Neosisyphus tembyi Daniel &amp; Davis &amp; Sole &amp; Scholtz 2020, sp. n.
Creators: name: Daniel, Gimo M.
name: Davis, Adrian Lv.
name: Sole, Catherine L.
name: Scholtz, Clarke H.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2020
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Scarabaeidae
Neosisyphus
Neosisyphus tembyi

description: <i>Neosisyphus tembyi</i> Daniel &amp; Davis sp. n. (Figs. 7, 8C) ZooBank: http://zoobank.org/ 476EBD87-13C2-4DE0-A31E-883EEC69DA66 <b>Diagnosis</b>: <i>N. tembyi</i> <b>sp. n.</b> is similar to <i>Neosisyphus jossoi</i> Montreuil, 2015. Both species are roughly the same size and lack sharp spines on the posterior margin of the metafemur. However, <i>N. tembyi</i> <b>sp. n.</b> bears a small angled protuberance on the midposterior margin of the metafemur in males. The metatrochanter projection in major males of the new species is ½ of the total length of the metafemur and is somewhat inwardly projected at the tip. Unlike in <i>N. jossoi</i>, in which the metatrochanter projection is ¾ of the total length of the metafemur in major males and strongly inwardly projected. Southern African specimens of <i>N. setiger</i> Roth (1851) differ from the new species by bearing a shorter metatrochanter in males, which is ¼ of the total length of the metafemur. Furthermore, the metatrochanter in Southern African <i>N. setiger</i> projects straight and is never bent on the tip. The phallobase and parameres of all of the above species are distinctly different. <b>Description</b>: Male Holotype: <b>Size</b>. Male: length: 7.3 mm; width: 4.5 mm. <b>Colour</b>. Black body with brown setae; meso- and metasternum black; antennal club brown. <b>Head</b>. Anterior edge of clypeus with shallow sinuosity between medial teeth; lateral extreme of clypeal margin simply arcuate. Clypeo-genal suture markedly cleft; genae elongate. Frons and vertex dorsally granular, setose and minutely punctate, epicranial suture clearly visible. <b>Pronotum</b>. Convex with a sheen on dorsal surface; maximum width as long as the maximum length; setae inserted between ocellate punctures. Incomplete lateral prothoracic ridge between pronotal disc and prothoracic episternum. <b>Elytra</b>. Broad proximally and narrow posteriorly; well-spaced setae on interstriae; elytral surface shiny, distinct antero-lateral humeral callus; striae fine with double marginal lines interrupted by smooth ocellate strial punctures; granulation basally on elytral striae 4–7. <b>Pygidium</b>. Bearing U-shaped, ocellate punctation, a metallic sheen and setation. <b>Sternites</b>. Margins between abdominal sternites setigerous laterally, and glabrous medially with minute ocellate punctation; meso-metasternal suture visible; meso- and metasternum finely punctate and setose; metasternum with a punctate depression on the postero-medial edge. Mesepimeron and metepisternum finely punctate and setose. <b>Legs</b>. In ventral view, profemur carinate antero-laterally, punctate and internally pubescent with a lateral row of fine and well-developed setae; mesofemur finely punctate and setose, lacking any projection posteriorly; metafemur with an angled-protuberance mid-posteriorly with fine punctation and setae; metatrochanter projected backwards almost reaching top of angled protuberance; tip of metatrochanter slightly project- ed inward, but always parallel with metafemur. Metacoxa punctate and shagreened ventro-anteriorly. Protibia with three teeth and single terminal spine; meso-metatibia densely setose, serrated laterally, with two terminal spines on mesotibia, and two terminal spurs on metatibia; pro-, meso- and metatarsus five-segmented, with two claws; mostly setose. <b>Aedeagus</b>. Parameres separated by visible dorsal membranous portion extending nearly to the middle; arciform ridge bordering the membrane laterally, deeply notched medially; inwardly curved on the apex (Fig. 18C). <b>Morphological variation</b> Males bear a backwardly projected metatrochanter that is curved inwardly at the tip; this projection is absent in females where the metatrochanter is contiguous with the metafemur. The pronotum in males is larger than in females. <b>Examined type material</b> Holotype: (1&amp;male; SANC) / Angola, Paiva Coucero (14.816667°S 15.55°E) (50 &amp; 45 km E), 18.xii.1974, leg: Davis &amp; Temby /, / Ex coll CSIRO, Div. Entomology S. African Station /. Paratypes: (1&amp;female; SANC) same data as holotype. <b>Distribution</b>: The species is only known from woodland vegetation in southern Angola (Paiva Coucero) (Fig. 19). <b>Etymology</b>: The patronym is named after Ian Temby, a former researcher at the CSIRO, Division of Entomology, South African station; who was one of the collectors of the type material.
description: Published as part of <i>Daniel, Gimo M., Davis, Adrian Lv., Sole, Catherine L. &amp; Scholtz, Clarke H., 2020, Taxonomic review of the tribe Sisyphini sensu stricto Mulsant, 1842 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) in southern Africa, including new species descriptions, pp. 1-61 in Insect Systematics &amp; Evolution 51 (1)</i> on pages 44-46, DOI: 10.1163/1876312X-00002195, http://zenodo.org/record/3786629
description: {"references": ["Montreuil, O. (2015 a) Nouveaux Sisyphus Latreille d'afrique (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Sisyphini). Bulletin de la Societe entomologique de France, 120 (1): 91 - 102."]}