Pareumenes (Nortonia) laevis ( von Schulthess, 1903 )

Pareumenes (Nortonia) laevis ( von Schulthess, 1903) View in CoL

( Fig. 5 View FIGURE 5 )

Nortonia laevis von Schulthess, 1903: 363 , ♂

— “ Insel St. Thomé ” ( ETHZ) .

Afrorhynchium dathei Gusenleitner, 2020: 221 , figs 1–6, ♀

— “ RSA, Kalahari , Augrabies, 630 m, 28°30’33”S 19°53’17”E ” ( OLML). Syn. nov GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis. Placed in the subgenus Nortonia due to the propodeal valvula not markedly exceeding the apex of the propodeum and the bell-shaped, short and basally angled T1, it is recognized from the other species of the subgenus by the mostly impunctate and velvety body, the elongate clypeus with apical margin wider than interantennal space, the vertex and gena not markedly convex, the absence of the pronotal carina, the weakly sinuate lateral carina of propodeum, the evenly convex S2 and the black and dark red pattern.

Material examined. NAMIBIA: Khomas, Gmundner Lodge , 15.III.2003, leg. M. & J. Schwarz, 1♀ ( OLML) ; SÃO TOMÉ: Guinée, San Thomè, 3♂ 1♀ ( MSNVE, MSVI) .

Distribution. Namibia, São Tomé, South Africa ( von Schulthess 1903; Giordani Soika 1938, 1987; Gusenleitner 2012) ( Fig. 13G View FIGURE 13 ).

Notes. The female specimen in MSNVE was examined by Giordani Soika (1987: 204) to describe the female sex of this taxon and is labeled as allotype, but in fact it does not belong to the type series.

Comparison of pictures of the holotype of Afrorhynchium dathei with specimens of Pareumenes laevis , including the mentioned “ allotype ”, did not allow finding any character useful to recognize them as two distinct species. The holotype of Afrorhynchium dathei from South Africa differs from the specimens from São Tomé in having reduced red markings, small yellowish spots at sides of T2 and coarser and denser punctures on mesepisternum. These characters are here regarded as simple intraspecific variability, probably related to the different climatic conditions, leading to the synonymy of Afrorhynchium dathei under Pareumenes laevis . This is further supported by the examination of a female specimen from Namibia, showing an even darker pattern than the holotype of A. dathei but having the sculpture of the mesepisternum intermediate between P. laevis from São Tomé and A. dathei.