Tsivoka humeralis, Jeong & Vives & Mckenna, 2025

Tsivoka humeralis sp. nov. ( Figs 1a View FIGURE 1 , 3 View FIGURE 3 , 4)

Type series: HOLOTYPE: Madagascar, Toliara, Atsimo Andrefana Region, District of Betioky, 30km E Betioky, Beza Mahafaly Special Reserve ( Around Research Station ), 165m, (-23.6865, 44.591), VIII.16–VIII.28.2002, Rin’ha, Mike, male ( CAS) ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 ) GoogleMaps . PARATYPES: Madagascar, Toliara, Atsimo Andrefana Region, District of Betioky, 30 km E Betioky, Beza Mahafaly Special Reserve ( Around Research Station ), 165 m, (-23.6865, 44.591), X.15. – XI.10.2001, Rin’ha, Mike, male ( CAS); ditto, VI GoogleMaps .8– VI. 18.2002, female ( Fig. 4) ( CAS); ditto, IX.9– IX.20.2002, male ( CAS) GoogleMaps ; Madagascar Ouest Reserve spéciale du Zombitsy Est de Sakaraha Matsabory , 640 m, VII.10–11.1974, P. Viette et A. Peyrieras, female ( MNHN) ( Fig. 1a View FIGURE 1 ) ; Madagascar Zombites Vohibasia National Park , 792m, (-22.8884, 44.6945), XI.29.2024, Jeong, male, ( DDM) GoogleMaps

Description: 18–20 mm. Dark brown to black, orange antennae, elytra with bright orange marks on the humeral area, legs black, red fore femur. Head very finely and densely punctuated. Genea one and a half times longer than the lower eye lobes; covered with brown pubescence. Frons twice (male) to just over twice (female) wider than an eye seen from above. Mandible and maxillary palpi black to dark brown with dense yellow setae. Antennae reaching the apex of elytra in males, and the posterior one third in females. Scape as long as flagellomere 1; flagellomere 3 through 8 sharp outer edges with two small pits; flagellomere 9 longer than flagellomere 7 in males and shorter in females. Pronotum densely punctate, with short pubescence, only partially obliterating the integument, as long or a little longer than broad at base in both sexes; tubercles obsolete and contiguous disc protrusion with medial furrow; oval, oblique basal protuberances; sides of the pronotum straight and subparallel posteriorly, strongly concave and convergent anteriorly; lateral tubercles obsolete but slightly protruded with obtuse angle. Sternum black with yellowish pubescence; mesosternum 1.5x as broader as prosternum. Procoxae adjacent to each other with a narrow intercoxal area. Elytra with prominent humeri, two and a half times (male) to 2.2 times (female) longer than wide together at the base, covered with a prostrate silky pubescence obliterating the integument, except in the region of the humeral depression; black with bright orange marks on each humeral area. Wings dark brown. Legs dark brown to black except for the reddish-brown front femur. The hind femur is long and slender; as long as the abdomen. Tibiae long and slender; end of the inner edge of the male hind tibiae with a tiny triangular projection with two black spines. Male onychium dilated and toothed. Abdomen black; male tergite 8 orange, laterally narrowed in medial area and round apex; abdominal sternites 3 and 4 similar lengths and sternites 5 and 6 slightly shorter. Male sternite 7 about 1.2 times longer than sternite 3 and abdomen flat in lateral view. Female sternite 7 similar lengths with sternite 3 and abdomen slightly curved between sternite 3 and 4 in lateral view.

Etymology: Having a cape in Latin. The name describes the distinctive orange mark on the humeri.

Remarks: The species was first recognized as a new species and named by late Dr. Villiers in 1898 based on a single specimen housed at the NMHN. However, it has never been formally described or published ( Fig. 1a View FIGURE 1 ). The species is named Tsivoka humeralis sp. nov. in honor of Dr. Villiers with the specimen serving as a paratype. The type specimens from CAS were collected using Malaise traps in southern dry deciduous gallery forests. A male specimen was collected during the daytime (11:54 pm) following the first two days of rain in the year. The beetle was observed flying across a trail and landed on a branch near fallen wood.

Distribution: Southwest Madagascar ( Fig. 8 View FIGURE 8 ). T. humeralis sp. nov. occurs in succulent woodlands and dry deciduous forest in Southwestern Madagascar.

Discussion: The species is easily distinguished by the unique pattern on the elytra which sets it apart from others in the same genus. Its distribution pattern is also distinctive within the genus. While T. simplicicollis and T. testacipes are widely distributed from the humid Northeastern regions to the drier Southern areas, T. humeralis is exclusively found in the Southwestern succulent woodlands and dry deciduous forests. This differs from T. peyrierasi , which is only observed in the humid lowland forests of the northeastern region.