Insects - Southern Africa (identified for the 1st time on iNat or difficult to identify)s Dagbok

Elytron with two yellow patches: Anterior yellow patch reaching from the outer margin to the third interval, but not reaching the base laterally; posterior patch broad, somewhate ovate, and slightly sinuate on the posterior part.

Description in Péringuey 1892:
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/113563#page/510/mode/1up
Black, moderately shining, briefly but densely pubescent; antennae palpi, and legs reddish yellow; head deeply punctured; prothorax gradually rounded and ampliated from the apex to two-thirds of the length, not much narrowed, but sinuated from there to the posterior angle which projects a little, base truncate with a slight sinuation on the lateral part, disk plane with the posterior outer sides a little raised, deeply punctured, black with the posterior outer sides yellow; elytra a little broader than the prothorax at the base with the shoulders not much rounded, parallel, hardly convex, deeply punctato-striate with the intervals broad, almost plane and densely punctured, black, and having on each side two yellow patches, the first one a subhumeral one, reaches from the edge of the outer margin to the third interval, and is longer on the seventh and eighth intervals, and also the outer margin, than on the sixth, fifth, and fourth, but do not reach the base in the anterior part, while behind they reach a little short of the median part; posterior part obtusely ovate, a little emarginate on the posterior edge, and reaching from the third to the eighth interval. Length 8.5 - 9 mm. ; width 3.5 - 4 mm.

Distribution: South Africa (Eastern Cape, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Northern Cape, North West, Western Cape)

iNat observation: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/205267979

References:
Häckel, M. & Farkač, J. 2012. A check-list of the subfamily Panagaeinae Hope, 1838 of the World (Coleoptera: Carabidae). Studies and Reports, Taxonomical series. 8. 67-116.
https://sar.fld.czu.cz/cache/article-data/SaR/Published_volumes/2012/67-116_hackel.pdf

Péringuey, L. 1892. A descriptive catalogue of the Coleoptera of South Africa. Part 4 Carabidae. Transactions of the South African Philosophical Society 7.
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/113563#page/510/mode/1up

Chaudoir, M. de. 1879. Essai monographique sur les Panagéides. Annales de la Société entomologique de Belgique 21.
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/12847389#page/158/mode/1up

Original description (useless):
La Ferté-Sénectère, F. de. 1851. Révision de la tribu des Patellimanes de Dejean, Coléoptères pentamères de la famille des Carabiques. Annales de la Société entomologique de France 9.
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/40400#page/227/mode/1up

Description in:
Péringuey, L. 1907. Descriptive catalogue of the Coleoptera of South Africa (Lucanidae and Scarabaeidae). Transactions of the South African Philosophical Society, 13
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/36879154#page/363/mode/1up
Black, the upper side light testaceous, or completely black, opaque in both cases; when the upper part is testaceous the prothorax has three somewhat broad and entire fuscous discoidal bands, the scutellum has a median longitudinal black band, and is edged with black; the elytra are tessellated more or less regularly with fuscous, and the black pygidium is concolorous; this species is somewhat closely allied to A. figuratus, Boh., but it differs in the following points: the teeth of the quadri-dentate clypeus are in a line along the anterior margin, instead of the two median ones projecting considerably from the base beyond the two sub-lateral ones, as in A. figuratus; the prothorax is much more densely pubescent, the pubescence being longer and very flavescent, and the punctures are very much deeper and much more closely set; elytra slightly narrower behind than at the base, pluricostate on the dorsal part, and plainly punctate striate laterally; pygidium irregularly punctate ; sides of abdomen clothed with a moderately dense fulvescent pubescence which is very thick on the pectus; the basal joint of the anterior tarsi is plainly triangular in both sexes, but the upper angle does not project as much as in A. figuratus, in which species the length is, however, very variable. The shape of the genitalia of the male differs considerably in each species.
Length 13.5 - 14.75 mm.; width 8.5 - 9 mm.

Illustrated in:
Distant W. L. 1910. Insecta Transvaaliensia. A contribution to a knowledge of the entomology of South Africa 10

Original description in:
Schoch, G. 1897. Nachtrag V zu Schoch: Die Genera und Species meiner Cetonidensammlung. Mitteilungen Der Schweizerischen Entomologischen Gesellschaft. Lausanne 10(1)
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/10892720#page/69/mode/1up

iNat observations:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/149119144
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/205072414

The entire head, thorax and scutellum are bright orange-yellow. Scutellum with six setae and 4 raised tubercles. Abdomen basally red-yellow with yellow pubescence, otherwise metallic blue or violet, aeneous with black pubescence. Legs glossy black, tarsi red with last 3 or 4 segments black. Wings uniformly smoky brown, red in front and at the base, with some barely noticeable lighter spots in the middle of the costal edge. Halters red-yellow.

