rounded (about 50 % of clypeal length), lateral margins strongly reborded and tapering towards base; covered with thick, round punctures and thick, long, testaceous setae; antennal scapus mainly black, segments fulvous and clubs reddish-brown; inner lamellae on either side with basal patch of short, straight setae; antennal clubs longer than clypeus (1.3 times), slightly arched. Pronotum. Wider than long, with maximum width posteriorly; surface shagreened, covered with scattered, long, thin and testaceous setae. Scutellum. Glabrous, covered with dense, round punctures. Elytra. Light fulvous, with weak apical callosity and discal striae effaced; entire surface covered with scattered, round punctures; sutural and juxtascutellar margins fringed with black band, exhibiting greenish metallic hue in anterior half but dark testaceous posteriorly; lateral margin black; apicosutural corner rounded and apical margin light fulvous, with dense, round punctures. Pygidium. Wider than long; discal area brown-green metallic, basal third brownish to blackish; surface imbricate, covered with scattered, long, flattened testaceous setae. Legs. Black, locally brown; metatibia and metatarsi with prominent green metallic hue; protibia externally tridentate, with distal two teeth closer to each other than to third; mesotibia strongly bent ventrally, with apex widened; second metatarsal segment as long as first; lower spur shorter than upper. Venter. Abdomen black, with dark greenish and brown metallic hue or shine; covered with very long, thin, dark, testaceous and backwards flattened setae.

Etymology.

This species is named after the pale, light fulvous colouring of its elytra. Adjective in the nominative singular case.

Distribution.

This species is clearly the inhabitant of the Klein Swartberg range, above the town of Ladismith (Fig. 21 ).

Remarks.

The female is unknown, and nothing is known about the biology / ecology of this species.

Figures

Figure 15. Stegopterus pallidulus sp. nov., holotype ♂ SAMC A dorsal habitus B lateral habitus C ventral habitus D head and antennae E pygidium F parameres, frontal view G parameres, lateral view H labels. Photographs: W. S. Scale bars: 1 mm (A – C); 1 mm (D, E); 1 mm (F, G).

Figure 21. Distribution map of Stegopterus species occurring in the Western Cape, South Africa.