Stegopterus rotundiceps Ricchiardi, Perissinotto & Strümpher, 2025, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Ricchiardi, Enrico
name: Perissinotto, Renzo
name: Strümpher, Werner
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Scarabaeidae
Stegopterus
Stegopterus rotundiceps

description: Stegopterus rotundiceps sp. nov.
Fig. 16
Type material.
Holotype. South Africa – WCP • ♂; Clanwilliam, Leipoldt; SAMC: SAM-COL-A 043589.
Diagnosis.
Stegopterus rotundiceps sp. nov. can be identified from the other species of the group by having the clypeal lateral margins mildly reborded and semicircular in shape (Fig. 16 E). Its antennal clubs are about 2.1 times longer than the clypeus and its protibia is externally bidentate. The shape of its parameres is also distinctive (Fig. 16 F, G).
Description.
Male (holotype). Measurements. Total length = 10.8 mm; maximum width = 5.2 mm. Body. Stocky, with melolonthinoid shape; black to brownish with elytra fulvous, exhibiting blackish or brownish band at margins. Head. Clypeus much wider than long (1.7 times), hollowed, covered with large, round punctures and some scattered, testaceous setae; lateral margins slightly reborded and semicircular in shape; vertex covered with long, testaceous setae; antennal clubs much longer than clypeus (about 2.0 times) and arcuate. Pronotum. Wider than long, with maximum width posteriorly; with very distinct green midline stretching over two thirds of surface; entire surface covered with shallow, round punctures and long, thin testaceous setae. Scutellum. Surface covered with shallow, round punctures and scattered, short, testaceous setae. Elytra. Black, with humeral humbones prominent; apicosutural corner rounded and apical margin exhibiting dense, round punctures; discal striae visible and marked with large punctures; some interstriae and lateral declivity horizontally shagreened. Pygidium. Wider than long, brownish to blackish with surface shagreened; covered with scattered, long, testaceous and flattened setae. Legs. Black, locally brown, without green metallic hue; protibia externally bidentate with distal tooth elongate and rounded at apex; mesotibia simply curved ventrally, with the lower spur much shorter than upper; second metatarsal segment as long as first. Venter. Abdomen brownish, without metallic hue and covered with very long, thick, dark, testaceous setae flattened backwards.
Etymology.
The rounded shape of the clypeal lateral margins defines this species. Adjective in the nominative singular case.
Distribution.
According to the data reported on the holotype label, this species should occur in the region of the western lower slopes of the broader Cederberg range between the towns of Leipoldtville and Clanwilliam (Fig. 21).
Remarks.
The female is unknown, and no information is currently available on the biology / ecology of this species.
description: Published as part of Ricchiardi, Enrico, Perissinotto, Renzo & Strümpher, Werner, 2025, Revision of the Western Cape endemic genus Stegopterus Burmeister & Schaum, 1840 (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Cetoniinae, Trichiini), pp. 151-191 in African Invertebrates 66 (1) on pages 151-191, DOI: 10.3897/afrinvertebr.66.140593