Epirinus schoolmeestersi Deschodt & Davis & Daniel 2019, new species
Creators: name: Deschodt, Christian M.
name: Davis, Adrian L. V.
name: Daniel, Gimo M.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2019
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Scarabaeidae
Epirinus
Epirinus schoolmeestersi

description: Epirinus schoolmeestersi Deschodt & Davis, new species
Figs. 1D, 3B, 5.
Type material: Holotype. Male: S.Afr., SE CapeMts | Baviaanskloofberg | 33.36 S - 24.23 E || 15.11.1982, at 595m. | Groundtraps, 30 days | leg. W.Breytenbach || groundtraps with faeces bait WB240 (TMSA). Paratypes. 14 males and 12 females with same label as holotype and 2 males and 2 females with same label as holotype except the altitude is “at 885m ” and the collection number is “ WB242 ”. All specimens with two additional determination labels: EPIRINUS | silvestris | Cambefort | det. C.H. Scholtz || EPIRINUS | hilaris Péringuey | det. Claudia A. Medina. 22 TMSA, 2 UPSA.
Description of holotype, male. Body: 4.1 x 2.1 mm (length with head extended x maximum width) Small and convex. Head: Clypeal teeth small, pointing upwards and separated by a rounded indentation about twice their length; very small notch on lateral margin where genal suture terminates; frontal suture clearly effaced medially; clypeal surface densely punctate, no associated setae; eyes narrowing posteriorly; antennae dark.
Pronotum: Surface shagreened, densely punctate with round punctures; shallow medial depression at base of the disc extending in a feebly defined, puncture-free line that extends halfway over pronotum; no lateral foveae.
Elytra: Striae distinct, with clear double margins; interstriae with oval granules arranged in a clear single line and separated by one and a half to two granule widths with a single recurved seta on each granule; elytral margin raised for apical two thirds; single apical tubercle present on third and fifth interstriae.
Pygidium: Shagreened, with large punctures and two horizontal basal costae.
Venter: Ventrites finely setose with single irregular row of punctures; metaventrite punctures large and almost touching; mesoventrite punctures smaller and separate.
Male genitalia: Asymmetrical (Fig. 3B).
Etymology: This species is named after Paul Schoolmeesters, who is the tireless custodian of the World Scarabaeidae Database.
Diagnosis: In appearance, this species is very similar to E. hilaris Péringuey, 1901. However, E. schoolmeestersi new species can be readily separated by the presence of granules and setae on its elytra clearly arranged in a single line. In comparison, E. hilaris has almost no granules, somewhat irregular lines of setae and a larger, clear, puncture-free line on the pronotum.
Distribution, ecology, conservation status, and potential threats: This species occurs on the Baviaanskloof mountains and probably extends into the nearby Kouga mountain range. It is probably restricted to the Fynbos Biome that stretches over these mountain ranges. Based on limited distribution data, this species is assessed as data deficient (DD). It is well protected in the Baviaanskloof Nature Reserve.
description: Published as part of Deschodt, Christian M., Davis, Adrian L. V. & Daniel, Gimo M., 2019, The endemic Southern African genus Epirinus Dejean, 1833 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) revisited: five new species and two new synonyms, pp. 327-340 in Zootaxa 4603 (2) on pages 330-332, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4603.2.6, http://zenodo.org/record/2682436