Hyboserica caffra, (FAHREUS, 1857)

Fabrizi, Silvia, Eberle, Jonas & Ahrens, Dirk, 2019, Unexpected diversity of Hyboserica chafers in South African forest remnants: cladistic analysis, new species and the new genus Leoserica (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 186, pp. 950-982 : 963-965

HYBOSERICA CAFFRA (FÅHREUS, 1857)

( FIGS 3A, 9)

Triodonta caffra Fåhreus, 1857: 139 ; Brenske, 1900: 213.

Hyboserica caffra : Péringuey, 1904: 27, 28.

Type material examined: Lectotype (here designated): ♀ ‘ Caffraria / J. Wahlb. / Type / 3935 E91+/ Typus / ♀ / caffra Fåhrs. / Hyboserica Pér. ’ ( NHRS).

Additional material examined: 1 ♂ ‘Natal, D’urban/ Calloserica caffra Fhs. / Triodonta caffra Fhs. comp. cum type / SAM-Col A035/35’ ( SAMC), 1 ♂, 1 ♀ ‘Natal/ 20 Dec./ Trägardh/ Hyboserica / caffra Fahr ?’ ( ZMHB).

Diagnostic description: Body length: 9.23 mm, elytral length: 6.12 mm, maximum width: 5.31 mm. Labroclypeus wide and short; not incised or narrowed behind labrum. Anterior margin of labroclypeus medially weakly sinuate. Angle between lateral margin of labroclypeus and ocular canthus indistinct. Eyes, ratio diameter/interocular width: 0.5. Antennal club shorter than remaining antennomeres combined. Mentum convexly elevated and slightly flattened anteriorly. Basal marginal line of pronotum widely absent. Marginal line of anterior margin of pronotum medially widely interrupted. Hind wings fully developed. Epipleural edge complete over entire elytral length. Metasternum and metepisernites in length normal. Ratio of length of metepisternum/metacoxa: 1/1.6. Protibia, externally tridentate; external margin between apical two teeth moderately sinuated. Metacoxa glabrous except a few fine lateral setae; its anterior marginal line complete. Metatibia, ratio of width/length: 1/3.95. Basal group of dorsal spines of metatibia at first-third of metatibial length; apical group of external spines at two-thirds of metatibial length. Apex of metatibia interiorly near tarsal articulation not sinuate or truncate; apical face simple, not elevated or produced. Meso- and metatarsomeres dorsally impunctate. Mesotarsomere 1 slightly longer than the subsequent tarsomere. Aedeagus and habitus: Fig. 3A.

Remarks: One additional specimen under this name in the SAMC, Cape Town. The only available syntype of the species is a female making the species difficult to interpret. The type specimen is most likely (also from viewpoint of nearly identical external morphology) corresponding to the specimens collected at Port Natal (where J. Wahlberg quite likely collected his material) and which were assigned already by Péringuey and Brenske to H. caffra . Therefore, we retain their interpretation of the species.