Original description in:
Hendel, F. 1914. Die Arten der Platystominen. Abhandlungen der Kaiserlich-Königlichen Zoologisch-botanischen Gesellschaft in Wien 8.
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/28240#page/388/mode/1up

Distribution: Malawi, South Africa, Tanzania

iNat observation: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/206305622

Description and illustrations in:
Koch C. 1955. Monograph of the Tenebrionidae of southern Africa Vol I (Tentyriinae, Molurini Trachynotina: Somaticus Hope). Transvaal Museum Memoir 7.
https://journals.co.za/doi/pdf/10.10520/AJA0000012_554
https://journals.co.za/doi/pdf/10.10520/AJA0000012_545
https://journals.co.za/doi/pdf/10.10520/AJA0000012_541

Head above densely granulated. Eyes with slightly arcuate supra-orbital edge. Pronotum sparsely granulated, with sharply angular to dentiform dilation of sides; lateral carina evanescent behind median dilation. Elytra coarsely punctured, with the primary and dorsal costae each composed of a row of large spines. Pseudopleural margination simple, densely and minutely denticulate.

Black; with sparse, fine and adherent hairs, except for the shiny and bare elytra which, in fresh specimens, have an aenescent sheen and the lateral interval covered with a whitish, waxy, secretory pulverulescence.
Eyes in the male considerably larger than in the female, almost as long as breadth of inter-ocular space anteriorly; the latter concave. Pronotum a little less than twice as broad as long, flattened, dull; anterior margin truncate. Elytra distinctly broader than pronotum, densely and coarsely punctured, between punctures with fine, sharply spinose granules, becoming larger and obsoletely arranged longitudinally on outer half of dorsal interval, very fine and dense on lateral interval. Suture smoothed and faintly raised. Apical declivity with scattered, fine and spiniform granules. Lateral interval (in caudal aspect) distinctly narrower than,dorsal interval. Pseudopleura with fine granules. Abdomen dull, with scattered, round
and setiferous granules, except for the densely punctured anal sternite. Legs very long; femora thin and subparallel. Underside of anterior tibiae with apical brush in both sexes.
Length 12.5 to 18 mm., width 5.5 to 8 mm., height 4.5 to 7 mm.
Type locality: "Cap de Bonne Esperance"
Distribution and habitat: North-Western Cape Province. On open sandy flats, from June to August.

Original description in:
Solier, A.J.J. 1844. Essai sur les collaptérides (suite). 13e Tribu. Molurites. Memorie della Reale Accademia delle scienze di Torino (2)6
https://books.google.de/books?id=qVkFAAAAQAAJ&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&dq=clinocranion%20spinosum&hl=de&pg=PA327#v=onepage&q=clinocranion%20spinosum&f=false

iNat observation:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/206379729

Pronotum black, sides and usually also the base more or less broadly lined with red, rarely only the basal angles are narrowly lightened. .The black patch on the pronotal disc varies in development, sometimes reduced to a large spot in front.
Male: Antennae long, flabellate; elytra with the apex rufo-testaceous, excavate, and bilamellate.
nigro-pectinate at the tip.
Female: Antenne shorter, serrate; elytra wholly metallic.

Nepachys species in South Africa can be keyed with:
Wittmer, W. 1984. Zur Kenntnis der Gattung Nepachys Thomson in Südafrika (Coleoptera, Malachiidae) (23. Beitrag zur Kenntnis der Fauna Afrikas) Entomologica Basiliensia 9.
https://www.e-periodica.ch/cntmng?pid=enc-001%3A1984%3A9%3A%3A467

First description in:
Boheman, C. H. 1851. Insecta Caffrariae annis 1838-1845 a J.A. Wahlberg collecta.
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/37989#page/487/mode/1up
Translated from Latin:
Anthocomus (Erichs.) ramicornis: oblong-square, slightly convex, black, slightly shiny, shortly pubescent; with brown antennae, base testaceous, in males pectinate, prothorax rufous-shelly, anteriorly a large stripe, black marked; elytra dirt coloured, often punctate, apex red-testaceous.

Description of Ebaeomorphus ramicornis in:
Pic, M. 1904. Diagnoses de Malacodermes africains et américains. Echange 20
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/284961#page/36/mode/1up
Translated from French:
Relatively short and broad, black, elytra blue, broadly flavous at apex, sides of prothorax testaceous. Head broad; antennae black, very little testaceous at the base, long toothed then flabellate from the 4th article;
prothorax quite short and broad, slightly narrowed posteriorly, black all over the middle and more or less testaceous on the sides; elytra not very shiny, short and broad, enlarged towards the middle, then narrowed, swollen and provided with flavous auricles at the top, marked with a variable sutural depression behind scutellum; legs dark. Length 2.5 mm.

