Stegopterus agulhas 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 agulhas

description: Stegopterus agulhas sp. nov.
Figs 4, 5
Type material.
Holotype: South Africa – WCP • ♂; Agulhas N. P. Bergplaas; 26 Sep. 2006; R. Perissinotto & L. Clennell leg.; TMSA.
Paratypes: South Africa – WCP • 1 ♂; same data as for holotype; ERPC • 2 ♂ same data but 27 Sep. 2006; RPRM.
Diagnosis.
Stegopterus agulhas sp. nov. differs from S. endroedyi sp. nov., the closest species, by having the lateral margin of its clypeus reborded and narrowing towards the apex, the pygidium surface imbricate and the protibia externally tridentate, with the distal two teeth closer to each other than to the third (see dichotomous key below). The shape of its parameres is also distinctive (Fig. 4 F, G).
Description.
Male (holotype). Measurements. Total length = 15.2 mm; maximum width = 7.7 mm. Body. Stocky, with melolonthinoid shape, black, with some metallic hue; elytra dark testaceous, with anteapical humbones blackish and prominent, with a large sutural / juxtascutellar black band, with violet hue, not reaching posterior margin; all other elytral margins narrowly black except posterior; antennae brownish; legs black with coppery metallic hue. Head. Clypeus wider than long, mostly glabrous, with few scattered, long testaceous setae posteriorly; surface covered with thick, rounded punctures, somewhat confluent at sides; anterior margin retuse, anterior corners rounded, lateral margin mildly reborded and tapering towards apex (Fig. 4 D); antennal club arched, 1.3 times longer than clypeal length. Pronotum. Wider than long; surface with round, deep, dense punctures, confluent or imbricate at sides and covered with thick, long, testaceous setae. Scutellum. Covered with dense, round punctures, imbricate at centre and anterior margin. Elytra. Posterior margin shagreened; discal striae effaced, entire surface covered with scattered, rounded punctures, lateral declivity shagreened. Pygidium. Wider than long, surface imbricate and covered with scattered, very long, testaceous setae. Legs. Protibia externally tridentate, distal teeth closer to each other than to third; mesotibia strongly bent ventrally, with upper spur on apex slightly curved and lower one about 30 % shorter; second metatarsal segment as long as first (Fig. 4 C). Venter. Black with green metallic hue; abdomen covered with large, round punctures, locally imbricate, and very long, backward bent setae (Fig. 4 C).
Paratype ♀ (differences from ♂ only). Measurements: total length = 15.2 mm; maximum width = 7.6 mm. Body stockier than in male, with same green metallic hue. Pronotum and scutellum glabrous and shiny. Antennal club shorter than clypeal length (about 0.7 times). Protibia wider than in male, tridentate, with all teeth equally spaced (Fig. 5).
Type series variability.
The other males of the type series are very similar to each other and to the holotype, with no significant differences in shape or colour patterns.
Etymology.
The species is named after the locality where the type series was collected. Noun in apposition.
Distribution.
This new species is currently known from a single locality within the borders of the Agulhas National Park (Fig. 21). It is most likely that it occurs across the entire Cape Agulhas region, which encompasses the southernmost tip of the African continent.
Remarks.
Specimens were found feeding on flowers of Berzelia sp., Leucadendron sp. and Leoucospermum sp.
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