Stegopterus kromrivieri, Ricchiardi & Perissinotto & Strümpher, 2025

Stegopterus kromrivieri sp. nov.

Figs 10 View Figure 10 , 11 View Figure 11

Type material.

Holotype. South Africa – WCP • ♂; Krom River, Cedar Mtns ; [ca. 32°34'S, 19°15'E]; Sep. 1935; K. H. Barnard leg.; SAMC: SAM-COL-A 043594 GoogleMaps .

Paratypes. South Africa – WCP • 1 ♂; Olifants R. Mts, Koue Bokkeveld ; 4000–6000 ’ ft [~ 1200–1800 m].; Sep. 1932, K. H. Barnard leg.; SAMC: SAM COL-A 043591 • 1 ♀; Gifberg ; 22 Sep. 2001; A. Brinkman & J. Ball leg.; RPRM .

Diagnosis.

Stegopterus kromrivieri sp. nov. differs from S. hexrivieri sp. nov., the closest species, by having the clypeus covered with thick, round punctures, some round, scattered punctures on the apical margin of the elytra, and the pygidial surface imbricate. The shape of its parameres is also distinctive (Fig. 10 F, G View Figure 10 ).

Description.

Male (holotype). Measurements. Total length = 12.4 mm; maximum width = 6.1 mm. Body. Stocky, with melolonthinoid shape, black, with predominant green metallic hue on head vertex, pronotum, pygidium, abdomen and legs. Humeral humbones prominent. Head. With dark orange-brown antennae; clypeus black with metallic green hue on vertex, completely covered with testaceous, very long, dense, backwards-bent setae; clypeus hollowed, wider than long (2.2 times), with anterior margin retuse and anterior corner strongly rounded (about 40–55 % of clypeal length), lateral margin strongly reborded and narrowing towards base; surface colliculate; antennal club shorter than clypeus. Pronotum. Wider than long, maximum width posteriorly; green metallic hued, covered with thick, long, testaceous setae and round punctures, sometimes irregularly confluent on sides. Scutellum. Metallic green, glabrous, covered with dense, round punctures. Elytra. Dark fuscous; bordered with black band, widening in juxtascutellar-sutural margin; humeral and intrahumeral humbones black; with apicosutural corner rounded and posterior border exhibiting some scattered, rounded punctures; discal striae effaced, surface covered with scattered, round punctures. Pygidium. Black, with prominent metallic green hue; wider than long, imbricate and covered with long, testaceous, flattened setae. Legs. Black with green metallic hue; protibia externally tridentate, with distal two teeth closer to each other than to third and third tooth reduced to sinuation; mesotibia strongly bent ventrally and with apex exhibiting reddish, regularly spaced setae; metatibia with lower spur about 50 % longer than upper; second metatarsal segment as long as first. Venter. Abdomen with green metallic hue, covered with large, round punctures and very long, backward flattened setae.

Paratype (♀) (differences from ♂ only). Measurements: total length = 10.4 mm; maximum width = 5.4 mm. Body stockier than that of the holotype, dorsal colour displays the same pattern but is lighter in comparison to the male. Head, pronotum, and scutellum setose as in holotype, but they appear coppery to light green instead of metallic green. Antennal club shorter than length of the clypeus, measuring about 0.8 times as long. Protibia broader than that of the holotype, tridentate, with teeth equally spaced (Fig. 11 View Figure 11 ).

Etymology.

The species name is a noun in apposition, reflecting the Afrikaans spelling of Krom River (Kromrivier), where the holotype was collected.

Distribution.

This is a typical Cederberg dweller, occurring across the entire mountain range and reaching as far south as the Koue Bokkeveld region (Fig. 21 View Figure 21 ).

Remarks.

Currently, there is no available information on the biology / ecology of this species.