Stegopterus endroedyi, Ricchiardi & Perissinotto & Strümpher, 2025

Stegopterus endroedyi sp. nov.

Fig. 7 View Figure 7

Type material.

Holotype. South Africa – WCP • ♂; Swartberge, Blesberg-E ; 23°25'S [33°25'S], 22°41'E; 2000 m; 6 Nov. 1978; Endrödy-Younga leg.; grassnetting; E-Y: 1590; TMSA GoogleMaps .

Paratypes. South Africa – WCP • 1 ♂; same data as for holotype but 1820 m; on flowers; E-Y 1513; TMSA GoogleMaps • 3 ♂; same data as for preceding but singled; 2000 m; 5 Nov. 1978; TMSA GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis.

Stegopterus endroedyi sp. nov. differs from S. agulhas sp. nov. by having the clypeal lateral margin strongly reborded and slightly narrowing towards the base. Its pygidial surface is covered with round, scattered punctures and the tridentate protibia exhibits regularly spaced teeth (see dichotomous key). The shape of its parameres is also distinctive (Fig. 7 G, H View Figure 7 ).

Description.

Male (holotype). Measurements. Total length = 11.9 mm; maximum width = 6.0 mm. Body. Stocky, with melolonthinoid shape, black, with some metallic hue; head, pronotum and scutellum with predominant metallic green hue but black margins; anterior half of clypeus glabrous, posterior half with scattered, long, testaceous setae. Head. Clypeus. wider than long (1.6 times), deeply hollowed, covered with thick, round punctures, somewhat confluent at sides; anterior corners rounded, anterior margin retuse, lateral margins strongly reborded and slightly narrowing towards base (Fig. 7 D View Figure 7 ); antennal club brown to brownish, arched, 1.3–1.5 times clypeus length. Pronotum. Covered with thick, long, testaceous setae; pronotum covered with round, deep, dense punctures, confluent at sides. Scutellum. Covered with dense round punctures, imbricate at centre and on anterior margin. Elytra. Dark testaceous, with colour pattern similar to that of S. suturalis , but with anteapical humbones blackish; posterior border of elytra without blackish margin and shagreened; discal striae effaced, entire surface covered with scattered, round punctures; lateral declivity shagreened; large sutural / juxtascutellar black band with violet hue reaching apical margin; all other margins narrowly black. Pygidium. Black with prominent metallic green hue; imbricate, with scattered, very long and testaceous setae. Legs. Black with copper metallic hue; protibia externally tridentate; with proximal tooth rounded and obsolete; mesotibia strongly bent ventrally; metatibial upper spur slightly curved at apex; metatibial lower spur subequal to upper; second metatarsal segment as long as first. Venter. Entire surface black with green metallic hue.

Type series variability.

The specimens in the type series are very similar, with no significant differences in chromatic or morphological characters.

Etymology.

The species takes its name from the renowned Hungarian entomologist Sebastian Endrödy-Younga, who collected the type series. Noun in the genitive singular case.

Remarks.

The female is unknown. Some type labels report as collection coordinates 23°25'S, but these are incorrect and must be replaced with 33°25'S. This new species was already identified by Arthur Evans in the 1980 s but never described. There is no available information on the biology / ecology of this species.

Distribution.

This species occurs at the easternmost part of the distribution range of the genus Stegopterus , in the eastern section of the Groot Swartberg range above the town of Oudtshoorn (Fig. 21 View Figure 21 ).