Distribution: Natal

iNat observation: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/206417900

Genus Distretus Haag-Rutenberg, 1871

There are 3 similar genera in the Dichtha clade of Molurina: Distretus, Dichtha & Aminatus.

Distretus: elytra lightly convex; primary costa sharply carinate, but confined to sides of elytra, and, in dorsal aspect, entirely concealing the lateral interval & epipleural carina; the lateral interval is re-entrant (not vertical); the dorsal interval exhibits a submarginal depression along primary costa.

Dichtha: similar to Distretus, but elytra dorsally depressed, the lateral interval is subvertical (and not re-entrant), therefore the primary costa (in dorsal aspect) not entirely concealing the lateral interval & epipleural carina.

Aminatus: elytra convex, with distinct straight or wavy-sinuous dorsal carinae.

These 3 genera (at least Dichtha and Amiantus) are perhaps paraphyletic with regard to one another, as suggested by Kaminski et al. 2020 who did not include Distretus in the study. (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342229101_First_insights_into_the_phylogeny_of_tok-tokkie_beetles_Tenebrionidae_Molurina_Phanerotomeina_and_examination_of_the_status_of_the_Psammodes_vialis_species-group)

Distretus fahraei
Oriniginal description in:
Haag-Rutenberg, G. 1871. Beiträge zur Familie der Tenebrioniden (II. Stück). Coleopterologische Hefte VII: 21–111.
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/81206#page/191/mode/1up
Translated from Latin & German:
Black, dark, with wrinkled head and thorax; elytra expanded, barely convex above, densely punctate, punctures baearing minute rusty hairs, surface uneven, with small wrinkles and marginal carina. Legs long. Length 13 mm; width 8mm.
Pronotum and elytra formation as in the previous species [D. amplipennis: Head and pronotum very coarsely and densely punctured; elytra very broadened, widely rounded laterally, but so strongly depressed that they are almost flat.], from which is distinguished by its smallness and the sculpture of the elytra which are somewhat convex on the disk, show 2-3 barely raised wavy longitudinal lines, giving the whole surface an uneven apperance; elytra densely covered with puntures, bearing a microscopically small rust-colored bristle.
Epipleurae punctured more sparingly puntured. Legs of medium length.
'Caffraria' (= NE South Africa].

Distribution: ?, recorded from Skukza, Kruger National Park and several records from Zimbabwe on GBIF
(https://www.zobodat.at/pdf/ANNA_96B_0343-0348.pdf)
https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=10730519

iNat observations:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/195552758
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/40098616

Original description in:
Boheman, C. H. 1851. Insecta Caffrariae annis 1838-1845 a J.A. Wahlberg collecta. Pars 1.
Translated from Latin:
Malachius amoenulus: oblong-square-shaped, slightly convex, rufous-testaceous, somewhat shiny, sparsely grey-pubescent; eyes, scutellum, and breast black; prothorax shorter than long, obsoletely punctate, posteriorly thinly yellow-margined; elytra pften delicately punctate, black, a common oval spot, in front of the middle, the tip and a spot on each side yellow, the humeral spot and the tip itself rufous-testaceous.
Length 3.25 mm; width 1.5 mm.

Type locality: Natal

iNat observation: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/11266293

Taxonomic note: Transfered to genus Mixis in:
Evers, A. M. J. 1985. Aufteilung der paläarktischen Arten des Gattungskomplexes Malachius F. 54. Beitrag zur Kenntnis der Malachiidae. Entomologische Blätter 81.

This species is told from other Distretus species by the elytral sculpture and the very widely expanded elytra. It is separated from Dichtha inflata by the lack of 6 black stripes on the red elytral disc and the strongly punctured lateral interval of the elytra and the evenly granulated surface of the elytral disc (Lateral interval covered with scattered punctures and elytral disc almost smooth, only under high magnification, fine, fragmented dots are noticeable on the disc in D. inflata).

