Namaphilus tirasmontanus Deschodt & Davis 2018, new species
Creators: name: Deschodt, Christian M.
name: Davis, Adrian L. V.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Scarabaeidae
Namaphilus
Namaphilus tirasmontanus

description: Namaphilus tirasmontanus Deschodt & Davis, new species
(Figs. 1C, 3–4)
Type material. Holotype female: Tirasberg Conservancy, S26.231242° E16.571429°, 13.iii.2017 1363m, C. Deschodt & A. Davis (TMSA).
Additional material examined. Various disarticulated body parts of different specimens from the same site mounted on a single card (UPSA).
Description: Holotype female: Medium sized beetle. Measurements with head inflexed, 5.84 mm (length) × 4.44 mm (width) × 3.32 mm (height).
Head. Clypeus bidentate, with two small teeth that are well separated; clypeal margin between teeth straight with minute irregularities. Surface somewhat dull. One very small tooth on lower clypeal margin between dorsal teeth. Clypeogenal suture indistinct but straight. Clypeal surface shagreened and punctate.
Pronotum. Convex, coarsely shagreened, medium ovate punctures with associated short setae covering pronotum, punctures separated by less than one puncture diameter.
Elytra. Convex. Elytra fused. Striae very shallow but visible, faintly punctate. Irregular and faint punctures with medium length associated setae in double rows on all interstriae except on those adjoining elytral sutures bearing a single row of punctures. Edges of punctures forming low undulations.
Sterna. Prosternum with large shallow round punctures. Meso- and metasternum fused, mesometasternal suture straight. Surface of mesosternum shagreened with clear, medium-sized shallow punctures. Surface of metasternum shagreened with punctures slightly smaller and closer together than on mesosternum.
Protibia. Inside margin slightly curved inward with no denticles. Tibial apex blunt with small spatulate spur next to inside corner. Tarsi attached under spur and close to inner margin of tibia. Three teeth at apical outer margin. Proximal two thirds of outer margin from joint serrated. Dorsal and ventral surface shagreened and punctate.
Mesotibia. Fairly straight, with smooth margins and with five rows of short tan setae. Apically with two short spurs. Tarsi with short tan setae, ending with two claws.
Metatibia. Fairly straight, with smooth margins and with five rows of short tan setae. Tarsi with short tan setae, ending with two claws.
Pygidium. Surface shagreened with medium shallow punctures, some with associated setae.
Male. Unknown.
Etymology. This species is named after the Tiras Mountain range, the inselberg mountain complex where the holotype type specimen was collected.
Diagnosis. The longer setae on the elytra and slight undulations on the elytra will distinguish this species from Namaphilus endroedyi and Namaphilus nubibmontanus new species.
Distributions, ecology, conservation status and potential threats. This species may be restricted to the isolated Tiras Mountains in Namibia. As hyrax colonies remain protected in the area of collection within the Tiras Conservancy, N. tirasmontanus new species is probably not facing any current threats. However, it should be assessed as Data Deficient (DD) as the EOO is unknown. Its distribution area could be as small as 150 km 2 (area of the Tiras Mountains).
description: Published as part of Deschodt, Christian M. & Davis, Adrian L. V., 2018, New deltochiline (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) taxa associated with hyrax dung in arid south western Namibia in Zootaxa 4450 (1), DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4450.1.4, http://zenodo.org/record/1444612