Epibrithus longicarinatus Haran & Hansen, 2025

Epibrithus longicarinatus Haran & Hansen sp. nov.

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Figs 2 View Fig , 4C–D View Fig , 5 View Fig

Diagnosis

Epibrithus longicarinatus sp. nov. can be distinguished from E. pustulatus and E. boroveci sp. nov. by the apical median carina in ventrite 5 of male being ½ the length of the ventrite (being proportionally shorter in the other two species). Unlike E. boroveci males, the apical median carina does not bear a brush of erect setae. From the specimens examined, this appears to be the largest species of Epibrithus , and has the proportionally largest eyes. The distance between the dorsal posterior margin of the eyes is less than the width of an eye in male specimens.

Etymology

This species is named for the elongated median carina in the cavity of ventrite 5 in males.

Material examined

Holotype

REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA – Western Cape Province • ♂; “REP. OF SOUTH AFRICA; WC. Algeria ; 1 Xi. 2022; J. Sudre coll.” “JHAR05672-01; -32.394 19.086 [32°23′38.4″S, 19°05′09.6′″E]; Beating vegetation; SAMC ” “ HOLOTYPE; Epibrithus longicarinatus ; Hansen & Haran 2025”; SAMC. GoogleMaps

Paratype

REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA – Western Cape Province • 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; SAMC GoogleMaps .

Description ( ♂ ♀)

BODY LENGTH. 9.0– 9.5 mm.

COLOUR AND VESTITURE. Body integument dark red to black, elytral vestiture consists of a dense cover of small, round to elliptical (slightly longer than wide) appressed light grey scales, callosities on elytra with tufts of suberect elongate scales, generally darker than surrounding vestiture; base of interstriae 1 with scale cover less dense, revealing integument.

HEAD. Rostrum longer than wide (w/l ratio: 0.85), in dorsal view sides wider at antennal insertions than at the base ( ♂ 1.31 ×; ♀ 1.21 ×); frons with scattered scales in basal part only, and bearing 2 pairs of elongate setae; epistome bare of setae; forehead with a distinct median fovea between eyes, distance between dorsal anterior margin of eyes dorsally <than width of eye ( ♂), eyes large, conveX. Scape 0.78–0.82 × as long as funicle, nearly straight; funicle with segments 1–2 elongate, longer than wide (w/l ratio 1: 0.32–0.38; w/l ratio 2: 0.43–0.53), 1 longer ( ♂ 1.45 ×; ♀ 1.68 ×) than 2, segments 3–6 subequal in length, longer that wide (w/l ratio 3: 0.75–0.89), conical, segment 7 slightly longer than segment 6; club spindle-shaped, segment 1 longer than 2, margins slightly sinuous.

PROTHORAX. Slightly wider than long (w/l ratio: ♂ 1.23, ♀ 1.30) in dorsal view, apical margin 0 × as wide as at base, sides moderately convex in male and more strongly convex in female, in lateral view highest point just before middle of length; tubercles are sparsely covered in scales at apex (revealing integument), median line with a groove not reaching base and apex of pronotum.

ELYTRA. Sides sub-parallel ( ♀) or conveX and widest just beyond middle of length ( ♂) (w/l ratio: ♂ 0.63; ♀ 0.73) apeX ovately rounded ( ♂), broadly rounded ( ♀); humeral angles located at 0.13–0.16 of elytral length; in lateral view, dorsal line conveX, reaches highest point in about apical ⅓ beyond start of the declivity, callosities on apical ½ of posterior declivity with hook-shaped scales more elongate than on basal portion of elytra.

LEGS. Tibiae slightly downcurved, internal margin often with row of 2–5 black, suberect spines; mucro concealed in a tuft of elongate curved golden-brown setae, distinctly longer and black on metatibiae in male.

ABDOMEN. Ventrites with pearly white rounded to elongate scales, contiguous but not concealing the integument; ventrite 1 intercoXal process slightly wider than the metaXocal width ( ♂ 1.43 ×; ♀ 1.47 ×), apical edge almost straight in middle; in male ventrites 2 +3+4 apical edges almost straight in middle; ventrite 5 ( ♂ 0.77 ×; ♀ 0.91 ×) as long as 2+3+4, ventrite 5 wide (w/l ratio: ♂ 1.49; ♀ 1.40), male with a shallow cavity in apical ¾ of length, bearing an elongate median carina in apical ½ of length of cavity, margin strongly bilobate, vestiture of ventrite 5 with a bare patch revealing integument either side of the median carina in apical ½ of cavity, median carina with sparse scales and erect setae, apeX with brushes of black setae ( Fig. 2E View Fig ).

MALE TERMINALIA. Body of penis long ( 2.28 mm), elongate (w/l ratio: 0.33), widest in basal ½, sides of basal ½ subparallel in dorsal view, converging regularly apicad from apical ½ of length, apeX acuminate, in lateral view downwards curvature strongest just before middle and again at apex, apex with strong downwards curvature, temones 1.14 × longer than body of penis. Copulatory sclerite with all structures strongly refleXed inward, giving a rounded appearance, left area of body wider than right. Parameres diverging strongly apically; spiculum gastrale posteriorly curved.

Life history

This species was collected in the daytime from vegetation in a small patch of forest during November.

Distribution

Limited information available. This species is known from a limited number of specimens collected at Algeria in the Cederberg mountains ( Fig. 4D View Fig ).

Remarks

Only one male (the holotype) and one female (the paratype) were collected, therefore knowledge about intraspecific variability is still unknown.