Original description (Moluris discoidea) in:
Guérin-Méneville, F. E. 1845. Description de quelques-uns des Insectes les plus remarquable découverts par M. A. Delegorcue dans les pays des Boschimans, des Ama Zoulous, des Massilicatzi et au Port Natal, pendant les années 1838, 39 , 40, 41, 42, 43 et 44. Revue Zoologique par La Société Cuvierienne VIII
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/2327510#page/296/mode/1up

Black, dark; thorax orbicular, strongly sculptured with sievelike punctures; elytra finely granulated, the back almost flattened, the sides rounded, the strong lateral carina sharp and the lateral margins oblique below the carina; Legs of covered with yellow scales.— Length 21 mm; width 12 mm.
Habitat: 'Massilicatzi' [= southern Mozambique: Gaza & Maputo provinces]

Taxonomic note:
This species was transferred to genus Distretus by Koch (Koch C. 1955. Monograph of the Tenebrionidae of southern Africa Vol I (Tentyriinae, Molurini Trachynotina: Somaticus Hope). Transvaal Museum Memoir 7) and already had been assumed to be a member of Distretus by Haag-Rutenberg (1871) who could not study a specimen and only went by the description.
Kaminski et al. (https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/34241/) ignored the fact that the species was placed in Distretus by Koch and listed it as Moluris discoidea in the Sepidiini catalogue.
https://journals.co.za/doi/pdf/10.10520/AJA0000012_545

Illustrated in:
Schoeman, C.S., Toussaint, D.C., Tshililo, P., Foord, S.H., & Hamer, M. 2020. Checklist of the pimeliine darkling beetles of the Vhembe Biosphere Reserve, South Africa (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae: Pimeliinae).
https://journals.co.za/doi/pdf/10.38201/btha.abc.v50.i1.8

Original description in:
Kolbe, H. J. 1886. Neue afrikanische Coleoptera des Berliner zoologischen Museums. Entomologische Nachrichten 11.
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/31905332#page/306/mode/1up
Translated from German:
Distinguished by the regular and heavily costate, shiny black and short elytra, the coarse-wrinkled dull black pronotum and the gray-brown tomented legs.
The short elytra have six straight ones each strong costae, which are weakened towards the suture; the spaces between the costae are irregularly and scatteredly punctured. The space between the outer costa and the pleurae is very wide and very faintly scattered punctures. The back of the elytra is highly arched. The prothorax is slightly wider than long, the anterior angles pulled forward, the posterior ones blunt-rounded at an angle, very coarse and almost wrinkled on the upper side and punctured. Labrum narrowed at the back, truncated at the front, the corners rounded, completely smooth on top, unpunctuated, clypeus and forehead with scattered coarse dots, the back of the head with dense and fine punctures.
Body length 16, largest width 11 mm.

Type locality: Berlin mission station Mp'hôme (Mphome), later renamed to Kratzenstein, located in Haenertsburg (Limpopo, South Africa).

Distribution: Probably endemic to the North Eastern portion of the Drakensberg mountain range in the Limpopo Province, south of Tzaneen.

Photos of specimen from Limpopo, collected by Junod from the surronds of Shiluvane on RBINS Virtual Collections
https://virtualcollections.naturalsciences.be/virtual-collections/entomology/coleoptera/tenebrionidae/pimeliinae/amiantus-costipennis-kolbe-1886

iNat observation: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/194343229

Black or brownish. Antennae hairy with white fluffy tips. Elytral surface densely punctured and pitted. Elytra less dilated than in other species, rather parallel-sided.

Original description in:
Guérin-Méneville, F. E. 1845. Description de quelques-uns des Insectes les plus remarquable découverts par M. A. Delegorcue dans les pays des Boschimans, des Ama Zoulous, des Massilicatzi et au Port Natal, pendant les années 1838, 39 , 40, 41, 42, 43 et 44. Revue Zoologique par La Société Cuvierienne VIII
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/2327510#page/296/mode/1up
Translated from Latin:
Dark chestnut; thorax rounded, densly punctate; elytra densly punctate or pitted, flattened, with almost straight sides, with strong sharp lateral carina and with the lateral edges slanting below the carina; legs covered with dark yellow scales.
Length 13 mm; width 8 mm.

Type Locality: 'Port Natal' (Durban, South Africa).

Redescription in:
Haag-Rutenberg G. 1871. Beiträge zur Familie der Tenebrioniden (II. Stück). Coleopterologische Hefte VII.
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/81206#page/192/mode/1up
Black or dark brown, opaque, antennae pilose, towards the apex white-silky; head punctured; thorax globose, pitted; elytra flattened, deeply punctate or furrowed, with straight sides, with a strong lateral carina, epipleura sparsely punctate; legs elongated, pitch-black, very thinly gray-bristled. - Length. 13-14 mm; width 7.5-8.5 mm
Natal.

Description of junior synonym (Moluris pilicornis) in:
Fåhraeus, 1870. Coleoptera Caffrariae, annis 1838–1845 a J. A. Wahlberg collecta. Heteromera descripsit. Öfversigt af Kongliga Vetenskaps-Akademiens Förhandlingar 27.
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/38006#page/27/mode/1up

Distribution: Known from northern and eastern South Africa.

iNat observation:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/151374751